Vikings getting ready for season

Published on 21st June 2007 in Sport

THE TELL-TALE signs of a new football season approaching are there to be seen.

Forget the Tevez affair nationally, the probable demise of a once-famous club more locally in Scarborough, the coupon (right) for Goole AFC season tickets for 2007-2008 show that the season is just seven weeks away.

And the Vikings players will be back reporting for training in the first week in July, when the draws for the national cup competitions will be released. Hopefully, after one or two nightmares, the new league fixtures will also be published.

One did say forget the Scarborough affair, but that is still casting a cloud over the new Unibond season, especially the Premier Division.

Scarborough were accepted, a position ratified at the Annual General Meeting last weekend, but yesterday in the High Court in Leeds it was expected they would go into liquidation after last-minute rescue plans were scuppered by Scarborough Borough Council.

One hesitates to say it is finally done and dusted, although a judge last week in granting a stay of execution for eight days, warned he could not wait much longer.

If Scarborough do fold, the Premier Division will run with 21 clubs and that means no move for Kings Lynn from the Southern League, a move mooted when news of Scarborough's demise was first made public a fortnight ago.

Goole arrange friendlies

Although as yet there are no league teams lined up for Victoria Pleasure Grounds friendlies, the Vikings have arranged five pre-season matches in readiness for the season proper on August 18.

They will entertain Ossett Town, Glasshoughton and North Ferriby United, and travel to Selby Town and West Yorkshire League side Whitkirk in their warm-up plans.

The Vikings will only be running one team this season after resigning from the Northern Alliance Under 19 league after finishing second last term.

Pleasure Grounds looking well

And despite one or two reports to the contrary, including one, believe it or not, from Ilkeston last week, the old Pleasure Grounds is not looking too bad.

The recent rains have made the playing surface look better than for some time and as usual there has been a working party on the ground at various intervals to keep the place looking tidy and completing one or two requirements that the Unibond League insist upon.