CRAVEN League Soccer gets underway next week, with Skipton Bulldogs bidding to retain their Silentnight Premier Division title and strong challenges expected from a handful of clubs.

Oxenhope Rec, Embsay and Cross Hills are obvious rivals when the top section swings into action next Friday, while newly-promoted Clitheroe United are rated as dark horses, along with Addingham, who open with a home game against the title-holders.

The season opens with 31 clubs in membership and in most cases it seems to be the mixture as before so far on the personnel front.

Division One looks wide open, with relegated Gargrave fancied to make an impact along with Carleton, Skipton Town and Bradley, while promoted Bronte Wanderers, clear winners in Division Two last season, could also be a major force.

As always, predicting the shape of the Reserve divisions is an impossible task, at least until the early games have provided some sort of form guide and players have found their levels.

Sadly, referees will again be in short supply, despite an increase in fees to £15 and efforts to recruit newcomers, so once again the burden will fall on luckless volunteers. Perhaps their efforts will be sufficiently appreciated for them to be persuaded to widen their sphere of activity, which would help the league a great deal.

On the administration front, the Management Committee is much the same, with president George Saunders and chairman Gerry Aldersley again at the helm and secretary Peter Marsden seeking to oil the wheels and keeping things running smoothly for the 29th year.

This week's fixtures:

Tuesday: Division Three - Colne CC Res v Hellifield Sports Res, Cononley Sports v McBrides, Gargrave Res v Skipton Town Res, Grassington Res v Earby, Intake Res v Addingham Res, Waddington Res v Carleton Res. Wednesday: Division Two - Bradley Res v Skipton LMS Res, Bronte Wanderers Res v Silsden Athletic, Cowling Res v Barrowford Un, Grindleton Res v Horton, Lothersdale v Oxenhope Res, Skipton Bulldogs Res v Ilkley Youth. Thursday: Division One - Barnoldswick U. v Gargrave Res, Embsay Res v Cowling, Hellifield Sports v Intake, Keighley Lifts v Bronte Wanderers, Skipton Town v Bradley, Sutton v Carleton. Friday: Premier Division - Clitheroe Un v Grindleton, Cross Hills v Keighley Lifts, Addingham v Skipton Bulldogs, Embsay v Cononley Sports, Oxenhope Rec v Colne CC, Skipton LMS v Grassington U.