Charity Shield kicks off the South Devon Football League

The big kick-off for the Torbay Clearance Services South Devon Football League has arrived as quickly as summer came and went.

60 teams and 2000 registered players start the long campaign of another football season hoping to bring honours and silverware to their clubs.

For last season’s league and cup winners the challenge is clear, retain those honours, for the promoted teams, can you make a mark in a higher division, for relegated teams, win some games and rebuild confidence and for the new teams joining the league, remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

When looking at the divisions, the Premier and Division One are very strong, if not equal, and the new teams that have joined from the Plymouth and West Devon league have added some extra spice.

No teams from the South Devon League moved into the football pyramid last season but that could change over the next two years as the competition improves and the players get used to travelling a bit further afield on a Saturday.

The season officially kicked off with the Torbay Clearance Services sponsored Charity Shield fixture at Homers Heath that turned out to be a very tight affair that swung one way then the other to the enjoyment of the large crowd.

An entertaining first half ended in a stalemate but just as Ilsington Villa stepped up a gear in the second half, they got caught with a breakaway grom the Newton Abbot 66 forwards, the first shot on target produced a great save from the Ilsington Villa ‘keeper but he could not hold on to the ball and Liam Ashwell was first to the rebound and put the Sixes in front.

From the restart, the Moorlanders stepped up another gear and began to take control of the game and it did not take Luke Pilkington and last season’s club top scorer Dan Langford very long to put Ilsington in front and whilst Sixes were still in the game, victory seemed beyond them and they were not able to add the charity shield to the Herald Cup that was won last season.

So, the South Devon League charity shield sponsored by Torbay Clearance Services will no doubt be on display at the Carpenters Arms.

The big winner on the night was the players’ benevolent fund, which benefited by some £500 and the league would like to thank everybody that supported this great event as the season opener.

At the start of every season, most people make predictions and give their thoughts on how their teams are going to finish, so for what it’s worth, here are my thoughts for the top five in each division. And in no particular order.

Premier: Ilsington Villa, Newton Spurs 2nds, Kingsteignton Ath, Paignton Saints, Elburton Villa 2nds.

Div One: Plymouth Pheonix, Plymouth True Blues, Ivybridge Town 2nds, Windmill, Bovey Tracey 2nds.

Div Two: Mount Gould, Watcombe Wanderers 2nds, Barton Athletic, Liverton Utd, East Allington Utd 2nds.

Div Three: Ashburton, Liverton Utd 2nds, Stoke Gabriel TP 2nds, Drake FC, Waldon Ath 2nds.

Div Four: Kingskerswell, Chudleigh Athletic 2nds, Waldon Ath 3rds, Teign Village, Broadhempston Utd.

Looking through the opening day fixtures, it is hard to pick a game that is not worth watching but here are some that catch the eye.

In the Premier Division, Paignton Saints host Buckfastleigh Rangers at Coach Road and Waldon Athletic welcome Newton Spurs to Windmill Hill, both are tough games to call.

Champions Ilsington Villa have to wait until September 7 to get their defence of the title underway and last season’s runners-up Morley Rangers have disbanded.

In Division One, every fixture has quality written all over them but Windmill versus Plymouth True Blues will be a colourful affair and at Bovey Tracey where the visitors WBB, freshly relegated from the Premier, will be looking to get some early points on the board.

Division Two gives newly joined Mount Gould the chance to lay an early marker for their intent when they visit relegated Buckfastleigh Rangers 2nds, and at Halford newly promoted Liverton Utd host relegated Upton Athletic.

Division Three looks like having a competitive season and the stand-out games on opening day are Drake versus Totnes and Dartington 2nds at Manadon’s all-weather pitch and Elburton Villa 3rds against Liverton Utd 2nds at Haye Road.

In Division Four, Barton Athletic 2nds host new boys Templar Way who are testing out Saturday football for the first time at Barton Downs and there is a local derby at Teign Village, where Chudleigh Athletic are the visitors and have already won a pre-season game at the Village by 3 goals to 2, so it should be a close affair.

All games kick off at 2.30pm and the full fixture list is available on the Full Time website by searching South Devon Football League.