MORECAMBE kick off their conference season this weekend, and Jim Harvey's men know they have a tough ten months ahead if they are to achieve their dream of making it into the football league. With only one promotion spot available, the conference is surely the toughest of all leagues to get out of.

While Morecambe may not be the wealthiest outfit in the league, Jim Harvey's shrewd management could put his side back on track.

While stars like Brian Healy (a sensation at Torquay), John Norman (now at wealthy midlands outfit Hednesford) and Justin Jackson (Swapping league clubs with alarming regularity, but set to get his career back on the rails at Halifax) have moved on, Harvey may have unearthed another gem in striker Phil Eastwood. Eastwood, much hyped in his early days at Burnley, failed to make the breakthrough as the revolving door at Turf Moor saw Stan Ternent bring in a succession of free transfers, blocking his progress. Another Turf Moor connection arrives in the form of midifielder Andy Farrell. A veteran of over 300 league games, Farrell is no spring chicken, but he is held in high regard throughout the lower divisions, where his versatility and stability have also benefited Colchester, Wigan and Rochdale, often as captain

The conference's glamour side are Morecambe's opening day opponents Rushden and Diamonds. Bankrolled by Millionaire Doc Martens tycoon Max Griggs the midlands side are entering their third season at the top of the non-league pyramid, and it is they who start the season as most pundits favourites.

Rushden aren't the only club who can afford to splash out. Former Everton striker Mike Newell lines up for Doncaster this term, while Yeovil, the hugely well supported side from the West Country, can also afford to splash out - Rushden's top scorer Adrian Foster is their major signing.

At the other end of the scale, only four days before the season Morecambe still don't know if their biggest annual league derby will go ahead this year. Cash strapped Barrow are still fighting a controversial decision to boot them out of the conference after going into liquidation. Even if the former league club does pull through - and every football fan must surely hope they do - it seems unlikely that they will face anything other than a long and desperate fight against relegation. Former Morecambe and Blackpool midfielder Paul Haddow has already left to join Lancaster, and the cost of clearing the club's debts may be relegation from the conference.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.