FORMER Burnley favourite Vince Overson has put Padiham through their paces as they prepare for life back in the North West Trains League -- but he won't be leading the charge this season.

Overson was the Storks joint player-manager last term and helped them to win the West Lancs League Championship.

He took pre-season training at the Arbories but, while not severing ties with the club, is concentrating on his involvement with the Clarets School of Excellence.

This has left Graham Howarth, who played at Padiham the last time they were in what was then the North West Counties League some 10 years ago, the sole manager for this step up.

"It will be strange being on my own as, before Vince, I had Phil Malley to bounce my ideas off. Now I am totally responsible," admitted Graham.

It's been a hard climb back up the ladder but, after being crowned champions and getting their ground approved to confirm promotion last season, it's been a good summer at the Arbories.

"I think if we hadn't got promoted we'd have lost a lot of our players who were good enough for the next league," admitted trustee Alan Smith.

"But because we got promoted we've kept hold of nearly all the squad and that's great.

"It will certainly be a challenge, it's what we expect. It's some ten years since we've been involved in the league and it's changed.

"We haven't got any money to spend as a lot of it was spent developing the ground to get into this league, so it is really all about consolidation.

"But what we don't want is to get involved in a bottom of the table dogfight -- we don't want to finish in the bottom two and have the threat of relegation hanging over us.

"But saying that, we will just enjoy it and we will give everything we have got."

Top scorer for Padiham last season was Anthony McCluskey, a former Burnley trainee, who netted more than 30 goals in 28 games to help the Storks to promotion.

But McCluskey will step back into midfield for this season after the arrival of Karl Parker, a former Rochdale striker, who been playing in the local leagues.

He should be well supplied by John Harrison, a wide midfield player, described as "very skilful," while the Storks captain is Jamie Edmondson, a regular for the last five seasons.

The only departure during the summer has been highly rated goalkeeper Bobby Harris, who has stepped up into the UniBond League to join Accrington Stanley.

"We're sorry to lose Bobby, he was only 19, but he has gone to Accrington, a club in a higher division with more money. But we've signed Darren Micheson, from Worsthorne, who's got experience," added Graham.

Padiham kick off their North West Trains League Division Two adventure at Alsager on Saturday, but their first home game is the week after when Daisy Hill are the visitors.