THE 1999-2000 season is about to burst into life this weekend.

At the league's pre-season fixtures meeting, two teams - YMCA Res and Shaws of Darwen - resigned from the league, but on the plus side Brinscall have entered a second team.

With the season due to start on Saturday, one interesting fixture has come out for the first game of the new season with last season's Premier Division champions, Ewood Amateurs, meeting runners-up Griffin Celtic. The game will be played at Pleasington.

Ewood have had the benefit of an excellent warm-up for the new season. As league champions they are representing the league in the North West Inter League Alliance Champions Cup. They have met and defeated Hindley Green of the Wigan Amateur League with an impressive 8-3 scoreline. This result earned them a semi-final place against Royal Oak from the Leigh and District Amateur League.

This game, played at Blacksnape, resulted in a 5-1 win for Ewood. Royal Oak scored after five minutes with Ewood not looking anything like their normal selves. Gradually Ewood did improve to take most of the possession, but at the same time missing several scoring chances. Just on the half time whistle, Ewood got that vital equaliser.

The second half was a vast improvement as far as Ewood were concerned. They dominated the play to go through to the final. This will be against Whitbread from the Preston and District Amateur Football League. Ewood will host this final, the venue and date has yet to be fixed.

In order to avoid the situation that arose in the Sports Council Cup last season, the preliminary and first round games will be played on the first two Tuesdays of the season (September 7 and 14).

The kick off time in these two rounds will be 5.45pm with the games being 30 minutes each way with extra time and penalties if required. Fixtures for Saturday (kick off 2.15pm) - Colborne Trophies Premier Division: Bee Hive v Manxman (P1); Crown Berger v Railway Hotel; Griffin Celtic v Ewood Amateurs (P2); Old Toll Bar v Alexandra Hotel (P3); St Mary's COB v Centurions; West End CYC v Rishton (P4).

Hi-Tech Replacement Windows Division Two: Blackburn Utd v Marleys Wine Bar (P5): Langho v Ivy Hotel; New Gardeners v St Matthews (P6); Pleasington v Clarence FC (Pleckgate One); Rishton Res v Anchor Hotel; Whitehall Top Con v Witton Albion (Pleckgate Two).

Division Three: Alexandra Hotel Res v Blue Star (P11); Bangor Old Boys v Athletico Mellor (P8); Blackburn Olympic v Crown Berger Res (P9); Darwen Subs v Pleasington (P10); Brinscall v Blackburn YMCA; Worth Ave v Railway Hotel, Darwen (P12).

Neales Waste Management Fouirth Division: Centurions B v Forest Arms; Hordens v Lord Raglan (P7); Pleasington C v Grimshaw Park (Blacksnape); Preston New Road (v Rishton C (Blacksnape); St Matthew's Res v Blackburn Olympic Res (Blacksnape). Tuesday, September 7 - Blackburn and Darwen Sports Council Challenge Trophy, preliminary round (kick off 5.45pm): Old Toll Bar v Alexandra Hotel Res (P1); St Mary's COB v Blackburn Olympic; Centurions B v Ewood Amateurs; Crown Berger v St Matthew's; St Matthew's Res v Clarence FC (P2); Athletico Mellor v Blackburn Olympic Res (P3); New Gardeners v Pleasington C (P5); Langho v Lord Raglan; Bangor Old Boys v Blue Star (P6); Manxman v Hordens (P7); Preston New Road v Blackburn Utd (P8); Griffin Celtic v Darwen Subs (P9); Alexandra Hotel v Pleasington (P10); Brinscall Res v Railway Hotel, Darwen; Rishton v Marleys Wine Bar.

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