By Ryan Sipple

Looking to better last year’s fifth-place finish, Villa Rockets PFC secured four fantastic wins from their four fixtures in week two to mark one of their most impressive weekends in the National League. Goals from Daniel Kay and Jonathan Morley secured them their opening win and three points against a stubborn Sale United side. In their second game, Brighton’s absence ensured Villa a default win. On Sunday morning, goals from Amir Ali, Daniel Kay, Jonathan Morley and Lizzie Tullet (x2) saw Villa shock many with a fantastic win over league contenders Aspire PFC. In their last game of the weekend, they managed to edge out a close win over an inform Sevenoaks side to move joint on points with fourth-placed Aspire. Fresh from a fantastic 7-0 cup win over Championship side, Cheltenham SW All-Stars, Villa Rockets will be looking to build on their already impressive start in the league with some strong week three results. The side will be aiming for six-points from Saturday’s games with Manchester United and Nottingham PFC before a tougher set of fixtures on Sunday against WBA Throstles and St George’s Knights. The whole side has really impressed this season; new signing Lizzie Tullet has made a seamless transition into the side following her recent transfer from WBA Throstles. Bubba, as always, has been relentless in that central role, with Daniel Kay and Jonathan Morley both increasing their proficiency in front of goal. 

Week Two proved a stumbling block in Aspire PFC’s pursuit of an eighth National League title. A routine win over Nottingham Forest and a default win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday’s fixtures ensured they were very much insight of fierce league rivals, Northern Thunder and West Bromwich Albion. Aspire were unfortunate to lose team captain, Jon Bolding shortly after their matchup with Nottingham PFC and forced to play the remaining weekend fixtures without their star-man, Aspire struggled to focus in games against Villa Rockets (5-0 defeat) and WBA Throstles (2-1 defeat). With JB back to full fitness, Aspire PFC impressed in a superb cup performance against AFC Bournemouth and are ready to take this title race down to the wire. The side will be hoping for a recital of their cup success, with their first game falling against their former cup foes, AFC Bournemouth Warriors. Following this, the side will be hoping to pick up some momentum in fixtures against Manchester United, Sale United and St George’s Knights before, arguably, the biggest game of their season, against West Bromwich Albion. With six goals to her name in the league, Rosie Hodgson will be looking to add to her tally, with a lot of expectation also placed on the shoulders of Jordan Williams & summer signing, Tom Kelly.

West Bromwich Albion returned to the summit of the MDUK Premiership table with some dominant week two results. Having finished week one in Northern Thunder’s shadow, WBA looked to have the bit between their teeth in November as they comfortably & confidently dispatched all teams they faced. A single goal from last season’s Premiership Player of the Year, Marcus Harrison, ensured a positive start and respective three points against an inform WBA Throstles side. In their second, the title favourites produced an attacking masterclass against St George’s Knights, with goals from Luke Kelly, Matt Gilbert, Brad Bates and Marcus Harrison (x2) ensuring a brilliant 5-0 win. The formidable West Midlands outfit didn’t ease up against the bottom of the league side, AFC Bournemouth Warriors, with goals from Brad Bates, Matt Francis, Matt Gilbert, Marcus Harrison (x2) and Baris Inel (x2) cementing a one-sided victory. In their last, West Bromwich Albion PFC put out a real statement of intent, as they eased past fellow title challengers Northern Thunder 5-1. The side has incredible strength-in-depth and a lot of credit is owed to Matt Gilbert, Luke Kelly and Baris Inel; three fantastic players, sometimes overshadowed by their international compatriots. Looking very much odds on to secure a third consecutive National League title, they will be looking to put some distance between themselves and second place this weekend in games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Sale United & Sevenoaks PFC, before a clash of the titans with Aspire PFC.

Nottingham PFC are another team playing fantastic football this season; Currently equal on points with high flyers Villa Rockets & Aspire PFC, Nottingham will be absolutely delighted with their current placement among some of the league’s elite. Despite narrow defeats to both Aspire and Sevenoaks PFC back in November, there were massive positives to take from both games. A single strike from Joe Kerrison aided an impressive 1-0 win over WBA Throstles; a phenomenal result considering the form of the West Midlands side. In week two the side also registered a default win over Brighton & Hove Albion to take their points tally to 16 from nine games. Following a dominant 8-1 cup win over Greenbank PFC, Nottingham will be hoping to climb the table even further in week three of the MDUK Premiership. A tough Saturday includes fixtures against Villa Rockets and St George’s Knights. On Sunday the side will have the quiet ambition of securing maximum points in fixtures against the bottom two sides, Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth Warriors. 

On the face of it, the MDUK Premiership table doesn’t look too favourable to AFC Bournemouth Warriors. Rooted to the bottom of the table with nine defeats from nine, Bournemouth will be desperately hoping for a turn in fortune in this weekends fixtures. Considering they were a player short for the majority of week two’s games, the score lines don’t do them nor their respective performances enough justice. Despite heavy defeats to Northern Thunder (8-0), WBA Throstles (4-0) and West Bromwich Albion (7-0), the side played fantastically. Massive credit to trio Regan Kemp, Ryan Skinner and Matthew Adams who never lost belief despite the odds being stacked heavily against them. The South coast side was bitterly unlucky in games against Manchester United and Sale United; games they lost by the smallest of margins. The Warriors will be gunning for their first win of the 19/20 Premiership season in week three. A tough opening game against Aspire PFC is followed by several credible opportunities to register points on board; they play Sevenoaks PFC, Manchester United, Nottingham and Brighton & Hove Albion.

WBA Throstles continue to be one of the standout teams across National, Regional and Cup competitions this season. Considering the high level they aspire to compete at, week two of the MDUK Premiership was almost a disappointment for the West-Midlands-based outfit. They would have wanted more from an opening goalless draw against St George’s Knights. In their second the side was bitterly unlucky to fall to a narrow defeat to closely matched rivals, West Bromwich Albion. In their last game on Saturday’s, Throstles put on a show against AFC Bournemouth Warriors, whereby goals from Dave Lewis, Richard George, Lewis Harris and an unfortunate own goal saw them emerge as 4-0 victors. On Sunday morning Throstles went head to head with league and cup contenders, Aspire PFC; In the absence of their team captain, Jon Bolding, goals from Bradley Addison and Lewis Harris helped Throstles secure a monumental 2-1 win. WBA Throstles will be disappointed with a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Nottingham PFC in their last fixture of the weekend. Sitting third in the table, Throstles will have every belief and intention of securing maximum points from week three’s fixtures; they play Sale United and Northern Thunder on Saturday, with games against Villa Rockets and Manchester United on Sunday.

Having secured as many wins in their first two weekends of the 19/20 MDUK Premiership as they had the whole of last season, Sevenoaks PFC look well on course of registering the most successful season in their National League history. In their first game of week two, a single strike from inform wide-man, Harry Bestwick, helped the side secure a fantastic win against a strong Nottingham side. In their second, another single goal margin, this time Kyle Alexanders’s, separated them from league strugglers Manchester United. Head Coach Adam McEvoy will be delighted with their third consecutive 1-0 win over St George’s Knights in their third game. The side slipped to the only defeat of week two in their last game against bogey team, Villa Rockets, 2-1 it finished. The whole side is showing a real togetherness this season, from central players Kai Shah & Kyle Alexander to their rotation of fantastic wide players in Abi Bolt, Harry Bestwick and Myles Miller. An incredibly tough weekend of games awaits Sevenoaks in the Muscular Dystrophy UK Premiership. An opening game against AFC Bournemouth Warriors is closely followed by a tough game vs Northern Thunder. On Sunday the side will be hoping for three points against Sale United before a tough final fixture with league leaders, West Bromwich Albion.

Having seen West Bromwich Albion extend the gap at the top to six points, Northern Thunder will be hoping for nothing less than maximum points from week three to keep their title hopes alive. In November, Thunder exhibited some phenomenal football on Saturday, brushing aside AFC Bournemouth Warriors (8-0) and Manchester United (7-1) with absolute ease. Jack Maxwell looked a good bet to earn consecutive Premiership Top Goal Scorer awards as he slotted home hattricks in both ties. Sunday didn’t quite go to plan for the Newcastle-based outfit; A shock 2-0 defeat to St George’s Knights surprised many, and with dipped confidence, Thunder didn’t seem to get going in their last game against West Bromwich Albion, losing 5-1. With quality throughout their side, Thunder will be calling on Ed Common, Sam Smith, Matty Harrison & Jack Maxwell to put past results behind them and fully focus on all ahead. This weekend Northern Thunder open with a tough game against an inform WBA Throstles side before games against Sevenoaks, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sale United.

Having performed well above expectation last season, St George’s Knights will be slightly disappointed with their current placement in the MDUK Premiership. In week two’s opening game, the odds were always stacked heavily against them in an opening 5-0 defeat to title favourites, West Bromwich Albion. St George’s Knights will feel they could have achieved more in frustrating games against Sale United (1-1) and Sevenoaks (1-0 defeat). Channelling that frustration into their performance against Northern Thunder, with a packed Lee Westwood Sports Centre in attendance, St George’s shocked many with a superb 2-0 win. A goal from Daniel Ball just before halftime put Thunder on the back foot, and with the opposition chasing the game till the very end, a break-away goal from Lucas Christer secured, arguably, the finest three points in their National League history. Looking to get back to the table’s higher placements, St George’s Knights will be hoping for six points from fixtures against Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham PFC on Saturday with tougher fixtures against Aspire PFC and Villa Rockets to contend with on Sunday.

Brighton & Hove Albion will want to put distance between themselves and the three danger positions below them with a positive week three in the Muscular Dystrophy UK Premiership. Having not fielded a team in week two, their five fixtures were unfortunately logged as ‘Walkover’s’. Considering the difficult circumstances surrounding the club, Brighton have shown unbelievable resilience to attend both the South East Regional League and this upcoming National League weekend. The hopeful return of star man, Gregg Baxter will be sure to boost the side’s confidence in what will be an extremely challenging weekend. The Seagulls open their 2020 account against league leaders, West Bromwich Albion before another testing game against St George’s Knights. On Sunday, another difficult game against Northern Thunder is followed by a ‘must-win’ six-point game against League strugglers, AFC Bournemouth Warriors.

Having lost their opening four fixtures of the 19/20 Premiership season, Sale United had to summon a response in November’s fixtures. Starting off with a default win over an absent Brighton was timed well for the Greater Manchester side who still had four games to contend with across week two. The side bounced pack positively after a 2-0 defeat to Villa Rockets, with a single Liam Fitzpatrick goal securing the side a valuable point in a 1-1 draw against a strong St George’s Knights side. Sale seemed to channel their frustration from a close 2-2 draw with Manchester United PFC into their final fixture of the weekend, whereby goals from Joshua Slack and Liam Fitzpatrick helped them seal a 2-1 over AFC Bournemouth Warriors. Sale United have probably the toughest weekend of fixtures approaching in February; three games on Saturday include West Bromwich Albion, WBA Throstles and Aspire PFC, with Sunday just as challenging as they are matched with Sevenoaks PFC and Northern Thunder.

Having dominated the 2018/19 Championship, Manchester United PFC have been given a stark reminder to the overall quality the Premiership possesses. The side struggled in week one of the MDUK Premiership (losing their four fixtures), United showed real maturity in week two. Opening their weekend against their former Championship rivals, AFC Bournemouth Warriors, goals from Jordan Duke, Shannon Smith and Lewis Marshall helped them edge their first win of the 19/20 Premiership campaign in a close 3-2 win. In their second, four first-half goals from Northern Thunder knocked the win from their sails, with the tie ending 7-1. Manchester United will feel they could have achieved more in a close 1-0 defeat to an inform Sevenoaks side. The side came from behind twice to earn a superb point in a 2-2 draw with sister club, Sale United, before ensuring three default points against an absent Brighton. Week three could be the making or breaking of their season as five difficult fixtures could serve in either extending or narrowing the gap to league safety. Games against Villa Rockets, Aspire and WBA Throstles will be extremely challenging, so the emphasis is automatically placed upon the winnable ties with AFC Bournemouth Warriors and Nottingham PFC.

By Ryan Sipple

I want to start by sending my deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Max Bode. A great player and person that will be sorely missed by everyone. 

It was fantastic opening weekend for WBA Throstles who made a superb stake at bettering last year’s sixth-place finish. The West-Midlands side who are currently joint top on 13 points, did incredibly in their first five 2019/20 Premiership fixtures. Goals from Richard George, Lewis Harris, Dave Lewis and Luca Wickens helped them secure an empathic 6-1 win over the recently promoted Manchester United. In their second game of the new season, a sole Richard George goal sealed a consecutive three points in a close game against a very defensive Sale United side. The first of their three Sunday games fell against Brighton & Hove Albion. The Throstles seemed to take the momentum from the previous day’s action, winning the tie 3-0. Summer recruits Richard George and Lewis Harris made instant impacts in the side fixtures, seeming to strengthen them considerably. Strikes from Luca Wickens and Dave Lewis either side of a Lizzie Tullet Villa goal gave Throstles their fourth consecutive win of the weekend. Their closely competed fifth and final game with St George’s Knights ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Some interesting challenges await WBA Throstles in week two of the Premiership; An early derby against the Champions, West Bromwich Albion PFC before an easier game on paper against AFC Bournemouth Warriors. On Sunday a difficult 13:00 kick-off against Aspire is followed by a meeting with an in-form Nottingham side.

Sevenoaks PFC kickstarted their 2019/20 Premiership campaign off in impressive fashion; goals from Kyle Alexander, Harry Bestwick and Myles Miller aided the sides brilliant 3-0 win over last season’s closely matched rivals Sale United in their first fixture. Adopting newfound confidence and attacking threat in their game against Northern Thunder, Sevenoaks impressed with Kyle Alexander breaking the deadlock, giving the side an impressive 1-0 lead. Despite a Harry Boddy equaliser following closely after, Sevenoaks held on to secure a monumental point; their first against any of the top-three sides. A solid display against Brighton on Saturday afternoon secured them their second win and respective three points of the day. Considering Sunday’s opposition, the seven points obtained marked a crucial haul. Despite a brilliant first-half display against West Bromwich Albion, five second-half goals from the Champions dealt Sevenoaks their first defeat of the new campaign. Although the side fell to a consecutive loss against Aspire shortly after, Sevenoaks will be delighted with their points and performances from week one. Week two presents an easier task on paper of Adam McEvoy’s side. On Saturday they play Nottingham PFC and Manchester United PFC, with games against Villa Rockets and St George’s Knights on Sunday.

Following on from last years fantastic Premiership campaign, St George’s Knights once again proved incredibly hard to break down in the first weekend of the new season. Despite being unable to score in their opening two matchups against Nottingham PFC and Villa Rockets, St George’s where defensively sound, keeping clean sheets in both. On Sunday morning a Rosie Hodgson hattrick dealt SGK their first defeat of the new season. Eager to bounce back, they began to exhibit glimpses of their quality in their fourth game against AFC Bournemouth, with goals from Lucas Christer and Daniel Ball (2) handing St George’s Knights their first win and respective three points of the new season. Considering the overall form of WBA Throstles in week one, their 0-0 draw with the West Midlands side will be seen as a very respectable point gained. Despite their current placement, SGK will be delighted with their extremely impressive defensive ability displayed throughout the first weekend of fixtures. Four clean sheets from five fixtures is no easy feat to achieve in the country’s most competitive Powerchair Football division! St George’s will be eager to replicate week one’s defensive display when they face West Bromwich Albion in week two’s first fixture. From there they will want to secure six points in fixtures against Sale United and Sevenoaks before facing current table-toppers Northern Thunder.

It was a frustrating opening weekend for last season’s Championship winners, Manchester United PFC who were given a stark reminder to the overall step up in quality that the Premiership possesses. The side was unfortunate to catch WBA Throstles in such fine form in their first game back in the top flight, losing 6-1. United struggled to contain Amir Ali in their game against Villa Rockets losing the tie 3-0. On Sunday, United caught Nottinghamshire PFC in fine form losing 3-1 and in their last game against Premiership Champions, West Bromwich Albion, United lost 5-1. A massive fixture kickstarts week two of the MDUK Premiership; United take on last season’s closely matched Championship rivals, AFC Bournemouth Warriors in what is being touted by many as a six-point affair. Followed closely after, United take on current table-toppers Northern Thunder before facing Sevenoaks PFC. On Sunday the side has a very credible opportunity of securing points from fixtures against Sale Utd and Brighton & Hove Albion. Jordan Duke will want to adopt a similar level of performance that saw him scoop the Championship Player of the Year award in June, with Patrick Kelly and Lewis Marshall also being key for any potential United success.

Opening their 2019/20 Premiership account against bitter rivals and fellow title challengers, Aspire PFC, West Bromwich Albion PFC were incredibly unlucky not to come away with three points. A flurry of missed chances and two disallowed goals denied the Champions early bragging rights. Following on from this, Chris Gordon did well to rally his troops for their following fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion in which a Marcus Harrison strike and debut goal from Baris Inel helped the Baggies secure their first three points of the new campaign. The Champions secured impressive, back-to-back 5-1 wins over both Sevenoaks PFC and Manchester United before earning a hard-fought three points against a tough Villa Rockets side. Some notable performances from England-international Matt Francis, who was superb across the weekend. Joint top on 13 points, West Brom will now be fully focused on week two’s fixtures; the side faces WBA Throstles in a local derby on Saturday morning before a challenging game against St George’s Knights side. On Sunday they play AFC Bournemouth Warriors before a cracking matchup with Northern Thunder that will be sure to draw a crowd with both currently locked on 13 points at the top of the table.

Local side Nottingham PFC had a brilliant first weekend in the MDUK Premiership, recording ten impressive points from their five-fixture weekend. The side was organised and disciplined against St George’s Knights. The sides respective 0-0 draw in no way reflects the entertaining and exciting fixture that kicked off the season. Single strikes from Nottingham duo Joe Kerrison and Adam Langley helped them secure their first three points of the new season against AFC Bournemouth Warriors. Despite defeat to Northern Thunder in their following game, Nottingham did brilliantly to contain the potent attack for large parts of the game; two second-half goals from Harry Boddy and Ed Common their eventual undoing. The side returned on Sunday refreshed, adopting the massive positives and confidence from the previous day’s action. Nottingham secured brilliant back to back wins against Manchester United PFC and Sale Utd to cap one of their best weekends in the National League. Adam Langley was in fine form, scoring 4 goals in the sides 5 fixtures. A tough start to week two against Aspire is followed by some very credible chances to climb the table even further; Nottingham PFC face Sevenoaks, Brighton & Hove Albion and WBA Throstles.

Keen to mount an early stake at the MDUK Premiership crown, Northern Thunder got their season off to a flying start securing an empathic 6-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. A slight set back in their second fixture, where the side had to come from behind to secure a draw against a very competitive Sevenoaks side. From there the side picked up some real momentum; goals from Harry Boddy and Ed Common secured their 2-0 win over Nottingham, Sam Smith and Harry Boddy (2) goals aiding their 3-0 win over Villa Rockets, and Ed Common, Matty Harrison and Harry Boddy (2) strikes sealing a 4-0 win over Sale United. Four wins from five, 15 goals scored and only one conceded marked a fantastic weekend for the Newcastle-based side. On his return to the top tier of Powerchair Football, Harry Boddy was fantastic, recording seven goals in Thunder’s five fixtures. In week two Northern Thunder will have an aim of securing maximum points in their fixtures against AFC Bournemouth Warriors, Manchester United and St George’s Knights, before an exciting matchup with the reigning Champions, West Bromwich Albion on Sunday afternoon.

In the absence of several key players, it was a tough opening weekend for Brighton & Hove Albion PFC, who battled hard in their five fixtures on the 2019/20 Premiership season. In the absence of Sam Elliot and England international Gregg Baxter, the Seagulls sensibly recruited Nicky Baker from Evergreen in the off-season to provide some experience and help with capacity. An extremely tough opening day saw them lose each of their respective three fixtures against Northern Thunder (6-0), West Bromwich Albion (2-0) and Sevenoaks (1-0). The side was defensively solid in their opening game on Sunday against AFC Bournemouth Warriors, with a sole Freddie Strachan goal helping to seal the sides first win, and points of the weekend. Their disappointing 3-0 defeat to WBA Throstles shortly meant The Seagulls took three points from fifteen in week one’s action. Some tough fixtures this weekend will once again test the side; on Saturday they play Sale Utd, Aspire and Villa Rockets, with Nottingham PFC and Manchester United PFC to face on Sunday. 

The opening weekend of the 2019/20 Premiership season was one to forget for Sale United. The Greater Manchester side lost each of their four fixtures placing them in the table’s danger zone. All things considered, Sale United were extremely unfortunate to catch Sevenoaks, WBA Throstles, Northern Thunder and Nottingham all in such fine. Looking forward, Sale United have several credible chances of climbing from the lower placements of the league table towards safety. Liam Fitzpatrick and Joshua Slack will be keen to rediscover the scoring form that saw them net 14 league goals collectively last season. The side will want to secure wins against Brighton, Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth Warriors to take the pressure off their tougher fixtures against St George’s Knights and Villa Rockets.

It was a positive start to the Premiership for Villa Rockets; a cagey 0-0 draw with last year’s closely matched rivals, St George’s Knights marked a respectable start, before a producing a brilliant one-sided 3-0 win over Manchester United. Two early goals for Northern Thunder in Villa’s first Sunday game proved too great to reverse, finishing 3-0. Despite consecutive 2-1 defeats to West Bromwich Albion and WBA Throstles, the side played fantastically. Summer signing Lizzie Tullett netted against her former side WBA Throstles, with the single goal against West Brom being scored by Daniel Kay. The side will be sure to rally together in what must be a difficult period for the club. The side have a fantastic opportunity to climb from their current eighth position placement in week two’s fixtures. Villa Rockets play Sale United and Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, two sides struggling for points so far this season on Saturday. A tough opening game on Sunday against Aspire PFC is followed with an exciting game against an inform Sevenoaks side. 

Like Manchester United PFC, AFC Bournemouth Warriors were given a stark reminder to the overall step up in quality from the Championship. In their first fixture, the side were extremely competitive against Ricky Stevenson’s Nottingham team, displaying impressive defensive ability. Unfortunately, a single strike from Regan Kemp was not enough to cancel out two Nottingham goals, 2-1 it finished. A tough following game against title contenders and 2018/19 WFA Cup Champions, Aspire PFC, ended in a 7-0 defeat. On Sunday morning the side was bitterly unlucky to not come away with anything from an extremely close matchup with Brighton & Hove Albion PFC (1-0). In their final game of the weekend, Bournemouth did well to contain the attack of St George’s Knights in the first half, but three second-half goals handed them with their fourth consecutive defeat. Looking forward, an extremely tough week two sees the Warriors play the leagues first, second and third place sides, Northern Thunder, West Bromwich Albion and WBA Throstles. Considering this, the sides fixtures against Manchester United PFC and Sale United will be seen as crucial chances to pick up points. Following a tremendous 18/19 Championship campaign, the South Coast side will want to forget about the unfortunate results of week one and focus fully on the weekend ahead.

Despite not creating a huge number of chances against West Bromwich Albion in their first fixture, Aspire PFC seemed comfortable both on the back foot defensively and going toe to toe with the Champions. It wasn’t ideal that both were chucked straight into the league’s biggest fixture without prior fixtures to sharpen their tools, so the 0-0 draw was probably the fairest result. From then on Aspire went from strength to strength. Following his recent transfer from Muscle Warriors, Tom Kelly marked his presence in the side with an impressive haul of four goals in their 7-0 thrashing of newly promoted AFC Bournemouth. Rosie Hodgson stole the show against a tough St George’s Knights side, scoring a hat-trick in their 3-1 win. And in their last game against Sevenoaks, it was the captain, Jon Bolding’s time to shine in a comfortable 4-1 win. Keen to dethrone close rivals, West Bromwich Albion, Aspire will be quietly confident of achieving maximum points in approaching fixtures this weekend. The side play Nottingham and Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, and Villa Rockets and WBA Throstles on Sunday. 

By Ryan Sipple

The summer break is all but over and the countdown to the highly anticipated 2019/20 Muscular Dystrophy UK Premiership has officially begun. Returning under the bright lights of NTUs Lee Westwood Sports Centre, we have five action-packed weekends to look forward too.

There is no doubt that the twelve teams who either maintained or established their place for the upcoming Premiership season will have been working hard in preparation for the season opener on September 21. The upcoming campaign sees both Manchester United PFC and AFC Bournemouth Warriors enter the competitive top tier of the WFA National League after excelling in the Championship. Will West Bromwich Albion once again pip Aspire PFC to Premiership glory, or will Aspire or Northern Thunder secure the coveted crown?

After exceeding all expectations in securing an unprecedented 4th place finish last year, standout performers, St Georges Knights, will undoubtedly have strong ambitions of either matching or furthering their impressive achievements this upcoming campaign. Demonstrating grit and determination throughout last seasons five weekends, the Burton-based side did brilliantly securing the highest league finish in the club’s history. Some noticeable performances from dynamic duo Dylan Kelsall and Lucas Christer aided the sides league climb, with Harry Sommerfield and Ugis Rozins providing the all-important firepower up top. I can’t imagine Warren Kelsall or Jason Christer will alter their coaching approach too much and will want to get straight back to battling towards the higher placements of the MDUK Premiership table. Opening their account against Nottingham PFC, St Georges will be hoping for an opening three points before games against AFC Bournemouth, Northern Thunder, Manchester United and Sale Utd.

Adam McEvoy’s Sevenoaks PFC side should be better served to tackle the Premiership this year after excellently avoiding relegation in their last campaign. The Kent-based side would have focused their pre-season efforts on improving their attacking prowess, having scored only 12 goals in 22 league fixtures. A big season ahead for Kyle Alexander, who will be looking to force his way back into Colin Gordons England plans. Returning from a loan spell at AFC Bournemouth Warriors, Abbie Bolt will be wanting to make herself a household name in the Oaks starting line-up having faired brilliantly in the Championship, with fellow prospect, Harry Bestwick also looking to build on his invaluable years experience in the Premiership. Last years closely matched rivals Sale United present the first obstacle of the new season, before a tough fixture with Premiership contenders, Northern Thunder. The Oaks will want to extend their current purple patch against South East rivals, Brighton Hove Albion PFC before Sunday’s extremely challenging fixtures against last years Champions and runners up, West Bromwich Albion and Aspire PFC.

Northern Thunder have been busy recruiting in the off-season with the excellent summer signings of ex-England international Harry Boddy and Middlesbrough’s Matthew Harrison helping to bulk an already talented lineup. Sam Smith and Ed Commons fantastic summer in Finland will be sure to further boost confidence in the Thunder camp ahead of the new campaign, with last seasons Premiership Top Goal Scorer, Jack Maxwell, eager to replicate last years incredible individual success. Back after an extended break from Powerchair Football, Harry Boddy displayed flashes of his undoubted quality as he returned to the court back in June, helping Teesside PFC secure National League status. Thunders five-fixture weekend starts with Brighton Hove Albion on Saturday morning (10:30) before games against Sevenoaks and Nottingham. On Sunday Thunder play Villa Rockets and Sale United.

After an almost faultless, unbeaten campaign in the MDUK Championship, Manchester United PFC are sure to have the main underlying objective of maintaining Premiership status this season. The side will be keen to adopt the same calibre of performance that saw them score an impressive 88 goals, conceding only 5 across the 18/19 Championship season. A big season for exciting duo Jordan Duke and Patrick Kelly, who linked up exceptionally well, scoring a combined 43 league goals. The side will have to rally together in the absence of West Brom-bound Baris Inel when their tough five-fixture weekend begins with a challenging early kick-off against WBA Throstles. Saturday’s fixture list is completed with games against Villa Rockets and Nottingham PFC. Sunday doesnt present much easier asks of United, with fixtures against Premiership Champions, West Bromwich Albion and fellow promoted side, AFC Bournemouth Warriors.

From finishing 10th in the 2017/18 Championship to securing automatic promotion to the Premiership, AFC Bournemouth Warriors exceeded all expectations last season. Their standout performances across the campaign didnt go unnoticed in the division, with the Warriors picking up a plethora of accolades at the WFAs End of Season Awards Evening. The Championships many coaches and participating players voted heavily in AFC Bournemouth Warriors favour for Championship Team of the Year, with Head Coaches Hannah Powis and Alex Dowding deservedly picking up the Head Coach of the Year award together. The Premiership presents a much greater level of both competition and quality, meaning AFC Bournemouth will have to acclimatise quickly to avoid getting drawn into the lower league placements. Regan Kemp and the Championship’s Top Scorer, Ryan Skinner impressed throughout last season with Matthew Adams experience guiding the teams younger players. Bournemouth kickstart their debut Premiership campaign against Nottingham PFC, closely followed by a daunting fixture against title-challengers Aspire PFC. On Sunday, the side face Brighton Hove Albion and St Georges Knights.

It will be interesting to see how Aspire PFC acclimatise to the departure of long-time servant Charlie Kitcher in the new season. A key cog in Aspires previous Cup and League success, Kitcher bid farewell to the sport at the conclusion of the 2019 WFA Cup final, and we all at Muscular Dystrophy UK and the WFA wish him the best of luck for the future. The side wiped Northern Thunder aside in Junes WFA Cup Final at St Georges Park, sending out a clear statement of intent to bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. The Watford-based side sensibly recruited Muscle Warriors star-man Tom Kelly in the summer months to fill the Kitcher void. Despite a long season ahead, all eyes will be firmly fixed on their opening fixture against Champions West Bromwich Albion on Saturday morning. An early three-points could serve in giving either side the psychological edge and imperative first advantage in the race for the title. The weekends remaining fixtures present easier asks on paper, with games against AFC Bournemouth Warriors, St Georges Knights, and Sevenoaks.

Despite a fantastic (unbeaten) last weekend of the 2018/19 MDUK Premiership, Sale United PFC fell to 10th in the league standings, resulting in a commitment to defend their Premiership status against Norwich City in a one fixture play-off. A fantastic game played out between the sides at the Lee Westwood Centre on June 8. Despite Norwich taking an early lead in the fixture, goals from Liam Fitzpatrick (2) and Lewis Marshall helped Sale secure a hard-fought win over the Norfolk-based side, maintaining that all-important top tier status. Looking forward to the start of the 2019/20 MDUK Premiership, the side kickstart their campaign against a closely matched Sevenoaks side who finished just one point and respective position above them in last years standings. Three points in their first fixture could give them massive confidence approaching games against WBA Throstles, Northern Thunder and Nottingham PFC.

A mixed season for Nottingham PFC, who slipped under the radar slightly, pairing a number of impressive wins with some disappointing defeats. Led by Ricky Stevenson, the side definitely possesses the experience and guile to avoid relegation this season, so will have the ultimate ambition of improving on last seasons 7th place finish. Both Sam and Adam Langley impressed in games last season, with Sahil Zaffer showing glimpses of his quality in the wider positions. A challenging opening tie against a St Georges Knights side that finished 4th, before a credible chance of getting their points tally off the mark in their game against newly-promoted side, AFC Bournemouth Warriors. A challenging Saturday is capped off with a 16:45 fixture against title contenders Northern Thunder. Sundays games against Manchester United and Sale Utd present more winnable matchups for Nottingham.

An excellent summer recruit of WBA Throstles Lizzie Tullet is sure to give Villa Rockets ambitions of a higher placed finish in the Premiership this season. Pipped to the fourth spot by a plucky St Georges Knights side last season, Villa will be keen to get off to winning ways when the respective sides meet on Court A at 13:00 on Saturday, a game sure to draw a number of intrigued spectators. Games against Manchester United and Northern Thunder complete Saturdays fixture list, with games against both West Bromwich Albion outfits to contend with on Sunday. Villa’s coaches will be demanding a similar level of performance this season from standout performers Daniel Kay and Amir Ali, who were both was fantastic at frustrating teams with their physical style of play.

Last years thrilling title race saw West Bromwich Albion once again pip Aspire PFC to the coveted Premiership crown in the last weekend of action. In the summer months, some shrewd transfer business has seen young prospect Baris Inel arrive from Championship winners Manchester United, in the place of long-time servant Richard George, who joins WBA Throstles. Marcus Harrison will be hoping to replicate performances from last season, fresh from securing the Premiership Player of the Year by a landslide at the WFAs End of Season Awards. All eyes will be firmly glued to Court B at 11:45 on Saturday when Albions busy five-fixture weekend starts with a clash against bitter rivals and title contenders, Aspire PFC. Following fixtures include games against Brighton, Sevenoaks, Manchester United and Villa Rockets.

The superb summer addition of young prospect Lewis Harris, bulks and already competitive WBA Throstles roster. Despite a respectable 6th place finish last season, the West-Midlands side will believe they can compete comfortably with both Villa Rockets and St Georges Knight, two sides that trumped them in the league standings last season. Objectively viewing the opening fixtures, Throstles will be aiming to secure six points on the Premierships opening day, where games against newly-promoted side Manchester United PFC and Sale United stand in their way. Some closer matched encounters on Sunday against Brighton Hove Albion PFC and Villa Rockets should serve in providing a clearer picture of the side’s ambitions this season.

Following last years departure of Matty Francis, Brighton Hove Albion PFC recruited from within, promoting Gregg Baxter up through the ranks to the central position of the side. Excelling in the role, Gregg not only earned himself a deserved England call up, he also represented the Three Lions at the most recent EPFA Nations Cup in Finland, bringing home a winners medal. Sam Elliot impressed throughout the entirety of last season, with Lewis Hammans providing most of the teams goals. Having recently been crowned South East Regional Champions, Brighton will want to at minimal avoid relegation, before considering replicating, or bettering last seasons 8th place finish. The Seagulls open the 2019/20 MDUK Premiership season with a tough opening fixture against Northern Thunder. Saturdays remaining fixtures include another challenging matchup with West Bromwich Albion, before facing close rivals Sevenoaks. An early morning game on Sunday against AFC Bournemouth Warriors arguably provides their best chance of registering three points before facing WBA Throstles at 11:45.

Where to find us? Lee Westwood Sports Centre, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS