START with a win - that is Selby Town manager Dave Ricardo's immediate hopes for the new NCEL division one campaign.

The Robins travel to Winterton Rangers with a host of new players embedded into the line up at Flaxley Road. Ricardo has moved to sign goalkeeper Ciaran Gibson, along with Chris Kamara, Chris Burk, Will Ramsey, Brent Lester and former York City youth Kingsley Weatherall.

He has also managed to hold on to the likes of Matty Turnbull and Tom Chamberlain.

Ricardo has been delighted with pre-season and is keen to build on the progress he feels was made during the second half of the last campaign.

"It has been very good," said Ricardo of pre-season. "We have only been beaten by Bradford Park Avenue and a Hull City XI. We have beaten the likes of Tadcaster Albion, Goole and Dringhouses.

"We want to finish as high as possible and continue the progress that we made from Christmas. Pre-season was on a different level to how it was last year. We have got the players that we wanted and we are more than hopeful we can have a good season.

"There are three or four teams, like Bottesford and AFC Mansfield, that have three times our wage bill so it is going to be tough. We are aiming to start the season with a win. We have a hard fixture coming up at Bottesford, who are one of the favourites for the league, and we need to start the campaign off with a victory."

Pickering Town begin their new premier division campaign on the road.

The Recreation Ground outfit travel to Handsworth Parramore as they start a new era under manager Paul Marshall.

The Pikes saw off NCEL division one outfit Knaresborough Town 1-0 last weekend thanks to Nathan Kamara's wonder-strike as pre-season intensified after being beaten 4-2 by Evo-Stik outfit Scarborough Athletic. Josh Hutchinson and Joe Danby, from the spot after Hutchinson was fouled in the box, got the two goals.

On Tuesday night, they went down 6-0 to Whitby Town.

Meanwhile, an evening with Match of the Day presenter Guy Mowbray and former York City favourite - now Minstermen academy manager - Andy McMillan is being staged at the Recreation Club, in Mill Lane, on August 12 from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10, including a pie and pea supper.

Harrogate Town, whose pre-season included an eye-catching 2-0 win over York City and a victory over derby rivals Harrogate Railway, begin the new National League North campaign at Brackley Town.

Elsewhere, Knaresborough Town are at Teversal in NCEL division one.