SPENNYMOOR Town assistant manager Jason Ainsley says "it's all systems go" as he and manager Jamie Pollock take charge at the Brewery Field.

After their earlier joint appointment in March at the club fell through, the pair were looking for other jobs until chairman Alan Murray called a fortnight ago asking the pair to return to Moors.

Ainsley, 35, is no stranger to Spennymoor fans as this will be his fourth spell at the club, including its earlier incarnation as Spennymoor United, and for former Boro and Manchester City midfielder Pollock, 32, it will be his second.

"We're both as keen as mustard," said Ainsley.

"It's all systems go as far as we're concerned, and we're trying to get players signed up. We've spoken to quite a few players, as well as some of those at the club already, and hopefully our reputation will help us attract players. I think we'll get a decent enough team to challenge in the second division."

Ainsley has been involved in some of Moors' finest hours over the years, playing a major role in UniBond promotions and FA Cup campaigns.

"I think I've had every role possible with the club," he said. "I went there as a kid when Ray Gowan was manager, and played there under several managers.

"Probably the most memorable was when we won promotion to the UniBond League Premier Division and staying there. We had some good cup runs too. I've been caretaker manager a couple of times as well.

"I've been told that the place is buzzing again, and there's talk of there being a big crowd when we play our first league game on August 12.

"We don't want to settle for second best this season, but it might take time to get things right. Nevertheless, the chairman says that he's going to back us."

Ainsley says that his close friend Pollock has never been off the phone. "Jamie is a winner, and wants to get everything right from training and pre-match preparation to tactics on the field. He's very enthusiastic about coming back to Spennymoor, just as I am."

Moors will start their second division fixtures with four straight home games, against Washington, Brandon, Alnwick and Guisborough.

* Spennymoor's fixtures, along with those for all the other Northern League teams, will appear in Local Heroes next month.

EVEN though there will be a new disciplinary system based on match suspensions in the new season, players who sinned last season are suspended under the old system, which means that several players are banned for five weeks when the new season gets underway.

According to the Northern League registration website, Northallerton's Ross Diamond and West Auckland's Danny Shoulder are suspended for five weeks from September 4, and Shildon's Neal Bartlett and Durham's Paul Gibbs for five weeks from August 21.

Northern League clubs are hoping to learn more details of the new system from the FA soon.

DOUBTS are growing again about Bedlington Terriers' future in the Northern League.

There has been a long running dispute between the local council and the club over several issues, and that appears to have come to a head in recent weeks.

Virtually all of last season's squad have now left the club because of the uncertainty although joint managers Tony Lowery and Keith Perry remain, and time is starting to run out in terms of getting a squad together for pre-season training. The latest departures from the club are Paul Dunn, Robbie Cockburn and James Lang, who have all gone to Morpeth.

An AGM was due to be held last night in Bedlington to appoint a new committee.

Bishop Auckland manager Brian Healy is hoping to announce several new signings in the next week or so.

Bishops have yet to register any players with the league, but couldn't do so anyway until early June because they weren't technically Northern League members.

Healy, who hasn't yet decided whether to register himself as a player, said: "Several players have agreed to sign, and we're in final negotiations with some."

However, from last season's UniBond team Healy has lost defender Sonny Parker to Horden, while he has also missed out on other players because he can't compete financially with some other ANL clubs.

Bishops aren't the only club yet to register players, another ten clubs are still outstanding. Clubs have until a fortnight before the start of the season to register at least eleven players.

BEDLINGTON'S indiscretions off the field last season led to them amassing one of the highest ever totals of penalty points in the league's good conduct table.

The club picked up 126 penalty points for bookings and dismissals, but throughout the season they were also fined a total of £1035 by the league for various offences, one of which was a failure to install a shower head, costing them over £100 in fines.

Chester-le-Street, on the other hand, collected only 72 points to win a cash award, as well as Billingham Synthonia (79), West Auckland (82) and Horden (113)

South Shields' failure to fulfil a Second Division fixture when they nearly folded in February contributed to them building up £590 in fines. The winner of the Second Division award, Norton, were only penalised 77 points, with Darlington RA (88), Peterlee (95) and Whickham (97) also picking up awards. In total, 12 clubs kept a clean sheet in terms of fines last season.

Brandon United won the Fair Play award, which covers playing offences, with only 44 points for bookings and dismissals.

Billingham Town and Prudhoe got off to a bad start for the 2006-07 season's award - their failure to attend the AGM in Ashington on June 3 cost them £100 apiece.

THE league will be inspecting all First Division grounds next month, and have emphasised that there won't be any double standards.

The league has carried out biannual inspections since 2,000, and feel that the standards of grounds have improved "markedly" since then.

However, they have warned clubs that those standards mustn't slip, otherwise they might suffer the same fate as Thornaby, who were relegated from the First Division at the end of last season because their ground wasn't up to standard on several fronts.

Chairman Mike Amos said: "We do not take these decisions lightly, or simply as what might be seen as a big stick punishment. It is to say to the great majority of clubs, those who do all that is asked of them to maintain the required standards, that there are not two different criteria.

"In so far as we can, we will continue to apply the ground criteria even-handedly - and this season we will be looking to make sure that private walkways are functional at every game."

Thornaby have again been told that their ground will be inspected by the end of March, and that there is a real risk that they will be kicked out of the league. Their Teesdale Park ground failed on several aspects, one of which was hygiene - and that is sure to be another issue the league will be keeping an eye on during the summer..

DARLINGTON RA will begin life as a First Division club with seven successive away games.

The RA start at Whitley Bay on August 12, followed by trips to Durham City, Bishop Auckland, Morpeth, West Auckland, Northallerton and Horden, depending on FA Cup commitments. Their first home game is scheduled against Dunston, to whom they lost in the FA Vase last season, on September 13.

However, those seven successive away games are compensated for with eight successive home games in December and January.

Nick Harrison won three awards at Darlington RA's recent presentation night, picking up the player of the year award, the players' player of the year and the supporters player of the year, while Paul Freary won the leading scorer and young player of the year awards.

SECOND Division Marske United have finished in 26th nationally in the annual Soccer Club Swap Shop programme awards. Newcastle Benfield were 31st.