The season commences tomorrow with 14 teams in membership.

The league lost three teams at the end of last season, Cleveland Bridge having joined the Auckland League and Hole In The Wall and Spraire have folded. The two new members are The Albion, who have arrived from the Church and Friendly League and former champions Grey Horse have reformed.

Current champions Newton Aycliffe have lost the services of their influential skipper Darren Griffiths who has thrown in his lot with Nissan newly elected to the Northern League and anticipate a slow start to the season because of absences or holiday of several key players.

Greyhound (formerly Cricketers Hotel, have at last adopted somewhat of a youth policy and welcome juniors Andrew Mackintosh and Andrew Welsh to their ranks.

Archdeacon are pleased with their form in friendlies and are looking to build on the improvements they showed ion the latter stages of last season.

The new clubs The Albion and Grey Horse are both expecting to do well following an impressive build-up to the season. Grey Horse defeated Hartlepool Arriva in a recent friendly, Arriva reached the finals of both the Durham Minor Cup and Darlington Charity Cup last season and welcome influential midfielder David Palmer into their ranks as well as several exciting youngsters most notably ex-Darlington trainee goalkeeper David Dean.

East End WMC, previous league championship contenders, have lost the services of last season's leading marksman Steven Johnson who has moved to Darlington RA.

Shuttle and Loom who having lost the services of the aforementioned Dave Palmer may well struggled in the early weeks of the season as they come to terms with the loss of four people through suspension effective from August 20.