By Matt Lawton
August 11 2005

A week later than the professional Coca-Cola League kicked off, the Premiership and non-league finally reach their long-awaited commencement this weekend, with a feeling of genuine optimism surrounding Leigh RMI's chances of success for this coming season. Despite an encouraging pre-season campaign, it's out in to the unknown on Saturday afternoon for RMI's new management team of Andy Nelson and Stuart Humphreys when the Railwaymen travel to Worcestershire to begin their Conference North campaign against Redditch United.

Leigh finished their pre-season programme with a 6-2 trouncing of a Stockport County XI, and when put alongside convincing victories against Rochdale, Chorley and Clitheroe, not to mention a decent draw against an FC United side that will win their league at a canter, it's fair to say that RMI's preparation for the new season has been well above the norm.

Steve Smith will be missing from RMI's opening day side because of the suspension he picked up with a sending off towards the end of last season, while injury doubts still hang over Gavin Lee-Ellison and midfield workhorse Gareth Stoker, who has played little part during the summer because of a troublesome injury.

There are a couple of options to get to Redditch on Saturday afternoon;

If you don't mind a trip in to the metropolis on the wrong side of Abram that is Wigan, then your best option would be to catch the 9:42 train from Wigan North Western to Birmingham New Street, changing at Birmingham for Redditch and arriving at the ground well in time for a few beers.

Again, the journey home should only involve one change at Birmingham, with the whole journey being pretty straightforward at £31.50 return, a ticket that can be bought on Saturday from the ticket office at Wigan North Western.

If you don't trust Virgin Trains or don't fancy forking out too much money, then you could always drive down to the game.

Drive down towards Birmingham before going on to the M5 or M42. Exit the M5 at junction 4 or M42 junction 1 and take the Bromsgrove Highway (dual carriageway) towards Redditch. Take the first exit off, go round the roundabout , take the 3rd exit which goes across the dual carriageway over a bridge, round the bend turn right into Birchfield Road (by a garage), go past the Foxlydiate Hotel (on your right). Proceed along this road and take the first left into Bromsgrove Road, (there is a road sign on the right at this junction). Go down Bromsgrove Road for 1.5 miles, past the Queens Head pub on your right and on the brow of the hill turn left into the drive at the side of Hill View Surgery and continue down the drive to the ground's entrance.

Hope to see you there, UP THE LEYTHERS!!