Droylsden host Colne on opening day

Droylsden begin their season in the BetVictor North West with a home clash against Colne.

Following a quiet summer at the Butchers Arms, manager Dave Pace announced his full squad earlier this week. Goalkeeper Chris Thompson has opted to stay for another season, having initially joined from Clitheroe at the start of the 2018/19 season. Fans will also be pleased to see Shaquille Antoine-Clarke back for another season. Since signing from Lancaster City, the defender has established himself as a first team regular and even won the Player of the Season Award in May.

Striker Aaron Burns has also joined from Trafford, having previously played for the likes of Stalybridge Celtic, FC United and Altrincham. He will be joined in that department by Dominic Smith, who in recent seasons has developed a solid reputation as a clinical finisher.

Experienced defender Steven Howson, who has previously played at a higher level for Salford City and Southport, joins from Chester.

A full squad can be found here: http://droylsdenfootballclub.com/team-page/squad-list/

Saturday's clash against Colne marks the Bloods' sixth season in step eight. After years of uneventful finishes, Pace will be hoping his side can make a charge on the playoffs at a minimum. They will be confident of doing so having enjoyed a frutiful pre-season, in which they have won their last two games against Airbus UK and Hyde United.

However, they have a tough test on the opening day against a Colne outfit who reached the playoffs last season. Having suffered a  2-1 defeat to Leek Town in the semi-final, Steve Cunningham's side will be hoping to go one step further and cement their place in the Premier Division.

Pace spoke to Droylsden's media team ahead of the season and outlined his aims and objectives amongst other things. http://droylsdenfootballclub.com/news/pre-season-interview-with-the-boss/