By Matt Lawton
August 10 2007

After weeks of preparation and anticipation, the new Blue Square North campaign finally gets underway on Saturday afternoon when Hinckley United are the first visitors of the new season to Hilton Park, with Stuart Humphreys’ Leigh RMI side desperate to make a good start to a season that they hope will end with a serious challenge for the play-offs. RMI have not appeared at Hilton Park since the dramatic victory over Worksop Town on the final day of last season, with their pre-season travels bringing mixed results after a 2-1 win at Colwyn Bay was followed by a 3-2 defeat in the Caernarfon rain, with previous outings bringing a draw at Cammell Laird and a defeat at Lancaster City as Humphreys looked to bed the likes of Phil Charnock, Stephen Hill and Michael Warwick in to the side, while Stuart Whittaker and Scott Willis look to make a good start to their respective second spells at RMI.

Saturday's visitors Hinckley have also had a somewhat mixed pre-season in terms of results, with victories over Atherstone Town and Brackley Town being sandwiched by a 1-0 defeat to Kidderminster and 3-1 loss at home to a strong Leicester City side. Hinckley's preparations for their visit to Hilton Park have been dealt a huge blow with the news that striker Gez Murphy has damaged the medial ligaments in his knee, an injury that will mean a lay off of around four months, and as such a striking headache for United manager Dean Thomas.

In somewhat of a rarity in this league, Hinckley haven't actually got any previous RMI players in their current squad, although they do boast two former Bolton Wanderers players in the shape of veteran defender Stuart Storer and cult midfielder Richard Sneekes, with the latter being a former Burnden Park team mate of RMI winger Stuart Whittaker.

Although last season saw Hinckley claim the bragging rights with a 3-1 victory in Leicestershire being followed by a 3-2 win at Hilton Park, Hinckley were only the second team to be defeated at Hilton Park in a Conference North game, when RMI were 1-0 victors on August Bank Holiday Monday 2005.