THE recently re-established York and District Leeper Hare League premier division representative team play their first game of the season next week.

The York squad tackle their counterparts from the Leeds Red Triangle League at York RI's New Lane ground, on Tuesday, October 1, kick-off 7.30pm.

The York squad, managed by Bill Pearce, are hopeful of playing at least three more games this season, which will be their third since the side was re-formed.

One eagerly anticipated fixture will be the prospective clash with the representative side from the Scarborough and District League.

The match used to be one of the highlights of the local football calendar when the Tony Aveyard Memorial Trophy was up for grabs.

That cup is now contested for by the district's junior teams but the senior squads hope to go head to head for the Ernie Fairclough Memorial Cup.

Fairclough, York's 'Mr Football' and long-standing secretary of the York Leeper Hare League, died earlier this year but helped re-establish the York League representative squad three years ago.

The York team also have games against the West Yorkshire League side and Yorkshire Old Boys' Association League pencilled in for this season.

Pearce is hopeful of getting the season off to a good start against Leeds Red Triangle, whom they beat 7-0 in last season's corresponding fixture played at Garforth FC.

This season the York representative team will be playing in a new kit, paid for by the management committee of the York and District Leeper Hare League.

Squad: Carl Silburn, Baz Gargett, Mike Murr, Neil Durkin, Neil Wilford, Brent Terry (all Pocklington); Neil Ducey, Andy Barkway, Mark Scoreby, Colin Raynor, David Allinson (all Dringhouses); Chris Burgess, Dean Burgess, Jon Pooley (all Dunnington); Ben Pears (Nestle Rowntree); Kev Herford (Bishopthorpe); Paul Fawcett (Huntington).

Updated: 12:08 Thursday, September 26, 2002