HORSHAM YMCA manager John Suter is raring to go just hours before his side kick-off their new season with a home fixture against Sidley.

"I can't wait for Saturday," admitted Suter, who is in his 50th year of senior football and his 16th in charge of the Gorings Mead club.

The veteran manager has spent the summer on the phone recruiting new players and despite the departures of strikers Paul Young and Gil Taylor, Suter has plenty of talent to call upon.

Former striker Nick Flint returns to the club after a season with Ifield Edwards while fellow forward Ali Russell, formerly of Forest, joins after a season with AFC Wimbledon and Carshalton.

James Grant, who impressed many Horsham fans during his year at Queen Street two seasons ago, joins YM as an attacking mid-fielder from Oakwood. Grant's former team-mates Gary Bidwell and Martin Comper also make the short journey from the Division 2 club.

Ross Payne, a former Palace youngster, will add some strength to central midfield while full-back Nick Levett will push Dean Garden for the right-back berth.

Mark Francis, returning after spells at Littlehampton and Broadbridge Heath, and centre-half Tom Carter are familiar faces coming back to the club while goalkeeper Peter Hepher has signed from Horley Town to provide competition for James Plumley's number-one jersey.

But perhaps more importantly for Suter, the influential trio of skipper Matt Duffield, Wayne Potter and Joel O'Hara have resigned for another crack at the County League title.

"I have strengthened but so have every other team in the league. But our squad is definitely stronger than last year, I have competition for places all across the field," insisted Suter.

Once a former striker himself, Suter insists that pre-season training, which has been run mainly by his assistant Ali Rennie, has gone well with players turning up in their numbers.

"I have been pleased with pre-season training. The attendance was good and so was their commitment and effort. I Ali has impressed I me with his training while John Tewsley and Rick Hamilton have done well with the reserves," he explained.

YM finished a disappointing 13th last term, despite the generally held view that there was not one outstanding team in the league. East i Preston showed ' flashes of their class but they ran out of gas towards the end of the season and were overtaken by eventual winners Chichester City United - a side who failed to beat YM last season.

Despite those two teams being the best of a poor bunch last year, Suter believes two more teams from the south of the county will contest a much more competitive league this year.

"Arundel and Eastbourne Town are two to watch, but there will be other teams too. The County League will be a lot stronger this year. Players are filtering down from the higher leagues. Look at Three Bridges, they have signed Barren Freeman," he said.

Two seasons ago, when YM finished third, which is the club's highest finish under Suter, the club got off to a wonderful start, winning nine out of their first ten games. It is that sort of start to the season, explained Suter, that successful teams need.

"What you want is for everyone to play to their potential and to get off to a great start. But I have had so many first games of the season. You start off being optimistic but can end up disappointed," he explained.

So what are Suter's ambitions for the new season? "To compete at the top end of the league," he replied, typically coyly.