Peterborough Sports will show last season’s surge to the top of the Southern League was no fluke, Yaxley, Stamford, Spalding and Wisbech also start their league campaigns, FA Vase action for local clubs

It was a journey into the unknown for the city side last season, but they stunned some bigger clubs with superior fanbases and budgets to reach the top of the table before a pandemic cut short the 2019-20 season.

And Dean insists Sports’ success was no fluke. He’s backing his players to at least reach the play-offs this season and have a shot at reaching National League level.

They get an early chance to prove themselves when Tamworth, who were second when last season stopped, visit the Bee Arena on opening day tomorrow (September 19, 3pm).

Sports haven’t stood still. They’ve strengthened each area of the squad, most recently by bringing utility midfielder Jordan Nicholson to the club.

Nicholson made two appearances as a substitute in League One for Posh during the Graham Westley era before moving on to play for Barnet, Darlington, Hereford and Boston United for whom he appeared in the National North Division play-off final last season.

“We want to at least match what we did last season,” Dean announced. “I don’t think we would have won the league, but we would have finished in the play-offs and given ourselves a great chance to go up.

“We deserved our success. We played some great football which coupled with a superb attitude and team spirit got us to the top on merit.

“It could be harder this season because the bigger clubs in the division could well be better prepared.

“We are competing against clubs like Stourbridge who keep reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup and who have a budget three or four times bigger than ours, but who can’t get out of this league. We play Rushall a week on Saturday and they’ve just signed former Wolves winger Michael Kightly, but we are not going into the season expecting to just make the numbers up in the second half of the season. We expect to be up there competing.

“It’s a cracking opening day game for us. Tamworth are one of the biggest clubs at this level with former Football League pros in their side, but we beat them last season and we can beat them again.

“We’ve strengthened every area of the squad with Brad McGowan, Dan Jarvis and now Jordan Nicholson coming in.

“I’m pleased to get Jordan. He had a lot of clubs chasing him including Boston United so it’s a real feather in our cap to have signed him.”

Sports will host same level Enfield Town in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on Tuesday (September 22),

“It couldn’t have been a much tougher tie,” Dean added.

Yaxley start their Southern League Division One campaign with a daunting game at promotion fancies Halesowen Town.

Promotion fancies Stamford AFC entertain Sutton Coldfield in their opening game in the South East Division of the Northern Premier League on Saturday before entertaining lowler level AFC Sudbury in the FA Cup first qualifying round on Tuesday.

Wisbech and Spalding are in South East Division action on Saturday. Wisbech face a tough trip to Leek, while Spalding host Glossop North End.

Peterborough Northern Star had a week off last week as scheduled UCL Premier Division opponents Sleaford Town saw a player test positive for Covid-19. They are back in action at the Branch Bros Stadium tomorrow (3pm) when hosting Eastern Counties League side Mulbarton Wanderers in the FA Vase.

Blackstones, Deeping Rangers and Holbeach United are also in Vase action tomorrow,

Fixtures September 19

Southern League

Central Premier Division: Peterborough Sports v Tamworth.

Central Division One : Halesowen v Yaxley.

Northern Premier League South East Division: Leek v Wisbech, Spalding v Sutton Coldfield, Stamford v Glossop North End.

September 22: FA Cup first qualifying round: Peterborough Sports v Enfield Town, Stamford AFC v Sudbury Town.

FA Vase

Aylestone v Pinchbeck, Blackstones v Lutterworth Ath, Deeping Rangers v GNG Oadby, Holbeach v Loughborough Uni, Peterborough Northern Star v Mulbarton Wanderers.