Major transfers

Flare United manager Izuka has returned to his roots, approaching the manager of his old club, OAP Pop Punk, to make probably the biggest deal of the whole pre-season. With the club's recent relegation from the top flight, many big stars were eager to leave, and DBYC was more than happy to bring Flare United captain and star striker, Ernie Ormondroyd, arguably the best forward in the RM Invitational, to George at Asda Pop Punk Park. So eager was the veteran manager, in fact, that he sent two of his most promising youngsters the other way in exchange.

Of his two captures, it is Nani that Izuka rates more highly at the moment, though he believes defender Acton Ruddock will become a real star in the future. At the Starburst Arena, Nani will wear his favoured number 17 jersey, while Ruddock has been handed the number 2 jersey recently vacated by Philipp Bitzer. However, neither player has yet to see their new home as an insider, with the Flare United squad currently undergoing pre-season fitness training in Egypt.

Asked about his front line for the coming season, Izuka reported via Skype from deep inside the Sahara Desert that "Jimmy McGinnity and Chris Tretton are now ready to feature regularly in the starting eleven whenever needed. However, it will be the experience of Iain Emery that will help us find the back of the net most this season, with heavy backing from midfield." Emery, now 30, has never exactly shone for Flare United up front, always in the shadow of Ormondroyd. However, with the departure of Ormondroyd and first choice goalkeeper Alex Bogefeldt among others, players such as Dustin Moss and Emery who have been playing second fiddle all this while will have to step up to the plate this coming season as Flare United battle to return to the top flight.