After relegation last season from Divsion One, Magheraveely have been tipped to make a quick return to the top flight.

They will go into the campaign as one of the fancied sides and after a busy summer will be hoping to make a concerted push for promotion.

Brian Smith has taken over the managerial role at the club and he comes on the back of a very successful stint with Cootehill Harps which included league and cup victories.

Indeed, Smith has brought in a number of players from his former club to enhance the squad already available to him at Magheraveely and club secretary Rodney McVitty is hoping for a good season.

“I suppose that first and foremost we would hope to gain promotion back to Division One and if we can do that then hopefully we can try and push on for the league title.

“We would feel that we have a good squad, Brian has brought players in and strengthened,” he said.

However, McVitty is aware that Division Two is a tough one to get out of.

“Division Two is always very difficult and there are some good sides in the league.

“I think Enniskillen Athletic will be there or thereabouts while Maguiresbridge are a very hard working side and Simon McCusker has done well with them,” commented McVitty.

Magheraveely will get to know all about Maguiresbridge this Saturday when the sides meet at the Castle Park Centre.

Maguiresbridge finished joint third in the Division Two table last season and will be keen to push on this time around.

Manager Simon McCusker has lost Shane Ingram who has returned to Lisnaskea but he has added Brian McDermott and he should prove to be a shrewd addition as a player with an eye for goal.

Following their promotion from Division Three as runaway winners, Enniskillen Athletic will be fancied to push on again this season although manager Anthony Fitzpatrick says that their main aim is to consolidate their place in the division.

“We want to consolidate our position in Division Two and we know that it is going to be tough but in saying that I believe that the squad is more than capable of holding their own,” he said.

Kane Connor is among the new faces that Fitzpatrick has signed for Athletic and he will be a big player when available from GAA commitments.

Indeed, Fitzpatrick says that GAA commitments will hit his side for the opening few weeks of the season.

“For us, the key is to get the players out week on week but we know that it is going to be tough for the first few weeks with boys playing Gaelic,” he stressed.

Athletic open their league campaign this Saturday at home to Omagh Hospitals, who along with Magheraveely are a side he feels could be contenders.

“Magheraveely have signed very well so I would imagine they are going to be up there and Hospitals are usually strong and will be a difficult first game for us,” he said.

Lisnaskea Rovers were the other side to make the drop from Division One after a disappointing campaign last time around.

Anthony Smyth is now in charge of the Castle Park side and he will want to stabilise the club and look to take it from there after that.

Lisnaskea start their Division Two campaign with a tough away game against a Glebe side who will be looking to push on from last season when they finished just off the pace at the top of the table.

Fintona Swifts and Dunbreen Rovers finished only one point above the drop zone last season so they will be aiming to stay out of that trouble this season while newly promoted Augher Stars will likely be content to be safely away from the bottom two come the end of the season.