THE 2023/24 Hellenic League Division One campaign swings into gear this weekend and Moreton Rangers will be hoping for a fast start to the new season.

Rangers begin with a home game against newly-promoted Sporting Club Inkberrow, who won pipped Ledbury Town to the Herefordshire Football League Premier title last season.

They will provide tough opponents to Moreton, who struggled on the whole in 2023/23. 

Rangers suffered 25 defeats in 36 league games and finished one place above the relegation zone. They were fortunate in the fact both Littleton and Cirencester Town Development were worse, two sides that won four games between them all season.

So they will be hoping for better this year but after a mixed bag of pre-season results, they head into the opener on Saturday knowing it is likely going to be a tough division once more. 

Once they host Inkberrow this weekend, they then have six games throughout the rest of August.

Next Tuesday (August 8) they make the trip to FC Stratford before Southam United come to town on August 12. 

Next up is back-to-back away games against Cheltenham Saracens and Clanfield 85 before they go to Long Crendone on August 22. 

One team that will not be competing in the Division One league this year is fellow Cotswold side Bourton Rovers, who have taken action to remove themselves from the Hellenic League system.

The first-team finished 14th last year but have removed the first-team from Division One.

It is a blow for Cotswold football but this is just regarding the first team. The club will continue to operate a Development outfit in Division Two. 

It is now yet known whether the first-team will cease to exist or they will play in a different league. 

The scheduled derby between Bourton and Moreton at the end of August has therefore been cancelled.