TROWBRIDGE Town manager Tom Robson is optimistic about a fresh start at the club this coming campaign.

Two seasons on from their Wiltshire League triumph under then-manager Kieran Baggs, now Melksham Town manager in the Toolstation Premier division, there’s a very different look to the Trowbridge side.

Following a topsy-turvy campaign in defence of their crown last season, things settled down towards the end and the Bees were able to claim a respectable fifth-placed finish.

However, following another busy close season, the focus has turned to youth at the club and Robson admits it is refreshing.

“It’s been a difficult summer. Again, we have lost a lot of players and it’s the same as last season, with building a whole new team,” he said.

“It’s good actually to be fair. I have actually enjoyed it.

“We’ve got a lot of good young players coming through the youth ranks at Trowbridge, which is nice to see.

“There were a lot of changes through last season, I don’t think we had the same starting 11 for consecutive weekends, so, looking back at it, to finish fifth was a dream.

“This year it’s a different story. We’ve got a lot of young lads who are hungry for it and want to be there every week and hopefully we can get that consistency.

“It’s more about starting afresh again and trying to get everyone familiar with each other and trying to build a team spirit.”

Trowbridge face a daunting opening day when they host reigning champions Wroughton, which could be a baptism of fire for many of Robson’s young troops, but he is hoping they can catch their opponents on the hop.

“We’ve got a hard game, first game of the season, against Wroughton,” he added.

“It will definitely be a bit of a learning curve for a lot of the boys who haven’t played this standard before.

“They were a very strong team last year and we did well to beat them at their place but then they beat us at ours.

“It’s nice to get them out of the way early doors because there are a lot of players who aren’t about in the Wilts League at the moment, a lot have gone away.”

Elsewhere, Corsham Town will be looking to improve on last season’s 10th place finish as they start by entertaining Marlborough Town, new side Westbury travel to Malmesbury Victoria Development and Melksham Town Reserves, who finished third last term, host Purton.