Daventry United's 29-goal top scorer Tommy Waldock, 19, will put pressure on frontrunners Tom Berwick, Danny Nelson and Richard Wesley, who shared 77 goals last season.

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Gibson will also keep the trio on their toes after spending five years on Leicester City's books.

The third close-season signing so far is former Long Buckby midfield player Andrew Gordon, who has moved back to the area from Southampton.

The UCL management committee has broken with tradition by nominating Walker for the top award after he guided the Town to the Division One title and the KO Cup Final.

No doubt Stotfold boss Ian Allinson will feel hard done by as the manager of the year award almost invariably goes to the man in charge of the Premier Division champions.

The Eagles finished 10 points ahead of runners-up Long Buckby, while Daventry Town won the Division One championship by twice that margin before losing to Desborough in the cup final.

First Division runners-up Peterborough NS did not apply for promotion, but third-placed Rothwell Corinthians will go up alongside the Town.
Kempston and Wootton BC are due to be relegated, although Blue Cross will be reprieved if Stotfold succeed in their application to take sideways promotion into the South Midlands League.

This means the Premier Division will again have only 21 clubs.
Meanwhile, Walker is the first local manager to win the UCL's top award since Ford Sports' Shane Geary in 2002.

"I don't know yet when the presentation will be, but it has come as a pleasant surprise," he said.

Bugbrooke picked up both the UCL's hospitality and fair play awards in a week when the Bucks announced their intention to re-enter Reserves Division Two next season.

Former joint Daventry Town manager Steve Kirchin will take charge of Northampton Spencer Reserves in 2008-2009, despite steering Wellingborough Town's second string to the league-NFA Lower Junior Cup double last season.

Meanwhile Doughboys boss Les Hornby has resigned after replacing Nick Ashby in mid-season.

Former Cobblers and Woodford United central defender Jason Burnham is expected to replace him.

Wellingborough have a substantial players' budget and are among more than half a dozen clubs likely to challenge Long Buckby and Daventry Town for UCL honours in 12 months' time.