Things are starting to take shape for the new season which starts in Leinster with the Top Four competition. The pairings for the semi-finals tomorrow week ( September 15th) are Pembroke Wanderers v YMCA and Corinthians v Glenanne and the final will be staged immediately on Sunday - which is a change from previous years when the decider was played at Hallowe'en.

Glenanne, the Stephen Doyle Trophy holders, who will be starting their challenge to Pembroke Wanderers for the league title against Monkstown on September 22nd, will again be captained by Alan Browne.

There are changes, though, on the bench. Noel Keogh, so successful as coach, is handing over the helm to Nazir Munir (now well established in Dublin after his move from Pakistan). Terry Cooney, who has been team manager during the club's meteoric rise to the top, is also "taking a breather." He is succeeded by Rory O'Donoghue who is retiring from his centre-back role which was crowned by an Irish Senior Cup medal.

Glenanne will be going to Gibraltar next Easter for the European Cup Winners Cup, in which they will be in the same pool as the host club and representatives of Italy and Russia

Pembroke meanwhile will be captained by Duncan McKeen as they, too, enter another campaign in which they aim to be much to the fore. They will be understrength, however, for the first half of the league programme for a variety of reasons. These include Allan Kershaw and Alan Giles playing for the Ireland under-21s in the Junior World Cup in Tasmania as well as their leading striker Justin Sherriff taking time out in Australia.