THE Houlihan's Birkenhead Sunday Football League's equivalent to the FA Community Shield takes place on Sunday (August 11).

League Champions Dock FC take on Wallasey Sunday League champions Millhouse FC at Newton FC's ground (kick-off 11am).

Meanwhile, Doug McCann, general secretary of the Houlihan's League, has stood down due to business commitments 12 months ahead of schedule. He is succeeded by Mr J. H. Davis.

The new season kicks off on Sunday, August 18 and, taking a look at the league constitution, there will be 12 teams in the Premier Division with 13 teams in each of Divisions One, Two, Three and Youth.

Three new clubs were elected to the league (open age) - Bebington Athletic Rangers, Hearts FC and The Shippons. New teams elected to the Youth Division will be Castrol Athletic, Halton, a Runcorn-based club, New Brighton and Vauxhall Motors Colts, who won The Eastham Sunday Junior League Under-16 Division last season.

Clubs who have changed their name for the new season include Wirral Hotel, now to be known as The Livingstone), Shaftesbury Seniors (Shaftesbury 02 FC), Hotel Victoria (K-Seal Glass), while Lever Club have moved to a new base with a new sponsor and will be called Trafalgar Sports and Social Club and Oxton FC, who also have a new home, will be known as The Yard.