Shawn Goater and Kyle Lightbourne are looking forward to a Boxing Day showdown, the date when the Bermudian strikers could come face to face for the first time as English professionals.

It was expected that one or both of the players would get transfers to clubs in a higher division, having enjoyed successful seasons last year when they netted 52 goals between them. But that, so far, hasn't happened.

Lightbourne's 27 goals helped Walsall gain promotion to the Second Division last season, and now he is looking forward to the December 26 trip to Rotherham's Millmoor ground for the meeting with Goater. The return match is scheduled for next March at Walsall.

"That would be the promotion part of the game, if both of us can avoid being injured,'' said Goater this week. "It would be even better if both of us are on form.'' Lightbourne would have liked to have had the game earlier in the season, just in case one of them is performing well enough to get a move to a higher division.

"At the beginning of the season would have been nice,'' said Lightbourne, who, like Goater, is now back in pre-season training, getting ready for Walsall's season opener on August 12 at home to Stockport County.

Both players were hoping their scoring feats last season would result in transfers, especially with millions of pounds being spent by clubs during the summer. West Ham United coach Frank Lampard admitted while here for a coaching course last month that the Hammers had shown interest in Lightbourne. But nothing has materialised since he returned even though the club is still searching for a new striker.

"Most of the Premier clubs have been going overseas this year,'' said Lightbourne. "I think the lower clubs in England are pricing themselves out of the market.

"They have players in Division One or Two who cost more than a player in Italy and that's why they've been going abroad. Even some of the defenders are going for two or three million but they've been going overseas and getting them cheaper.'' Goater had been linked to a move to Premier League team, Wimbledon, who were rumoured in an English newspaper to be set to sign the striker. The fee talked about was 550,000 ($880,000) but since Goater has been back in England there has been nothing to suggest Wimbledon were interested.

"That's why I didn't really get my hopes up while I was back home,'' said Goater. "As far as I was concerned it's always only paper talk until I'm called to have a look at a contract or something like that.

"There were a lot of people coming up to me and asking what was happening.

You get sidetracked, you have your goals and you forget them because you're hoping that this is going to come off for you. The last thing I'm going to do is worry about it.'' Goater instead is eagerly looking forward to the new season with the club already showing that they have some ambition by signing five new players, two on free transfers and three others who cost about 255,000 in total, including a centre-half from Wolves and a striker from Newcastle named Mike Jeffrey and a goalkeeper from a non-league team.

"I was surprised to find out that we had that many new players,'' said Goater. "It looks like they're being quite ambitious, the club itself.'' Goater, still the key man in attack after netting 25 goals last season, linked up with Jeffrey in a friendly match against non-league team, Bradford Park, which Rotherham won 4-2 with both Goater and Jeffrey scoring.

Continued on page 29 Local pair prepare for new season Continued from page 25 "He's young like myself so we still have to gel together and try to get a relationship,'' Goater explained.

"It's a new season now and what I did last season was prove myself and that's what got me in that position where things were done around me. It's up to me to set that same standard and show the gaffer that the same is going to happen this year.'' Goater hopes to at least match last year's returns, having set himself a target of 15 goals by Christmas which would put him in the 30-goal range.

In training both Goater and Lightbourne are experiencing Bermuda-like conditions, though that is not necessarily good in pre-season training.

"It's very warm, about as warm as back home,'' said Goater. "The training we're doing in this weather is unbelievable, but it has to be done. Most players find the first game is hard no matter what. It's usually hot, fast paced and your touch is still not there.

"In the first week there was a lot of running and I'm surprised because we never usually touch the balls in the second week. As it happened we managed to get the balls out in the second week and had a game on Saturday which I find surprising. Normally we wouldn't have a game until the third week, but the season starts on the 12th and it's closer than we actually think.'' Walsall haven't picked up any new players yet, though there could be some signings before the season starts.

"There have been a few on trial but no one has signed as yet,'' said Lightbourne. "Training has been hard as usual but I'm starting to get the feel of it and the fitness is coming back.

"It's been very hot so things have been extra hard because of the heat. We've been doing a lot of physical with the ball. We played one match, against Stoke, of three half hours and we drew 1-1.'' Walsall have two more friendly matches scheduled for this week, including a meeting with West Bromwich Albion on Friday.

"I would like to get close to 30 goals and I just want to try to get a good start and stay free of injury,'' said Lightbourne.