The 2019-20 Manx football season kicks off in earnest this Friday night with the traditional curtain-raiser, the Eric Fletcher Charity Shield.

The game takes place under the floodlights at the Bowl and sees Premier League champions St Mary’s go head-to-head with FA Cup and Railway Cup double winners Peel at 7.30pm.

With the transfer window still more than a week away from slamming shut, there is the almost inevitable uncertainty regarding new signings from both sides.

But Saints manager Alex Harrison has been busy during the off-season and is hoping to have a raft of new players at his disposal for their contest against Peel, namely Sam Holliday, Tom Weir, Matty Kent-Lloyd, Adam Adebiyi and ex-Rushen United stars Josh Kelly and Dan Hattersley.

The latter has wasted little time in settling back into Manx football following his successful professional and semi-pro career which saw the striker ply his trade at the likes of Lancaster City, Southport, Stockport, Halifax Town and as far away as Geelong FC in Australia.

These signings mean the Saints have an embarrassment of riches in its squad, therefore Harrison is more than likely to have many a selection headache this season.

On the Peel side of things, one of the most talked-about transfers of the summer has all but gone through now and the man in question - Dan Simpson - could be in line for his debut against St Mary’s since his switch from Corinthians.

As a result, western manager Steve Falconer has a devastating front three at his disposal, with Simpson complementing the already lethal combination of reigning Player of the Year Rhys Oates and Lee Gale.

Therefore, one of the key battles in Friday’s game will be that talented attacking trio going up against the likes of Karl Clark and player/manager Harrison et al.

If the Saints can nullify that considerable threat, they will fancy their chances of getting the better of the westerners and kicking the season off with some silverware.

The two sides are expected to once again challenge for glory in the Premier League this season alongside the likes of St George’s and Corinthians, so the Charity Shield is an opportunity to gauge their progress heading into the new campaign.

Kick-off at the Bowl is 7.30pm on Friday.