EXCITEMENT is building for the return of the Clayton Charity Cup.

With an additional two teams signed up, a total of eight senior sides from the Tyne Valley and surrounding areas will battle it out for the honour of Tynedale's best ahead of their respective league campaigns.

The pick of the fixtures is the town derby between long time club rivals Prudhoe Youth Club and Prudhoe Town, the game at Prudhoe High School getting the action in Group B under way next Wednesday at 6.45pm.

Both teams will be looking for a good start, with Northern Alliance side Hexham and Northern League outfit Ryton and Crawcrook Albion also in the group. Their campaign starts with a game against each other at Hexham.

Group A will see reigning champions Ponteland United and runners-up Heddon St Andrew's go head-to-head, but not before Ponteland head to Scots Gap to play Alliance counterparts Wallington and Heddon take on fellow Hexham and District Sunday League opposition Haltwhistle Jubilee at Bardon Mill on Wednesday.

The winners of the groups will then battle it out in the Clayton Cup final at Haydon Bridge on July 27, with the bottom two teams contesting the Stan Jackson Cup.