FORMER Yeovil Town FC manager Colin Addison believes the Glovers' will be among the leading pack hunting for the Nationwide Conference championship in the new season.

But Addison, who resigned from Huish Park after seeing the side come second to Rushden and Diamonds in the title race at the end of the 2000-01 campaign, believes Chester City could be the team to take the 'goal-den' prize.

Addison said in a national newspaper at the weekend that even though he felt current Yeovil manager Gary Johnson and his team would be real contenders, he believed Chester would emerge as champions.

"The new owners of Chester have made the set-up there much more professional and they could pip the likes of Dagenham and Redbridge and Yeovil for the championship," he said. But Addison paid tribute to his successor in the Huish Park hot seat for doing such a good job and rebuilding the team.

"Gary Johnson has rebuilt well at Yeovil following my departure," he said. "A lot of my team are still there, but he has brought others in and has made a shrewd signing in Gavin Williams from Hereford United.

"I tried to buy him for Yeovil myself, but Hereford would not part at that time. Williams can form a formidable strike partnership with either Adam Stansfield or Carl Alford. As well as playing as a conventional striker, he can operate wide or behind the front two so he gives Yeovil plenty of options."

But former Chester boss Graham Barrow, who is now a coach at Bury, predicted in the same article that it would be the Glovers' savouring championship success come the end of April.

"I am taking Yeovil to beat Dagenham in a tight finish," he said. "Gary Johnson did a fine job in rebuilding the side last season following the departure of Colin Addison and key players like Warren Patmore and Tony Pennock.

"Yeovil finished strongly by the taking the FA Trophy for the first time and the arrival of new striker Williams will increase their chances."