BACUP chairman Colin Shaw is looking forward to the arrival of professional Shaun Young tonight - and is taking him straight out on the town!

The Lanehead chief welcomes Aussie all-rounder Young back for his second consecutive Transco Lancashire League season.

And the 32-year-old is looking to give Bacup a hat-trick of Lancashire League titles. They won the league in 2000 with Australian Adam Dale as their pro and won it again last season after Young took over.

Now Young is on his way over from Tasmania - minus his family for the first four weeks of his stay - and can't wait to get started.

"He can't wait to come back," said Shaw. "I spoke to him the other day and he is really looking forward to it.

"He wants this to be our hat-trick season."

Young's wife and daughter will join him in four weeks time.

"We've got our Thursday night sorted out anyway. We'll be off round Burnley as long as he is not too jet-lagged - I don't think he will be!"

Young scored more than 1,000 runs in the Lancashire League last season at an average of 55 runs per game.

And he took an incredible 94 wickets, the most of any Lancashire League professional or amateur, averaging just under 12 runs per wicket.

Bacup were beaten by Westhoughton in a friendly on Saturday but beat Rochdale on Sunday. "It was more or less a second side that played on Saturday but it was the first team that played Sunday," said Shaw.

"We play Fleetwood and St Anne's this weekend."

The start of the season is less than two weeks away - Ramsbottom and Bacup kick off the 2002 campaign with their Colne Trophy clash on April 20 - and it clashes with another important fixture.

"It is Burnley's last game of the season so I will be going to Turf Moor before coming back for opening game."

Bacup have no new signings and have lost no players over the summer.

"It is the same side as last year and hopefully we can win the league again like last year!" said Shaw.