TONY James is hoping Hereford United can emulate running star Paula Radcliffe and become frontrunners in this season's Nationwide Conference campaign.

The Bulls captain returns to action against Swansea City at Edgar Street today (3pm) in buoyant mood and firmly focussed on becoming champions.

"It's simple. We just want to go one better than last season," said James of his ambitions for the forthcoming year.

"If we do that we won't be doing too much wrong. We need a good start I should think and with the new players if we do that it will bring everybody together.

"We want to be top, that's where the players and everybody at the club wants to be if we can. We don't want to be second or third if we can help it."

Just who the Bulls main challengers will be is unsure but James offers one or two insights.

"Obviously I think we've got the likes of Carlisle who had some good performances towards the end of last season," he said.

"There's also a few teams managing to accumulate a lot of good players like Morecambe and a few others but we're concentrating on what we need to do."

James is likely to start on the bench this afternoon, having shaken off a thigh strain, but is in good shape after three weeks of pre-season under new coach John Trewick.

"As usual pre-season's been quite hard to begin with but it's starting to come together and all the football is starting to look good," said Hereford's captain.

"The new players seem to be settling in but obviously we'll find out more about them once the games begin but so far they look pretty sharp. Nearer the time you want to get a bit of both performance and fitness but at the moment it is about getting minutes under your belt."

"John Trewick is very good," added James. "He's very enthusiastic, has a good rapport with the lads and is working well."

If Graham Turner can find a keeper, the future could well be looking very bright for the Edgar Street outfit.