Tough league starts for City and Town
City will at home first when Bath City are the visitors - the side that dented City's promotion hopes in April when they came and surprisingly won 2-1 at Melbourne Stadium - and on the following Tuesday (August 11) City go to Woking who were relegated from the Blue Square Premier last season.
This is followed by a trip to Basingstoke Town the following Saturday before the first Monday home game on August 17 when Dover Athletic, newly promoted as Ryman League Premier Division champions, are the visitors.
This will be a renewal of old Southern League days of rivalry and the Kent side have already been installed as 6-1 favourites for the title ahead of City and Dean Holdsworth's Newport County at 7-1.
The Iron start with a difficult away game at Eastleigh before they entertain Lewes, relegated from the Blue Square Premier last season, at Cressing Road on the following Tuesday.
After what looks like on paper at least a comparative easy home game against Maidenhead United the following Saturday (August 15) the Iron face a severe test when they go to Hampton & Richmond on the following Tuesday.
The west London side have narrowly missed out in the promotion play-offs over the past two seasons - they knocked City out in the semi-final last season - and manager Alan Devonshire is determined to make it happened third time around.
The first of the big local derby games between City and the Iron is on August Bank Holiday Monday when the two sides meet at Cressing Road.
City ran out 2-1 winners their last time out in April in front of a crowd of 1,278 with their first meeting last season back in August of last year honours were even with a 1-1 draw.
Both sides will show major changes in personnel and both clubs have new managers in charge for their first full season in the Blue Square South.
Ex-City player Robbie Garvey has practically re-built the Cressing Road side from the one he took over shortly before the end of last season while City head coach Glenn Pennyfather, now in charge of first team affairs, has also been forced to let some of his side's more expensive players to move on.
Garvey, philosophical as usual in his straight forward approach to the game, knows that he faces a tough baptism of fire in his first season as a rookie non-league manager.
"It's going to a hard league as everyone knows and we'll just take every game as it comes as the old saying goes," he declared. "We'll certainly have a young, fitter and more hungry squad of players this season than we did last and I think we can surprise a few people."
Pennyfather, who is still trying to put the finishing touches to his squad by bringing in new players, also knows from the disappointment of losing in the play-offs last season it will be even harder this time around.
on the opening two games he said: "I believe Bath City and Woking will both be in the top seven or eight so that will be a hard start and the game at Havant to finish the season will also be a real test.
"There will clearly be some stronger teams in the league this season and some clubs have been busy making some impressive signings," he said. "But we will be ready and again the aim is for promotion."
For the traditional Christmas and New Year league fixtures City fans will be disappointed in that the Boxing Day game is at home to Thurrock with the return away game on New Year's Day. In the middle is a tough trip to Dover Athletic.
The Iron have their traditional two games against Bishop's Stortford over the festive period and meet City at Melbourne Stadium on Easter Monday.
City's final game of the season is away to Havant & Waterlooville and the Iron host Newport County.
Both clubs have yet to become involved in draws for both the FA Cup and FA Trophy because as Blue Square South clubs they don't have to enter the early stages.
For other local non-league clubs cup involvement will affect early league games.
For example Witham Town, now relegated to the Essex Senior League, will host Saffron Walden Town on Saturday, August 15 and if they win that game they host the winners of the London Colney/Harwich Parkeston tie on August 29.
On that day Brentwood Town go to East Thurrock and Maldon visit Chesthunt.
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