WITHAM Town will kick-off life under new manager Mark Ashford in front of their home fans when the Bostik League division north season starts on Saturday, August 11.

Ashford will take charge of his first competitive game when Witham host fellow Essex side Grays Athletic in a curtain-raiser at the Village Glass Stadium.

Witham and Coggeshall will be getting well acquainted with each other in the early part of the season as they have been drawn together in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy and they will also face each other in the league in the first month.

The near neighbours will clash at West Street in a division north fixture on August Bank Holiday Monday.

The reverse league fixture between them will take place at Witham on December 22 at the start of the festive period.

However, it will be a quieter one than the traditional spell for Witham this year as there are no Boxing Day or New Year's Day fixtures in the list for them, with just a trip to Maldon & Tiptree coming on Saturday, December 29.

On that final Saturday, Witham will be bowing out with an Essex derby as they head to another of the division north's new boys at Basildon United
simonSpurgeon