Football
Reds on the road on opening day

REDDITCH UNITED will kick-off the 2012/13 Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division season with a visit to Hitchin Town on Saturday, August 18.

Simon Redhead’s side play their first match of the campaign at the Valley Stadium on Tuesday, August 21 (7.45pm) when they host newly-promoted Bedworth United.

Two away days then complete the opening month as the Reds head to Gosport Borough on August 25 and Banbury United on Bank Holiday Monday, August 27.

Other dates of particular note are a Boxing Day visit to Stourbridge and a home clash against Banbury United on New Year’s Day.

A clash at Cambridge City completes the campaign on Saturday, April 27.

The opening month’s fixtures in the Midland Alliance have also been released and see Studley kick-off with a tough home match against Coventry Sphinx on August 4, whilst Alvechurch head to Boldmere St Michaels.

There is immediate midweek action on August 7 when Alvechurch host Stourport Swifts and Studley travel to Bridgnorth Town.

The Bees then have a home game against Tividale on August 14, when Alvechurch will make the short journey to Stratford Town.

Feckenham begin their Midland Combination Division One campaign with a home match against Droitwich Spa on Thursday, August 9 (6.20pm) and then travel to Alvis on August 11.

For more details about the respective fixtures lists visit southern-football-league.co.uk, midlandfootballalliance.pitchero.com and midcomb.com.

Redditch United fans get their first chance to have a look at the new faces amongst the squad on home soil tomorrow when Chasetown are the pre-season visitors, before United head to Sutton Coldfield Town on Tuesday.

Redhead will be keen to see his team build on Saturday’s impressive 4-0 friendly victory at Halesowen Town in which new strikers Jordan Nadat (2), Mark Danks and Leo Brown were all on the mark.

Nadat has arrived from Midland Alliance outfit Rocester and Brown has had previous spells at Evesham United and Romulus.

The Reds’ trip to Alvechurch on Tuesday was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch and the next pre-season action at Lye Meadow brings the visits of Bromsgrove Sporting tomorrow (Saturday) and Halesowen Town on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Alvechurch’s squad for the new season is continuing to take shape nicely and 18 players are currently signed up, including winger Elliot Nash and forwards Joe Wright and Andy Nicol who were in sparkling form at the end of the last campaign.

The players registered so far are Tom Hemmings, Richard Taylor, Adam Humphries, Ben Judd, Dean Morris, Scott Smith, Tom Elder, Karl Hooper, Lewis Smith, David Glaze, Joe Wright, Andy Nicol, Elliot Nash, Nick Smith, Dean Poulson, Dan Janes, Luke Dugmore and Jazz Luckie.

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