CHIPPENHAM Town will begin life as a National League club at home, with Havant & Waterlooville making the trip to Hardenhuish Park on the opening day of the season on Saturday, August 5.

The Bluebirds were promoted as Southern League champions last season and have their first away game in their new division at local rivals Bath City on Tuesday, August 8.

Manager Mark Collier said: “We are at home in the first game and that was the first thing we were looking for.

“We are playing one of the bigger clubs in the division, they have got an experienced manager and some good players, I’m sure there will be a few ex-Bournemouth and Portsmouth lads being from that neck of the woods.

“It’ll be a good test for us, we’re up against a team that have got ambitions to go to the Conference and I’m sure they will bring a decent following and make it a very memorable day at Hardenhuish Park.

“Bath is a good away game for us to start with, it’s not too far and it’s another of the bigger clubs in the division. Then after that, it’s another tough game away against a Braintree side who were relegated last season and will be looking for a response to that.

“It’s three very difficult games to start with but that first month is going to be really good for us to test ourselves and get ourselves ready for life in this division.”

There is a pre-Christmas derby to look forward to as Collier’s men face the return fixture against Bath at home on Saturday, December 23.

Chippenham go on the road on Boxing Day as they make the short trip to Hungerford Town, while they begin 2018 at home in the reverse fixture on New Year’s Day.

Town bring the curtain down on their season at Hardenhuish Park when Welling United come to Wiltshire on the final day on Saturday, April 28.

CHIPPENHAM TOWN 2017-18 NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH FIXTURES

Home fixtures in CAPS

AUGUST

Sat 5: HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE

Tue 8: Bath City

Sat 12: Braintree Town

Tue 15: POOLE TOWN

Sat 19: EAST THURROCK UNITED

Sat 26: Weston-super-Mare

Mon 28: OXFORD CITY

SEPTEMBER

Sat 2: Eastbourne Borough

Tue 5: GLOUCESTER CITY

Sat 9: Dartford

Tue 12: Truro City

Sat 23: HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TOWN

OCTOBER

Sat 7: Welling United

Sat 14: WEALDSTONE

Sat 21: Bognor Regis Town

Sat 28: CHELMSFORD CITY

NOVEMBER

Sat 4: Hampton & Richmond Borough

Sat 11: ST ALBANS CITY

Sat 18: Concord Rangers

DECEMBER

Sat 2: Whitehawk

Sat 9: Havant & Waterlooville

Sat 23: BATH CITY

Tue 26: Hungerford Town

JANUARY

Mon 1: HUNGERFORD TOWN

Sat 6: Poole Town

Sat 13: BRAINTREE TOWN

Sat 20: Dartford

Sat 27: Gloucester City

FEBRUARY

Sat 3: Chelmsford City

Sat 10: BOGNOR REGIS TOWN

Sat 17: HAMPTON & RICHMOND BOROUGH

Sat 24: St Albans City

MARCH

Sat 3: CONCORD RANGERS

Sat 10: Whitehawk

Sat 17: WESTON-SUPER-MARE

Sat 24: East Thurrock United

Sat 31: EASTBOURNE BOROUGH

APRIL

Mon 2: Oxford City

Sat 7: Hemel Hempstead Town

Sat 14: TRURO CITY

Sat 21: Wealdstone

Sat 28: WELLING UNITED