Dockers on the road in league opener
We will begin our 2023/24 Southern Combination Football League Premier Division campaign with an away fixture at Horsham YMCA.
The season-long fixture list was released by the league on Wednesday morning and sees us travel to Horsham YMCA (Saturday 29th July) and Midhurst & Easebourne (Saturday 12th August) in our opening two league fixtures, before two home matches follow against last season’s runners-up Crawley Down Gatwick (Tuesday 15th August) and Little Common (Saturday 26th August).
We have a home tie in the FA Cup in August, hosting divisional rivals Little Common on Saturday 5th, and an away tie in the FA Vase in September, when we travel to Rusthall – of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division – on Saturday 23rd, having received a bye through the First Qualifying Round.
Should progress be made in the FA Cup then a further home fixture awaits against either Spelthorne Sports or Loxwood on Saturday 19th August.
The local derbies between Newhaven and Peacehaven are in their usual Christmas and Easter slots, with us travelling to the Sports Park for the Boxing Day fixture on Tuesday 26th December and then the Trafalgar Ground hosting the Easter Derby on Monday 1st April.
Other notable dates during the season sees us travel to Saltdean United on Saturday 2nd September, before hosting the return fixture on Saturday 24th February.
Our other bank holiday weekend opponents this season are AFC Varndeanians, who we will travel to on Monday 28th August before hosting at the Trafalgar Ground on New Years weekend of Saturday 30th December. There will be no fixtue on New Years Day.
There are three new teams to the league this season; Shoreham were promoted from Division One as champions, Haywards Heath were relegated from the Isthmian League South East Division, and Pagham have returned to the SCFL after a sideways move by the FA.
We will host all three in the opening half of the season; Shoreham on Saturday 16th September, Pagham on Saturday 7th October, and Haywards Heath Town on Saturday 4th November. The return fixture against Shoreham on Saturday 6th January will be our first match of 2024.
Our last home fixture of the season will be against Steyning Town on Saturday 13th April, before the season concludes with an away match against Hassocks on Saturday 20th April.
A full list of fixtures can be found here. As always, some fixtures will be subject to change due to weather and cup competitions.
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