Assistant manager Lee Howells insists Bath City will be ‘up for the fight’ when their 2009-10 Blue Square South campaign gets underway at Chelmsford City on Saturday, August 8.

A tough-looking start to the season sees City face four of the seven sides that finished above them last term in their opening five matches.

Chelmsford came fifth, securing the final play-off place in the process, in 2008-09 and were followed by Maidenhead in sixth and Welling in seventh, the latter finishing above eighth-placed City on goal difference.

Maidenhead are the visitors to Twerton Park for City’s first home game of the season on Tuesday, August 11 and Welling, who hammered City 4-0 on the opening day last season, make the trip West on Saturday, August 15.

A two-hour Monday night trip to Havant & Waterlooville follows before a home game against Hampton & Richmond Borough, who were pipped to the title by AFC Wimbledon last season and have suffered successive play-off final defeats.

City completed a league double over Chelmsford last season and Howells says having a trip to Melbourne Park first up holds no fears for his side.

“We went there last season and played very well in a great game of football and then beat them at home when we had 10 men,” said Howells.

“It will be interesting to see where they go because they looked like they were going to win it last season before hitting a brick wall in the middle. It might be a good time to play them as I’m sure they’ve brought some new players in.

“Come August 8 hopefully we’ll have a squad put together and we’ll be up for the fight.

“It’s a tough start and we’re playing three decent teams in the first week – but then they’re all difficult games in our league.”

Weston-super-Mare are City's festive opponents and Adie Britton’s men will travel to the Woodspring Stadium on December 26 before hosting the Seagulls on New Year's Day.

City will have faced a Newport County side featuring old boys Dave Gilroy, Scott Rogers and Paul Cochlin twice by then. A trip to Spytty Park on Saturday, October 3 is followed by the reverse fixture at Twerton Park on Saturday, December 5.

The regular season comes to an end with a home game against St Albans City on Saturday, April 24 2010.

Dover Athletic, the runaway winners of the Ryman Premier Division last term, are the 6/1 favourites for the title with league sponsors Blue Square, followed by Chelmsford and Newport at 7/1.

Howells said: “The money teams are the ones who will be up there. Dover have a bit of clout and Hampton & Richmond should do well again.

“It is likely to be the same five or six up there and we’ve got to try and break into that group.

“We want to get more than 68 points and push ourselves up the latter a bit more.

“If we had the money then it could be done overnight but we don’t so it’s about having a good unit. We’ll give it our best shot.”

City begin their pre-season programme at Cirencester Town on Thursday, July 9 (7.45pm).

BATH CITY FIXTURES 2009-10

AUGUST

8 Chelmsford City A

11 Maidenhead United H

15 Welling United H

17 Havant & Waterlooville A

22 Hampton & Richmond Borough H

29 Dorchester Town A

31 Worcester City H

SEPTEMBER

5 Bishop's Stortford A

8 Eastleigh H

12 Lewes H

19 Dover Athletic A

OCTOBER

3 Newport County A

17 Basingstoke Town H

24 Staines Town A

27 Weymouth A

31 Bromley H

NOVEMBER

7 Braintree Town A

14 Chelmsford City H

28 Hampton & Richmond Borough A

DECEMBER

1 Woking H

5 Newport County H

19 Woking A

26 Weston-super-Mare A

28 Havant & Waterlooville H

JANUARY

1 Weston-super-Mare H

9 Lewes A

16 Thurrock A

23 Bishop's Stortford H

30 St Albans City A

FEBRUARY

6 Dover Athletic H

13 Maidenhead United A

20 Weymouth H

27 Welling United A

MARCH

6 Thurrock H

13 Eastleigh A

20 Braintree Town H

27 Basingstoke Town A

APRIL

3 Dorchester Town H

5 Worcester City A

10 Staines Town H

17 Bromley A

24 St Albans City H