Fixture release gives Chichester City a favourable run of home dates
The fixture list for the Southern League Premier South season has been published and, on first inspection, it offers Chichester City a relatively kind set of trips in their third season at step three of the non-league pyramid.
Miles Rutherford’s side will start the campaign at Oaklands Park against Poole Town on Saturday 8 August, before making their first away trip to Wimborne on Tuesday 11 August. The following two Saturdays see them travel to Evesham and then return home to host Chippenham.
| Fixture | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season opener (home) | Poole Town | 8 August (Sat) |
| First away | Wimborne | 11 August (Tue) |
| Boxing Day | Gosport (home) | 26 December |
| Final league game (home) | Yate Town | 17 April (Sat) |
One early run that stands out is the Wimborne–Evesham sequence in August: the fixtures present the longest midweek travel of the season for the club and had been a particular concern when the FA moved Chichester from the Isthmian to the Southern League.
- Home fixtures open and close the Premier South season for City.
- Most longer journeys are scheduled at weekends, limiting midweek travel.
- Bank holiday fixtures include a likely sizeable crowd: away to Hanwell (Saturday) then home to Havant (Monday).
The Christmas and Easter schedule features a few notable dates: the team host Gosport on Boxing Day, then travel to Havant on Saturday 2 January. Later in the campaign, Good Friday brings a home meeting with Wimborne, and on Easter Monday City cross the Sussex–Hampshire boundary to visit Gosport again.
January and February trips to the likes of Plymouth Parkway and Bath City are scheduled on Saturdays, which should ease midweek fixture congestion and travel strain for players and supporters alike. The season closes earlier than usual, with Chichester’s final Premier South tie at home to Yate Town on 17 April.
This campaign will be City’s third season playing at step three after their promotion from the Isthmian South East to the Premier Division in 2024. So far at that level they have acquitted themselves well, and a fixture list that avoids excessive midweek long-distance trips will be welcomed by the club, volunteers and travelling fans who face increased costs when long midweek journeys arise.
Supporters planning trips should note the highlighted weekend scheduling for the longest journeys; the club will publish ticket and travel information in due course on its official channels.
