Isthmian League fixtures: Stowmarket Town get home start along with AFC Sudbury and Felixstowe & Walton United

russell.claydon@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Published: 21:08, 14 July 2021

| Updated: 21:57, 14 July 2021

Stowmarket Town will play their first ever game at Step 4 in front of their home fans at Greens Meadow, but Bury Town are among the sides to have to travel on the opening day of the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division.

The 2020/21 fixtures were released in full to clubs this evening and reveal Paul Musgrove's newly-promoted side will kick off at home to Canvey Island on Saturday, August 14.

Recently-appointed AFC Sudbury managers Rick Andrews and Angelo Harrop will host Aveley in their first competitive match on the club's 3G pitch at The MEL Group Stadium.

Stowmarket Town are set to be at their Greens Meadow ground for their first ever game at Step 4 Picture: Mecha Morton

For Felixstowe & Walton United it will also be home comforts on the opening weekend with Basildon United visiting.

But Ben Chenery's Bury side will have to travel into Essex to face Grays Athletic (all 3pm).

The full fixtures will not appear on the Isthmian League's website until tomorrow morning but a selected list of highlighted dates across the divisions reveals the first local derby between Stowmarket and Bury will be at Greens Meadow on Monday, August 30.

New AFC Sudbury joint managers Rick Andrews (left) and Angelo Harrop (right) pictured alongside chairman Andrew Long, have been handed a home start to 2021/22 Picture: Steve Screech (AFC Sudbury)

The return at The Denny Bros Ram Meadow Stadium is set to also be on a bank holiday, on Monday, December 27.

With both sets of supporters having complained about not facing each other over the festive period in recent seasons, AFC Sudbury and Bury Town will meet on New Year's Day (January 1) at The MEL Group Stadium to kick off 2022.

The return leg of the A134 derby will take place on Easter Monday (April 18).

The first east versus west Suffolk match-up between Bury and Felixstowe will see Stuart Boardley's side head to Ram Meadow on Monday, January 3 before the coastal return of the fixture on Saturday, April 16.

The season is set to conclude a week later, on Saturday, April 23 with AFC Sudbury hosting Basildon United, Felixstowe & Walton United welcoming Coggeshall Town, Bury Town travelling to Heybridge Swifts and Stowmarket Town at home to Brentwood Town.

Meanwhile, Soham Town Rangers will begin life in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands Division away to Sutton Coldfield Town on Saturday, August 14 before hosting Stamford on Tuesday, August 17.

Robbie Mason's side will play Cambridge City away on August Bank Holiday Monday (August 30) and at home on New Years Day.

The Greens will travel to Wisbech Town on Monday, December 27 with the return fixture at Julius Martin Lane on Easter Monday (April 18).

Sohams' other local derby, against Histon, will be played at Bridge Road on Saturday, September 25 with the home return on Saturday, January 15.

The Easter Monday fixture against The Fenmen will be Soham's final home game of the season, before finishing the campaign away to Bedworth United on Saturday, April 23.