Wokingham Town FC will open its league account with a Friday night curtain-raiser on July 31st (7.45pm kick-off), making the trek to the outskirts of North London to face Hilltop. Launching the campaign under the lights at the Middlesex Stadium is a tough initial test, but manager Matt Eggleston will be eager to see his squad lay down an early marker and start the season on the front foot.
They won’t have any time to look back, as just four days later they travel the short distance to the Rivermoor in Tilehurst for a highly anticipated Tuesday night “RG Clásico” against local rivals Reading City.
Navigating two consecutive away days to start the campaign will immediately test the team’s grit and early-season fitness.
Before the squad can even settle into a league rhythm at Lowther Road, they face a massive weekend knockout test.
On the weekend of Saturday, August 8th, the magic of the FA Cup comes to town as Wokingham hosts Hellenic League side Corsham Town in the extra preliminary round, although the exact time and data will be confirmed shortly due to the club sharing its home facility with cricket.
Progression here is vital, not just for club morale, but for the financial boost the early rounds provide to grassroots clubs, with a trip to Hungerford Town awaiting for the winners.
Exactly a week later, the squad hits the road again to face Sandhurst Town in the Isuzu FA Vase First qualifying round.
Balancing these two cup ties around a physical home league fixture against Bedfont will require Eggleston to use every inch of his squad depth.
If Wokingham Town can survive the chaotic stretch of early August, they will look to string together league points against Holyport and North Greenford United to close out the month.
September begins with a trio of tricky fixtures. An away day to newly-promoted Amersham Town will test the team’s road resilience, before returning to Lowther Road to host Oxfordshire outfit Easington Sports.
By the time the final whistle blows at Easington Sports on September 5, we will have a very clear picture of whether this season’s Wokingham Town squad has the stamina to mount a serious push up the table, or if they will be battling in the mid-table trenches once again.
