Gladiators Pitching In NPL Fixtures released and revealed!
Matlock Town face familiar first day opponents when the new NPL season gets under way on Saturday August 12.
Bamber Bridge, who they faced in both 2019/20 and 2020/21 are due at the Proctor Cars Stadium and it represents a tough beginning for the Gladiators as Bamber Bridge finished in third spot last term and were beaten play off finalists.
Matlock’s first away trip is a mouth watering one to Robbie Savage’s Macclesfield on Tuesday 15 August, the Silkmen having been promoted as Western Division champions in April.The return against Macclesfield is likely to attract a 2000 crowd on Saturday 9 December. Then Matlock get one of their longest trips out of the way when they go to Morpeth Town on Saturday 19 August. In all six matches will be played in August with home games against Atherton Colleries and Marine to follow plus a short trip to Stafford Rangers on August Bank Holiday Monday.
The return game with Rangers will be on New Years Day and the festive programmme commences on Saturday 23 December with a home fixture with Morpeth Town and on Boxing Day the Gladiators are at Ilkeston Town with the return at the Proctor Cars Stadium on Easter Monday, 2 April.
Other notable games include those with newly promoted Worksop Town with Matlock travelling to Sandy Lane on Tuesday 26 September with the Tigers making the return journey on Saturday 17 February. The always popular trip to Whitby Town is on Saturday 21 October while the longest away trip, to Workington, back in the top tier after an absence of five years, is on Saturday 24 February.
The season ends with a home clash with Bradford (Park Avenue) on Saturday 27 April.
FIXTURES IN FULL
AUGUST
Sat 12 BAMBER BRIDGE (H)
Tue 15 Macclesfield (A)
Sat 19 Morpeth Town (A)
Tue 22 ATHERTON COLLERIES (H)
Sat 26 MARINE (H)
Mon 28 Stafford Rangers (A)
SEPTEMBER
Sat 2 F A CUP 1q
Sat 9 MARSKE UNITED (H)
Sat 16 Gainsborough Trinity (A)
Sat 23 WARRINGTON RYLANDS (H)
Tue 26 Worksop Town (A)
Sat 30 Ashton United (A)
OCTOBER
Sat 7 FA TROPHY 3q
Sat 14 WORKINGTON (H)
Sat 21 Whitby Town (A)
Tue 24 BASFORD UNITED (H)
Sat 28 Guiseley (A)
NOVEMBER
Sat 4 RADCLIFFE (H)
Sat 11 Bradford (Park Avenue) (A)
Sat 18 HYDE UNITED (H)
Sat 25 F C United of Manchester (A)
DECEMBER
Sat 2 LANCASTER CITY (H)
Sat 9 MACCLESFIELD (H)
Sat 16 Bamber Bridge (A)
Sat 23 MORPETH TOWN (H)
Tue 26 Ilkeston Town (A)
JANUARY
Mon 1 STAFFORD RANGERS (H)
Sat 6 Atherton Colleries (A)
Sat 13 Marske United (A)
Sat 20 GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (H)
Sat 27 FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER (H)
FEBRUARY
Sat 3 Lancaster City (A)
Sat 10 Warrington Rylands (A)
Sat 17 WORKSOP TOWN (H)
Sat 24 Workington (A)
MARCH
Sat 2 ASHTON UNITED (H)
Sat 9 Free
Sat 16 Basford United (A)
Sat 23 WHITBY TOWN (H)
Sat 30 Marine (A)
APRIL
Mon 1 ILKESTON TOWN (H)
Sat 6 Radcliffe (A)
Sat 13 GUISELEY (H)
Sat 20 Hyde United (A)
Sat 27 BRADFORD (PARK AVENUE) (H)
Ian Richardson