*BS*THE RYMAN LEAGUE fixtures were published this week and had Dover Athletic supporters agog with anticipation.*BF*

Like all Whites fans, Whites chairman Jim Parmenter cannot wait for the new season to start, after the club’s promotion to the Premier Division.

Whites now know in just over a month they will kick off their campaign at home to Harrow Borough (August 16).

Andy Hessenthaler’s side go in at the deep end with a crowd-pulling trip to Dartford the following Tuesday – a game that carries all kinds of resonances.

Not least that Hess made his name with Darts in the early 90s when they enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Dover – a rivalry that is now more intense than ever.

Whites follow up the Darts clash with a visit to highly-fancied Hornchurch. Next up is a big Bank Holiday Kent derby at home to Margate on August 25.

Jim said: “I’m looking forward to the season. There’s going to be some great football. There are some good sides in the league, some strong sides.”

He has been checking the schedule and stated: “It’s been very kind to us. It’s nice to have a home game first game of the season. And at last we’ve got a Christmas home game.”

For the past two years Whites had to travel on the opening day – and missed out on a money-spinning Christmas home gate. But Hess’ men are at home to Maidstone United on Saturday, December 27 – there is no fixture on Boxing Day itself.

*Lpic2*Jim was characteristically bullish about the tough-looking start and when I put it to him that the trip to Princes Park was a huge game, said: “They’re all huge games. When we play them is irrelevant, really. We’ve got to be beating these teams if we’ve got any ambition to win the league. We’ve got to play these sides at some point.”

Other standout games are the return against Dartford (December 13), and further Kent derbies against Ramsgate (September 23) and Tonbridge (November 29).

The final fixture is meanwhile heavy with irony, with Whites heading to Tonbridge on Saturday, April 25. They need no reminding of how they met their nemesis at Longmead in 2005 and 2006, first to be relegated and then to suffer play-off final defeat.

What a sweet day it would be if Whites’ fans left with better memories this time.

Below is the full list of Whites’ Ryman Premier fixtures:

Saturday, 16th August
Harrow Borough (Home)

Tuesday, 19th August
Dartford (Away)

Saturday, 23rd August
AFC Hornchurch (Away)

Monday, 25th August
Margate (Home)

Saturday, 30th August
Boreham Wood (Away)

Tuesday, 2nd September
Horsham (Home)

Saturday, 6th September
Ashford Middlesex (Home)

Tuesday, 9th September
Hendon (Away)

Saturday, 20th September
Hastings United (Away)

Tuesday, 23rd September
Ramsgate (Home)

Saturday, 4th October
Carshalton Athletic (Away)

Saturday, 11th October
Harlow Town (Home)

Tuesday, 14th October
Tooting & Mitcham (Home)

Saturday, 25th October
Canvey Island (Away)

Tuesday, 28th October
Billericay Town (Home)

Saturday, 8th November
Staines Town (Away)

Saturday, 15th November
Heybridge Swifts (Home)

Tuesday, 18th November
Sutton United (Away)

Saturday, 22nd November
Wealdstone (Away)

Saturday, 29th November
Tonbridge Angels (Home)

Saturday, 6th December
Harrow Borough (Away)

Saturday, 13th December
Dartford (Home)

Saturday, 20th December
Horsham (Away)

Saturday, 27th December
Maidstone United (Home)

Saturday, 3rd January
Margate (Away)

Saturday, 10th January
AFC Hornchurch (Home)

Saturday, 17th January
Ashford Middlesex (Away)

Saturday, 24th January
Hastings United (Home)

Saturday, 31st January
Ramsgate (Away)

Saturday, 7th February
Hendon (Home)

Saturday, 14th February
Carshalton Athletic (Home)

Saturday, 21st February
Harlow Town (Away)

Saturday, 28th February
Canvey Island (Home)

Saturday, 7th March
Tooting & Mitcham (Away)

Saturday, 14th March
Staines Town (Home)

Saturday, 21st March
Billericay Town (Away)

Saturday, 28th March
Sutton United (Home)

Saturday, 4th April
Heybridge Swifts (Away)

Saturday, 11th April
Boreham Wood (Home)

Tuesday, 14th April
Maidstone United (Away)

Saturday, 18th April
Wealdstone (Home)

Saturday, 25th April
Tonbridge Angels (Away)