WALES on August 9!

No, it isn't my holiday plans! It's where Bury will begin their quest to return to Division Two with a tough away trip to Swansea.

Who knows? The last game of the Shakers' season could yet be in Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, should they reach the play-offs.

Although Bury have the edge with 29 league wins to Swansea's 24, they have failed to win at Vetch Field in 13 years.

Manager Andy Preece believes his side will be in for a tough test: "It's a hard opening for us and Swansea will be buoyant from last season when they stayed up on the last day.

"It is one of the toughest fixtures we could get, but we have to play them sometime and the pressure will be on them as the expectations on them will have risen.

"We seem to start every season away from home, but it's good to have some big games early on in the season," he added.

Scunthorpe United are the first visitors to Gigg Lane on the second Saturday of the season, while the potentially crucial final game of the season is at home to local rivals Macclesfield Town.

The big derby games with Rochdale are, ominously, both on the 13th! Dale visit Gigg in December and play host in March.

Other big fixtures to circle are the Huddersfield home game on September 6 and the trip to the magnificent McAlpine Stadium on December 28. Newly promoted Doncaster visit on September 27.

The early season home games with Huddersfield and Doncaster whet the appetite of the Bury player-manager: "The Huddersfield and Doncaster games will be good to play at the start of the year and, hopefully, we will get some big crowds," Preece said.

For those wanting a few extra beers on Christmas Day, they will have that bit extra time to recover as Carlisle come to town on Boxing Day.

New Year's Day will be football free this year due to it being on the Thursday and FA Cup Saturday being just two days later.

Meanwhile, Bolton Wanderers face a tricky opening day test at Old Trafford against Manchester United, with Manchester City facing Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

AUGUST

9 Swansea ... (A)

16 Scunthorpe...(H)

23 Kidderminster...(A)

25 Lincoln City...(H)

30 Southend...(A)

SEPTEMBER

6 Huddersfield...(H)

13 Cheltenham...(H)

16 Mansfield...(A)

20 Boston Utd...(A)

27 Doncaster...(H)

30 York...(H)

OCTOBER

4 Torquay...(A)

11 Cambridge Utd...(A)

18 Oxford Utd...(H)

21 Hull...(H)

25 Darlington...(A)

NOVEMBER

1 Yeovil...(H)

15 Bristol Rovers...(A)

22 Northampton...(H)

29 Macclesfield...(A)

DECEMBER

13 Rochdale...(H)

20 Leyton Orient...(A)

26 Carlisle...(H)

28 Huddersfield...(A)

JANUARY

3 Lincoln City...(A)

10 Swansea...(H)

17 Scunthorpe...(A)

24 Kidderminster...(H)

31 Southend...(H)

FEBRUARY

7 Carlisle...(A)

14 Cambridge Utd...(H)

21 Oxford Utd...(A)

28 Darlington...(H)

MARCH

2 Hull...(A)

6 Leyton Orient...(H)

13 Rochdale...(A)

16 Mansfield...(H)

20 Cheltenham...(A)

27 Boston Utd...(H)

APRIL

3 Doncaster...(A)

10 Torquay...(H)

12 York...(A)

17 Yeovil...(A)

24 Bristol Rovers...(H)

MAY

1 Northampton...(A)

8 Macclesfield...(H)