County start League Two season with shortest trip - and Flynn reunion

NEWPORT County AFC will start the League Two season with the short trip to Cheltenham Town - and a reunion with some club greats.

The Exiles new head coach will start their reign with a duel against former boss Michael Flynn at Whaddon Road on Saturday, August 10.

Flynn was appointed by the Robins this summer after their relegation from League One and he promptly signed up County stalwart Scot Bennett after he failed to agree a fresh deal at Rodney Parade.

The Exiles won 2-0 at Cheltenham last season in the EFL Trophy thanks to goals by Nathan Wood and Will Evans.

The last time that they visited in the league was behind closed doors in the Covid pandemic when County goalkeeper Tom King set a world record by scoring from a goal kick in a 1-1 draw.

After a Carabao Cup tie, County's first home fixture of the campaign will be against Doncaster on Saturday, August 17, followed by another Rodney Parade fixture versus Accrington Stanley.

County have drawn the short straw on Boxing Day - with the Dragons at home to Cardiff they travel to League Two new boys Bromley.

The Exiles finish the regular season with a home encounter with Tranmere on Saturday, May 3.

Three fixtures are likely to move because of clashes with the Dragons, whose United Rugby Championship schedule has been done in conjunction with broadcasters.

Chesterfield on October 19 (Benetton), Swindon on January 25 (Munster), Bradford on February 15 (Glasgow) all clash with rugby games in Newport.

While the Exiles have primacy of tenure - an EFL requirement - it is likely that the football fixtures will shift.

The season will feature 36 weekend games, six midweek fixtures and four over bank holidays.

There is a new broadcast deal with Sky Sports that will see more EFL fixtures televised.

The broadcaster has pledged to announce their picks until the end of September in the next week and before the start of the season they will announce all matches up to the third round of the FA Cup in January.

Fixtures from that date to the first weekend of March will be revealed by November 1.

County's first home game is against Doncaster (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

COUNTY'S FIXTURES

AUGUST

Saturday 10: Cheltenham Town (A).

Saturday 17: Doncaster Rovers (H).

Saturday 24: Accrington Stanley (H).

Saturday 31: Morecambe (A).

SEPTEMBER

Saturday 7: Port Vale (H).

Saturday 14: Swindon Town (A).

Saturday 21: Barrow (A).

Saturday 28: Crewe Alexandra (H).

OCTOBER 

Tuesday 1: Salford City (H).

Saturday 5: Bradford City (A).

Saturday 12: Harrogate Town (A).

Saturday 19: Chesterfield (H).

Tuesday 22: Gillingham (A).

Saturday 26: Fleetwood Town (H).

NOVEMBER

Saturday 2: FA Cup, round one.

Saturday 9: Tranmere Rovers (A).

Saturday 16: Grimsby Town (H).

Saturday 23: Notts County (A).

Saturday 30: FA Cup, round two.

DECEMBER

Tuesday 3: AFC Wimbledon (A).

Saturday 7: Carlisle United (H).

Saturday 14: Colchester United (A).

Saturday 21: Milton Keynes Dons (H).

Thursday 26: Bromley (A).

Sunday 29: Walsall (A).

JANUARY

Wednesday 1: AFC Wimbledon (H).

Saturday 4: Morecambe (H).

Saturday 11: Accrington Stanley (A).

Saturday 18: Port Vale (A).

Saturday 25: Swindon Town (H).

Tuesday 28: Salford City (A).

FEBRUARY

Saturday 1: Barrow (H).

Saturday 8: Crewe Alexandra (A).

Saturday 15: Bradford City (H).

Saturday 22: Cheltenham Town (H).

MARCH

Saturday 1: Doncaster Rovers (A).

Tuesday 4: Gillingham (H).

Saturday 8: Chesterfield (A).

Saturday 15: Harrogate Town (H).

Saturday 22: Grimsby Town (A).

Saturday 29: Notts County  (H).

APRIL

Tuesday 1: Bromley (H).

Saturday 5: Carlisle United (A).

Saturday 12: Colchester United (H).

Friday 18: Milton Keynes Dons (A).

Monday 21: Walsall (H).

Saturday 26: Fleetwood Town (A).

MAY

Saturday 3: Tranmere Rovers (H).

(All dates subject to change)

Cup games

County will discover their opponents for round one of the Carabao Cup at 11.30am on Thursday.

In recent seasons they have upset Ipswich, Luton and Charlton in the first round of the competition.

In the afternoon (2.30pm) the Exiles will learn their final opponents in Group H of the EFL Trophy.

They will go up against Cheltenham, Reading and a Premier League academy team with Arsenal, Brighton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester, Tottenham and West Ham in the southern section.