LEIGH RMI manager Phil Starbuck will have the perfect opportunity to hand trials to new players ahead of the new season with the club planning an amazing FOURTEEN friendlies.

Three games a week will be the norm in the lead-up to the new campaign, with warm-up action kicking off at Chadderton on July 10.

Wigan Athletic (21 July), Everton (28 July) and Manchester City (31 July) are the biggest names to be welcomed to Hilton Park as the Railwaymen look for revenue-boosting games to boost the coffers.

But Starbuck will also be taking his players to lower-league opposition, including Atherton Collieries, as he looks for the perfect playing formula to take into the new season.

The Conference campaign will start a week later than the Coca-Cola Football League, and when it does so, Leigh will play host to newly promoted Crawley Town on the opening day, August 14.

It's only the second time in five years that Leigh have avoided Dagenham and Redbridge in the curtain raiser, although the East Londers visit Hilton Park

for what could be a crucial tie on the final day of the season. The Christmas and New Year double header pits Starbuck's men against Northwich Victoria, who like RMI, scraped into the division on a technicality after being relegated. In between though, lies a daunting trip to league favourites Hereford United.

Pre-season schedule: Chadderton (A, Jul 10), Kidsgrove Ath (A, Jul 15), Ashton United (A, Jul 17), Wigan Ath (H, Jul 21), Warrington T (A, Jul 22), Blackpool B (H, Jul 24), Colwyn Bay (A, Jul 27), Everton (H, Jul 28), Atherton Collieries (A, Jul 29), Manchester City (H, Jul 31), Didsbury West (A, Aug 1), Flixton (A, Aug 4), Newcastle Town (A, Aug 7), Daten (A, Aug 10).

CONFERENCE FIXTURES

August

14 CRAWLEY TOWN...H

17 Burton Albion...A

21 Woking...A

28 HALIFAX TOWN...H

30 Morecambe...A

September

4 FOREST GREEN ROVERS...H

11 ALDERSHOT TOWN...H

18 Accrington Stanley...A

21 York City...A

25 HEREFORD UNITED...H

October

2 Gravesend & Northfleet...A

5 CARLISLE UNITED...H

9 STEVENAGE BOROUGH...H

16 Dagenham & Redbridge...A

23 Canvey Island...A

November

6 TAMWORTH...H

20 Exeter City...A

27 FARNBOROUGH TOWN...H

December

4 Barnet...A

7 SCARBOROUGH...H

11 ACCRINGTON STANLEY...H

18 Aldershot Town...A

26 NORTHWICH VICTORIA...H

28 Hereford United...A

January

1 Northwich Victoria...A

8 GRAVESEND & NORTHFLEET...H

22 Carlisle United...A

29 YORK CITY...H

February

5 CANVEY ISLAND...H

12 Tamworth...A

19 EXETER CITY...H

26 Farnborough Town...A

March

5 BARNET...H

12 Scarborough...A

19 BURTON ALBION...H

25 Crawley Town...A

28 MORECAMBE...H

April

2 Halifax Town...A

9 WOKING...H

16 Forest Green Rovers...A

23 Stevenage Borough...A

30 DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE...H