PRESTON North End kick-off the new season in division two with a tough away game against Notts County on August 17 - and that's followed three days later with another away match against Wigan in the Coca Cola Cup. Fans will have to wait until August 24 for North End's first home game - another toughie against Bristol Rovers. But the big needle-match -against Blackpool- doesn't take place until December.

Preston North End fixtures for 96-97

AUG

17 Notts County

20 Wigan Athletic (CCC)

24 Bristol Rovers (h)

27 Crewe Alex (h)

31 Plymouth Argyle

SEPT

3 Wigan Athletic (CCC) (h)

7 Bristol City

10 York City (h)

14 AFC Bournemouth (h)

21 Wrexham

28 Millwall (h)

OCT

1 Watford

5 Peterborough United (h)

12 Stockport County

15 Walsall

19 Shrewsbury Town (h)

26 Gillingham

29 Burnley (h)

NOV

2 Rotherham United (h)

9 Chesterfield

19 Luton Town (h)

23 Wycombe Wanderers

30 Gillingham (h)

DEC

3 Bury

13 Blackpool (h)

21 Brentford

26 York City

28 Bristol City (h)

JAN/97

1 Wrexham (h)

4 AFC Bournemouth

11 Millwall

18 Watford (h)

25 Burnley

FEB

1 Chesterfield (h)

8 Rotherham United

15 Wycombe Wanderers (h)

22 Luton Town

MAR

1 Bury (h)

8 Brentford (h)

15 Blackpool

23 Bristol Rovers

29 Notts County (h)

31 Crewe Alex

APRIL

5 Plymouth Argyle (h)

12 Peterborough United

19 Stockport County

26 Shrewsbury Town

MAY

3 Walsall (h)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.