CHIPPENHAM Town now know all 23 opponents for the 2023-24 season after a recent announcement by the National League confirming the statuses of all its teams.
The non-league step two and three play-offs have only just been completed, while relegation and automatic promotion places were confirmed around a fortnight ago.
The Bluebirds will once again play in National League South following a remarkable second half of the season in which Gary Horgan led the team on a 15-match unbeaten run.
Horgan’s men suffered a difficult first half of the campaign but recovered magnificently to record a 13th-place finish in the end.
The season also featured a memorable FA Cup run where Chippenham knocked League One Lincoln City out in the first round thanks to a brilliant Joe Hanks backheel.
Although their FA Cup journey came to an end in the second round away to third-tier Burton Albion, the club were immensely proud of the team’s efforts throughout the year.
Chippenham’s seventh campaign at the level will feature high-profile fixtures against Maidstone United, Yeovil Town, and Torquay United following their relegation from the National League.
Meanwhile, local rivals Bath City make up the only derby of the season due to Hungerford Town’s relegation into Southern League Premier Division South.
Cheshunt and Concord Rangers have dropped into the Isthmian League courtesy of poor campaigns, while Dulwich Hamlet will also join them after Chippenham secured a 1-0 victory at Champion Hill on the final day to condemn Dulwich to relegation on goal difference.
Ebbsfleet United won the National League South title to make a long-awaited return to step five of English football, and Oxford City powered their way through the play-offs to secure an inaugural berth at the same level courtesy of their 2-0 win over Worthing in the semi-final and a 4-0 hammering of St Albans City in the final.
Newly-promoted Aveley won their place in National League South for the first time in the club’s history courtesy of play-off final success away to Hornchurch earlier this month.
Elsewhere, Southern League Premier Division South winners Weston-super-Mare were later joined by Truro City after the Cornish side beat Bracknell Town 3-2 in Berkshire.
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH FULL LINE-UP
Aveley, Bath City, Braintree Town, Chelmsford City, CHIPPENHAM TOWN, Dartford, Dover Athletic, Eastbourne Borough, Farnborough, Hampton and Richmond Borough, Havant and Waterlooville, Hemel Hempstead Town, Maidstone United, Slough Town, St Albans City, Taunton Town, Tonbridge Angels, Torquay United, Truro City, Welling United, Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth, Worthing, Yeovil Town.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here