BRENDON King was far from surprised when he heard his Terras had been paired with Kettering Town on the opening day of the new season.

The 2012/13 Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division fixtures were finally released yesterday morning and first on the agenda for Weymouth is a home clash with the Poppies on August 18.

The Bob Lucas Stadium encounter is sure to be hotly anticipated with the visitors having recently swooped for striker Warren Byerley, who captained the Terras last term and scored 25 goals in 51 appearances.

The other major link between the two sides is controversial figure George Rolls, who sold his family’s majority shareholding at Weymouth in order to complete a takeover of crisis-club Kettering.

However, four months on and the Cambridge-based businessman is now serving a five-year ban from all football activity after committing more than 3,000 breaches of FA rules relating to betting.

Given the recent events, Weymouth’s manager admits he half expected to be facing the Northamptonshire outfit in next month’s curtain-raiser.

He said: “We are at home, which is what you want for the first game of the season, but it is rather interesting.

“Obviously with them being full-time it will be tough for us, but if I was a betting man I would have put a couple of quid on us getting them on the opening day.

“I was half expecting it but whatever happens, it’s going to be tough.

“It’s important we get off to a good start, especially as we have got a couple of away games straight after, which will be difficult.

“Chippenham have made some good signings while St Neots have just been promoted. They’ve got a big budget and a new manager in place.

“We’ll just take it one game at a time.”

The festive period sees Weymouth entertain Bashley on Boxing Day and St Neots Town three days later, before a trip to Bideford on New Year’s Day.

The campaign ends on April 27 at Arlesey Town.

AUGUST

Sat 18  Kettering Town (h) 

Tue 21  Chippenham Town (a) 

Sat 25  St Neots Town (a)

Mon 27  Bideford (h) 

SEPTEMBER

Sat 01  Redditch United (a)

Tue 04  AFC Totton (h)

Sat 15  Hemel Hempstead Town (h) 

Wed 19  Frome Town (a)

OCTOBER

Sat 06  Bedworth United (a) 

Tue 09  Gosport Borough (h) 

Sat 13  Banbury United (a) 

Sat 20  Hitchin Town (h) 

Sat 27  Chesham United (a)

NOVEMBER

Sat 03  Stourbridge (h) 

Sat 10  St Albans City (a) 

Sat 17  Cambridge City (h) 

Sat 24  Leamington (h)

DECEMBER 

Sat 01  Bedford Town (a)

Sat 08  Arlesey Town (h) 

Sat 15  Barwell (a) 

Sat 22  Kettering Town (a) 

Wed 26  Bashley (h)

Sat 29  St Neots Town (h)

JANUARY

Tue 01  Bideford (a) 

Sat 05  Chippenham Town (h) 

Sat 12  AFC Totton (a) 

Sat 19  Frome Town (h) 

Sat 26  Hemel Hempstead Town  (a)

FEBRUARY

Sat 02  Gosport Borough  (a) 

Sat 09  Bedworth United  (h)

Sat 16  Cambridge City (a) 

Sat 23  St Albans City  (h)

MARCH

Sat 02  Hitchin Town   (a)

Sat 09  Banbury United (h) 

Sat 16  Stourbridge (a) 

Sat 23  Chesham United  (h)

Sat 30  Redditch United  (h)

APRIL

Mon 01  Bashley  (a)

Sat 06  Bedford Town (h) 

Sat 13  Leamington  (a)

Sat 20  Barwell   (h)

Sat 27  Arlesey Town (a)