FOUR of Evesham United's opening half-a-dozen Southern League Division One Midlands fixtures will take place away from the club's temporary home at Worcester, writes Mervyn Collins.

The Robins start the new campaign with a visit to Rothwell Town on Saturday, August 19 followed by successive matches at St George's Lane against Sutton Coldfield and Berkhamsted Town on Tuesday, August 22 and Saturday, August 26 respectively.

Paul West's side were scheduled to play home midweek matches on Wednesday nights but that was changed at the last minute due to a a clash with a skittles night at Worcester.

There will be a swift chance for West's new-look squad and No 2 Neil Hunt to put one over on former employers Malvern Town when the two sides lock horns on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28 - one of three successive matches on the road for United.

In fact there only league fixture at Worcester is scheduled for Saturday, September 30 when Dunstable Town are the visitors. However, that game could be changed should Evesham progress in the FA Cup - a competition that starts at St George's on Saturday, September 2.

October has thrown up consecutive midweek matches at Aylesbury and Chasetown, either side of a home date with Solihull Borough on October 11.

And, the Robins will have completed their season's fixtures against Rothwell, Malvern, Spalding, Bromsgrove, Sutton and Solihull before the turn of the year.

A local derby at Bishops Cleeve gets 2007 under way on January 1 after festive fixtures at home to Malvern on Boxing Day and Stourport Swifts on Saturday, December 30.

Newly promoted Cleeve will play host to the Robins on Easter Monday after an Easter Saturday visit to Worcester for Swifts.

There was an inauspicious start to United's pre-season campaign when the Robins crashed to a 5-3 defeat at Alvechurch on Tuesday.

The visitors conceded two goals in the opening five minutes but goals from Mark Owen and Nathan Jukes had levelled matters midway through the half.

More sloppy defending gifted Alvechurch a third on the half-hour mark and the hosts wrapped up the win with a penalty 16 minutes from time.

Owen responded in kind nine minutes later but another dubious call from a referee's assistant saw Alvechurch net a fifth four minutes from time.

Owen, Mark Shepherd and Richard Ball all had efforts disallowed on a night that will give the Common Road management team plenty to think about.

Littleton are the visitors to Evesham tonight (7.45) when former crowd favo-urite Mark Wolsey is expected to pull on a United shirt again.

Worcester City visit Common Road on Saturday and it's Stratford Town at Studley next Thursday night (7.30).

AUGUST

Saturday, 19 Rothwell Town...........a

TUES, 22 SUTTON COLD...........H

SAT, 26 BERKHAMSTED...........H

Monday, 28 Malvern Town.............a

SEPTEMBER

SAT, 2 FAC PREL QUAL RD......H

Sat, 9 Willenhall Town...................a

Sat, 16 FAC 1st qual rd...................a

Sat, 23Rushall Olympic..................a

SAT, 30 DUNSTABLE.................H

OCTOBER

Mon, 2 Aylesbury Utd.....................a

TUES 10 SOLIHULL....................H

SAT, 14 SPALDING.....................H

Tues, 17 Chasetown........................a

SAT, 21 FAT 1st QUAL RD.........H

Sat, 28 Bromsgrove.........................a

NOVEMBER

SAT, 11 ROTHWELL ..................H

TUES, 15 BEDWORTH................H

Sat, 18 Spalding..............................a

Sat, 25 Solihull................................a

TUES, 28 CINDERFORD ...........H

DECEMBER

SAT, 2 BRACKLEY......................H

Sat, 9 Sutton Coldfield....................a

TUES, 12 BROMSGROVE...........H

Sat, 23 Stourbridge..........................a

TUES, 26 MALVERN ..................H

SAT 30 STOURPORT...................H

JANUARY

Mon, 1 Bishops Cleeve...................a

SAT, 6 WILLENHALL.................H

Sat, 13 Dunstable............................a

Sat, 20 Berkhamsted.......................a

SAT, 27 WOODFORD..................H

FEBRUARY

Sat, 3Leighton.................................a

SAT, 10 BARTON ........................H

Sat, 17 Bedworth.............................a

SAT, 24 AYLESBURY.................H

MARCH

SAT, 3 STOURBRIDGE...............H

Sat, 10 Brackley..............................a

SAT, 17 CHASETOWN................H

Sat, 24Cinderford............................a

SAT, 31 RUSHALL OLYMPIC....H

APRIL

Sat, 7 Stourport................................a

MON, 9 BISHOPS CLEEVE.........H

Sat, 14 Woodford............................a

Sat, 21 Barton..................................a

SAT, 28 LEIGHTON.....................H