Manager Paul Doswell is delighted to welcome Rovers, who regained their Football League status at the first attempt after winning last month's Vanarama promotion final against Grimsby at Wembley, as a prelude to the official pitch opening the following Tuesday against a Crystal Palace XI.
''We are delighted that Rovers have agreed to play us'', he said, ''and after their Wembley triumph and well-deserved promotion we look forward to playing them on our fantastic new surface. It will be our first taste of playing on it and will set us up nicely for the grand opening against Crystal Palace on the Tuesday, which promises to be a special evening. The whole squad will be used at Winchester and against Bristol Rovers over that weekend, and with Palace on Tuesday, training on Thursday and flying to Jersey on the Friday we have a really busy week ahead, but one which we are all looking forward to.''