Hitchin Town have been drawn at home to St Albans City in the first round of the Herts Charity Cup. This is their first meeting with the Saints since the 2003-04 season and the cup game will be played on Tuesday, July 29, at Top Field. The Canaries pre-se

Hitchin Town have been drawn at home to St Albans City in the first round of the Herts Charity Cup.

This is their first meeting with the Saints since the 2003-04 season and the cup game will be played on Tuesday, July 29, at Top Field.

The Canaries pre-season programme so far is:

Thursday July 24: Barton Rovers (away) 7.45pm.

Tuesday July 29: Herts Charity Cup round one St Albans (home) 7.45pm.

Saturday, August 2: Wroxham (away) 3pm.

Tuesday, August 5: Harlow Town (home) 7.45pm.

Saturday, August 9: Raunds (away) 3pm.

The Canaries will have their sat navs and road maps out for another season.

Despite attempts to move into the Ryman (Isthmian) League, the Canaries have been placed in the Southern League Premier for next season.

The Canaries, in a bid to cut down on excessive travelling and to trim expenses, made clear they wanted to move back to the Isthmian, their home for more than 40 years, but it was to no avail.

There are three new league opponents for Hitchin next season - Dorchester, Stourbridge and Weston-Super-Mare. Of these clubs, the Canaries have met the latter in the FA Trophy.

Other changes to the fixture list include Evesham, Farnborough and Oxford City.

The full line-up is: Banbury United, Bashley, Brackley Town, Chippenham Town, Clevedon Town, Corby Town, Dorchester Town, Evesham United, Farnborough, Gloucester City, Halesowen Town, Hemel Hempstead, Hitchin Town, Mangotsfield United, Merthyr Tydfil, Oxford City, Rugby Town, Stourbridge, Swindon Supermarine, Tiverton Town, Weston-Super-Mare, and Yate Town

It will be Hitchin's fifth consecutive season in the Southern Premier.

The club can expect to travel almost 4,500 miles during the course of the campaign, more than double the anticipated mileage in the Isthmian.