So, just three days until the big kick-off (COVID permitting) and we can all get back to worrying about what happens for 90 minutes on that patch of grass at the Walks and (temporarily) forget about everything else at the club and maybe the world in general.

In the absence of any news coming out of the club, we have to assume Culverhouse will be limited to the squad he has had during pre-season plus the recent addition of Rowley from Chesterfield.  Not sure where we are on the injury front after Alfreton but assuming everyone (bar Jones) is fit do we think he will go for 3 or 4 at the back and how many of Dilly's nipsters should he pick?

Personally I would go for:
                Jones
   McFadden, Fernandez, Bird
Barrows, Coleman, Sundire, Denton
                  King
         Omotayo, Morias

leaving a bench of Fleming, Bowry, Clunan, Rowley, Gyasi

To be fair, I have no idea as to which two from three of the new centre halves are better / are more likely to form a partnership and we do still look short of a forward on the bench.  My main hope for the season is that we can somehow get back to playing some of the football that IC encouraged at steps 3 and 2 but we got so far away from last season due to a mix of not replacing  players who couldn't handle the step up and recruiting players who didn't fit that pattern, hopefully the off season will have gone some way to addressing both issues but the squad does look paper thin

So, opening day at home to Southend should put a smile on SC's face as you would expect them to bring a fair few to the Walks, as you would for Chesterfield on Bank Holiday Monday.  Christmas looks tough - home to Notts County then away to Grimsby and Chesterfield but have to play everyone during the season so a couple of attractive games for the travelling contingent to look forward to if away fans are still allowed then.

Full fixtures here https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/match-info/fixtures/24083311/2021-08

Thankfully the 2020-21 season has now history and we can all now look forward and whilst we still can't say for certain what capacities, regulations etc will be in place for 2021-22, the chances are it will look more like pre-pandemic football as we knew it.

Whilst the pandemic seems to have galvanised some fanbases, that doesn't appear to be the case at the Walks, streaming numbers were low (even before furloughing the bulk of the squad), the FotL seem to have hibernated and the B&G Trust paid over the GDF funds but have still been pretty quiet (albeit they did at least publish their accounts in lieu of a full AGM).  Hopefully with restrictions easing both supporter organisations will hold their delayed AGMs well before the start of the new season and either individually or collectively come forward with ideas as to how the fans can be more engaged with the club and give a route for those fans that are willing to help support the club financially.

So, aside from the attendance - which I think will be small reflecting the lack of anything riding on the game and still concerns over COVID - what are we expecting from tonight?  Note on the front page saying McAuley is back available after suspension so will IC revert to a back three that he started with on Saturday or go with another forward from the start given we are at home with fans in?

My team (and can't see this being the starting eleven):
                    Richardson (sorry for my typo gs)
   Fleming, Barrows, McAuley/McFaddon
Howard, Clunan, Payne/Babos, Denton
                     Carey
              Gash, Jackson

With it being not much more than a pre-season game the disappointing thing is that there are probably very few of the squad playing for their place as I expect most to be moving on with the exception of McFadden (if fit tonight), possibly Clunan and maybe Jackson has done enough to warrant a place next year?  Could also make a case for Denton and/or Barrows but will travelling distance mean there are other closer / cheaper options of a similar ability?

Alfie Payne has moved to Lowestoft during the lockdown https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-alfie-payne-signs-lowestoft-6499858

Never thought we quite got the best out of him, maybe he didn't have the physical stature required to replace Jarvis but certainly had the footballing nous to fill that role (outstanding in the York home game when he came off the bench and just made us tick all day).  Wish him all the best and think if they play him deeper than we did can see him opening up defences for Hawkins and others to get a hatfull.