Updated: Langlee Amateurs to begin defence of Border Amateur Football Association A division title on road at Langholm

An initial set of fixture lists for the association’s two divisions for next season is out now and it includes an opening-day trip to Langholm Legion for the champions.

Langlee won the corresponding game last season by 4-2 last September, one of a hat-trick of victories over Langholm as they also beat them by 9-0 in the reverse fixture in May and by 4-2 at home in February in a second-round Waddell Cup tie.

Next term starts on Saturday, August 10, and its five top-flight games also include a visit from Hawick Waverley for runners-up Duns Amateurs, champions in 2023 and 2022, as well as 1968, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999 and 2011.

The Dingers won the equivalent match-up last time round too, by 3-0 in September, but lost October’s reverse fixture by 2-1, though they did go on to beat Waverley 6-1 away last December in the South of Scotland Amateur Cup’s second round.

Two of the division’s newcomers – Eyemouth United Amateurs, last season’s B division champions, and Hawick United – are in action, at home to Earlston Rhymers and away to Chirnside United respectively, but the other side promoted, B division runners-up Highfields United, sit that weekend out, due to the table being reduced to an odd number of teams, 11, by Newtown’s removal, and won’t get back on the ball until they host Chirnside on Wednesday, August 14, with kick-off at 6.30pm.

August 10’s other opening-day A division game is a trip to Tweedmouth Amateurs for Greenlaw.

The second Saturday of August will also see seven B division fixtures played.

Three of the five newcomers to the table, now expanded to 14 teams by the addition of Berwick Town and return of Stow, with Lauder dropping out, begin next season on the road.

The Northumbrians are away to Ancrum and Biggar United and Tweeddale Rovers, both relegated from the A division, along with Hawick Legion, are at Stow and Gala Hotspur respectively.

Hawick Legion, like Stow, are at home, their visitors being Jed Legion.

That day’s other second-tier games see Coldstream Amateurs, Gala Fairydean Rovers Amateurs and Kelso Thistle respectively hosting Leithen Rovers, Selkirk Victoria and St Boswells.

All of August 10’s games kick off at 2pm.

The association’s current fixture list only goes up to the end of August, with further updates to follow at https://www.borderamateurfa.co.uk/

To reduce the current disparity in size between the two divisions, next season’s top three B division teams will be promoted, with the fourth-placed side earning a play-off offering a chance to join them in the top flight.

The association’s 25 teams continued their preparations for the upcoming season with further friendlies on

The association’s 25 teams continued their preparations for the upcoming season with further friendlies on Saturday, including a 4-1 win for Selkirk hosting Hawick Waverley and home defeats by 5-4 and 4-1 respectively for Stow against Leithen Rovers and Hawick Legion versus Aspatria.

Sandwiching those games were victories by 5-0 for Kelso at Coldstream against Berwick Town on Sunday and 4-1 at home to Eyemouth last Thursday and a 3-2 loss for Gala Hotspur at home to Tweeddale last Friday.