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Ashford Victoria have been drawn to play against Maidstone League side Mote Park Rangers in the second round of the Kent Junior Trophy. The fixture, to be played at Victoria's home ground at the Courtside Soccer Centre, will take place on Sunday 15th November, and the prize for the winners will be the chance to progress to the final qualifying round before the competition goes county-wide in the New Year.

Mote Park Rangers play in the Maidstone League Third Division, and are currently sitting in third place with a game in-hand on leaders White Horse and Lower Bell FC. Like Victoria, they have have won three of their five league fixtures this season including 9-1 and 7-1 victories over The Fisherman's Arms and Marden Minor Reserves respectively.

Rangers made it through to the second round of the Kent Junior Trophy after thrashing Maidstone Second Division side Invicta Sunday 5-0 in round one, a result that proved they are capable of scoring goals having netted 34 times in their eight fixtures this season.

Elsewhere in the draw, Ashford Cavaliers face William Harvey in the tie of the round, while Bliby Reserves face a tricky fixture away at Kennington Reserves. Ashford Spartans have a good chance of progressing after being paired with Maidstone League side Mid Kent Athletic and Brabourne Anchor travel to face Man of Kent.

Kent Junior Trophy Second Round draw...

Ashford Cavaliers  vs.  William Harvey Inn

Ashford Spartans  vs.  Mid Kent Athletic

Ashford Victoria  vs.  Mote Park Rangers

Cassidy's Phoenix  vs.  Mersham Sports Reserves

Kennington Reserves  vs.  Bliby Reserves

Man of Kent  vs.  Brabourne Anchor

Newchurch  vs.  The Odds

The Park Inn  vs.  Marsh Athletic

Ashford Victoria have been handed a difficult route to the Division Three League Cup final after the draws for both the quarter finals and semi finals were announced today. The Vics must face Park Farm Rangers in the last-eight of the competition, and if they are successful against the Farmers, a possible derby with William Harvey Inn could become a reality in the semi finals.

Park Farm beat Victoria 4-3 last month in the league to hand them their first defeat of the season, and Victoria will surely be out looking for some revenge. The last time the two sides met in a cup fixture, Victoria ran out 10-1 winners in the Division Four League Cup semi final back in March 2008.

Should the Vics move on to the semi final stage, they will face either William Harvey Inn or the winners of the Preliminary Round tie between Burton Grove and Ashford Eagles.

In the other half of the draw, last seasons winners Newchurch face bottom of the table Brabourne, while the winners of this weekends Ashford Cavaliers and Aldington fixture line up against Bliby Reserves

Quarter Final Draw...

Ashford Victoria  vs.  Park Farm Rangers

Brabourne Anchor  vs.  Newchurch

William Harvey Inn  vs.  Burton Grove/Ashford Eagles

Bliby  vs.  Aldington Sports/Ashford Cavaliers

Semi Final Draw...

Winner Match 1  vs.  Winner Match 3

Winner Match 2  vs.  Winner Match 4

Ashford Victoria forward Darren Banks has been given a two-game internal club suspension following comments made after Sunday's 2-1 Kent Junior Trophy victory over Burton Grove. Banks posted a comment on a social networking site sarcastically questioning Vics manager Ryan Mills' team selection, and the club has acted quickly in accordance with the Football Association's Respect campaign guidelines.

The former Prince Albert striker, who has scored three goals in six appearances this season, was dropped to the bench for last weekend's fixture to make way for the fit again Jack Bundock, a selection change that Banks clearly didn't agree with. Bundock had been unavailable for the previous three league and cup fixtures due to an ankle injury and work commitments, and Victoria boss Mills was clearly not impressed with Banks' reaction.

"There is a right way and a wrong way to discuss my team selections and tactical decisions, and Darren has gone down the wrong road this time" said Mills on his player.

"I always invite players to call me or come and talk to me about their football or team selections, if a player found themselves out of the team for any reason for a lengthy spell or period I'd be annoyed if they didn't as it shows that they are wanting to improve. I have already had a few chats with two or three of the boys this season about my plans for them this campaign".

"But publicly posting silly comments on my Facebook for all to see was the wrong decision and shows a lack of respect for both myself, the players and his team mates. This comment was available for everyone to see, and I have purposefully not deleted it so others who haven't read it yet can read for themselves" added Mills.

Banks, who signed from relegated Division Four side Givaudan in the summer, questioned whether that if he didn't turn up for a few games, maybe he would get a start after Bundock and Matt Deeble were restored to the starting line up after missing last weeks 3-2 league win at Brabourne.

"I wasn't aware that there was a rule that players returning from injury or work commitments the previous week had to start on the bench when they came back. I decide who plays and who doesn't and it's my job to pick the right team of players to win the game in question, and as we won the tie on Sunday my selection proved correct" said Mills.

"Writing a public comment on Facebook is the Premier League equivalent of say Michael Owen running to the Sunday Mirror newspaper and saying that Alex Ferguson only picks his favourites. It's like Michael Owen played the previous game up front, but now Berbatov and Rooney have come back and Owen was dropped to the bench, Owen wouldn't go and slag his manager off would he?".

"I don't have to defend my team selections on here, but I decided that Jack (Bundock) needed some minutes under his belt and the Burton Grove game was the perfect time to give him a game. Banksy hadn't scored in his three previous appearances, and I decided to make a change and it should have been left at that".

Banks will now miss the big league fixture with William Harvey on Sunday, and the Sheber Trophy game at Ashford Cavaliers the following week after his outburst, and Mills has left the ball in Banks' court.

"I probably know how this will end up, but Darren's got two choices really. He can apologise to me and his team mates and come back and fight for place in the team, or call it a day and move on, I'll let him decide and I'll respect either decision" said Mills,

"Several of the boys have phoned or text me this week after reading the comments and voiced their concerns of his commitment to the team, and I'd like to get this cleared up and brushed aside as soon as possible so we can concentrate on our football, and more importantly Sunday's big game at William Harvey".

Mills has already moved quickly to fill the gap left by Banks for at least the next two fixtures by drafting in former player, and younger brother ,Michael Mills, and hopes to give the former Charlton Athletic youngster another crack at Sunday League football. Mills junior was a regular for the Vics back in the 2006-07 season before moving on to play local Saturday League football and representing the Charlton Athletic Community side in the Kent County League, and did make his comeback in last weeks 3-2 win over Brabourne as a second-half substitute.

Ashford Victoria manager Ryan Mills wants to see his side start to realise their potential over the next few weeks in a period that he believes could make or break the clubs season. The Vics face a crucial league clash with Division Three leaders William Harvey next week, a fixture sandwiched between two important cup ties, and Mills is going all out for three successive victories to help put his side on the road to silverware at the end of the season.

Victoria travel to Burton Grove on Sunday in the first round of the Kent Trophy, a competition that Mills would like to do well in and want his side to show their progress as a team and reach the full county draw next February.

"I wouldn't have entered the club in the competition if I didn't want to take it seriously, or think that we didn't have a chance to win it. We did well last year to get to the last 32, but eventually went out to old rivals Brewmaster just before the full county draw, and I'd love to go further this season" said Mills.

"I think we have been too relaxed in our two previous Kent Trophy campaigns, maybe treating it as just another fixture and taking the chance to rotate the squad and give some of the fringe players a run out. But this year I will be treating the games with the proper respect and fielding my strongest team in every round, and hopefully we can have some success this time out".

Then the following week Victoria face neighbours and title rivals William Harvey Inn, and Mills admitted that defeat to the pub side would make it very difficult for Victoria to be taken as serious championship contenders.

"We have to get a result at William Harvey, for sure. Another league defeat, especially to a massive title contender, would be disasterous for us at this stage of the season, and we will go all out for the win" said Mills.

"I know a lot about them as a team and as individuals, and I think we've found a way to beat them, and as long as we turn up with the right attitude like we did recently against Bromley Green, then I'm sure we will do well. A win against Harvey would really put us in the title frame in what is turning out to be another tight and closely fought division this year, with four sides in with a genuine shout of challenging for the championship" added Mills.

"Every player has to be dedicated to the cause now, I won't accept any poor performances from my players and everyone should realise that we have a very competitive squad now. I think we have a very strong first team on paper developing, and I am pleased with how things are coming on, but it is also important that the boys struggling for games or finding themselves on the fringes of the team at the moment also take their chances when they get one to push for a place in the team".

"Over the past three seasons it seems that we have always been the bridesmaid and never the bride so to say, everyone comments and says how promising a team we are and that we have the ability to play in a higher division, but we always seem to fall short when it really matters and this is the time to really push ourselves and step up to that next level and win something".

Ashford Victoria may have been knocked out of the Charity Trophy at the weekend, but Vics manager Ryan Mills believes that losing to Bromley Green could be the kick start his side needed to spearhead a serious title challenge in Division Three this season. Victoria were just eight minutes away from taking Premier Division side Bromley Green to a penalty shoot out in Sunday's 3-2 first round defeat, when Green substitute Robbie Greenfield popped up with a cruel winner deep into extra time to send the Kent League club through to the second round of the competition and avoid an potentially embarrassing giant killing.

"It was kind of weird to celebrate a defeat, but everyone recognised that they had given everything and taking a side like Bromley Green to extra time was a great achievement" said Mills.

"The players were fantastic on Sunday, and they proved that they are capable of facing sides that compete at a higher level, and hopefully they will be able to do that on a regular basis with Ashford Victoria over the next few seasons. The work rate of our boys was amazing and a few looked absolutely shattered at the end, and I couldn't have asked for more commitment from any of them".

"We even had several very good chances to win the game in normal time but we didn't get that extra bit of luck you need at times to finish off a good chance. We fancied our chances if we could take the game to penalties, but we lost concentration for just a second and opposition like that do not need a second invite to score match winning goals" added Mills.

"We can take an awful lot away from this game now and hopefully take the added confidence and enthusiasm we have found into our league campaign and this weekend's fixture at Brabourne".

Mills admitted that it was the best team performance he had probably seen in the four years the Vics have been in existence, but singled out his youngsters for extra praise. The Vics boss started an eleven with an average age of just 22 against Bromley Green after opting for youth over experience.

"We fielded a very young side, probably thinking about it one of the youngest we have in recent times, and I was very proud of the lads. Josh Hatcher was outstanding at left-back and didn't look out of place against higher division opposition at all, and for a 19-year-old to play like that in a relatively new position just shows what a player we have on our books" said Mills.

"Also Luke Stafford did exactly what was asked of him and had a brilliant game anchoring the midfield, a position that I think his style of play suits him best. He loves to go in and win the ball and for a youngster never panics when in possession, a quality that we spotted straight away when we first saw him play last year"

"And when you think that the likes of them two along with Wayne Cleave, Dan Bushell, Matt Deeble, Joe Mort and Richard Coombes are all 22 or under, we have a great group of young players already first team regulars with great futures ahead of them" added Mills.

One other player Mills was keen to single out was left midfielder Joey Mort, who scored the second Vics goal and was a constant menace to the Bromley Green defence with his skills and tricks.

"Joey also had an outstanding game and is a player that I really rate highly" said Mills.

"The goal he scored from a free-kick was brilliant, and he could have bagged another two or three on another day. The thing I love about watching him play is that he seems fearless, and will try all sorts of flicks and outrageous tricks to beat an opponent or to make something happen. He is strong, fast and can really hit a ball, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up picking up one or two individual awards at the end of the season at the presentation evening".

"Joe did want to drop back and play at left-back this season, but I really believe he is much stronger in the oppositions half of the pitch, and if he can score a few more goals over the next month or two then his confidence in himself will increase and I think we'll see an even better player".

The Victoria players also spoke out after Sunday's game, with goal scorer Dan Bushell particularly full of praise for his team mates and manager.

"I felt quite hard done by losing like that, but everyone should be really happy with their performance. We had a couple of good chances that we should have scored from, and Coombesy only really had one or two saves to make" said Bushell, who joined Victoria from Adisham Nomads in the summer.

"I thought Tony Mason fully deserved the man of the match award as he had a brilliant game and was quality at the back, a solid performance. Let's hope we can take that performance into next week now".

"Luke Stafford had a good game with Jonesy in midfield, and I think (Matt) Deeble was knackered at the end playing up front on his own. But that was a quality formation today that Ryan chose, hard, hard work though for the players, but the Gaffer is a genius!".

Skipper Andy Jones said "Gaffer should be proud today, that's his team out there that he has put together", with defender Wayne Cleave adding, "It was a bit gutting to lose, but we still played well and showed that we can play at a higher level".

Ashford Victoria were denied the opportunity to remain as the league leaders in Division Three when their fixture with bottom of the table Brabourne Anchor was postponed. Assigned referee Pete Millen was unable to officiate the game and despite a frantic search to find a replacement referee, the game was finally called off on Saturday afternoon.

In a game where Victoria would have fancied themselves to pick up another three points, the Vics now drop three places in the table to fourth as the chasing trio of Ashford Cavaliers, Newchurch and William Harvey Inn all picked up valuable early season wins to go first, second and third respectively, although the Vics now have a game in-hand on the leaders.

"Yeah it was very disappointing not to play today, but these things happen over the course of a season and there's not a great deal we can do about it now" said Vics boss Ryan Mills.

"It would have been nice to have kept the games coming as we are playing well at the moment and are on a bit of a roll, but we will have to pick up from where we left off last week for the big game at Park Farm next weekend, and hopefully we will keep the winning run going".

Mills also voiced his concerns about the lack of officials available to the League at the moment, as two other games around the divisions also fell victim and were called off for the same reason.

"There is clearly a lack of referees at the moment, and obviously this shortage has already affected several games in the first three weeks of the season. I thought the referee numbers were at a good level last season, but they seem to have lost several officials over the summer".

"I have spoken to two refs this week who have left for other leagues in Kent, while three or four others have given it up which is rather worrying for the League in general. Hopefully a few more will make themselves available in the next few weeks and the problem will be resolved" added Mills.

The morning wasn't completely wasted though as Mills and his players took advantage of having a free week to watch Charity Trophy opponents Bromley Green in action at Sandyhurst Lane. The Vics face the Premier Division giants in two weeks time, and Mills was impressed at the standard of football in the hard fought 2-2 draw.

"I thought Bromley Green were very well organised and i was very impressed with the fitness levels of all of their players. They seem to be a physical side but also like to play the ball about too so it will be an interesting fixture in a couple of weeks for sure" said Mills.

"They will be massive favourites to win the game and rightly so, but i'm sure they will do their homework on us too and they would be stupid to under estimate us. But getting the chance to play good teams like Bromley Green is exactly the reason why we enter the Charity Trophy, and we did well last year in getting to the quarter finals, so who knows what will happen?".

Meanwhile Ryan Mills has confirmed that goalkeeper Mark Bennett has requested a transfer and wishes to leave the club as soon as possible. The 22-year-old only rejoined the Vics back in May after a season away, but has decided that his future belongs elsewhere following the arrival of Richard Coombes from Bliby this week.

Mills was keen to keep both goalkeepers until the end of the season when the proposed reserve team would have hopefully been accepted into the League, but Bennett made his feelings clear to Mills on the issue.

"I won't make public the discussions I have had with Mark, that's between me and him. I never intended to force Bennett to leave and said that I wanted two quality goalkeepers, but he wants to play 90 minutes every week and I couldn't guarantee him that this season" said Mills.

"It's his decision to leave and I hope he finds another team soon as he's a good 'keeper and probably deserves to be an automatic first choice somewhere. He's done well in the first two games of the season, but we have got to bring in new players to improve as a team and club and it's never easy keeping everyone happy".

Meanwhile Mills has moved very quickly to replace Bennett with approaching another local goalkeeper this weekend, although Mills refused to reveal the players identity until all the paperwork had been completed.

Ashford Victoria have announced the signing of goalkeeper Richard Coombes from Bliby Football Club. The 21-year-old stopper has put pen to paper and signed for the Vics after requesting a transfer from the Premier Division side and could go straight into the squad for Victoria's home league fixture with Brabourne this weekend.

Coombes was Bliby's first choice goalkeeper last season and helped the side to a third place finish in the Premier Division, and was also named man of the match as Bliby lifted the Ashford Charity Cup beating Lydd Town 2-0 back in April in the final at Homelands.

The former Kennington youth team player already has a good idea of what to expect at the club having  lined up against Victoria two-weeks ago as the Vics defeated Bliby Reserves 4-2 on the opening weekend of the season, and Vics manager Ryan Mills is pleased to have him on board.

"Richard is a very talented goalkeeper, up there with the very best in the Ashford Sunday League" said Mills on his new capture.

"We saw two weeks ago what he is capable of, he has great reflexes and is very confident handling balls coming at him from a height. He also has a massive kick on him and you couldn't ask him to be any braver".

Coombes stunned his new team mates by hitting the crossbar from a goal kick earlier this month in the fixture between Victoria and Bliby, and pulled off an incredible save from a Shane Jupp strike from 20-yards. Now Coombes has to challenge current Victoria number one Mark Bennett for the right to be the clubs first choice goalkeeper, something according to Mills can only benefit the team.

"It's extremely had to find a decent 'keeper at this level of football, but to have two at the club is great" said Mills.

"It's important that we have good, friendly competition for places in every position, including goalkeeper, and with the arrival of Richard we've got that now. And with the plan of starting up a reserve team in the next couple of months, having two quality goalkeepers is a must".

Mark Bennett has started the two previous league fixtures, keeping a clean sheet in last weekends 5-0 victory over Ashford Eagles, and now Mills has the uneviable task of choosing who to play in goal over the next few weeks.

Ashford Victoria manager Ryan Mills was over the moon to get the new season off to a winning start as his side saw off a spirited Bliby Reserves side with a 4-2 victory at Courtside on Sunday morning. The Vics recovered from going behind midway through the first-half to take control of the game thanks to a double from Matt Deeble and further strikes from Andy Jones and Shane Jupp.

"I thought the boys responded really well after last weeks wake up call against Prince Albert. We have had a good pre-season but didn't look ourselves in last weeks final friendly fixture, but the lads looked a lot more hungrier today and we've got off to a very good start" announced Mills.

"We just did the simple stuff first, easy ball to feet football and nothing silly, and then let the forwards be creative and do their own thing and we came away with the win we deserved. I picked what I considered to be my strongest side on the morning in terms of form and fitness, and I think my selection was proved right as we got all three points".

Mills admitted it was hard to leave out some players this morning, but those who found themselves out of the starting eleven will get their chance over the next few weeks to prove themselves.

"I made quite a few changes from last week, and I think we needed to really as we were all over the place seven days ago. The players who did miss out this week shouldn't take it personally though as it was a tactical change for the team rather than the dropping of individuals, and the five boys who didn't start will get a chance soon to show me they deserve a first team place" added Mills.

"I thought Sam Burgess played very well last week and was unlucky to miss out today, while young Luke Stafford has had a great pre-season but I thought Luke Hendry deserved to start at right-back instead. Also Banksy has been banging in the goals all summer, but we've not managed to find him a role in the 4-3-3 formation as yet, and he knows how much I rate him as a forward and will get games this season once he settles in".

"All the boys should realise it's a squad game and everyone, playing or not, were winners today. It will be interesting to see how certain players react to being on the bench over the next few weeks, and hopefully people will be willing to fight for their places and make the team selection more competitive" said Mills.

Of the players who did start the game, Mills admitted it was hard to single out an individual star performer and the win should be dedicated to an excellent team performance.

"Andy Jones deservedly won the man of the match award, but it was a real gutsy team performance today. The defence were excellent, Big Wayne Cleave and Tony Mason made an awesome central defensive partnership, while Juppo was brilliant to watch from the sidelines and was a pest to the Bliby defence all game long".

"Deeble just gets better and better and I think it's fantastic how much his new team mates rave on about him, he has been a different class since he joined last month, while Danny Bushell and Gary Foreman also put in selfless shifts in the midfield once again. Overall, I'm delighted with the performance and the result, but we must make sure that we don't get too carried away now as there are still 17 league games to go this season" added Mills.

Next up for Victoria are Ashford Eagles as the Vics travel to take on the relegated former Division Two side in Smeeth next Sunday. Mills is expecting long serving defender Ryan Martin to return to the squad and has hinted that he may give Jack Bundock a run out after the clubs record scorer missed out against Bliby. But Victoria will have to do without Joey Mort for the next two weeks due to work commitments.

Ashford Victoria get the new season underway for real this Sunday against newly promoted side Bliby Reserves at their new ground at Courtside. Victoria will be looking to improve on last seasons fifth-placed finish in Division Three and will also be hoping to challenge for promotion and various cup honours over the next nine months.

"Last season was a step into the unknown for us after our own promotion, we didn't know a great deal about the majority of the teams in the division and now after a years experience at this level, we should be better equipped to challenge for both promotion and the league title" said Vics boss Ryan Mills.

"We've built on last seasons side and added some fantastic and exciting new players this summer, and the squad has already started to gel over the pre-season friendlies. Although it was more important to learn to play together and build up match fitness over the summer, the added bonus of going six games unbeaten in the warm up games is an added bonus and will give us some added confidence going into the first four league fixtures".

"We know a lot about the teams we will face this season, having either played them last year or back in our Division Four days, so we know what to expect and who to look out for. It's now up to me to make sure we've got the correct players on the pitch, get the team playing the right way, and for the boys out there to perform and do the job we know we can do" added a confident Mills.

First up for the Vics are Bliby Reserves this weekend. Bliby were promoted from Division Four last season after finishing in third place behind champions Ashford Cavaliers and runners-up Park Farm Rangers. Despite a slow start in their debut season, Bliby climbed the league table thanks to some inspired form after the Christmas period and even handed out a 5-1 thrashing to Victoria in the second round of the Sheber Trophy back in March.

"We totally underestimated Bliby last season" admits Mills. "We went there in the Sheber Trophy thinking we would be in for an easy ride, and were guilty of taking our foot off the gas before the game even kicked off. I decided to change the team a little and rest a few players and the decision spectacularly backfired on us and we won't be making that mistake again".

"They have got some very good players in their squad, and I'm sure one or two players will drop down from the first team for the game too, so we've got to prepare for the game in the correct way. Jason Foster was a handful in midfield last time out, and Lee Simmons and Dan Doherty caused us all sorts of problems with their pace and strength too. I'm sure they've got a few new faces too, so I expect Sunday's game to be a very tricky encounter" added Mills.

Victoria will have to do without Darryl George and Mark Rutland this Sunday, as both are still out injured. George has been sidelined since April with a serious knee injury and isn't expected to return this side of Christmas, while Rutland has been nursing a bad ankle injury all pre-season and is not expected to return for at least a month. Defender Ryan Martin will also be missing from the squad but should be available for the second league game away at Ashford Eagles.

Matt Deeble should return to the side after missing last weekends 2-2 draw with Prince Albert, but all time club record goal scorer Jack Bundock misses the big kick off due to work commitments. That leaves manager Ryan Mills with a major selection headache when it comes to picking his first team of the season, and admits he will probably decided on his final eleven as late as Sunday morning.

"We've got a much bigger squad than last season, and we needed a bigger panel of players to choose from due to all the injuries and players with other commitments last term. But when everyone is available it's going to be very difficult to leave players out, and they must understand that it is a squad game now days" said Mills.

"Hopefully any players that find themselves missing out will react in the right way and look to improve and fight for a place in the team, instead of moaning and sulking. I really don't see that happening as I think everyone is excited about the new players we have brought in this summer, even if those players are an immediate threat to their own first team place, and the extra competition for places must be seen as something good for the team".

Meanwhile, Bromley Green manager Steve Mailey has warned his first team players not to underestimate the Vics when the two sides meet in the first round of the Ashford Charity Trophy on 4th October. The Green boss starts his first full season in charge of the famous local club and wants his side to avoid a potential banana skin when Bromley Green visit Courtside to face Victoria for the very first time.

"We've got a week off, then we travel to face Ashford Victoria in the Ashford Charity Trophy. The division 3 side will be well up for this and will see us as the perfect scalp, so attitude will need to be right or we'll be out" said Mailey speaking exclusively to the Bromley Green website at the weekend.

Squad to face Bliby Reserves (Sunday 6 September 2009)?

1- Mark Bennett, 2- Luke Hendry, 3- Tony Mason, 4- Luke Stafford, 5- Danny Bushell, 7- Shane Jupp, 8- Gary Foreman, 9- Matthew Deeble, 10- Wayne Cleave, 11- Joey Mort, 12- Sam Burgess, 14- Josh Hatcher, 15- Darren Patterson, 16- Andy Jones, 17- Darren Banks.

The first five weeks worth of league and cup fixtures were announced this weekend, and on paper Ashford Victoria will be pleased with what the fixtures computer has generated for the club. Victoria begin the 2009/10 campaign with a home fixture against Bliby Reserves, before travelling to Ashford Eagles seven days later. Brabourne Anchor visit Courtside to face the Vics on 20 September, before Victoria visit Park Farm Rangers the following week. Then comes the mouth watering Ashford Charity Trophy tie with Premier Division giants Bromley Green on the first Sunday of October to round off an exciting first month of the season.

The opening fixture with Bliby Reserves will be the clubs first ever game at their new ground in Stanhope, and the Vics will be hoping to avenge last seasons shock 5-1 Sheber Trophy defeat to the newly promoted side. In other games in the division that day, last seasons fourth division champions Ashford Cavaliers visit Aldington, while title favourites William Harvey travel to Burton Grove.

On 13 September, Victoria make the now well known trip to Smeeth to face Ashford Eagles in what will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides. The Vics do know a little bit about the Eagles side however after their recent pre-season friendly meeting, with Victoria running out 4-0 winners earlier this month. On the same morning, William Harvey entertain Newchurch in what will be classed as the game of the month by some, while Park Farm visit Brabourne.

Victoria's third fixture is at home to Brabourne, who the Vics beat 2-0 in last years Kent Junior Trophy Preliminary Round. Other games taking place elsewhere see Cavaliers take on Bliby Reserves, Aldington host Eagles and Burton Grove visit Newchurch.

Next up is the short journey to our old rivals at Park Farm, and Victoria will be hoping to overcome the unwanted record of never winning at their Kingsnorth ground. In the five previous meetings between the two sides, Victoria have won three out of three at home, including a 9-3 league win in the 2006-07 season and the well remembered 10-1 League Cup semi final victory in March 2008. But at Park Farm's ground, the home side have come out winners on both occasions, and were the only team to beat the Vics on their way to promotion in the 2007-08 campaign.

Then comes the Charity Trophy fixture at home to Bromley Green on 3 October. The two sides have never met before at any level and the game will be a real chance for Victoria to test themselves against higher league opposition.