MIDDLEWICH Town have announced a pre-season fixture list that includes friendlies against three higher-ranked teams.

The Witches return to the Cheshire League’s top-flight from August, and will warm-up with home games against Northwich Victoria, Whitchurch Alport and Ashton Athletic – all of them opponents from the North West Counties League’s Premier Division.

A date with Barnton Wanderers, newly-crowned as Crewe and District League champions, concludes a schedule that starts next month with games against Capenhurst and Moore United.

Town are scheduled to play the first league game of a new season on Saturday, August 4.

Provisional schedule

Jul 07 Capenhurst Villa (a)

Jul 14 Moore United (tbc)

Jul 19 Northwich Victoria (h)

Jul 21 Whitchurch Alport (h)

Jul 26 Ashton Athletic (h)

Jul 28 Barnton Wanderers (h)