National League fixtures: Oldham Athletic start with trip to Torquay United

John Sheridan will look to lead Oldham back to the English Football League at the first attempt

Oldham Athletic will start life outside the EFL with a trip to Torquay on the opening day of the National League season on Saturday, 6 August.

The Latics finished second bottom of League Two in 2021-22 to end their 116-year stay in the Football League.

Scunthorpe, who were relegated out of the EFL after 72 years, welcome Yeovil.

Dorking Wanderers, promoted to this level for the first time in their history last season, start with a home game against Chesterfield.

Paul Cook's Spireites were beaten by Solihull Moors in the play-off semi-finals in 2021-22 and are among the favourites to win promotion back to League Two this season.

• How Oldham stumbled out of the Football League

Fellow promotion hopefuls Notts County and Wrexham start with home games against Maidenhead and Eastleigh respectively.

Neal Ardley's Moors, who lost to Grimsby in the play-off final at West Ham's London Stadium, open their campaign at Aldershot.

York City, promoted back to the National League after five seasons in the National League North, welcome Woking on the opening day.

National League North winners Gateshead start at Dagenham, while National League South champions Maidstone begin with a trip to Altrincham.

This is the first time since 2019-20 that the fifth tier will start the season with the full complement of 24 teams.

Macclesfield Town's liquidation in September 2020 and then the curtailment of the National League North and South seasons in 2020-21 meant that the league ran with 23 teams in each of the past two seasons.

Opening day fixtures

Saturday, 6 August

Aldershot Town v Solihull Moors

Altrincham v Maidstone United

Barnet v FC Halifax Town

Dagenham & Redbridge v Gateshead

Dorking Wanderers v Chesterfield

Notts County v Maidenhead United

Scunthorpe United v Yeovil Town

Southend United v Boreham Wood

Torquay United v Oldham Athletic

Wealdstone v Bromley

Wrexham v Eastleigh

York City v Woking