Carlisle at Woking on National League opening day

Carlisle were promoted out of the National League at the first attempt in 2005

Carlisle United will travel to Woking when the new National League season gets under way on Saturday, 9 August.

It will be the first season at this level for the Cumbrians, now managed by Mark Hughes, for 20 years and follows successive relegations in the English Football League.

Truro City will begin their first season in the top tier of non-league football away at Wealdstone, while fellow newcomers Brackley Town have a home game against Eastleigh.

Troubled Morecambe, who finished bottom of League Two last season, start away to Boston United, while York City, runners-up to 2024-25 champions Barnet, have a home game with Sutton United.

Beaten play-off finalists Southend United start the campaign by travelling to Gateshead and there is a trip to Tamworth for promoted Scunthorpe United.

The fourth promoted side, Boreham Wood, begin with a home match against Rochdale, but Robbie Savage's first game in charge of Forest Green Rovers will be at Solihull Moors.

Completing the opening day games, Altrincham welcome FA Trophy winners Aldershot Town, Braintree Town face Halifax Town and Hartlepool United make the long trip to Somerset to face Yeovil Town.

The season consists of 32 regular Saturday fixtures with four rounds of bank holiday games and 10 midweek fixtures, now split between Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The regular season also ends earlier this year, with the last day scheduled for Saturday 25 April.

Teams finishing between second and seventh will then contest the play-offs with the second automatic spot to be decided in the play-off final on the weekend of 10 May.

Opening fixtures - 9 August

Altrincham v Aldershot

Boreham Wood v Rochdale

Boston v Morecambe

Brackley v Eastleigh

Braintree v Halifax

Gateshead v Southend

Solihull v Forest Green

Tamworth v Scunthorpe

Wealdstone v Truro

Woking v Carlisle

Yeovil v Hartlepool

York v Sutton

All games scheduled to kick off at 15:00 BST

Saturday 16 August

Aldershot v Boston

Carlisle v Boreham Wood

Eastleigh v Gateshead

Forest Green v Yeovil

Halifax v Wealdstone

Hartlepool v Braintree

Morecambe v Brackley

Rochdale v Altrincham

Scunthorpe v Woking

Southend v Tamworth

Sutton v Solihull

Truro v York

Final day fixtures (25 April)

Aldershot v Truro

Altrincham v Gateshead

Boreham Wood v Sutton

Boston v Hartlepool

Carlisle v Brackley

Forest Green v Morecambe

Rochdale v York

Scunthorpe v Eastleigh

Southend v Wealdstone

Tamworth v Braintree

Woking v Halifax

York v Solihull

Truro City won the National League South title in April

Pride of Cornwall

There is plenty of excitement in Cornwall as Truro become the first team from the county to compete in English football's fifth tier.

After the opening day trip to Wealdstone, the first home game for the National League South winners at their 3,600-capacity stadium will be against York on 16 August.

The Minstermen used to be managed by Truro boss John Askey, who secured York's promotion to the National League in 2022.

Given their geographical location, Truro will clock up the miles in their first ever fifth-tier campaign.

Their longest journey – a 930-mile round trip to Gateshead is on 25 October, while their nearest away game, a mere 280 miles there and back to Yeovil, takes place on Good Friday, 3 April.