MILDENHALL will face Rye House and Ipswich in exciting challenge meetings in March to open their 2006 Premier League campaign, it was confirmed following the release of the fixture list on Wednesday. The Fen Tigers will face the Witches for the first tim

MILDENHALL will face Rye House and Ipswich in exciting challenge meetings in March to open their 2006 Premier League campaign, it was confirmed following the release of the fixture list on Wednesday.

The Fen Tigers will face the Witches for the first time in 14 years at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday, March 16 with the return leg at West Row on Sunday, March 19 for the Suffolk Cup.

The following Sunday their opening Premier Trophy meeting is against Isle of Wight and their first league encounter is on Sunday, May 7, when the most successful team manager of the Tigers, Graham Drury, brings his Workington side to the fens.

Supporters will get to see plenty of their arch-rivals and reigning Premier League champions Rye House in the opening months. Five clashes in all are in store in the opening three months of the season against the Hertfordshire-based outfit.

Other intriguing dates include newly-formed Redcar's visit on 2 July, led by former World Champion Gary Havelock, and a northern tour is scheduled between 11-13 August when trips to Edinburgh, Berwick and Glasgow will be taken in.

And there's a couple of home derbies to look forward too with King's Lynn in town twice within a month.

Meanwhile the club have cancelled both scheduled practice sessions on 11 and 18 February to safeguard the track surface ready for the new season.

Track curator Peter Thorogood has been working tirelessly on the circuit over the past month to create the perfect racing strip

as the club moves up a

division.

On Saturday the club will still be holding a track staff and club officials meeting at the Mildenhall stadium at 6pm and all those existing members and keen new enthusiasts are asked to attend.