A look back at our previous opening day encounters

With preparations well underway for the start of the new season, we look back at Central's previous opening day fixtures and some potentially interesting ties that could kick off this campaign.

Central has not enjoyed the season's opening day throughout the years, and manager Chris Tomkinson will be determined to turn that form around.

Despite two promotions and a second-place finish in the Premier Division under their belt, Central are 0-0-4 when it comes to starting the season.

Four defeats from four have seen Central kick off all of their senior campaigns on the back foot, but by the end of the season, all of Central's opening day oppositions have finished below them in the league.

A young, new to adults football Central kicked off their first campaign in Manchester Senior Football away at Leigh Athletic. Despite the 3-1 defeat, Central made a good account of themselves, and as the season progressed and ever improving, Central was able to reverse the scores, winning 3-1 at home. An impressive first season in the Manchester Football League saw Central finish a respectable 5th, 16 points clear of their opening day opponents.

In the 17/18 campaign Central was handed another early lesson away at Elton Vale as the home side ran out 4-1 winners. The reverse fixture saw the two sides deadlocked at 1-1 and three wins from their last three games saw Central seal promotion to the Premier Division, 5 points ahead of a Vale side who missed out on promotion by a single point.

The 18/19 league season saw Central host a strong Rochdale Sacred Heart team, and despite an evenly matched first half that finished all square at 2-2, the step up to the Premier Division proved too much for Central in a second half that ended with a 5-2 win for the visitors. As the season progressed and Central grew stronger and more mature, the score-line was reversed in the away game, with Central running out 5-2 winners away from home. The win was part of an incredible 16-game unbeaten run which saw Paul McGuire's side narrowly miss out on the Premier Division title by just four points at the first attempt, comfortably finishing six points ahead of fifth-placed Rochdale.

Following their reformation for the 20/21 season, Central hosted Leigh Genesis at their new Wright Robinson home. This time with new manager, Chris Tomkinson, in charge, Central could not find the net as the Leigh boys comfortably beat a young Central side 3-0. The reverse game took place just four games later, and despite a much-improved performance, Central was once again on the wrong end of the result, leaving Leigh with a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a first-half strike. Once again, though, Central improved as the season went on and managed to clinch promotion back to Division One at the first time of asking, finishing six points clear of Genesis, who, due to a technicality, was also promoted.

Leigh's late promotion means that Central could face a repeat of last season's opener, and with Elton Vale also in Division One again this year, there are plenty of familiar faces that could be seen sooner rather than later for Tomkinson's side. Another tasty encounter could see a repeat of the 17/18 Murray Trophy final with Tintwhistle Athletic, another potential opening day opponent. Should Central have to travel to start the season, it could well be a trip to Bolton on the cards with Borough, United and the Lads and Girls Club all lining up in Division One this campaign.

No matter who it is, Central have to face on the opening day, manager Chris Tomkinson is determined to re-write history for the club.

"Historically, we know that the start of the season has been challenging for us. We know that we have to play everyone twice, and it is going to be a long season, but obviously, getting off to a winning start would be ideal.

"We're putting in the hours on the training pitch and making sure that our pre-season friendlies are in place to dust off any potential cobwebs and get ourselves into the best possible shape to start the season.

"It's a new, tougher league than we were in last season, so it's imperative that we hit the ground running as we look to push ourselves as far as we can.

"As a club, we know that we should be in the Premier Division fighting for that title, but we need to get there first, and that all starts with battling for every point we can get right from the get-go."