Chester FC will begin the 2015-16 season at home to Braintree Town on Saturday, August 8.

Fixtures for the renamed Vanarama National League were released at 1pm on Friday and the Blues will kick-off the new campaign in five weeks.

The games fans are most interested in will be the derbies with arch rivals Wrexham and there's the added attraction of a first league meeting with Tranmere Rovers since 1991.

Chester travel to Prenton Park on September 12 and then host Wrexham less than a month later with the first cross-border clash down for October 3.

The return game with Rovers takes place on February 27 with the Blues heading to the Racecourse on March 19.

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Preparations for the new campaign begin on Monday when the squad report back for pre-season at the club's training base at the Chester Business Park headquarters of main sponsor MBNA.

Blues boss Steve Burr has retained the core of the side that overcame a disappointing start to finish the 2014-15 season in 12th place, a massive improvement on the previous campaign.

He has made six close-season seasons with defenders Ian Sharps and Johnny Hunt, midfielders Jordan Chapell, Luke George and Tom Shaw, and striker Ross Hannah arriving.

Those additions have raised hopes among the fan-base of the team being able to improve on last term and making a better start than 12 months ago when Chester collected four points from six games in the opening month.

Full fixture list for the 2015-16 season for Chester FC

Date Opponents Venue
August 8 Braintree Town Home
August 11 FC Halifax Town Away
August 15 Dover Athletic Away
August 18 Cheltenham Town Home
August 22 Woking Away
August 29 Macclesfield Town Away
August 31 Guiseley Home
September 5 Forest Green Rovers Home
September 12 Tranmere Rovers Away
September 15 Grimsby Town Home
September 19 Eastleigh Home
September 22 Welling United Away
September 26 Bromley Away
October 3 Wrexham Home
October 6 Barrow Away
October 10 Lincoln City Home
October 13 Southport Away
October 17 FC Halifax Town Home
October 31 Forest Green Rovers Away
November 10 Kidderminster Harriers Home
November 14 Boreham Wood Away
November 21 Woking Home
November 24 Dover Athletic Home
November 28 Gateshead Away
December 5 Cheltenham Away
December 19 Torquay United Home
December 26 Altrincham Away
December 28 Macclesfield Town Home
January 2 Altrincham Home
January 9 Aldershot Town Away
January 23 Southport Home
January 30 Braintree Town Away
February 6 Aldershot Town Home
February 13 Torquay United Away
February 20 Kidderminster Harriers Away
February 27 Tranmere Rovers Home
March 5 Bromley Home
March 12 Eastleigh Away
March 19 Wrexham Away
March 26 Barrow Home
March 28 Guiseley Away
April 2 Boreham Wood Home
April 9 Lincoln City Away
April 16 Welling United Home
April 23 Grimsby Town Away
April 30 Gateshead Home