The Gaffer Returns: First Pre-Season Fixtures Announced as Darrell Clarke Era 2.0 Begins

There’s nothing quiet about this off-season – not when Darrell Clarke is back at the helm. The man who led us on one of the most unforgettable journeys in club history is back in the dugout, and with the first pre-season friendlies announced, the countdown to the new campaign is well and truly on.

First stop: Chippenham Town on Friday, July 4 at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium. It’s a proper summer away day – sun (hopefully), pints, and that first glimpse of the squad Clarke is shaping in his image. Whether it’s fresh faces or academy lads getting a run-out, it’ll be great to see the Gas back in action.

Then comes something a bit more special: Bath City on Wednesday, July 16, at none other than Twerton Park – our home from 1986 to 1996. There’s something nostalgic about returning there, and it’s always a warm feeling for long-time fans who still remember the crackle of matchdays on that terrace. It might not be our ground anymore, but there’s history in those walls – and now Clarke’s back, it feels even more like reconnecting with our roots.

These early friendlies aren’t just tune-ups. They’re the start of something – the beginning of a new chapter that feels strangely familiar in the best possible way. For the first time in a while, there’s a real buzz about what lies ahead.

More games will follow, and soon we’ll be talking line-ups, tactics, and predictions. But for now, it’s just good to have that feeling back. That sense that something might be building again.