Fakenham ready to start pre-season campaign with derby against the Magpies

It’ll be the first fixture for returning first team manager Robbie Harris, who will be looking to get his second spell in charge of the Ghosts off to a good start.

Assisting him in the home dugout for the first time will be Paul Neary, who also returns to the club after a brief spell previously.

Several of last season’s crop of players have re-signed for Harris’ Ghosts, with a few new faces signing on too.

There will be a familiar face in the visiting dugout as well, as former manager Wayne Anderson returns in his new role as assistant manager to Magpies manager Neal Simmons, also new to the position. Ashley Jarvis could also make an appearance against his former team-mates in the black of white of the visitors.

The Ghosts then travel to face Swaffham Town on Tuesday with kick-off at Shoemakers Lane at 7.45pm.

Fakenham’s Reserves, led by the management duo of Dean Betts and Trevor Daniels kick off their Anglian Combination Division Two on Saturday, August 19 away against Caister Reserves. Before that though, is the trip to face Hellesdon at the Football Development Centre in Bowthorpe, on Saturday, July 15, the first of four friendlies for the Ghosts’ second string.

One change in management at the club is the arrival of Kristian Jones, who takes over the role of Under 18’s manager from club legend Neil Jarvis who has stepped down from the position.

Jarvis, whose involvement with the Ghosts over decades included spells with the first team as a (Norfolk Senior Cup winning) player, coach, assistant manager, caretaker manager and manager.

As manager of the Under 18’s, Jarvis oversaw the nurturing, and subsequent breakthrough to the first team of a number of the current squad — and with the numbers of years accumulated at Clipbush Park, all that doesn’t come close to acknowledging everything that he has done for the club, for which the committee are extremely grateful and wish him the very best for the future.