THE wait is over for Aldershot Town’s fans after the League Two fixtures were published this morning (Monday).

The eagerly-awaited opponents on Aldershot football’s return to the Football League will be Accrington Stanley — away.

So, that’s a round trip of just shy of 500 miles for the Shots’ faithful when the season kicks off on Saturday August 9.

The Lancashire club — found between Blackburn and Burnley — finished 17th last season in League Two, with 51 points. Their home record at the Fraser Eagle Stadium was not impressive, however, with 15 defeats from their 23 games.

There is some resonance to Accrington facing Aldershot, given that the Lancashire club had to reform in the late 1960s after losing its Football League status, regaining it as Conference champions in 2006.

Two years later and Aldershot Town have emulated Accrington, 16 years after the old Aldershot FC lost its league status.

While the Shots’ manager Gary Waddock would have probably been hoping for home advantage for the first game back in the Football League, the plus is that three of the club’s first five games are at home.

Indeed, the first scheduled home match, on August 16, is one of the most anticipated of the lot, with AFC Bournemouth making the trip up through Hampshire to take on the Shots at the Rec.

Bournemouth were relegated from League One last season, despite a magnificent rearguard action that nearly saw them survive, despite being deducted ten points.

The next Saturday Aldershot travel to Shrewsbury, the club that beat them in the 2004 Conference play-off final. Nikki Bull, the Aldershot keeper, played in that game and will no doubt be keen for some revenge against the Shrews.

After that, the Shots have two home games in quick succession, first against Bradford, one of the promotion favourites, who were in the Premiership just seven years ago, and Darlington, who lost in the play-off semi-finals to Rochdale last month.

There are many northern teams in the division but, Accrington aside, the long journeys do not really start for the Shots until the autumn. Away games for the Shots from the end of September run as follows: Notts County, Macclesfield, Chesterfield, Rochdale, Morecambe, Chester and Rotherham.

That takes the Shots as far as the festive period, when they take on Barnet away on Boxing Day, closely followed by Dagenham & Redbridge and Notts County at home.

Other notable fixtures include the short trip to west London to take on Brentford on Tuesday January 27 (the home game at the Rec is on October 18) and AFC Bournemouth away is on Tuesday March 3, which rather scuppers any plans to make a holiday by the seaside from the fixture.

Aldershot fans have plenty of love for Exeter City’s St James Park ground, after the Shots put a poor history there behind  them to secure promotion in Devon with a 1-1 draw in April.

There was plenty of hugging on the terraces that night and, appropriately, the Shots return there on Valentine’s Day, February 14.

The last game of the season is scheduled for Saturday May 2, with a tricky trip to Lincoln City’s Sincil Bank. The Shots’ last home game falls the Saturday before, against Chester City.

Aldershot striker John Grant, the club’s leading scorer for the last two seasons, has league experience with several clubs and is champing at the bit to prove himself back in the Football League — and hoping for a birthday present in the first game.

Talking about that opening-day’s clash at Accrington he said: “I think it's a good game for us. It’s definitely winnable and I’m looking forward to it.

“It is a long trip for the fans, but they follow us everywhere and I know they will be up for it.

“Personally I would have preferred a home game to start off with, because it’s my birthday that day, but I do have family up north who will be able to come and watch.”

Shrewsbury Town are one of Grant’s former clubs, so he is also looking forward to facing them early in the season.

“I am looking forward to the Shrewsbury game. A lot has changed since I was there, but it’s always nice to go back.

“I didn’t really get a run of games there but the fans were always good to me and I want to show them what I can do.”

Grant says that Aldershot’s Conference play-off final loss to Shrewsbury four years ago will have little impact on the players.

“Only one player [Nikki Bull] was involved in that play-off game, so it won’t be like that for the players. But the fans remember and it would mean a lot to them to win that,” said Grant.

“I believe I can score goals in the Football League. I take each game as it comes and don’t set myself targets, but I go into every game expecting to score.

“I don’t believe there is much difference between the Conference and the Football League, so I think we can do well as a team and I can score goals.”

For a full list of Aldershot Town's fixtures click here.