Deal Town boss Steve King on surprise of starting season at home to Hilltop in FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round; Hoops start pre-season with 4-0 midweek victory at Hythe Town

Manager Steve King is well aware of the threat their FA Cup opponents will pose - even if he didn’t expect the Hoops to be entered at this stage of the competition.

King’s team will kick-off the new season at Combined Counties League Premier Division North Hilltop on Saturday, August 2, in the Extra Preliminary Round.

Deal had hoped last term’s seventh-placed Isthmian South East finish would get them a bye to the Preliminary Round, leaving their first league match to be played on Saturday, August 9 - but that has proved not to be the case.

King, whose team had arranged a friendly at home to Isthmian North side Witham Town on that date, said: “It was a bit of a shock, really.

“We didn’t expect to be in at that round, based on previous years.

“We thought a top-10 finish would exempt us so ourselves, Three Bridges and Sevenoaks got caught out a little bit by that. That’s why we have made some changes to our pre-season schedule.

“We would have loved to have been at home.

“I know Hilltop are a team that are dangerous because, when we had our Vase run, they knocked out Erith Town. We’ll make sure that we do our research on them.

“By August 2, we’ll have made sure we have done all of our planning to make sure we get off to a positive start.”

Deal have been drawn at Erith Town in the FA Trophy First Qualifying Round on Saturday, September 6.

The Hoops will visit National League South neighbours Dover, led by boss Jake Leberl, on Friday, before facing a Gillingham XI in their first home pre-season friendly on Tuesday.

“We’re lucky that we have got good relationships with the local clubs,” said King. “I get on well with Jake at Dover and that’s a game we have reinstalled over the last few years.

“(Gills’ Academy boss) Bryan Bull