What do you make of the Gills opening fixtures?

Its certainly an interesting start to the season. We face two of the relegated teams in our opening two games and like us they will be looking to bounce straight back.  After that we're away to Darlington who obviously last year had a good season and reached the play-offs so they'll be looking to get themselves amongst the front runners early on. 

We finish August at home against Accrington Stanley who I know from my non-league days and they've got some decent players too. They are all games that we're going to look forward to when the time comes around and try and get as many points as we can from those fixtures. 

Right now we're concentrating on that first one Bournemouth away. Last year we went there and got beaten, we didn't play particularly well but this year we'll go there with a different team and a completely different work ethic and hopefully we'll get some points.

Are you disappointed to be starting the season on the road?

I'm not too bothered about being away from home at the beginning of the season.  In august the weathers good and the pitches are normally in good condition. If we get a couple of trips out of the way while the weathers good then over the winter months we'll have a couple more home games.  The pitch at Priestfield is always in fantastic condition and that can put us in good stead next year when we want to play good football.

How do you feel about travelling to Dagenham & Redbridge on Boxing Day

Its always nice to get a home game on Boxing day cause it's always a good crowd but we've got Brentford at home on the 20th and that should be a good atmosphere. Then on the 28th of December we've got Wycombe Wanderers who are now managed by ex Gills manager Peter Taylor so that should spice up the game a little bit. 

Some managers might have gone through the whole list and looked where they are at Christmas and New Year but I don't. I just look at that first month and focus on who we've got because that's the most important.  Whatever happens at Christmas is irrelevant if we don't get off to a decent start.

That's what we've got to concentrate on, its why the boys have come back in June twice a week, they're enjoying it, they are working hard and now we've just got to get through the next 6/8 weeks and hope everyone is available for that Bournemouth game.  By Saturday 9th of August the temperature is probably going to be in the 90's down on the coast and that's when all the fitness work we've put in will be needed.