It will be a battle of the new managers as champions Fulham face an away trip to Leeds United on the first day of the 2003-04 season. The game versus Julie Chipchase's Leeds will be a tough tie for Fulham coach Marieanne Spacey, whose Fulham side will begin their first term as semi-professionals after spending three-years as full-time athletes.

The league season will start on Sunday August 17th and there will be the traditional opener to the season on Wednesday 6th August, where Doncaster Rovers Belles will play Fulham in The FA Community Shield, in partnership with Nationwide.

Newly-promoted Aston Villa Ladies have a plum home tie against runners-up in The FA Nationwide Premier League National Division Doncaster Rovers Belles. Villa won the Northern Division last season to win promotion to the women's top flight and will face a Belles team buoyed by a new manager - former Rovers player John Buckley

Bristol Rovers, also promoted to the women's top flight, have an away trip against Everton, while Arsenal - league champions in 2002 - will travel to Tranmere Rovers.

There is a change in The FA Nationwide Premier League pyramid this season - in the Northern Division there will be 11 teams competing this season, with 13 competing in the Southern Division. This change was decided by the competing clubs due to two Southern-based teams being relegated from the National Division.

Southampton Saints, relegated from the top flight, have been issued a bold objective from manager Ivor Gumm to win promotion by Christmas and they will start their title campaign with a home fixture against newly-promoted Watford.

In the Northern Division, league favourites Sunderland - who missed out on promotion by three points last season - face an away trip to Liverpool.