COWDENBEATH will open the 2016-2017 season at home on Saturday August 6.

Elgin City will be the visitors as Liam Fox's team start their bid to get back into Ladbrokes League One.

In what will be a pretty tough start Cowden then visit Forfar Athletic the following Saturday and then on August 20 they will be at home to newcomers Edinburgh City.

Then they will take on Clyde away from home so it clearly is the sort of start which will quickly let the Blues know the challenge that the face.

The holiday fixtures at Christmas and New Year, with the lack of a derby game, show Arbroath at home on Saturday December 24 and on December 31 the Blues head for Stirling.

Manager Fox is acutely aware that the his team will quickly be given an idea of how tough the task will be to get back up to League One.

Elgin were in the play-offs last term as were Clyde while Forfar Athletic were up with Cowdenbeath in League One last term.

Meanwhile the manager has been delighted with the way his players have performed in the first week's training and he is ready to step things up this coming weekend.

The lads will again be at Pitreavie, in Dunfermline, on Saturday afternoon using the athletics facilities there.

The manager indicated that he is still waiting on a few players getting back to him as regards making further signings.

He has been speaking to several players who he feels will make a really positive contribution to the promotion bid but as happens at this stage of the close season, some are playing their cards close to their chest.

However, he intends to have at least a couple aboard if not more before the Blue Brazil start their friendly programme on Tuesday July 5 at home to Motherwell.

Cowdenbeath FC is proud to announce that the club's brand new Uhlsport home shirt was available to purchase at Cowdenbeath Gala on Saturday at the park and it attracted a lot of attention.

The club had a stall at the Gala where people were keen to be one of the first to purchase the stunning new home kit.

There were plenty of people desperate to get their hands on the new shirt and it will be now available daily at the new agency on High Street.

The home kit will from now on be available from Beath Bargain Stores from the beginning of this week.