GILLINGHAM will be looking to cut down the Blades as they square up against Sheffield United on the opening day of the season. The sides will do battle on Saturday, August 9 at Bramall Lane.

The fixture always carries an edge with the Blades’ manager Neil Warnock never too far away from controversy.

Warnock once said Real Madrid would struggle to play good football against the Gills after the sides played out a draw a couple of seasons ago -- a comment which didn’t endear him to the Gills faithful.

The fact the Blades have two former Gills, Carl Asaba and Iffy Onuora, among their ranks adds spice to the fixture.

In a mirror image of last season, Gills’ first home fixture will be against Derby the following Saturday with former Gills star George Burley now at the helm.

Then it’s a trip to Bradford before they play Burnley at home as new-signing Ian Cox prepares to face his old side.

Gills will face a tough test away at Cardiff on September 13 before taking on West Ham on September 29 at Priestfield.

October will see Gills take on the other relegated sides from last season, West Brom and Sunderland, in consecutive weekends and then they take on Wigan, the side they beat in the 2000 play-offs at Wembley to reach Division 1, at the JJB Stadium.

Watford will provide the opposition at Priestfield on Boxing Day with Gills travelling to the New Den to take on Millwall in the last game of 2003.

Gills make the long trip to the Stadium of Light to take on Mick McCarthy's men on Saturday, February 14 and any play-off ambitions the Gills harbour will be severely tested toward the end of the campaign when they face West Ham (a), Cardiff (h) and West Brom (a) in three consecutive weekends over the end of March and beginning of April.

They finish the season with a trip to the Britannia Stadium to take on Tony Pulis’s Stoke.