First game at the Amex

[Brovion]

Cobblers.

As far as I'm concerned, the opening match at the Amex is the first League game of the 2011/12 season, everything else is just a practice.

The first game at Withdean was the 6-0 mauling of Mansfield. I'm sure there was a friendly against someone beforehand (Forest, was it ?), but the first game proper was Mansfield, and the first game proper at the Amex will be on August 6th. Nothing else counts.

Exactly. The 'ramp-up' events are still part of the construction process; they're hoops we have to jump through before we can officially open. Even the 'prestige' friendly falls into that category. It's the same way that in the theatre the last full dress rehearsal isn't the same as the proper opening night, even if there is an invited audience.

TBH I think the Senior Cup Final in front of 10,000 is the ideal opening event. I've decided, having said I didn't want to go to any ramp-up events, that I'd like to go. After all it will be little more than a glorified tour or stadium visit, and watching the likes of Storrington v Ringmer in front of a less-than-half-full stadium will whet my appetite nicely for the real thing.

EDIT: And I've never been to the Sussex Senior Cup final before and certainly had no intention of going this year if it had been at somewhere like Eastbourne or Worthing.