Bethnal Green boss Justin Gardner cannot wait for the new season and in particular the FA Cup to get underway.

Bethnal Green boss Justin Gardner cannot wait for the new season and in particular the FA Cup to get underway.

Greens will be gunning for promotion this campaign and that coupled with playing in the World's most famous domestic cup competition has the boss extremely excited.

"I've been looking forward to this since we finished last season," he said.

"We have a great year to look forward to and I really confident that we will be successful."

The East End club host Basildon United in the FA Cup Extra preliminary round on Saturday, August 14, a game Gardner expects his side to win.

"It's a massive game for us and one we will all enjoy," he said.

"It's a massive advantage to play at home because we have such a good record at Mile End Stadium and myself, the players and chairman Mohammed Nul Hoque cannot wait for it.

"It is a very winnable game and although it's nice to face teams you don't usually we know what to expect from Basildon.

If they get through that test, United will make the trip to either Kentish Town or Stansted in the Preliminary Round.

"We played Kentish Town in a friendly a couple of weeks ago and although we only drew, we played pretty poorly that day.

"I would be very confident if we were to play them, but I would expect Stansted to be too good for them," he added.

The week before the Basildon match, United play their first league match of the season when they travel to Bowers & Pitsea.

"It's certainly not an easy game, they beat us once last season," Gardner said.

"It's a bit disappointing that four of our first five matches are away from home and against the so-called smaller sides.

"I would have preferred to take on the big teams when the pitches are the way they are now."

??TWO players who left United at the end of last season are back at the club.

Striker Anton Stephenson had left to join Grays Athletic, while playmaking midfielder Remi Nelson had signed for Aveley, but both have now returned to Mile End Stadium.