YORK City player-boss Chris Brass has admitted his side face a 'tough start' to the Conference season.

Highly-fancied Aldershot and Hereford United will both face the Minstermen during the first week of the new campaign with a midweek home game against a Tamworth side, likely to feature former City favourite Paul Barnes, are sandwiched in between.

Brass returned from holiday yesterday and is now looking forward to the start of pre-season training at Ampleforth College on Thursday.

The City manager said: "It's quite a tough start to the season.

"The opening game is against the play-off final losers Aldershot and then the next Saturday we are at home to Hereford - the side that finished runners-up in last season's Conference.

"But it is a tough league and, when you go through the fixtures, it shows there's some good sides and it will be challenging. We can do well though as long as we can get the people we want."

City's August Bank Holiday home match with Accrington Stanley has been switched to a Tuesday night.

The Conference game will now be played a day later on August 31, giving Brass' charges extra recovery time after the previous weekend trip to Gravesend and Northfleet.

Exeter City will also now visit Bootham Crescent a day later on Sunday, March 6.

Meanwhile, City have sold more than 700 season tickets ahead of tomorrow's discount deadline.

Finance director Terry Doyle said: "Season tickets have gone very well and it looks like they will match the normal average of 700-750 despite relegation."

Updated: 10:27 Tuesday, June 29, 2004