FIXTURES have been released for the 2018 Evo-Stik League east division.

Pickering Town will kick off their first season at Step 4 against the familiar faces of AFC Mansfield and Pontefract Collieries, both of whom were in the Northern Counties East League premier with them last term.

Tadcaster Albion begin their campaign with a trip to Nottinghamshire against Carlton Town, who finished last season fourth-bottom of the south division, before a trip to Sheffield FC.

The Brewers and the Pikes will come together at Tadcaster's i2i Stadium on Boxing Day (3pm) for their first league meeting in two seasons, before Town manager Paul Marshall welcomes his former side to Mill Lane on Monday, April 22 (3pm), the penultimate fixture of term.

Step 4 of non-League football has been renamed the ESL east division after clubs voted in early 2018 to divide the tier along east-west rather than north-south lines. The league hopes the divide will "iron out geographical anomalies, cut down on travelling costs and time and encourage more Step 5 clubs to climb the pyramid".

With this restructuring - the biggest the league has seen since 2004 - the pair will face a number of sides who last term played in the ESL south.

The furthest south the sides will have to travel is Stamford, which represents a 280-mile round-trip for Pickering and 210 for Tadcaster, while a trip to the northernmost side, Morpeth Town, will be 220 miles for the Brewers and 200 for the Pikes.

Pickering are slated to end the season on Saturday, April 27 with a visit to Loughborough Dynamo and Taddy will end the campaign at home to Lincoln United.

See below for the North Yorkshire sides' full fixture lists.

Pickering Town

August: Saturday 18 (3pm) v AFC Mansfield (A); Tuesday 21 (7.45pm) v Pontefract Collieries (H); Monday 27 (3pm) v Marske United (A).

September: Saturday 1 (3pm) v Loughborough Dynamo (H); Monday 10 (7.45pm) v Brighouse Town (A); Saturday 15 (3pm) v Spalding United (A); Saturday 22 (3pm) v Belper Town (H); Tuesday 25 (7.45pm) v Lincoln United (H).

October: Tuesday 2 (7.45pm) v Ossett United (A); Saturday 6 (3pm) v Gresley FC (H); Saturday 13 (FA Trophy preliminary round) v Stockbridge Park Steels (H); Saturday 20 (3pm) v Frickley Athletic (H).

November: Saturday 3 (3pm) v Carlton Town (A); Saturday 10 (3pm) v Sheffield FC (H); Saturday 17 (3pm) v Stocksbridge Park Steels (A); Saturday 24 (3pm) v Morpeth Town (H).

December: Saturday 1 (3pm) v Stamford (A); Saturday 8 (3pm) v Wisbech Town (H); Saturday 15 (3pm) v Pontefract Collieries (A); Saturday 22 (3pm) v AFC Mansfield (H); Wednesday 26 (3pm) v Tadcaster Albion (A).

January: Tuesday 1 (3pm) v Marske United (H); Saturday 5 (3pm) v Carlton Town (H); Saturday 12 (3pm) v Frickley Athletic (A); Saturday 19 (3pm) v Stocksbridge Park Steels (H); Saturday 26 (3pm) v Sheffield FC (A).

February: Saturday 2 (3pm) v Gresley FC (A); Saturday 16 (3pm) v Ossett United (H); Saturday 23 (3pm) v Lincoln United (A).

March: Saturday 2 (3pm) v Cleethorpes Town (H); Saturday 16 (3pm) v Morpeth Town (A); Saturday 23 (3pm) v Stamford (H); Saturday 30 (3pm) v Belper Town (A).

April: Saturday 6 (3pm) v Spalding United (H); Saturday 13 (3pm) v Brighouse Town (H); Saturday 20 (3pm) v Wisbech Town (A); Monday 22 (3pm) v Tadcaster Albion (H); Saturday 27 (3pm) v Loughborough Dynamo (A).

Tadcaster Albion

August: Saturday 18 (3pm) v Carlton Town (H); Tuesday 21 (7.45pm) v Sheffield FC (A); Monday 27 (3pm) v Morpeth Town (H).

September: Saturday 1 (3pm) v Gresley FC (A); Tuesday 11 (7.45) v Frickley Athletic (H); Saturday 15 (3pm) v Ossett United (H); Saturday 22 (3pm) v Pontefract Collieries (A); Tuesday 25 (7.45pm) v Marske United (A); Saturday 29 (3pm) Stocksbridge Park Steels (H).

October: Tuesday 2 (7.45pm) v Loughborough Dynamo (H); Saturday 6 (3pm) v Wisbech Town (A); Saturday 20 (3pm) v Cleethorpes Town (A).

November: Saturday 3 (3pm) v AFC Mansfield (H); Saturday 10 (3pm) v Belper Town (A); Saturday 17 (3pm) v Stamford (H); Saturday 24 (3pm) v Spalding United (A).

December: Saturday 1 (3pm) v Brighouse Town (H); Saturday 8 (3pm) v Lincoln United (A); Saturday 15 (3pm) v Sheffield FC (H); Saturday 22 (3pm) v Carlton Town (A); Wednesday 26 (3pm) v Pickering Town (H).

January: Tuesday 1 (3pm) v Morpeth Town (H); Saturday 5 (3pm) v AFC Mansfield (A); Saturday 12 (3pm) v Cleethorpes Town (H); Saturday 19 (3pm) v Stamford (A); Saturday 26 (3pm) v Belper Town (H).

February: Saturday 2 (3pm) v Wisbech Town (H); Saturday 16 (3pm) v Loughborough Dynamo (A); Saturday 23 (3pm) v Marske United (H).

March: Saturday 2 (3pm) v Stocksbridge Park Steels (A); Saturday 16 (3pm) v Spalding United (H); Saturday 23 (3pm) v Brighouse Town (A); Saturday 30 (3pm) v Pontefract Collieries (H).

April: Saturday 6 (3pm) v Ossett United (A); Saturday 13 (3pm) v Frickley Athletic (A); Saturday 20 (3pm) v Gresley FC (H); Monday 22 (3pm) v Pickering Town (A); Saturday 27 (3pm) v Lincoln United (H).