FORMER Champions League semi-finalists Leeds United will visit York City for the start of the KitKat Crescent club’s pre-season campaign.

Fallen giants Leeds – bidding to reach the League One play-off final against Millwall at Elland Road tonight – are set to tackle the Minstermen on Sunday, July 12, kick-off 1pm.

Leeds boss Simon Grayson, a friend of City chief Martin Foyle, has agreed to field his first-team squad for the fixture, meaning the likes of 34-goal Jermaine Beckford and highly-rated teenager Fabian Delph should be included.

City will also play host to Leeds’ League One rivals, Hartlepool, and League Two pair Bradford City and Rotherham United, as well as travelling to UniBond League pair North Ferriby United and FC Halifax Town before the new Blue Square Premier campaign kicks off on August 8.

Former Minsterman Leo Fortune-West ended last season with North Ferriby while other familiar faces such as Andy Warrington (Rotherham) and Lee Bullock (Bradford) are likely to revisit their old club. About the selection of his pre-season programme, Foyle said: “We have tried to fit the Leeds game in at a time that suits them but that doesn’t matter because it’s a great fixture for us and I can understand the club wants to get some money in.

“I know Simon Grayson well as he is very close to Brian Little, who I worked with at Wrexham. He brought his full Blackpool team to Wales last summer and will be doing the same here in July.

“The games we have chosen should all be close ones and good tests. I wanted to pit ourselves against that League Two mark to see what’s what.

“Both Rotherham and Bradford are likely to be strong next season and there might be people in all the games that are surplus to requirements in their squads who could come and do a job for us. We can look at them and they can look at us.

“In terms of results, they can be false. You can win every game – as almost happened here last year – and it doesn’t mean anything. You just want to get through them injury free.”

With that in mind, Foyle has agreed to play friendlies at lower-league neighbours who boast reputable pitches.

Just two years ago, the Minstermen lost summer signing Phil Turnbull for the first half of the season with a dislocated shoulder at Frickley and Foyle said: “Both North Ferriby and Halifax have fantastic playing surfaces and I don’t mind going places as a favour if that’s the case.

“Neil Aspin is Halifax’s new manager and is an old friend of mine from Port Vale while (City youth-team coach) Steve Torpey came from North Ferriby so it’s good for him to help his old club out.”

City’s 2009/10 pre-season friendlies: Sunday, July 12 – Leeds United (H), 1pm; Saturday, July 18 – Bradford City (H), kick-off to be confirmed; Tuesday, July 21 – North Ferriby (A), 7.30pm; Friday, July 24 – Hartlepool United (H), 7.30pm; Tuesday, July 28 – Rotherham United (H), 7.30pm; Saturday, August 1 – Halifax Town (A), 3pm.

City have added that all the dates are provisional at this stage and may be subject to alteration.

On-loan defender Sam Sodje, meanwhile, will be available for Leeds’ play-off semi-final decider against Millwall this evening after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at The New Den, meaning manager Grayson will select from a full-strength squad.