Darlington'S new £20m football stadium will be called the Reynolds Arena after the club chairman, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Chairman George Rey-nolds' long-awaited decision on the name came last night as the Football League released the fixture list for the 2003-04 season, which shows that Darlington's first match in the Reynolds Arena will be on August 16 versus Kidderminster Harriers.

This is the second Saturday of the season. Mr Reynolds had asked the Football League if the club could play their opening game on August 9 away to give a few extra days to get the Neasham Road stadium ready.

Mr Reynolds said he is still hoping that there will be time for the 27,500 all-seater arena to be officially opened with a pre-season friendly match against Newcastle, Middlesbrough or Sunderland.

"Work is going well so we still might be able to bring a big team to the stadium before the start of the season with a bit of luck," he said.

If not, Kidderminster, who finished 11th in the Third Division last season, will grace the historic opening game in the first new football stadium in Darlington for 120 years.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council, which is overseeing the development of the stadium, said: "We have had assurances from the club that everything is on time.

"Preliminary work has started on the A66 and on Neasham Road in line with the planning conditions and this will be ready in time for the opening."

* The Premiership season kicks off on August 16, and the fixture computer has arranged for a highly-charged return to Elland Road for Newcastle United's controversial former Leeds players Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer.

Middlesbrough begin their season away at Fulham, while Sunderland's life in Division One kicks off at Nottingham Forest.

North-East fixtures - Page 22