ATHLETIC have revealed their pre-season fixture schedule ahead of the return of competitive football next month.

James McPake's team are set to play four preparation matches in the space of 12 days ahead of kicking off their Premier Sports Cup group stage campaign.

Fans can catch their first glimpse of the squad for 2024/25 on Friday June 28 when they make the trip across the Kingdom to play East Fife at New Bayview.

Dunfermline Press:

The League Two side appointed former Pars player, assistant boss and manager, Dick Campbell, as their gaffer in February and he guided them to a fifth place finish.

READ MORE: Premier Sports Cup schedule for Pars and Kelty revealed

That game kicks off at 7.30pm and will be followed, on Tuesday July 2, with another away trip, this time to Cove Rangers.

Paul Hartley's League One outfit also finished fifth in their division last term - one place above Kelty Hearts - and missed out on a promotion play-off place behind Montrose, who ended up four points ahead of them.

It will be a second successive pre-season that Dunfermline have travelled to the Balmoral Stadium, having drawn there 1-1 last summer.

The club are then due to host a home friendly on Saturday July 6, although supporters face a wait to find out who they will play, as the opposition are yet to be confirmed, but pre-season will be rounded off against Premiership Dundee.

McPake's former club enjoyed an impressive return to the top flight under head coach Tony Docherty last season, securing a top six finish and making a challenge for an unlikely European position, although they ultimately missed out, with St Mirren and Kilmarnock joining Celtic, Rangers and Heart of Midlothian in qualifying for continental competition.

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That game will be held at KDM Group East End Park on Wednesday July 10, with a 7.30pm kick off, before the Pars begin competitive football on Saturday July 13.

Drawn in Group C, Dunfermline will go to League Two Spartans for their first game, before hosting another fourth-tier side, Forfar Athletic, three days later.

On Saturday July 20, they go to Livingston, who will be joining Athletic in the Championship following relegation from the top flight, before finishing their section at home to Cove a week later.

Ticketing information for Dunfermline's pre-season games will be announced in due course.