After the Blues' 2017/18 fixtures were revealed yesterday. Jon Colman looks at how their new campaign shapes up

OPENING UP

For the first time in three years, the new season will start at Brunton Park. Newly-relegated Swindon will be the visitors when Carlisle seek a first opening-day league win since 2010.

United have not faced the Robins since April 2014. That day in League One, a 1-0 win, marked the last league victory of the Graham Kavanagh era; the last of the pre-Keith Curle time.

Much has changed since that spring afternoon. Carlisle's team included Jordan Pickford, Pascal Chimbonda and Gary Madine, while Swindon's back four contained a certain Troy Archibald-Henville.

Both are now rebuilding from different positions, United after last season's play-off effort and Swindon after a relegation that was saddled with controversy, particularly with Tim Sherwood's strange involvement as director of football.

He has gone, so has boss Luke Williams, with David Flitcroft now at the helm. Signings have been scarce, and so how the two sides will look come August 5 is still very difficult to picture.

EARLY DOORS

The first away game (not including the Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood) catches the eye: Cambridge, and an immediate reunion with Jabo Ibehre.

Whether the Islington Assassin's weapons are polished and ready by then will intrigue. It is not hard to recall how, at the start of his Blues career, he put a hat-trick past Cambridge two years ago.

United will need little introduction either to Ibehre or another Cambridge new boy, David Amoo. After that trip to the Abbey Stadium, the Cumbrians host Cheltenham early in the season, same as last year.

A trip to National League champions Lincoln will then pose a challenging end to August, while title favourites Mansfield come to Brunton Park for the start of September.

That month is then the busiest of the calendar, with seven league games to negotiate, including Tuesday nights at Coventry and at home to Stevenage, and a trip to Crewe, where Michael Raynes will be in the home defence.

Then comes October, and a home encounter with play-off opponents Exeter.

WINTER BLUES?

In some respects the fixture list has proved a little kinder on United's fans: starting and ending at home, while the Christmas period also sees a welcome change from last year's travelling.

Both Boxing Day and December 30 will see Brunton Park open for business. Accrington Stanley make the trip up the M6 on December 26, while the prospect of a decent away following will come with Coventry's visit four days later.

That pair of games follow Carlisle's visit to Forest Green, the National League play-off winners, and a first meeting with the Gloucestershire club since their own Conference days in 2004/5.

On December 23 United's fans will have to get by on vegan cuisine at the club famously powered by green energy businessman Dale Vince.

Once the Christmas turkey has fully digested, meanwhile, the Blues will start the new year at Mansfield on Monday, January 1, followed by another away day at Barnet five days later.

SPRING AWAKENING

Whatever United are in the hunt for come the spring time, their final few laps will be filled with familiar opponents.

A trip to Yeovil often seems to materialise at this time of year and that encounter is scheduled for February 24.

A couple of weeks later, and Blues fans will be making the well-trodden journey back to St James' Park, where hopefully the away clash with Exeter will revive memories of last season's final day, rather than the play-off defeat 12 days later.

Ibehre's return to Brunton Park comes on March 24 with Cambridge, while the run-in features a couple of their more reasonable trips of the season, for Morecambe and Port Vale are their final two away opponents.

The campaign ends, this time, with a home game against Newport. The Exiles were also United's final Brunton Park opponents of the regular season last time out.

A repeat of that afternoon, when Nicky Adams' stunning winner brought the house down, would be welcome indeed.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Look out for the Easter double-header of Cheltenham away and Lincoln at home. Don't be surprised if the first of those fixtures is nudged back a day to Good Friday.

The trip to Newport, on December 9, will hopefully see United play on a better pitch than the Welsh outfit offered last term. They are installing a new one, which has led the EFL to allow Newport to postpone home games until late August.

It will be a DESSO pitch, which is comprised of natural grass supported by artificial fibres.

Five midweek games, meanwhile, line up. There are away nights at Coventry's Ricoh Arena, Luton's Kenilworth Road and Notts County's Meadow Lane, and the floodlights will be on at Brunton Park for evenings against Stevenage and Wycombe.

Carlisle will face back-to-back away league games four times, and consecutive home matches three times.

The longest journey, a 696-mile round trip to Crawley, falls on September 30, with the nearest, 140 miles to Morecambe and back, is on April 14.