COLCHESTER United fans have been busy filling their diaries today, after the Sky Bet League Two fixtures were released for the 2021-22 campaign.
It promises to be an exciting one for the U’s, with new head coach Hayden Mullins at the helm along with a number of new signings on board.
The Gazette has a closer look at some of the key matches, new challenges and rivalries that lie ahead for Colchester.
KICKING OFF
IT seems to have been the case on so many occasions, over the years.
But once again, Colchester United are on their travels on the opening day of the season.
The U’s game at Carlisle United on August 7 will be the fifth time in the last six seasons that they will be on the road for their curtain-raiser.
Colchester will be looking to secure their first opening-day win for a decade, when they make the 630-mile round trip to Brunton Park.
They last tasted victory on the first day when they beat Preston North End 4-2 at Deepdale, at the start of the 2011/12 season.
Since then, they have drawn eight and lost one of their nine first-day matches.
Colchester last started the season with a game against Carlisle back in 1964, with the Cumbrians claiming a 1-0 win.
The U’s claimed a crucial 2-1 victory over Carlisle the last time the teams met, last March.
Carlisle won the corresponding fixture 3-2 at Brunton Park last October, thanks to goals from Lewis Alessandra, Jon Mellish and Aaron Hayden.
Of course, the trip to Cumbria will rekindle memories of Colchester's dramatic final-day escape act when they won 2-0 to stay in League One, in 2013.
Former U’s winger Brennan Dickenson can be counted among the Carlisle ranks.
NEW CHALLENGES
COLCHESTER United will face new boys Sutton United for the first time in the league.
The U’s will host the newly-crowned National League champions on September 4 and follow that up with their inaugural league visit to Gander Green Lane, on December 29.
Colchester’s final game of the season will be a trip to play-off National League play-off winners Hartlepool United, who are back in the EFL following a four-year absence.
Colchester will have to wait until May 7 before they make the trip to Victoria Park.
It will be their first visit to the venue since they took on Pools there on the opening day of the 2016-17 season, in a game that ended as a 1-1 draw.
Before that, Colchester host Hartlepool at the JobServe Community Stadium on December 18.
FRIENDS REUNITED
FORMER Colchester boss John McGreal is set to return to the JobServe Community Stadium for the first time since leaving the club last summer when he brings his Swindon Town side to Essex, on January 29.
Before that, the U’s travel to the County Ground on September 25 to take on the Robins who have come down from League One.
Of the other teams who were relegated last season, Colchester host Bristol Rovers on October 19 before visiting Joey Barton’s side for the return match, on Tuesday, March 15.
Northampton Town provide Colchester’s first opponents in the league at the JobServe Community Stadium, visiting Essex on August 14 before the return match on February 19.
The U’s make an early-season trip to play Rochdale on August 28, with the corresponding fixture on January 8.
RIVALRIES RENEWED
SOUTHEND United’s relegation to the National League has meant Colchester’s games against Leyton Orient and Stevenage are the nearest they will get to derby matches, this season.
The O’s, with Kenny Jackett now at the helm, will be at the JobServe Community Stadium on Boxing Day and will travel to East London to take on Orient, on February 5.
Stevenage, with Luke Prosser, Luke Norris and Ben Coker in their ranks, host Colchester on November 20 with the return match at the U’s, on April 9.
CLOCKING UP THE MILES
COLCHESTER United are set to travel a total of 8,856 miles to and from away games, this season.
Colchester's longest away journey is once again to Barrow, where they will travel nearly 650 miles in total.
The U’s make the long trip up to Holker Street, on September 11.
Indeed, the first four trips for Hayden Mullins’ side in the opening weeks of the season are all long ones – Carlisle, Oldham, Rochdale and Barrow.
Colchester have six round trips of 500 miles or more and 12 of 400 miles or more, this season.
Their shortest journey will see the U's heading to Hertfordshire to play Stevenage in November, a round trip of 118 miles.
TUESDAY TUSSLES
COLCHESTER United have six scheduled Tuesday night fixtures in the league, with three at home and three away.
All of the U’s home midweek fixtures are in the first half of the season – against Mansfield Town (August 17), Bristol Rovers (October 19) and Exeter City (November 23).
The U’s then travel to play Bradford City (December 7), Mansfield (February 8) and Bristol Rovers (March 15).
Colchester’s game at Salford City last season was postponed on two occasions before finally being played on March 16.
The U’s are back at Moor Lane this season, on January 22.
THE SEASON OF GOODWILL
FOR the first time in three years, Colchester United will be at home on Boxing Day with Leyton Orient the visitors.
The U’s will be hoping for a bumper crowd at the JobServe Community Stadium for that fixture – here’s hoping fans will be back in stadiums as ‘normal’ by that point.
The U’s are on the road for the next two games after that, against Sutton United (December 29) and Crawley Town (New Year’s Day), with Broadfield Stadium traditionally familiar territory for the U’s over the festive period.
Colchester face a long trip to play Exeter City on Good Friday before hosting Bradford City in an Easter Monday clash.
FAMILIAR FACES
COLCHESTER fans will have no doubt noted John McGreal’s aforementioned return to the JobServe Community Stadium with Swindon Town, in January.
With a number of the players who left the U’s this summer still looking for clubs, there could well be a number of other familiar faces returning to North Essex in opposition colours, in the 2021-22 campaign.
One recent former Colchester player who has already found a new club is Ben Stevenson, who is set to return to the U’s with Forest Green Rovers, on March 19.
And Luke Norris, Luke Prosser and Ben Coker are all set to be back with Stevenage for a pre-Easter clash, on April 9.
Craig Eastmond was a big part of the Sutton side that won promotion and will be looking forward to returning to his former club.
THE RUN-IN
COLCHESTER United begin and end their 2021-22 League Two campaign with long away trips.
Having started against Carlisle on August 7, they will finish with a journey to play Hartlepool United, on May 7.
Indeed the U’s will be clocking up the miles in the final weeks of the season, with games at Harrogate Town (April 2), Exeter City (April 15) and Newport County (April 23) preceding that game at Victoria Park.
Colchester’s final home game of the season is against Walsall, on April 30.
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