Fleetwood Town are set to face Carlisle United on Saturday 5 August in a Sky Bet League One opener, and we have all you need to know ahead of the 3pm kick-off in our match preview.
Fixture: Carlisle United vs Fleetwood Town
Competition: Sky Bet League One
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: Brunton Park, Warwick Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1LL
FLEETWOOD TOWN
Town are all set to face Carlisle at Brunton Park at the weekend in what will be a highly anticipated encounter, as it will be the first-ever league meeting between the two sides. Even though a first meeting in League One is coming on Saturday, the sides have met plenty of times in the cup competitions in recent years.
Admitting that his men have done what he and his coaches have asked in preparation for the new campaign, head coach Scott Brown is looking forward to the season ahead. He’s fully aware is also fully aware that the hosts will not be push-overs and will want to prove straight away that they deserve the right to be in this division following their promotion last Summer.
Brown is determined to start better than they started the last - a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Port Vale - a familiar face in Fleetwood’s side that day was Joe Garner, who now represents Carlisle, alongside Ryan Edmondson and Dan Butterworth who were both loanees on the Fylde coast.
With new transfers well embedded and preparations complete, the Cods are ready for the new campaign in what is Town’s historic ninth consecutive season in League One – a record in the league. The gaffer has praised his Fleetwood side’s application and performances in pre-season as it breeds confidence for Town to take into the opener.
CARLISLE UNITED
Carlisle are the new boys of League One in what is a welcome return to the division for the fans and everyone surrounding the club after spending nine years away in the fourth tier of English football.
With Paul Simpson at the helm, someone who has spent both playing and coaching time at the club and was raised a stone-throw away from Brunton Park, the Cumbrians would wish for nothing more than to give their fans the best welcome back present in the form of three points at home on the opening day of the season.
The Cumbrians finished in fifth place in last year’s League Two which meant they had a shot at gaining promotion - they overcame Bradford City 3-2 on aggregate over two legs in what was an entertaining semi-final affair, to then come out victorious in the Play-Off final at Wembley beating Stockport County 5-4 on penalties after 120 minutes of Football.
With experience at League One level in Paul Huntington, Joe Garner, and new-recruit Sam Lavelle, alongside fans’ favourite and local boy Owen Moxon pulling the strings in the midfield, Simpson believes he has a recipe to achieve his aims in a bid to cement the Cumbrians status as a Sky Bet League One side after nearly a decade away.
In addition to the old faces at the club, new ammunition has joined in the likes of Sean Maguire, Dylan McGeough, semi-final play-off hero Ben Barclay on a permanent signing, and youngster Fin Back has returned for a second spell on loan from Nottingham Forest.
TICKET NEWS
Scott Brown's side will make the short trip up north to Carlisle on the opening day of the 2023/24 season, and you can be backing the lads from the stands by purchasing on the gate if you haven't got your seat sorted already!
The Cod Army have been allocated seats in the Pioneer Food Stand, with prices as follows:
PAY-ON-THE-GATE TICKET PRICES:
Adults: £26
Seniors (65+): £23
Young adults (18-22): £20
Juniors (14-17): £13
Juniors (11-13)*: £13
Family Junior (11-17)**: £11
Under-11s*: £10
Under-7s*: £6
Wheelchair: £23 with Carer free of charge
* For those who purchase a Juniors ticket (Under-14) and those Under-11s and Under-7s MUST be accompanied by an Adult, a Senior or a young person who is over the age of 18.
** For those purchasing a Family Junior ticket, you can purchase a maximum of 2 Family Junior tickets for every adult ticket or a maximum of 2 Family Junior tickets for every senior ticket purchased. Any Junior tickets purchased on top of this or sold individually should be charged as a full-price Junior (Under-14s) or Junior as an Under-18s ticket.