It's not perfect but the whole fixture list feels better balanced and more sensible than last year. We have a decent balance of home and away fixtures up until Mid June, we look to play every side bar Wakey in the first 12 rounds and then we do play Wakey for the first time in June, compared to playing Hull for the first time in Mid August last season. It's also positive that the games have been split up more, so the standard set up is to have 4 stand alone fixtures on Thursday, 2x Saturday and Sunday and then just 2 games clashing on a Friday night.

At least you play Catalans A at a good time. I'm taking my eldest lad and we are at the end of March with flights scarce and not easy.
We've ended up going from Liverpool to Barcelona on the Friday and then flying back from Carcassone to Manchester on the Sunday.
Can't see the weather being warm enough at the end of March for beers stood outside in Perpignan

I think we only have one Thursday game Leigh H

Wonder if the 7 weeks away from the Brick will allow for some work to be done on the stadium itself as well as the pitch? Could do with some new seats ideally, they're a bit tired.

Opening game should be good - shame its on a Thursday as that always hurts the attendance but hopefully should get close to 20k. Playing the same three fixtures twice in the opening eleven rounds is just daft but I understand the complications around various clubs sharing grounds.

Seeing Vegas on the fixture list prompted me to give it a bit of thought for the first time and can't get away from the nagging feeling that its a vanity project more than anything else. Rads made some vague comments about the need to do things differently and a desire to be involved in big events but I'd like to have more understanding of the tangible benefits or at least the path to them further down the line.