STANLEY captain Luke Joyce is relishing the start of the new season after the Reds were handed a plum draw in the Capital One Cup.
The 2014/15 league fixtures have been announced this week, with Stanley starting their League Two campaign with a home game against Southend on Saturday, August 9.
The draw for the first round of the Capital One Cup has also been made and the Reds will be visiting Championship outfit Leeds during the week commencing August 11.
Joyce is one of just three survivors from the only previous meeting between the two clubs, a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie in December 2009, which Leeds won 2-0 at Elland Road
“It’ll be nice to go back,” said Joyce. “It’s a great place to play and all the Yorkshire lads are really looking forward to it.
“It’s relatively local and a big stadium. They’ve got a good team, it’s a proper club with a great history, so it’s a great draw for us.”
The Southend game means Stanley will start the season at home for the first time in four years.
The Reds then visit Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Bury in August while also hosting Luton.
A trip to York awaits on Boxing Day while the home game against derby rivals Morecambe is on November 1, with the reverse fixture on April 4, which is Easter Saturday.
James Beattie’s men finish their league campaign at home to Mansfield on May 2.
“It’s nice to start at home for a change,” Joyce added.
“The first few games make it a tough start so we have to make sure we improve on the start we made last season. It wasn’t good enough.
“Hopefully we can build on how we finished last season instead.”
The Reds are due to report back for pre-season training on July 7.
STANLEY FIXTURES FOR 2014/15:
August
Sat 9 Southend United H
W/c 11 Leeds United A COC
Sat 16 Cheltenham Town A
Tue 19 Shrewsbury Town A 7.45pm
Sat 23 Luton Town H
Sat 30 Bury A
September
Sat 6 Tranmere Rovers H
Sat 13 A.F.C. Wimbledon H
Tue 16 Oxford United A 7.45pm
Sat 20 Northampton A
Sat 27 Plymouth Argyle H
October
Sat 4 Mansfield Town A
Sat 11 Dagenham & Red H
Sat 18 Stevenage A
Tue 21 Hartlepool H 7.45pm
Sat 25 Newport County A
November
Sat 1 Morecambe H
Sat 15 Carlisle United A
Sat 22 Cambridge United H
Sat 29 Exeter City H
December
Sat 13 Portsmouth A
Sat 20 Wycombe H
Fri 26 York City A
Sun 28 Burton Albion H
January
Sat 3 Exeter City A
Sat 10 Bury H
Sat 17 Tranmere Rovers A
Sat 24 A.F.C. Wimbledon A
Sat 31 Northampton H
February
Sat 7 Plymouth Argyle A
Tue 10 Oxford United H 7.45pm
Sat 14 Southend United A
Sat 21 Cheltenham Town H
Sat 28 Luton Town A
March
Tue 3 Shrewsbury Town H 7.45pm
Sat 7 Portsmouth H
Sat 14 Burton Albion A
Tue 17 Wycombe Wand A 7.45pm
Sat 21 York City H
Sat 28 Newport County H
April
Sat 4 Morecambe A
Mon 6 Carlisle United H
Sat 11 Cambridge United A
Tue 14 Hartlepool A 7.45pm
Sat 18 Stevenage H
Sat 25 Dagenham & Red A
May
Sat 2 Mansfield Town H
*fixtures subject to change
