Former Leeds and Northern Ireland international Feeney pleased with home fixture on opening day

Crawley Town assistant coach Warren Feeney is pleased to have a home tie on the first day of the 2017/18 season.
Warren Feeney with Harry KewellWarren Feeney with Harry Kewell
Warren Feeney with Harry Kewell

The fixtures were released today and Reds will host Port Vale, who were relegated from League One, on August 5.

Feeney, who was at Leeds as a trainee with new head coach Harry Kewell, said: "I think you are always pleased to get a home tie. You work so hard over pre-season and build up to the league starting so it will be a good game for us.

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"Obviously Port Vale have just come down from the league above. Brownie (Port Vale boss Michael Brown) has had a chance to bring in his own people in over the summer and really stamp his mark.

Crawley Town's fixtures at a glanceCrawley Town's fixtures at a glance
Crawley Town's fixtures at a glance

"It will be a good game for us. It’s the first game of the season and hopefully one we will look at to get the three points."

Feeney, who played 46 times for Northern Ireland between 2022-2011, is not one to look ahead at all the fixtures.

He said: "I used to do it in blocks, say blocks of six. Every other manager and coaching staff will be different. The gaffer has his plan and what he wants to do but it starts in the next few weeks and we are really looking forward to it."

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Reds fans have a trip to Accrington Stanley on Saturday December 23 and a trip to Yeovil on January 1 but in between Christmas and New Year have two home ties against Colchester United and Stevenage.

And although it's nice not to travel too far over the festive period, Feeney and Kewell are used to it.

He said: "It is nice. But if you ask the manager and myself we were always in hotels over Christmas so we were used to being away. We have the two home games but we will treat them like any other games. It’s good for the fans and we will probably get more of a crowd.