HARTLEPOOL UNITED will kick off the new League Two season with a home game against Colchester United following this morning’s release of the fixtures for 2016-17 campaign.

It is only the third time in eight seasons that Pools have started the season at Victoria Park, and they will follow their opening-day fixture with one of their longest trips of the season as they head to Exeter City on August 13.

Their opening midweek fixture sees them head to Crewe Alexandra three days later, before they round off August with back-to-back home games against Notts County and Newport.

Pools have signed two players from Grimsby Town this summer – Toto Nsalia and Padraig Amond – and they will head to Blundell Park to face their former club on October 1.

Craig Hignett’s side are at home on Boxing Day, when they will entertain Blackpool, and also on New Year’s Eve, when they host Morecambe.

They kick off 2017 with a trip to Accrington Stanley on January 2, and face two long midweek away trips next spring, with visits to Luton and Cambridge scheduled for February 14 and March 14 respectively.

The now traditional fancy dress extravaganza will take place at Cheltenham on April 29 – perhaps jockeys will be the outfit selection – before Pools end the season with a home game against Doncaster. It is only the second time in ten seasons that they will play their final game of the campaign at Victoria Park.

The Northern Echo: