Manager looks over 2013/14 Championship fixtures
After looking through Town’s 2013/14 fixtures, Manager Mark Robins told htafc.com that there is plenty to do before his team is ready to face Nottingham Forest on August 3.
Town open with a trip to the City Ground before welcoming relegated Queens Park Rangers to Huddersfield.
Click HERE to view Town’s 2013/14 Championship fixtures
“Fixture release day signals the start of the new season,” said Mark. “We can now start planning around those fixtures, which like they do in any league, always look tough on paper.
“Forest away is a tough fixture at any stage of the season and it is a very tasty one to open the season with. We return to pre-season next week and we will make sure that the players are fully ready to hit the ground running on August 3.”
The Terriers' last trip to the City Ground began with James Vaughan volleying Town into an early lead, but a first half meltdown saw them eventually lose 6-1.
“That game is well and truly in the past now and we need to look forward,” Mark said. “Our opening month will be difficult as will the ones that follow! The games are broken up nicely during the opening three months with international breaks, which will allow the players, managers and fans a brief respite before the busy Christmas campaign.
“We have got a lot of work to do between now and the start of the season with our pre-season fixtures, but also in terms of recruitment. We are working hard on bringing new, fresh faces into the football club, but I think everyone can see that the market is fairly slow at the moment. I would imagine that things will kick off fairly shortly, but we have been working hard during the summer months and it hasn’t just been a case of going on holiday. Everybody connected with the recruitment process is working overtime to try and do what we need to do, to give ourselves a good platform for next season.”
Town has one home game on home soil before welcoming Bradford City in the Capital One Cup when La Liga side Real Betis visit for a pre-season friendly – click HERE for more information.
“The first couple of home fixtures against Bradford in the Cup and QPR in the league are again tough fixtures, but they are really great. I am sure they have whetted the appetite of our fans.”
Fixtures between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day suit Town fans with home ties against Derby and Yeovil.
“In my opinion it doesn’t really matter if we are home or away,” Mark said. “Just before Christmas Day we have got a long trip to Brighton before playing Derby and Yeovil at home. In general I think the fixtures are really good. We have got some long trips during the week to places like Bournemouth and Yeovil, but they are games that we can be excited about.”
The Terriers return for pre-season next week and it will be Robins’ first for two seasons.
“I am looking forward to it,” he said. “Pre-season is a key time for any team and management structure. It is a time when you have everyone together and ideally you would like people in before the start of it. That may still prove to be the case for us, but we will have to wait and see. A lot of tough running will take place during the first few weeks before the games begin.”
2013/14 Season Cards are on sale – click HERE