Oxford United's hopes of getting extra time to prepare for their move into The Kassam Stadium look to have been dashed.

The newly-relegated club had asked the Football League if they could have their first league match of next season away to give them an additional few days' grace.

But United boss Mark Wright and secretary Mick Brown admit they have heard that the opening match, on Saturday August 11, will be at home.

The Nationwide League fixtures are released this Thursday, mid-morning, and United director Bill Smith says he has not yet seen a draft copy.

However, Wright said: "I have heard that our opening game is at home. With the new stadium, we had asked for dispensation and to have the first game away, but it appears that's not happened, which seems a bit ridiculous."

Brown believes United will be at home, following a communication he received from the Football League that their request to be away "may not" have been successful.

But Brown says it will not pose a problem.

"When I wrote in the middle of March requesting for us to be away first match, it was really in case we were behind with any construction work. But we are on schedule, and will need to be ready for our pre-season game against Crystal Palace the week before.

"I have since heard from the League that, due to police requests, not necessarily the Oxford ones, we are likely to be at home.

"There is a contingency plan that, should we feel the need to do so because of problems, we could ask for a switch but as it stands I hope that's not going to be the case. We are not anticipating any problems."

Smith said: "We're having to prepare ourselves for the Crystal Palace game anyway. And we will be ready.

"It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand extra time to get ourselves sorted at the new stadium might have been helpful to us, but on the other hand, it's a week earlier that we get some revenue in, and that would be useful."

If United are handed a home game for starters, it may upset some of their fans who have already booked their summer holidays for then

*The draw for the first round of next season's Worthington Cup will take place at 10am on Tuesday.

All rounds of this competition are now one-legged.