The new season starts tomorrow with a home game against United’s most frequent opponent, Portsmouth. This will be the 79th time Oxford have played Pompey in all competitions, with United winning 23 of the previous 78 games and Portsmouth with slightly the better record, having won 29.

Click HERE to see our record against the boys from Fratton Park.

The last time we met Portsmouth on the opening day of the season was in 2013, a fantastic 4-1 win at Fratton thanks to a brace apiece from Deane Smalley and Alfie Potter, after Pompey had gone a goal up. We also played them on the opening days of the 1993/94 and 1987/88 seasons, both Oxford wins (3-2 in ’93 and 4-2 in the top flight in ’87, although that season didn’t end too well for the U’s). United also played their first home league game of the 2017/18 season against Portsmouth, Oxford winning 3-0 with a superb goal by Gino van Kessel on his debut – false dawns in a nutshell for our Gino.

Tomorrow’s game is just the eighth time since 1949 that United have played on 9th August. The first two opponents on this date were Huddersfield Town in 1969 and 1997 (a defeat and a win). The last three games on this date were all League Cup ties, including a brilliant win against Birmingham City at St Andrews in 2016, thanks to a 120th-minute Liam Sercombe goal to prevent the game going to penalties. Most recently was the 5-1 defeat at Bristol City two years back.

Click HERE to see all United’s previous 9th August games.

Tomorrow’s game promises to be another great occasion at Grenoble Road, with another sell-out crowd. Oxford fans will be looking forward to the competitive debuts of new signings Brian De Keersmaecker and Brodie Spencer, while there is also the possibility of cameo appearances from Will Lankshear and Nik Prelec, although the fifth new face, Luke Harris, is unlikely to feature after picking up an injury during pre-season. The only other injury doubts are Ciaron Brown and Ole Romeny.

Portsmouth, managed of course by United old-boy John Mousinho, will be without Colby Bishop, whereas their main threat will come from ex-Oxford winger Josh Murphy, whose two Wembley goals in May last year won’t mean anything in the heat of the battle.

Whatever happens tomorrow – win, lose or draw – it won’t define the season, but it would be nice to emulate last season’s opener when Oxford beat Norwich City 2-0 at the Kas.