Opening fixtures offer a chance for the Brewers to 'make a statement'

BURTON Albion could have asked for a slightly softer start to their 2026/27 league campaign, but they have the chance to make a statement right off the bat and from the get go - just like they did last season.

- BY DAN NEWBOULD

The super computer has handed them Stevenage at home, one of the surprise packages of the season who reached the play-offs and won 1-0 in the reverse fixture last year, before a huge trip to Leicester City, which everyone is already looking forward to, and then newly promoted Notts County, who will be in party mode and well up for a scalp.

September starts slightly softer with new boys Cambridge after AFC Wimbledon, but then Oxford, under new manager Aaron Ramsey, will come like a juggernaut before darkhorses Mansfield and promotion contenders Plymouth and Alex Hartridge.

As if that wasn't enough, big spending Huddersfield start October, a month which also has former Brewers favourite Jake Beesley and ambitious Bradford City coming to town.

But they can take comfort and confidence from last year, when they started the campaign in the best possible fashion with a convincing home win over Mansfield through Charlie Webster's brilliance, a result that aged even better with how Nigel Clough's men went on to do throughout the season, ultimately ending in the top 10, and they have the opportunity to do the same again this time out.