HAMILTON manager Billy Reid will willingly sacrifice a Saturday game to open his new season in return for the end of their 19-year exile from the top flight.
Accies start their Clydesdale Bank Premier League season at home to Dundee United on Monday, August 11 at New Douglas Park.
The First Division champions at least get to mark their achievement in front of their home fans after St Mirren were contro
versially forced to travel to Inverness on their return to the SPL two years ago.
Reid said: "We are happy to get a home tie and unfurl the league flag as champions. I suppose we would have liked a Saturday but we are in the top league now and that involves Sundays and Monday nights and live television, and we will take what's given to us."
The Lanarkshire side then face consecutive away games against Inverness and Kilmarnock before hosting Hearts, and Reid is looking for his side to hit the ground running.
"The first three or four games of the season are games where we are looking to put points on the board, that's the case for everybody," he added.
"That's no disrespect to the likes of Inverness and Kilmarnock, they are seasoned SPL teams and going there will be tough. But if we want to make an impression on the league we have to take points from these games."
The New Douglas Park clash is one of three games to be screened live by Setanta on the opening weekend.
Rangers fans are furious with the SPL fixtures for the new season – particularly in the opening month of the campaign.
The Ibrox club will play three out of four games away from home – including tough trips to Aberdeen and Celtic.
Sandwiched between those two clashes will be their final Champions League qualifier.
"It's mystifying," said Stephen Smith, spokesman for the Rangers Supporters Trust.
"Most people I've spoken to aren't very happy and can't understand why the games can't be played home and away alternately instead of three out of four games away from home. One of the Champions League qualifiers will also be away from home so there is a 50 per cent chance of having three consecutive games away from home.
"Being mindful of how the season ended, this could cause a lot of problems for us again."
The full article contains 399 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
