Mixed feelings for Alan Hardy over Notts County League Two fixtures

Alan Hardy has spoken excitedly about the prospect of taking on Lincoln City this season in League Two and also of facing Coventry City in the very first game of the season, but was unhappy with the festive program.

The EFL fixtures for each of their three divisions were published at 9am on Wednesday, with Pride of Nottingham at Meadow Lane to cover the reveal as it happened.

The draw was not kind to the Magpies, however, as the Sky Blues and Chesterfield, both of whom were relegated from League One in 2016-17, would be first and second to take on Kevin Nolan's charges this season.

Hardy was happy enough with the initial set of games, but was even more excited about renewing rivalries with the Imps and with Mansfield Town.

He told the Nottingham Post: "The Mansfield game will obviously be massive with a big crowd, but I am really looking forward to playing Lincoln.

"Their boys will be cock-a-hoop after the season they have had and they will be full of confidence. I can't wait to get them here on our new pitch.

"But overall I can't wait. Coventry away for the first game is a top, top, draw. It will be tough, but how exciting?"

The post-Christmas fixtures are not kind either - Notts will travel to Morecambe on Boxing Day before a trip to Swindon just four days later.

"There are two disappointments for me and the first is that we play Morecambe on Boxing Day," Hardy continued.

"That means the fans are going to have to leave at 10am in the morning and is that really fair on their families?

"It's a poor fixture for us and that is then followed by another long trip to Swindon over the holiday period.

"It's also the seventh consecutive season we are away on the opening day and that can't be right."

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