Manager Darren Patterson was shocked to find out Oxford United's first game of the season was at Barrow - on a Friday night.

The release of the Blue Square fixtures saw TV company Setanta break new ground once again when their wish to have a curtain-raiser - a day before the official start of the season - was granted.

And it was bad news for United, who now face a nightmare trip to Cumbria for a 7.30 kick-off - a probable 12-hour round trip.

On hearing the news - broken to him by the Oxford Mail - Patterson replied: "You're joking - just wait until the players hear this."

He added: "It is always exciting when the fixtures come out, and we do have to go there at some point - so I guess it gives us a great chance to go top of the table!"

United then face two back-to-back home games against Weymouth and Eastbourne Borough, before another long midweek trip - to Wrexham on Thursday, August 21 - in another game live on Setanta.

For the first time since 2004, the U's are away on Boxing Day - to Salisbury - who they face at home on New Year's Day. They end their campaign at home to Northwich on April 25.

United secretary Mick Brown, who is also on the Conference board of directors, said: "We've have to play Barrow away sometime, and there are pros and cons when we do it - although obviously we didn't have a choice about it.

"We could have needed to go there in the middle of the holidays on a Saturday when traffic would be bad, or even in the middle of winter when conditions could be worse, so there aren't just negatives.

"But Setanta are obviously trail-blazers in things they do.

"It did come up at a board meeting - some people were very much against the idea of bringing one game forward to kick-off the season, while others had no worries about it happening.

"It's a very long trek and I do understand concerns some people have about it."

Setanta's Matt Curtis, responsible for choosing the televised matches, said that the idea means that the Blue Square will kick-off the whole football season.

"I wanted the league to start the season and this was the way to do it," he said.

"It is great that the first action of the 2008-9 campaign will be from the Blue Square Premier - it will give it much more coverage.

"Obviously I apologise to Oxford fans for the long trip on a Friday, but I am hoping that the fact many fans would not have seen the game in Barrow, they now have an opportunity to do so."

Dennis Strudwick, the Blue Square Premier general manager, said: "We had a discussion and there were no votes against the idea from anyone on the board.

"That Friday was a complete blank and so it gives the league the opportunity for some good coverage."

Alan Alger, of sponsors Blue Square, was keen to point out that they had nothing to do with the fixtures or the choice of Setanta games.

However, he admitted that he felt sorry for the United fans.

"As sponsors, we are sympathetic to the Oxford supporters as we obviously want as many people as possible to watch matches.

"However, the Setanta deal is crucial to the league and so they do have a big say in what happens."

The Football League's John Nagle admitted he was surprised by the decision.

"I can't remember anything like that happening before," he said.

"We have had a lunchtime kick-off on the opening day before or even an evening kick-off, but never a day before."

An FA spokesman added: "This is not something I am aware has happened before, but it isn't anything actually to do with us, so I cannot really say more than that."