Carlisle United 2024/25 League Two season fixtures revealed

And their first home game back in League Two is an all-Cumbrian clash against Barrow.

The fixtures, released today, set out United's full campaign as they return to the fourth tier.

The Blues will make the 335.1-mile trip to Kent to start life back in League Two against the Gills on the weekend of August 10.

It is the first time in four years that United will have begun a new campaign with an away fixture.

And Paul Simpson's side will need to end a long hoodoo in order to start the season on a winning note, given that Carlisle have not beaten Gillingham away from home since December 1994.

United take on fellow Cumbrians Barrow in their first home league game (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Their most recent trip, in March 2023, brought a 1-0 defeat for the Cumbrians.

The game at the Priestfield Stadium against Mark Bonner's Gills - the first time United have started a season against the Kent outfit - will give a new-look Blues side their first chance to impress following relegation from League One.

And it is followed a week later by Brunton Park's first league game of the season - against Barrow.

It will be the first league game at the stadium following major summer development work at the ground.

And a bumper home crowd will be expected against United's south Cumbrian visitors.

United's first month of the campaign continues with a trip to MK Dons and a home clash with Tranmere Rovers.

Other key dates in the campaign include a Boxing Day home clash with Morecambe, where former United captain Danny Grainger is the new assistant manager.

United are also at home on December 29, against Accrington Stanley, before a New Year's Day trip to Crewe Alexandra.

Easter weekend sees Carlisle away to Port Vale on Good Friday, before going to Accrington Stanley on Easter Monday.

The away clash with Barrow comes on Saturday, March 1, while United's first-ever meetings with newly-promoted Bromley are on November 16 (away) and March 22 (home).

There are midweek away games against Walsall, Notts County and Chesterfield, and midweek home encounters with Notts County, Crewe and Walsall.

And the Cumbrians will end their 46-game season with a home game against Salford City on Saturday, May 3, a week after their last away game at 

Full fixture list

Sat Aug 10 Gillingham A
Sat Aug 17 Barrow H
Sat Aug 24 Milton Keynes Dons A
Sat Aug 31 Tranmere Rovers H
Sat Sep 7 Bradford City A 
Sat Sep 14 Fleetwood Town H
Sat Sep 21 Swindon Town A
Sat Sep 28 Grimsby Town H
Tue Oct 1 Notts County H
Sat Oct 5 Colchester United A
Sat Oct 12 A.F.C. Wimbledon A
Sat Oct 19 Harrogate Town H
Tue Oct 22 Walsall A
Sat Oct 26 Cheltenham Town H
Sat Nov 9 Salford City A
Sat Nov 16 Bromley A 
Sat Nov 23 Doncaster Rovers H
Tue Dec 3 Crewe Alexandra H
Sat Dec 7 Newport County A
Sat Dec 14 Chesterfield H
Sat Dec 21 Port Vale A
Thu Dec 26 Morecambe H
Sun Dec 29 Accrington Stanley H
Wed Jan 1 Crewe Alexandra A
Sat Jan 4 Tranmere Rovers A
Sat Jan 11 Milton Keynes Dons H
Sat Jan 18 Bradford City H
Sat Jan 25 Fleetwood Town A
Tue Jan 28 Notts County A
Sat Feb 1 Swindon Town H
Sat Feb 8 Grimsby Town A
Sat Feb 15 Colchester United H
Sat Feb 22 Gillingham H
Sat Mar 1 Barrow A 
Tue Mar 4 Walsall H
Sat Mar 8 Harrogate Town A
Sat Mar 15 A.F.C. Wimbledon H
Sat Mar 22 Bromley H 
Sat Mar 29 Doncaster Rovers A 
Tue Apr 1 Chesterfield A
Sat Apr 5 Newport County H
Sat Apr 12 Morecambe A
Fri Apr 18 Port Vale H
Mon Apr 21 Accrington Stanley A
Sat Apr 26 Cheltenham Town A 
Sat May 3 Salford City H

* Some fixtures will be subject to change under the new Sky Sports/EFL broadcasting deal, which will see at least 20 United games on Sky next season.

United's opening game, at 3pm on August 10, will be on Sky Sports +, the broadcaster's new streaming channel.

All games selected for broadcast on Sky Sports' main event/football channels for the period to the end of September will be announced within the next seven days.

And all TV selections up to early January will be confirmed before the start of the season, the EFL have added.