Today is a massive day for both Oxford United and Cambridge United as we meet at the Abbey Stadium.

For our opponents, it’s their first game back in League One after years of fighting their way back up from the Conference.

That will mean a big crowd and plenty of noise, but I’ll be very impressed if they outsing our sold-out away end.

It’s going to be emotional for us to finally play in front of our travelling fans for the first time since we won at Shrewsbury in the most dramatic style 17 months ago.

Karl Robinson: I've never been this excited for a season

Wherever we go, we take some of the loudest supporters in huge numbers and I hope everyone attending enjoys their day.

Can I ask one thing of you? If you’re going, then be kind to those around you.

Not everyone will be completely comfortable to be back in a big crowd again so respect everyone near you, look after each other and get behind us for what we know will be a difficult match.

Someone said to me ‘oh, that’s a tough game because they just came up’. Yes, correct.

But pick a team and you can say the same thing: ‘Ipswich at home? Oh that’s difficult’, ‘Wimbledon away? Oh, their fans at the new ground’.

I could list 23 other clubs and still people would be saying how tough it is.

But that just underlines how challenging this season is going to be.

Every single game will be a massive test for us, but we like that.

We love a challenge and we’ll face every game head on.

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I think we’ve recruited really well and look like we have a stronger squad with more depth than the last two seasons.

We hope to add more players to that, so we’re in good shape.

I don’t think you can read anything at all into our pre-season results, but we’ve got the minutes we wanted into every player.

Other than a couple who are having to self-isolate, and Jamie Hanson with his dislocated shoulder, we have everyone available.

I think the buzz has built every day this summer.

Season tickets went on sale, signings arrived, kits were revealed, games were played, and the whole thing was aimed at just one thing: Being ready at 3pm today.

Sadly I won’t be in the dugout today because it’s the fourth game of my suspension hanging over from last season.

I would have missed Wembley if we made the play-off final, but instead it’s the first game of the season, which I’m not sure is a lot better.

That means I’m in the stands for my 600th game as a manager.

I was so proud to manage for the first time and still have the same feeling after all those other matches.

A little bit of me keeps ticking off the milestones: 650 by the end of the season, 700 not that far away, all the time climbing up towards 1,000 games as a manager which would be a wonderful achievement.

I guess I’m always going to remember No 600.

I just hope it can be for all the right reasons today.