HAVING spent Thursday morning flicking through Stanley's fixture list for 2018/19 Sean McConville has seen nothing to fear as the Reds prepare for life in League One.

The release of the fixtures for next season saw focus shift amongst John Coleman's squad - from the glory of last season's League Two title-winning campaign to the challenge that lies ahead next term.

The squad spent the morning swapping messages about the fixture list, with former Premier League side Charlton the first big name visitors to the Wham Stadium on the third weekend of the season before Sunderland arrive on Saturday, December 8.

McConville also believes it was the moment that attention turned to life in League One after the achievements of 2017/18.

"This is the day, once the fixtures come out everyone can look forward to next season," the 29-year-old said.

"I don’t think anyone will forget last season, I still get goosebumps thinking about it now, but it’s sinking in more as the time goes on, it was a roller coaster ride I’ll never forget, but fixture day is ‘heads on next season now'.

"We were on the chat, the fixtures come out and then everyone is ‘right, onto next season now’. Before that I don’t think anyone has mentioned it.

"It’s the day it sinks in. You can pinpoint games, I look at who we're playing around the kids birthdays, the Boxing Day game."

Stanley begin the season with a home clash against Gillingham, a fixture that has produced 20 goals in the last three games, on Saturday, August 4.

That includes a 4-3 win for Stanley in January 2012 and a 7-4 success for the Reds in a never-to-be-forgotten game in October 2012, in which McConville scored the first of 11 goals.

The Gills finished just six points clear of the League One drop zone last season and McConville believes it gives Stanley the perfect chance to open with a win.

"I remember beating Gillingham 7-4 at home. It was a fascinating game, I scored that day. It was a crazy game," the former Chester winger said.

"To start off with a home game against Gillingham, there’s nothing to be scared of in Gillingham, we’ll be trying to win that game."

The first away game of the season is a trip to Bristol Rovers on Saturday, August 11, before that visit of Charlton.

It could be party time on the Fylde Coast when Stanley travel to Blackpool on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

"Bristol Rovers away, that’s another winnable game. I’ve played against them in League Two, I think we beat them 1-0 the year we just missed out," McConville said.

"Then it’s Charlton at home. I remember going to watch Everton play Charlton, I think we lost, so for me Charlton are a Premier League club. They’ll bring a lot of fans.

"There’s some massive games in there but there’s none to fear. I’ve counted that I’ve played against 22 of the teams I think, so there won’t be any surprises there."

Although Stanley have already been installed as favourites for relegation from the third tier next season, McConville, who scored 12 times last season, believes they will start the campaign as the most confident side in the division.

"When you think about it we’ll probably be the most confident team in League One, because we won League Two," he said.

"Teams coming down aren’t going to be confident, teams who just survived aren’t going to be confident, we'll be the most confident team going into that campaign.

"We need to play the way we did last season and we’ll take a lot of teams by surprise."

Christmas brings Stanley a home game with last year's beaten play-off finalists Shrewsbury Town on Boxing Day and a Wham Stadium fixture with Peterborough on December 12, while it's Bradford City away on New Year's Day.

Coleman's side head to the Valley to face Charlton on January 19 and then to the Stadium of Light for a clash with Sunderland on February 16.