Rovers commence their 2008/09 campaign with the rarity of an opening day home game. The early challenge will be presented by ex-Gas Manager John Ward's Carlisle United team who did so well last season to reach the Play-Offs and finished just two points short of an automatic promotion.

Rovers have strengthened their team over the summer with a couple of astute purchases whilst United have lost Joe Garner to Nottingham Forest, Keiren Westwood to Coventry, whilst Kevin Gall has gone to Lincoln on loan and Paul Arnison joined Bradford. Ben Williams has been brought in from Crewe to fill Westwood's position in goal and Michael Bridges has come in on a season long loan from Premiership newcomers Hull City.

The latest injury news from Brunton Park is that midfielders Chris Lumsdon and Grant Smith have both been ruled out of the game through injury. Lumsdon will see a surgeon over a persistent back spasm while Smith has a slight tear in a thigh muscle. Lumsden made 42 appearances for United last season while Smith played 18 times after joining in January. John Ward said," It's frustrating but we just have to get on with it."

Danny Coles looks set to be out of action for at least two weeks after suffering what appears to be slight ligament damage this afternoon. I was 'on line' to Danny's brother on Facebook the other night and he updated me on his brother's progress. Many of the younger players have Facebook accounts and it is always nice to converse or even play them at Premier League Football!

Ryan Green was also withdrawn from action in the opening half of the match, and Paul says both will be assessed over the coming days and weeks. "Danny opened up his medial ligament a bit," Paul Trollope noted, "He went to pass the ball and a block tackle came from nowhere, and his body wasn't ready or set for it."

"He opened up his knee, although it's not too bad and not to the extent of Joe Jacobson's, he is likely to be out for a couple of weeks. Ryan had a tight hamstring and we didn't want to take any risks with that" The theme over the last few years has been injury prevention, and up until about a week ago it was looking like that was going well for us again," he said, "We've been a bit unfortunate, but you have to take that and move on.

"We hope to have most of the players back in training this week, and all being well, aside from the longer term ones, the squad will be more or less firing fit ahead of next weekend."

The Cumbrians have had the disappointment of losing their last two pre-season friendly games at Morcombe and Workington John Ward has criticised his team's display in the 3-1 friendly defeat by Workington Reds. Their opponents outplayed the Blues, who included last season's top scorer Danny Graham and Michael Bridges, on Monday. "We played against a team with more determination than us and that hurts me," Ward said.

"It's the players that can select themselves and one or two of them have turned down their chance tonight. Workington have given us a lesson in how to get ready for a game and that's something we are going to have to learn from

"It was just like Morecambe in that we didn't appear ready and prepared for the game," Ward said. "Workington have given us a lesson in how to get ready for a game and that's something we are going to have to learn from."

Ward said earlier "I'm happy enough with the squad I've got. The bigger the squad you have, the more disgruntled players you have and the more problems it can actually give you

Ward also spoke of his relief that the speculation over Joe Garner's future ended following the striker's £1.14m move to Nottingham Forest. "There's been such a lot of speculation during the summer, now everything in terms of this group of players is settled," Ward said. "If there's any more movement I can to make this squad better then I will do that. But I'm very happy with the group of players I've got."

Looking at the background of the opposition this week, Carlisle was founded in 1904 and played their early football in the Lancashire Combination and the North Eastern League. In 1928/29 they replaced Durham City in the Third Division North. They were very mediocre, their best finish was third in 1950/51 season and they never got beyond the Third Round of the F.A. Cup.

In 1958/59 season they became founder members of the Fourth Division and after four years they had their first League honour, gaining promotion after finishing fourth in 1961/62 (the season Rovers were relegated from the Second Division). It was a very brief moment of Glory for the Cumbrians because they went straight back down in 23rd spot in the season where Rovers themselves only missed the drop by one point.

However, they bounced straight back again. Alan Ashman was appointed manager and under his guidance Carlisle were promoted again in 1963/64. This time there were no doubts about the achievement as a Club record, 113 League goals were scored and Hughie McIlmoyle's contribution of 39 made him the country's top scorer.

Carlisle's rise under Ashman continued the following year when the Third Division Championship was clinched with a 3-0 defeat of rivals Mansfield, in the last game of the season in front of over 18,000 at Brunton Park. It was the same day that Rovers won 3-0 at Gillingham (to inflict the first home defeat of the season) and helped Bristol City clinch promotion in a season in which Rovers had been in the top two right through until February. By 1967, when Ashman left the Club, he had taken them to third place in the Second Division.

In the following years, principally while Bob Stokoe was manager, Carlisle consolidated their Second Division status and in 1972 Ashman returned to Brunton Park. Two years later the soccer world was astounded when Carlisle United were promoted to the First Division. In the words of Bill Shankley, it was "the greatest feat in the history of the game"

It didn't last long! United went straight back down and in 1976/77 were relegated from Division Two. Five years of Third Division football followed before a second place finish in 1981/82 once again saw United back in the Second Division.

However it was just four years later that disaster struck with a double relegation and in 1987/88 they were facing Fourth Division soccer for the first time in 25 years. The Cubrians struggled for several years but made the Play-Offs in 1993/94 and won the Championship the following season.

It was the start of a really topsy-turvy period as they were, relegated, promoted and relegated again in successive seasons! For the following four years, 1998 through to 2001
United were to finish no higher than 22nd in the basement Division.

They had some very narrow escapes, none closer than the 95th minute goal scored by on-loan keeper Jimmy Glass in their last game of the 1998/99 season to give them a 2-1 win over Plymouth. That goal kept Carlisle in the league and relegated Scarborough.

Eventually United flirted with danger once too often and in 2003/04 their bottom but one finish saw them drop down into the Conference. However as with several teams before it proved their salvation, bouncing straight back up to regain their League status and winning the Championship of Division Two at the first attempt. An 8th place finish the following season saw United narrowly miss out on a Play-Off place, which they made at the end of the last campaign.

The very first game between Rovers and Carlisle was played back in that 1962/63 season when the Cumbrians visited Eastville and went away with a point from a 1-1 draw. Rovers first visit to Brunton Park was an unhappy one coming back with their worst ever defeat there, 4-0. It was ironic that Carlisle were relegated that season and Rovers stayed up.

After that first visit to Brunton Park Rovers gained their revenge on 5th September 1964. Rovers were actually top of the table before the game coming off a 5-3 thrashing of Grimsby. They repeated the dose against Carlisle with a 5-2 score line. Hugh McIlmoyle (later to play for our City rivals) had given Carlisle an 18th minute lead but two goals just before half-time sent Rovers in with a 2-1 lead.

An opportunist goal by Alfie Biggs, as keeper Alan Ross had gone down injured after a Harold Jarman shot thumped down off the crossbar, gave Rovers a 3-1 lead. Eventually the 12,580 Eastville crowd were sent home happy as a further goal by Alfie Biggs and strikes by Ian Hamilton, Harold Jarman and a Terry Caldwell (own goal) gave Rovers that 5-2 victory.

Rovers came away from Brunton Park with both points in the return game too after Ian Hamilton and Johnny Brown secured a 2-1 win on 2nd January 1965. After the end of January Rovers lost their top spot and fell away to eventually finish sixth, five points behind Champions Carlisle United!

The teams didn't meet again until 1975/76 season when the Cumbrians took all four points on offer with a 4-2 win at Brunton Park and a 1-0 victory at Eastville. The following season the roles were reversed as Rovers won the Eastville game 2-1 and snatched a very late and unlikely 3-2 win on 7th May.

Since then Rovers have had some memorable victories against United. A 4-0 win on 22nd April 1987 in front of a 2,435 Twerton Park crowd helped to keep Rovers afloat in a season that very nearly saw them go out of existence.

There have been two victories in Cumbria too, 2-1 on the last day of the 1981/82 season when Mark Hughes scored two of his three goals for the club and a repeat of the same score line on 13th August 1995 when Billy Clark and Marcus Stewart scored. In 2004/05 the teams met in the FA Cup and after a 1-1 draw at the Mem, United went through with a 1-0 victory at Brunton Park.

Rovers' last victory at Carlisle was on 1st October 2005 when they returned with all three points after a 3-1 result. The first goal in that game was Rovers 5,000th in the League. Last season Rovers drew 1-1 in Cumbria and won 3-0 at the Mem.

Rovers have the upper hand in games between the teams, with 12 victories to United's 9. Rovers have won 6 of those games in the West Country with just 3 victories to United with 5 drawn games.

Early season games are notoriously difficult to predict. Based on the respective club's finishing positions last season and Rovers appalling home record this would appear to be a banker away win, However Rovers fans would be looking for a winning start to a month of difficult fixtures.

Written by Gerry Prewett