UNITED JUMPED AT HOME

THE Crusty Demons might have ruined its chance of a home debut, but new ALeague club Western United is otherwise happy with its first fixture list.

Mark Rudan’s side will start life with a trip to face his old team, Wellington Phoenix, before hosting Perth Glory in Round 2 in Geelong.

Western United wanted to start life with a big bang at GMHBA Stadium, but found the motocross outfit had a longstanding booking on October 12.

Instead, United will head across the ditch for its first match on Sunday, October 13, at Westpac Stadium, where Rudan is assured a noisy welcoming party.

The 43-year-old spent a season in Wellington but left the Nix mid-contract to join the A-League start-up, along with veteran Andrew Durante, goalkeeper of the year Filip Kurto and midfielder Max Burgess.

A-League chief Greg O’Rourke said he was delighted to send Western United to Wellington in Round 1.

“Whether or not they boo Mark for 94 minutes I’m not too sure, but we want to bring (him) back to Wellington,” O’Rourke said.

“The coach that was successful last year but then relocated and took a number of players with him.”

Rudan said he was unperturbed by the fixture.

“That’s just part of the draw. It doesn’t bother me,” he said.

“In an ideal world we would have loved to have the first game at home but there’s the motocross.”

Rudan played in Sydney FC’s first A-League fixture in 2005 and wants a similar feeling for his new club’s big kick-off.

“We played Melbourne Victory at Sydney Football Stadium … and as we walked through the tunnel, I turned to ‘Musky’ (Victory captain Kevin Muscat), we could hear the roar of the crowd and he said, ‘ How good’s this?’” he said.

“There was a buzz and excitement back then and there’s a sense of excitement around our football club as well.

“People want to be part of it and that’s great.”

United, which will move into a privately owned stadium in Melbourne’s West within three seasons, will play nine matches in Geelong and four at Ballarat’s Mars Stadium in its first campaign.

The requirements of AFL club Geelong, GMHBA Stadium’s key tenant, means Western will front-load most of its fixtures at the 36,000-capacity venue.

United has six matches in the opening nine rounds at the renovated stadium, and will also host Adelaide United there in an Australia Day clash.

The flip side is only two home matches, both to be played in Ballarat, in the final seven rounds.

It remains to be seen whether Western United will be permitted to play any home finals in Geelong.

It also confirmed that an approach came from Tasmania to play at least one home game on the footballstarved Apple Isle, but it fell through.

WESTERN UNITED A trip across the ditch to start at Rudan’s old home Circle this one: Beginning life at home against Perth (October 19) Nine home games at GMHBA Stadium, four at Mars Stadium in Ballarat MELBOURNE VICTORY Hosts a Round 1 derby at Marvel Stadium Circle this one: First clash against new boys Western United (November 2) Eight home games at AAMI Park, five at Marvel Stadium MELBOURNE CITY Derby up first, with opening five in Victoria Circle this one: Revenge against finals eliminator Adelaide (October 20) All 13 home games at AAMI Park AAP RIP ROARING START: The Crusty Demons (above) and (inset below) Western United coach Mark Rudan.