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I was somewhat hoping we might have played a pre-season game at Morecambe, as we did a year ago, in the hope of getting an early visit to the new ground. Those hopes were dashed; not as though it mattered because all their home pre-season games were called off with the ground not ready.
Tomorrow I was expecting to get my first visit for the reserve game, but then they moved it to Kendal Town and in any case it has now been postponed.
So, if we had to have an away tie for our first game of the competition this season, then I don't think I'd have chosen anything other than a visit to Morecambe.
It's not surprising that this is our first ever competitive game against them, if you exclude the Lancashire Senior Cup ties of years gone by, and of course our first ever visit to the 6,476 capacity Globe Arena, such named as it was built by Globe Construction and not a steal from Stockholm.
Morecambe are under the management of Sammy McIlroy, who we recall coming up against twelve years ago when he was Macclesfield manager. He had something of a fall out then with our then manager Stan Ternent, and accused Stan of calling Macclesfield a pub team, something Stan vehemently denied.
I know Stan was angry after the antics of one Efe Sodje on the flooded pitch at the Moss Rose, but his favoured pub team were always the [Kettle]drum.
McIlroy took over from Jimmy Harvey who was taken ill and has been there ever since, leading them into the Football League via the play offs in 2007, beating Exeter in the final.
After two eleventh place finishes they took fourth place last year but took a real battering in the first leg of the play offs at Dagenham & Redbridge, losing that game 6-0 thus bringing to an end any hopes of promotion.
This season, despite the win over Coventry in the Carling Cup, hasn't started too well for them in the league. They have just the one point to date, from a 0-0 draw in their only home game against Rotherham.
Morecambe will welcome back Will Haining tonight. He missed Saturday's game at Burton after his wife gave birth.
Other than that it should be a similar side to that which was: Barry Roche, Darren Moss, Sean Parrish, Chris McCready, Laurence Wilson, Paul Scott, Chris Shuker, Craig Stanley, Andrew Fleming, Adam Rundle, Phil Jevons. Subs: Laurie Walker, Jim Bentley, James Spencer, Stewart Drummond, Mark Duffy, Paul Mullin, Gary Hunter.
Trying to determine what side Burnley will field is impossible. Manager Brian Laws has confirmed there will be changes but he's also said it will be a strong team.
Lee Grant in goal seems to be the one change that has just about been confirmed, meaning a first game in the first team for Grant since he played against Leicester when on loan at Turf Moor in November 2005.
I would certainly expect a number of the squad to feature, and would be surprised certainly if the three substitutes from Saturday - Chris Eagles, Jack Cork and Steven Thompson - weren't in the side.
I believe both Wes Fletcher and Michael King are travelling with the team, but I would still expect it to be a strong team with none of the youngsters getting a start.