COLCHESTER United have been drawn away at rivals Wycombe Wanderers in the first round of the Carling Cup.

The game at Adams Park will be played in the first week of the season (commencing August 8), with league fixtures to be announced at 9am tomorrow morning.

Almost 100 miles may seperate the two clubs, but a fierce rivalry was born in the mid 80s when an FA Cup match between the sides as Loakes Park was marred by crowd trouble.

And the fixture’s ‘derby’ status was sealed in the 1991/92 season when the U’s pipped Wycombe – then managed by Martin O’Neill – to the Conference title.

It means that Colchester will play Wycombe at least three times next season following the Chairboys’ promotion back to League One.

This is also the second successive season the teams have been drawn against each other in the cup. Last year Wycombe won 2-0 at The Weston Hoems Community Stadium in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Colchester were seeded in the southern section of the draw meaning they could only be drawn against teams that finished in the bottom half of League One or that played in League Two last season.

After beating League Two side Hereford 3-0 away in the Carling Cup first round last season, John Ward’s side lost 2-0 at Premier League side Sunderland.

– For a summary of Colchester’s League One fixtures for 2011/12, see this website tomorrow morning.