As assistant-manager, Callum Fordyce helped mastermind Airdrie’s unbeaten run against Raith Rovers last season.
Now on the other side of the fence, the defender is hoping to provide insight into how to bring that record crashing to a halt on day one of the new campaign.
Airdrie won four of the five meetings of the teams last term, with the other ending in a 1-1 draw.
The Diamonds’ 3-1 victory in Kirkcaldy in April effectively ended Raith’s hopes of staying in the title race.
As Rhys McCabe’s number two and a key defensive lynchpin, Fordyce was thrilled to have the firm upper hand in the fixture.
However, he insists that, with so many changes in his old club and at Rovers over the summer, it is a fresh start for both in an exciting Championship opener.
The 32-year-old told Courier Sport: “I think everybody knows what to expect going to Airdrie, not just myself having been a massive part of it for the years I was there.
“Airdrie’s got a style that they play and their principles. They’ll stick to those.
“It’s about us going there and working out early on how we want to play. We’ll have a plan in place we want to execute and it’s about us on the pitch as players going and doing it.
“For myself going back there, it’s exciting.
Fordyce: ‘One to look forward to’
“I wouldn’t say I know a lot of the players now, because there’s been a lot of new ones who have come in.
“It’s a fresh start for both sets of players and one to look forward to.
“But Rhys [McCabe] is getting the credit he probably deserves because of the football they’re playing, and that football won’t change.
“We showed that last season when I was there. Everybody’s got different beliefs on how they want to play football. That’s his belief and fair play.”
Airdrie earned three 1-0 wins against Raith last term, plus a 3-1 victory in the final encounter of the campaign.
Fordyce added: “Football’s a funny game. When I was there last season, Airdrie beat Raith four times and drew once.
“But, if you look at it the other way, Ayr beat Airdrie four times. And Raith beat Ayr.
“Sometimes you can’t pinpoint things in football. Nobody’s perfect in games and sometimes things just happen, and you can’t really explain.
“The mentality is it’s a new season and a fresh start. You’ve got to forget about what’s happened in the past.
“There’s new faces on both sides. And what happened last season, especially in my case, is done.
“The full focus is on the new season ahead and, first of all, Saturday’s game.”
