Who do you want first next season? CONFIRMED AS BOURNEMOUTH (A)

[SoccerHQ]

What do people think is our hardest group of fixtures of the season?

Have to say looking at the run of games there dosen't appear to be a "death" month this year although I suppose late September to Middle of November when we play Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Man. City and Everton would appear to be the closest. Even last season though we won three of those games.

Xmas/new year fixtures look winnable for once, let's not fcuk them up like last year as that should set us up for a comfortable second half of the season.

[silhillvilla]

Palace away 22 Aug, that's got travel chaos written all over it.

[SoccerHQ]

I can see the Bournemouth game being the early Saturday game or even the Friday night game , unless chelsea v Swansea is made the season opener ?

Yeah Bournemouth will be on TV for sure. How many are on TV this season.

If it's 5 games a weekend, then I'd say our game, Man. United-Spurs, Stoke-Liverpool, Arsenal-West Ham and Chelsea-Swansea will be the TV games in whatever order.

Edit:

There also appears to be less midweek games this season, Tuesday 12th January before we have one this season and only two thereafter.

I guess that's a result of starting the season a week earlier than usual so all for it.

[Damo70]

Bournemouth away please. Seaside Special

Ahem

Seaside Special? That's all we need. Ronnie Hazlehurst and his orchestra and New Edition taking up half of our ticket allocation.

Dear me, New Edition? I presume you mean Jeff Richers First Edition, a team of dancers. As opposed to New Edition, a team of chancers feat. Bobbby Brown.

A little bit of research suggests we are both right. Apparently there was a First Edition and a New Edition on the show. I wonder which one was the original incarnation? If only there was a clue.  Jeff appeared to bugger off at some point between the two.

I preferred The Brian Rogers Connection on 3-2-1.

A year or two back I got addicted to watching 3-2-1 on Challenge every night in the early hours of the morning. I believe Paulie also had this addiction at some point in his life. Two things I could never get my head around (apart from the clues) were the 'Pong' video game round they had one series and how everyone around that time who was about thirty managed to look about fifty.

[SoccerHQ]

Arsenal away .......last match of the season......nah lightening doesn't strike twice does it?

Well we're always safe by the last game even in the last few dismal seasons so wouldn't it be lovely going there with them say needing a win to get top 4 and stopping them.

Wouldn't make up for the cup final of course but would be amusing nevertheless.

[silhillvilla]

Think BT have as many games as sky this season ?

[SoccerHQ]

Sky have 116 or around that so no they don't.

[Boz]

Not the ideal start, but at least matches against the top 4 are spread out this season, unlike last. Second match against United is 20 years almost to the day, since we beat them in the league at VP, could it happen, I can but dream.  What I'm not happy about is once again, we are away first game. That is now 5 seasons in a row. Whoever compiles the fixtures needs sacking!

I fear after the first three games we'll only have one point and be contesting bottom of the table with Sunderland.

[cdbearsfan]

The new TV deal comes into effect the season after this one.

[paul_e]

I'm really happy with the fixtures this time, we don't have the same horrible run of games against the top 6 that certainly helped fuck us over last year, this time everything seems pretty well spread.

At home to Arsenal on my birthday, not sure I'f I'm happy with that one or not, will think about it when it's a bit closer.

[villadelph]

I'm really happy with the fixtures this time, we don't have the same horrible run of games against the top 6 that certainly helped fuck us over last year, this time everything seems pretty well spread.

At home to Arsenal on my birthday, not sure I'f I'm happy with that one or not, will think about it when it's a bit closer.

I noticed too that we never get a cluster of games against the top sides. Glad to see that.

[mattjpa]

Im guessing the Bournemouth allocation will def sell out to ST Holders or fans with an away booking history

[joe_c]

If a year ago you'd been told we'd be off to Bournemouth for the first game of the 2015/16 season you'd have probably feared the worst had happened.

[silhillvilla]

Im guessing the Bournemouth allocation will def sell out to ST Holders or fans with an away booking history

Yes. I imagine opening criteria will be ST holder and 10 aways BH from last season.

[Legion]

SKY/BT Broadcast announcement dates...

August- September: Next 5 days
October - November: July 6
December: September 17
January: October 19
February: November 17
March: Second working day in January
April: February 3
May: March 23