7 days to go - The Countdown.

So, with just [above number of] days until the new fixtures are released, I'm sure like us all it hasn't really felt like a particularly long rest before we all prepare to start again...

The missus is going mad already. Sky sports multi-room is now wired up to the spare room, the quietest area of the house which was tonight the official opening to the 'The Holly Willoughby Suite', and the birds beloved dog calendar has been shockingly defaced by the words 'man day' on every single Saturday until the year-end. Golden shirts have been ironed (not by me, that would be absurd), flags have been cleaned (not by her, that would be absurd) and the beer bridge is full with tins of Winnie (that's Winnie Mandela... Stella... if you don't know!) with numerous words displayed on said fridge with excitingly colourful alphabet magnets as I've spent the evening trying to spell out as many different synonyms for a woman's lady garden (I also managed to spell la la, minnie, growler and Holloway, which I found to be quite an achievement).

Anyway, back to the plot.......

As per every other year, there's some key fixtures and some key dates which I'm sure most of us will glance at first come next Wednesday, when our fixtures are released. What will you be looking out for, and why? And what preparations have you made in readiness for the new season? (such as end a relationship, for example).

 

I'll be looking for QPR, Leeds, Leicester and Bournemouth(A).

 

Away games I am interested in: Yeovil, Bournemouth, QPR, Wigan, Sheffield Wed, Charlton, Brighton, Blackpool

 

Derby home and away parents are from derby , Forest as well as wifey is a forest girl (booo)

 

Yeovil (A), Bournemouth (A), Wigan (A) and Forest (A).

Never been to the first three, Forest has become a bit of a tradition, as I lived there for a time. Easy jaunt up the M1, drive through Dunkirk and park on the river in West Bridgford. Magic.

 

Bournemouth will be epic. I'll make sure of it. Will be strange being an away fan in my home town though!

 

I wouldn't get too excited with the first three... Huish Park is in the middle of nowhere and if it rains it's a long trek back, more so if we lose. Bournemouth will be a decent day out, but the fans are situated on the side closest to the end with no stand... not much fun. And Wigan is barely a football club. Forest, well... as you rightly say that's a day out and a 'alf! Hoping that's not a Tuesday like a couple of years ago!

 

Sometimes the worst away grounds end up being the best, but I have only read negativity about Huish. Still, good to get three more grounds under my belt.
I'd want either a cold wintery Saturday like this / last season, or late April for Forest.

 

Blackpool away. Will be 18 next season so looking forward to going there for the weekend when we play them. Will make sure its a messy one.

 

Lad.

 

Forest, Derby, Leicester away go to Loughborough Uni so all easy away games. Also keen for Bournemouth Away.

 

These must be Saturday games: Bournemouth(a),Brighton(a),Charlton(a) preferably the first 3 Saturday away games.

 

As long as Bournemouth and Brighton away are in August I'm happy! September will suffice as I would like a warm day at the beach. I also have a mate who is a Bournemouth supporter so it could prove to be a nice day out. Ditto Forest.

 

It has been my sad misfortune to visit Yeovil several times on business, always staying over night. Be aware that Yeovil is a grim, grim place. It is like a Northern industrial town where everyone sounds like Holloway. The pubs are awful with lots of back street pubs a la The Rovers Return. The locals are generally unpleasant and unwelcoming; the business contacts down there tell me that the supporters can be particularly aggressive towards away fans.

However, despite all this, I know I will be there. probably on a cold and wet November evening.

Now why did Wolves have to go and get relegated???

 

Seconded, was seeing a girl from down there, in London for uni, and god it was horrible whenever I drove her down there.

 

Away fans at B'mth get around 1200 -1500 tickets. They are making noises about building a temporary stand to hold another 3000. Guessing this won't be covered, so want Bmth either start or end of season.

 

Same here, I want a boring first game as I turn 18 after the first game of the season!

 

Donny away for me.

 

Got some wee young lads on here ain't we?

 

First thing I'll be looking at is what home games I will be missing in Novemeber whilst on holiday and then planning to get to the away return fixture. Hoping we don't get Doncaster and Barnsley at home in that time.

 

All the London games away plus the Midlands ones, first and last game + Brighton, Bournemouth and Yeovil away.

Bournemouth away first game of the season, if anything like last time that happened, would be brilliant.

 

Some very committed young lads!

 

Brighton away, closest team to Chichester, and it was over the Christmas break last season :rant:

 

The Play off dates...... Only Kidding!

 

Can someone tell me when and why they stopped making the Boxing day fixtures local derbies?

 

Boro Away

 

Been like that for at least 30 years or more, think the police didn't fancy the overtime over Crimbo.

 

Because they don't want to get the hearts of the pond life who support tinpot clubs, raised by Christmas joy, crushed dramatically once they realise they're 3 or 4 divisions lower, hence cannot be played and won't be played for centuries, if ever, again.

 

Not questioning it, don't you worry. I'm still relatively young too.

 

So no more 'Hark now hear the Watford sing' anymore?

 

No need. We all sing 'Yellow' by yawnmongers instead.

 

I think it is because they realised at some point that derbies draw larger than average crowds and that Boxing Day fixtures draw larger crowds (regardless of the opponent), so to have a derby match on Boxing Day meant that income was not being maximised. (no thought for the fans of course!)

 

This is actually true in a way. Several years ago police force areas were given approval to charge host clubs for policing their events. Boxing day and other key dates were more expensive for obvious reasons.