IF anyone needed proof of a shift in the balance of power of North-East football, it will be provided by the first midweek fixture list of next season.
In the week commencing August 17, Newcastle will entertain Sheffield Wednesday while Middlesbrough travel to Scunthorpe United. At the same time, Premier League Sunderland will entertain Chelsea at the Stadium of Light.
Depending on which side of the regional divide you stand on, the disparity will either disgust or delight.
Yesterday’s publication of the fixture list for the 2009-10 season threw up its usual mix of talking points, but the main source of discussion in the North-East related to the impact of everything that happened in the final weeks of the last campaign.
Sunderland, thanks to their survival in the top-flight, will entertain Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal before the end of November. Middlesbrough and Newcastle, on the other hand, will encounter Doncaster, Plymouth and Peterborough before the year is at an end.
“The holidays are coming to an end now the fixtures are out,” said Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn. “This is the time when everyone gets giddy about what’s going to happen. Last year is dead and gone, and it’s all about bringing it on now.
“We’re all very excited and, with three games in eight days, the start of the season will be hectic, but we’ll relish it. This is what staying in the Premier League was all about.”
Even supporters of Middlesbrough and Newcastle would struggle to disagree with that view.
Sunderland’s opening game is not too glamorous – a trip to Bolton’s Reebok Stadium on Saturday, August 15 – but Chelsea’s visit to the Stadium of Light three days later will provide a timely reminder of the allure of the top-flight.
October’s twin highlights will be the trip to Manchester United on the 3rd and the home game with Liverpool on the 17th, while Everton will be the visitors to Wearside on Boxing Day.
Sunderland’s final home game is against reigning champions Manchester United on May 1, and they will complete their fixtures with an away game at Wolves on May 9.
Middlesbrough’s fixture list is somewhat less daunting, but as they look to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking, the size of the challenge facing Gareth Southgate’s side is still apparent.
Boro entertain beaten playoff finalists Sheffield United on the opening day of the Championship season, before heading off on the long trip to Swansea a week later.
The season’s only two North-East derbies will see the Teessiders travel to St James’ Park on December 19, with the return at the Riverside scheduled for March 13.
Boro are at home to Scunthorpe on Boxing Day and will complete their campaign with a trip to Leicester on May 2.
“It (the fixture list) highlights the fact that we will have some very difficult games in the league we are going into,” said Southgate.
“The Championship is a very tough competition and, if we want to be successful, we have to make sure our mentality is spot on.
“Sheffield United are a big club who had an outstanding season last time around. They are one of several big clubs in this league we have to match.”
Newcastle also start against one of the Championship’s big boys, as they will travel to West Brom, who were also relegated from the Premier League last season, on the opening weekend.
The managerless Magpies will entertain highly-rated Reading on the following weekend, and travel to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day.
Their final home game is against Roy Keane’s Ipswich on April 24, and they will close their campaign at QPR a week later.
Hartlepool will travel more than 10,000 miles during the League One season, with their first journey taking them to the MK Dons on the opening weekend.
Their biggest game comes on Boxing Day when they travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United, with the return meeting with Simon Grayson’s side sandwiching trips to Norwich and Southampton to form arguably the toughest run of Football League fixtures in the club’s history.
“At first glance it looks a tough first month for us,” said veteran full-back Ritchie Humphreys. “But it will be interesting to play against those sort of teams. "
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