Fixtures - a not so deep dive

 

What a week! Nothing happens for awhile then bamn; Gotzepe friendly announcement, a new/old kit, a new manager & finally we’ve got the fixtures. Don’t want to brag to fans of Premier League clubs but we’ve now got 46 games so…..

The first of which is the Championship, nay the Football League curtain raiser. Sheffield Wednesday Vs Southampton Friday 4th August. There was a high chance our opening game would be televised as the 22/23 Championship opening weekend saw 2/3 relegated Premier League sides shown live. Hillsborough, under the lights! Could be in for a great spectacle - ideally let’s not collapse like Peterborough.

The Owls currently without a manager with Darren Moore leaving the club just days before the fixtures were announced, rumour mill has Steven Gerrard in the running for this one.

An interesting dynamic if it were to be Gerrard Vs Martin with their respective Rangers connections.

A lesser appreciated element of relegation is an extra round of the Carabao Cup. Southampton travel to Gillingham in the opening week. 

Southampton haven’t won a competitive fixture at St Mary’s since a 1-0 victory against Leicester on March 4th, the atmosphere at St Mary’s grew somber as the season concluded. Hopefully a result in this opening away match can spur on newfound optimism as we move onto the first home match in the Championship. 

August 12th, Norwich. A club Russell Martin spent nine years as a player amassing 290 appearances. Aside from the obvious (Swansea) it’s hard to think of a more appropriate competitive debut at St Mary’s. 

Then the first ‘Mayflower Derby’ of the season. A, hopefully, sunny August Saturday down in Plymouth spent playing a team who dislike Portsmouth almost as much as we do. Lovely!

Don’t worry I’m not listening off all the games just so happens the first three have curious narratives.

Naturally when fixtures are released, eyes fixate on the opening matches, Boxing Day, the final day & trying to determine those ‘tough runs.’

September, on paper, looks a little sticky. The two longest away trips - Sunderland and Middlesbrough - at either end of them month. These sandwiching two home clashes with Leicester and League One runners up Ipswich. Ending the month at home to Leeds.

Can we do it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke? Well we’ll find out on 3rd October, more interesting that month though is the visit of Rotherham to St Mary’s. 7th October will be the Millers first ever time at St Mary’s. There’s only been two matches between the sides this century; FA Cup 2002 & League Cup 2008. Both occasions Rotherham played host. Not very courteous hosts though as twice they beat Southampton. We travel to the New York Stadium on February 3rd.

Festive fixtures are quintessentially British. Some countries have winter breaks, we have 4 games in 10 days. Starting with December 23rd QPR (A) before Swansea (H) on Boxing Day. Sure Russell Martin is delighted at hosting an ex the day after Christmas. If one ex wasn’t enough, after part two of the Mayflower Derby on the 29th, Southampton travel to Norwich on January 1st. Someone, somewhere has done Russell Martin dirty!

Less than a month after hosting ex no.1, we travel to South Wales - January 20th. Warm welcome not expected.

March, predominantly, sees the reverse fixtures to the tough run in September. This majority of fixtures in this month at St Mary’s, not that home form was at all helpful last season.

Final home game of the season is Stoke before a final day clash with Leeds. Promotion in the 11/12 season started with a home victory over Leeds, an away win to seal a similar fate would be exquisite.

Caveat, a LOT of football to be played before then.

With a schedule in place, now is the time for that sort of excitement and pre-planning. In what is hopefully a one season stint back in the Championship it’s a great chance to tick off new grounds, reignite those feelings from the early 2010s and dare we say it….. win some matches.