I see Liverpool are at home to Leeds.
Can see this one being a 5-0 home demolition.

Its interesting that we are constantly told its the best league in the world yet non of our teams got into the semis of the Champions League and only Man Utd got into the semi of the Thursday Night Cup. It also contains Fulham.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that it is considering the finals for both European cups last season. Unless you think it was a fluke..........which is probably was.

Mildly interested but only because it means that the fixtures for lower leagues are coming along soon too.

I'm already looking around to see which local teams near me will be allowed people in to watch. I do prefer watching in person with a pint, one of the joys of going far enough down the pyramid. Getting desperate to head back to a real match.

When r our fixtures due out?

It keeps being repeated about the best league in the world probably the richest where the big 6 can outbid most of the other clubs in the league to buy players. The ones below are never going to win the league, the points gap is significant and the bottom 6 struggle to stay there most years.

Richest league in the world.
Only for the top 2 divisions.
FA Cup prize money been halved this season yet the TV money dosent get distributed out to the rest of English pyramid a bit more generously.

Teams having to manage on smaller squads with homegrown talent.

I'm all for these lower league footballers having to manage on a wage cap of £2400 a week (league one Sunderland etc)

Hopefully smaller clubs like Bury etc stay alive but I doubt it.
Gunna be a whole new ballgame due to covid.
Good luck to all teams at grassroot levels.
Hopefully not to many clubs go out of existence .

[quote="kevin pooles gloves"]Richest league in the world.


exactly. i couldn,t give a damn about the new fixtures or anything about that league. cannot remember the last time i ever watched match of the day even to see manchester united get beaten.

May be wrong , but I reckon there could be a kick back against teams in the top 5 divisions this coming season, with crowds falling, not significantly but a decrease nevertheless. In contrast, I think crowds will increase albeit slightly in the leagues below the National League.

Suppose Boris johnson can take some credit for the failure of the English clubs. The french are much fitter and fresher having not bothered with an end of season and the Germans finished their league some time ago, whilst we crowded a lot of games in and I guess the poor rich kids are too tired. Manchester United certainly scrambled results near the end of the League season.

As for more interesting football. The Northern League starts on 5th September with crowds of up to 300 allowed from the 31st August. Hopefully this will lead to more interest in the lower levels of football.

The fixtures for the opening Saturday are:

Saturday, September 5:

Ashington v Newcastle Benfield

Bishop Auckland v Northallerton Town

Newton Aycliffe v Hebburn Town

North Shields v Consett

Penrith v Whitley Bay

Shildon v West Auckland Town

Stockton Town v Guisborough Town

Sunderland RCA v Ryhope CW

Thornaby v Billingham Town

Whickham v Seaham Red Star

Bedlington Terriers v Ryton & Crawcrook Albion

Birtley Town v Washington

Crook Town v Redcar Athletic

Durham City v Willington

Easington Colliery v Billingham Synthonia

Esh Winning v Brandon United

Heaton Stannington v Carlisle City

Newcastle University v Tow Law Town

Sunderland West End v Chester-le-Street

West Allotment Celtic v Jarrow

Billingham Town or Billingham Synthonia?

Any views on these clubs?

Championship fixtures out too.............have they forgotten about the National League?

they haven,t because our season starts later.

with reduced attendances and the chance of not getting into a game could push a few to pop down to their local club if they have a fighting chance to actually see a game. some might actually enjoy it and stay with the new local club.

Apparently our fixtures due out SEP 8th.

Glad to see something being confirmed about allowing the public into lower league games (National League System tiers 3-6), but there's still no guidance about what might be allowed for the top two tiers (NL and NL North/South). The #LetFansIn campaign seems to think it's job done, but the continued uncertainty could be literally killing for clubs at our level.

There's zero future in a Behind-Closed-Doors start to the season for the likes of Pools. Leave it another couple of weeks, and if there's more Covid outbreaks after the schools have gone back this government might never summon up the courage to allow fans back in higher up the pyramid.

you would think so, but with a mighty 1.6 per cent of all deaths being virus related i doubt it. what percentage are they actually waiting for. will they ban those who have had heat attacks or cancer next or all people who are in the risk catogary for those illnesses.

Still no guidence on what's happening regarding how many fans % of capacity for the national League.

Probably find out on 2nd of October.

and have another U turn before the gates are opened.

It wouldn't surprise me if crowds weren't allowed until after Christmas. If they have a ban on standing and use socially distanced seating arrangements, we'll get the rink End back..........maybe.

There was supposed to be 2000 fans allowed into the Cambridge v Carlisle game last satday but the government short noticely put the block on it.

Probably none of the 2000 wud of ended up on a ventilator and went on to live a healthy life.

If only this government had shown that sort of caution back in march/April.
Not hindsight just basic common sense.
Boris Out.

thats the problem we are all in and was caused by project sod all right at the start. they thought they knew better. now we get every kneejerk reaction that can be done and i cannot see em backtracking on their present line. if they did they would be accused by more of the position they took being totally OTT.