Here we go. This is the provisional list of Sunderland fixtures for the 2014-2015 season, with the usual health warning about the havoc TV moguls and chief constables can and will play with dates and times.
We start with the pre-season friendlies so far arranged: Darlington 1883 on Sat July 19, Carlisle United on Tues July 22 and Hartlepool United on Wed July 23. They’re all away but do not, at first sight, constitute an overseas jolly of the sort to appeal to Messrs Sixsmith and Horan.
As for the Premier games, West Brom away is not the worst start we could have been handed. The first home game against Man Utd is tough but remember that last season, the opening eight at the Stadium of Light included Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City, Spurs and Chelsea.
If we need points – at the bottom or, dare I say it, the top – on the last day of the season, Stamford Bridge is the place we’ll have to get them.
Full List
Sat 16th Aug West Bromwich Albion (a)
Sat 23rd Aug MANCHESTER UNITED (H)
Tues 26th Aug (Capital One Cup 2nd Rd)
Sat 30th Aug Queens Park Rangers (a)
Sat 13th Sept TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (H)
Sat 20th Sept Burnley (a)
Tues 23rd Sept (Capital One Cup 3rd Rd)
Sat 27th Sept SWANSEA CITY (H)
Sat 4th Oct STOKE CITY (H)
Sat 18th Oct Southampton (a)
Sat 25th Oct ARSENAL (H)
Tues 28th Oct (Capital One Cup 4th Rd)
Sat 1st Nov Crystal Palace (a)
Sun 8th Nov EVERTON (H)**
Sat 22nd Nov Leicester City (a)
Sat 29th Nov CHELSEA (H)
Tues/Wed 2nd/3rd Dec MANCHESTER CITY (H)
Sat 6th Dec Liverpool (a)
Sat 13th Dec WEST HAM UNITED (H)
Tues 16th Dec (Capital One Cup 5th Rd)
Sat 20th Dec Newcastle Utd (a)
Fri 26th Dec HULL CITY (H)
Sun 28th Dec Aston Villa (a)
Thurs 1st Jan Manchester City (a)
Sat 3rd Jan (FA Cup 3rd Round)
Sat 10th Jan LIVERPOOL (H)
Sat 17th Jan Tottenham Hotspur (a)
Wed 21st Jan (Capital One Cup Semi-Final (1)
Sat 24th Jan (FA Cup 4th Round)
Wed 28th Jan (Capital One Cup Semi-Final (2)
Sat 31st Jan BURNLEY (H)
Sat 7th Feb Swansea City (a)
Tues/Wed 10/11th Feb QUEENS PARK RANGERS (H)
Sat 14th Feb (FA Cup 5th Round)
Sat 21st Feb WEST BROMWICH ALBION (H)
Sat 28th Feb Manchester United (a)
Sun 1st Mar Capital One Cup Final
Tues/Wed 3rd/4th Mar Hull City (a)
Sat 7th Mar (FA Cup 6th Round)
Sat 14th Mar ASTON VILLA (H)
Sat 21st Mar West Ham United (a)
Sat 4th Apr NEWCASTLE UNITED (H)
Sat 11th Apr CRYSTAL PALACE (H)
Sat 18th Apr. Arsenal (a)** (FA Cup Semi-Finals 18th/19th)
Sat 25th Apr Stoke City (a)
Sat 2nd May SOUTHAMPTON (H)
Sat 9th May Everton (a)**
Sat 16th May LEICESTER CITY (H)
Sun 24th May Chelsea (a)
Sat 30th May FA Cup Final
NB: Games marked ** will be moved to the Sunday if the opponents are involved in a Europa Cup match on the preceding Thursday.
As I predicted in the ‘way it is’ section ,once again we’ve been given a promoted side away in their early fixtures ;in fact two.This stretches credibility that it’s mere coincidence.I’m surprised it’s not been picked up on over the years.
Keep the 1st March free.
Please, please – surely not desperate for points on the last day … the season hasn’t even kicked off… ah well, guess we have to be prepared for anything