Start at Bournemouth

Nothing unusual there as we have kicked off with the Cherries twice in the last few years, but this time we will be the visitors which will give Addicks fans an opportunity to have a summer weekend on the south-coast.

The opening league Valley game is Middlesbrough, who handed us our biggest defeat of last season, so we owe them and this is followed by Barnsley away, Doncaster at home and then I would think my first appearance, Leicester City at home. All these are Saturdays.

Millwall at home comes pretty early on September 21st, October and November looks a little thorny with a run of tough looking games with QPRhaha away on November 23rd.

On Boxing Day we entertain Brighton, who still appear in a state of array, then on the Sunday after Christmas we are at home to Sheffield Wednesday with a trip to Portman Road following on New Year’s Day.

Wigan’s a ground I’ve not been to, and the Addicks are at the DW Stadium on February 1st. We are at The Den on March 15th and we finish with a run of games that are Bolton (h), Sheffield Wednesday (a), Blackburn (h) and finally there is another weekend on the coast with a trip to Blackpool to close out our season.

It was good for the traditionalists amongst us that the FA Cup Final is once again the final game of the season, and I thought it was a nice touch that the Football League announced an historic range of opening day fixtures to celebrate their 125th year anniversery.