The new fixtures for the forthcoming Premiership season have been announced.

Here are some select fixtures from the first two weeks of the campaign:

Saturday 19th August (opening games)

Arsenal v Aston Villa
Chelsea v Man. City
Man. United v Fulham
Portsmouth v Blackburn (especially for Coastie)
Reading v Middlesbro
Sheff. United v Liverpool

Tuesday 22nd August

Charlton v Man. United
Middlesbro v Chelsea

Wednesday 23rd August

Man. City v Portsmouth (...especially for Coastie)

Saturday 26th August

Blackburn v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham
Man. City v Arsenal
Watford ---> (...A gap) :good: <--- v Man. United

...right...back to the World Cup...:eat:

Mr P, as a die-hard Villa fan (don't ask) is really not looking forward to their first match of the season, away to Arsenal at the new Emirates Stadium.

I, however, am. :thumbsup:

Edit: Just realised, we will be driving back through France on the last day of our holiday. Seven hours driving, followed by ferry, followed by 2 hours driving. It will not be a good day.

Mr P, as a die-hard Villa fan (don't ask) .

...Aston Villa?...why? :unsure:

Portsmouth yesterday signed Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson...


...or so i thought! :huh:

Turns out it was the wrong Johnson - but they have signed Glen Johnson from Chelsea...on a season-long loan...(Ceefax can be so cruel)

...comiserations Coastie! :laugh:

...Aston Villa?...why? :unsure:

Didn't I tell you not to ask? DIDN'T I? :evilmad:

Didn't I tell you not to ask? DIDN'T I? :evilmad:


...:ohmy:








...yeah but why? :eek:

What can I say? He likes a challenge. Well, he's married to me, isn't he? :thumbsup:

What can I say? He likes a challenge. Well, he's married to me, isn't he? :thumbsup:


...:eat:...oh yeah.

What's wrong with you, man? You're always eating!

What's wrong with you, man? You're always eating!

...oh that...that's just my 'smug sod' smiley

smug sod smiley ~ smug sod smiley often appears in posts of a 'i told you i was right', or 'i shall be judging you very closely on that remark/statement' nature. He isn't there to offend or rile but if he achieves either or both of those it makes him feel very contented...:eat:...he also may appear randomly for the sheer hell of it!

Have to say woodstock... that smilie is one ace dude!!

Wanna go and see Reading at a few local grounds next year, Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan, Man U, Man C and maybe Liverpool and Everton... Gotta mate who's a Reading fan and she was a season ticket holder for years before she moved to Manchester (wrong time!)...

As for Preston, it's Sheff Wed first game... They were one of five teams to beat us last season, and we drew our other game with them... so gonna be tough... think they're gonna have a good season too...!

Am I allowed to post non-premiership stuff here or do I need my own thread... feel dirty posting in a premiership thread...

Went to Chorley to see Preston play a pre-season friendly yesterday. Was a fun day. We won 4-1 with a Dave Nugent hat-trick and a super goal from Joe Anyinsah one of our more unknown players who put in a good performance!

Would go to Bamber Bridge on Tuesday night but gotta work :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v672/Woodstock73/Bergkamp.jpg

Yeah...well done Dennis! :applause:

The 'Iceman' (t'was once his nickname) finally bowed out of football in a star-studded testimonial farewell at Highb...i mean The Emirates Stadium (looks splendid!) this afternoon.
Old Highbury favourites such as Ian Wright, Patrick Vieira, Emannuel Petit, David Seaman, Marc Overmars, David Seaman, and Lee Dixon turned out especially for the Dutch legend. And even Thierry Henry broke off from his holiday in the States to fly back for this game.

Bergkamp's old club Ajax were the opponents and even old-timers like Marco van basten and Johan Cruyff took to the field to proudly display their paunch (they actually look as fit as fiddles...Stradavari ones!).

Arsenal won 2-1 with goals from Henry and Kanu (booed throughout...why??) and i'm pleased to tell you that Thierry is now safely back at Disneyland with his family. (Concorde was too slow so he ran back instead).

It was a beautifully-staged 'goodbye' and even i felt a wee bit emotional seeing all those old players from yesteryear taking to the pitch once again - they all looked so thoroughly chuffed to be back in one anothers company again. I wasn't exactly clapping or shedding a teardrop or two but a small part of my heart was secretly applauding. They were once all good rivals! :ill:

So it's farewell to Dennis Bergkamp. And with all this recent talk of gamesmanship and the like, here was a true professional who played the game in the right way and gave the fans great entertainment and value for money.

My immediate fondest memory of Dennis is that moment when he scored a quite fabulous goal against Argentina (think it was during France '98). It was a stunning piece of individual skill that's right up there with Marco van Basten's own wonderful individual brilliance in that 1988 European Championship Final against USSR, where he scored an unbelievable goal...it really was a lie of a goal!...i still dont believe he scored it to this day.

But, it's now time for Dennis to hang up his boots, and be honest, he couldn't really continue playing at a stadium that has strong ties with a leading airline company now could he!

He of all people wouldn't have been the best ambassador for these sponsors really.

Ta'ra for a bit Dennis! :bye:

(I bet he's on a long-haul British Airways flight to Bermuda as we speak...)

:shock:

C'mon Pompey...

Play up Pompey...
Pompey play up! :w00t:

They had the Premiership cup on display at Gunwharf in Portsmouth yesterday and if you wanted to line up behind a load of kids you could have your photo taken with it...I resisted the temptation...just...:blush:

...Aston Villa?...why? :unsure:

We'll all be asking "why not" at the end of the season.

Martin O'Neil is capable of miracles. Aston Villa are soo jammy to get their hands on him I can't believe it.

I myself support Liverpool. Come on the reds! Our signings this year have added pace and width to the team - expect lots of goals from crosses. and the odd 30 yard screamer from defender Daniel Agger (i still cant believe that one).

:yahoo: GO POMPEY GO...WOOOO!:yahoo: