Southend United have released the fixtures for their under-18 season in the Youth Alliance League South-East Division.
After the promotions to the first team squad in recent seasons, however fast track that might have been for some of them this year, for lads such as Franck Moussa, Stuart O'Keefe, Harry Crawford and Daniel Bentley for example, getting used to some of the names for the current crop may be useful.
Sadly, the young Shrimpers could not retain the league title they won so brilliantly for the first time at the end of the 2009/10 season, with Millwall proving their nemesis on four occasions last term and eventually being crowned Champions.
So team manager Ricky Duncan must have had an ironic smile on his face when the fixture computer decided that it was to be the Lion cubs that opened this season's campaign at home.
Their be local derbies against Leyton Orient and Dagenham and Redbridge soon after, with a trip to Colchester on the morning of October 23rd.
The season is down to end at Stevenage in the last Saturday in April but any fixtures are open to change and the draws are awaited for both cup competitions.
Hopefully, with or without the £60k owed by Ron to the Shrimpers Trust they will continue to sponsor the side, and as long as they keep posting reports you can catch them here usually on Sunday afternoon but certainly by early Monday.
The full fixture list and results can be found here:
www.southendunited.co.uk/page/YouthFixtures/0,,10444~1714476,00.html
The Football League's keeps you updated on all the Youth Alliance news here:
www.football-league.co.uk/page/YouthAlliance/0,,10794,00.html