Thursday 23rd July will see the Football League release details of fixtures for all 72 of their sides, with the Premier League also covering their twenty teams at ten o’clock on that day. Of course, because the fixtures are covered by copyright owned by the Football Date Company, we at TLG are not permitted to reveal them in their entirety without purchasing a grossly over-priced license.
Despite last season’s High Court ruling, which appeared to give the green light to fanzines and websites to lost their team’s key dates, organisations such as footyMAD, of which The Little Gazette is a part, still need to put down a large payment to reproduce dates. As a result of these pathetic and oppressive restrictions, TLG will only be able to give you details of some key clashes for next term, whilst of course offering the very best coverage of every single Southend United match, including those at reserve and Under-18 levels, available.
For the meanwhile, we can bring you a run-down of the key dates for your diary for the 2005/6 campaign:
Saturday July 16: Chelmsford City (a)
Tuesday July 19: Millwall (h)
Saturday July 23: Norwich City (h) [celebration of fifty years at Roots Hall]
Saturday July 30: Grays Athletic (a)
Saturday August 6: start of the Football League season
Tuesday/Wednesday August 23/24: Carling Cup first round
Tuesday/Wednesday September 20/21: Carling Cup second round
Tuesday/Wednesday October 18/19: LDV Vans Trophy first round
Tuesday/Wednesday October 25/26: Carling Cup third round
Saturday November 5: FA Cup first round proper
Saturday November 12: final date of FA Youth Cup first round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday November 22/23: LDV Vans Trophy second round
Saturday November 26: final date of FA Youth Cup second round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday November 29/30: Carling Cup fourth round
Saturday December 3: FA Cup second round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday December 6/7: LDV Vans Trophy area quarter-final
Saturday December 17: final date of FA Youth Cup third round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday December 21: Carling Cup fifth round
Monday/Tuesday December 26/27: Christmas double-header
Saturday/Sunday December/January 31/2: New Year fixtures
Saturday January 7: FA Cup third round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday January 10/11: Carling Cup semi-final first leg
Saturday January 21: final date of FA Youth Cup fourth round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday January 24/25: Carling Cup semi-final second leg
Tuesday/Wednesday January 24/25: LDV Vans Trophy area semi-final
Saturday January 28: FA Cup fourth round proper
Saturday February 4: final date of FA Youth Cup fifth round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday February 14/15: LDV Vans Trophy area final first leg
Saturday February 18: FA Cup fifth round proper
Saturday February 18: final date of FA Youth Cup sixth round proper
Tuesday/Wednesday February 21/22: LDV Vans Trophy area final second leg
Sunday February 26: Carling Cup final [Millennium Stadium]
Saturday March 11: final date of FA Youth Cup semi-final first leg
Tuesday/Wednesday March 21/22: FA Cup sixth round proper
Saturday March 25: final date of FA Youth Cup semi-final second-leg*
Sunday April 2: LDV Vans Trophy final [Millennium Stadium]
Saturday/Sunday April 22/23: FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday May 6: end of regular Coca-Cola Football League One & Two seasons
Saturday May 13: FA Cup final [new Wembley Stadium]
Saturday/Sunday May 13/14: League One play-off first leg
Wednesday/Thursday May 17/18: League One play-off second leg
Saturday May 27: League One play-off final [new Wembley Stadium]
*dates for FA Youth Cup final (over two legs) to be agreed by clubs
Key
Football League
FA Cup
Carling Cup
LDV Vans Trophy
FA Youth Cup
Pre-season friendlies
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com