Football League Fixtures 2010/2011

The 2010/2011 Fixtures have been released. Here are the respective views in brief by our three Essex panelists.

Camulodunum (CUFC)- Colchester United

"It's a given that we're always away first game of the season so I'm not surprised. Daggers at home on the 28th September, I'll be looking forward to that, although slightly nervous as they'll treat it as a cup final and beat us.....


The first 2 homes game, we play both Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth at home which I see as good to get them out of the way early. Hopefully we'll have a bit of early season optimism and pull a few big crowds.


Bristol Rovers at home last game of the season, my birthday - Secure a play-off place?! C'mon!!!"

SOTD (D&R)- Dagenham and Redbridge

"Away to Sheffield blimming Wednesday. If League One football hadn't hit Sheffield Wednesday fans yet, Then it will come down like a ton of bricks when they scan over the fixtures to find their first game is against Dagenham and Redbridge, the famous pub team from Essex. Literally the perfect game to begin our League One campaign. Over 20,000 fans, sunshine (We hope), A city with plenty of boozers and a game that will epitomise the achievement's of John Still and his warrior Daggers.

For personal reasons it gets even better, I have just finished studying in Sheffield so a weekender with old friends beckons. "How many will you take?" will probably be the frequent question posed by Wednesday fans on our forum in the upcoming weeks. I'm going to be optimistic and say over a thousand. We took over 500 for Stockport which was our first ever league game, But i don't think many people will want to miss possibly our biggest league game in our history. Luckily being skint this summer is a blessing in disguise as I don't have a holiday booked in August, although I'm aware than many others do...perhaps there will be another volcanic eruption if you're lucky?

As for other fixtures, my first instinct was to look at when we are playing Colchester in our first Essex league derby for a number of years. Unfortunately my fears were confirmed, both games on Tuesday Night. However, the away game is quite early in the season so I can see us taking quite a few.

As for the others, Southampton and Plymouth on Tuesday Nights will be a mission to get to, but I'm sure many Daggers fans will try every avenue possible to get to these. Bournemouth away on a Saturday for once and still when it is quite warm, could be a quality weekender while Tranmere may persuade many to take in the culture of Liverpool City Centre!

Overall I'm pleased with them. Our first 3 home games are arguably winnable. Peterborough away on he last day of the season already cries out Mackail-Smith relegating Dagenham and Redbridge, but my only thoughts are on Sheffield at the moment.

I'm off to look at the fixtures again, even Dagenham vs Walsall is quite surreal to look at!


Billy Blenheim (SUFC)- Southend United

So, the fixtures for next season have been announced and Southend fans face the thrilling prospect of trips to beautiful British towns such as Bury, Crewe and Morecambe. Yes, I am being slightly sarcastic. The fixture list is only bound to compel the misery at being relegated. One post on Shrimperzone reads: "It finally dawned on me that with the fixtures coming out today this must be how the also rans must feel every year." We mustn't be arrogant and big-headed though. Only 6 seasons ago we were in League Two and promotion next year will be difficult given our financial situation and lack of players.

And there isn't even a proper local derby to look forward to this season, with Gillingham and Barnet being our closest trips. Annoyingly, both of the Gillingham games are on a Tuesday night. 'Highlights' of the season are definitely Oxford away on New Years Day and Wycombe away on the final day of the season, two fairly short trips. The Shrimpers begin the season at home (for the 7th season in a row) to fellow relegated and skint Stockport, before a not too distant journey to Aldershot. On the positive side, there are plenty of new grounds for Shrimpers fans to visit next season and they will be one of the biggest clubs in League Two next season, if you don't take into account our dire finances and threadbare squad"