It’s that day of the summer that Premiership rugby fans await with much anticipation, having been starved of rugby for almost two months in most cases. Live rugby anyway, since we have the Lions tour this year.
The fixture gods have given us the same start as our last season in the big league, with a home game against Bath that actually opens the whole Premiership season on Friday 6 September. The BT Sport cameras will descend on KP as Dean Richards leads his troops out in the first match of our third spell in the top division.
After that is one of two new grounds we will visit in the league this season – the Salford City Stadium to face Sale – and then a trip to champions Leicester.
Other timings of note include Saracens away during the autumn international friendlies, and, the Saints, Harlequins and Leicester during the Six Nations. All of these ought to be to our benefit.
Interestingly, the Falcons play consecutive home games against Wasps and Sale over the Christmas-New Year period, after Exeter away – Sandy Park is a very cold place in December, even for a Geordie!
Harlequins in February is just a week after Bath away – looks like a good opportunity to take an early trip back to the south.
Finally, we finish at home to Exeter, a team that has never lost at KP in the league. Not an easy one.
Falcons’ fixtures 2013/14 (all subject to change):
Fri Sep 6: Bath (H) (7.45pm)
Fri Sep 13: Sale (A) (7.45pm)
Sat Sep 21: Leicester (A) (3pm)
Sun Sep 29: Gloucester (H) (3pm)
Sat Oct 5: Worcester (A) (3pm)
Sat Oct 12: Amlin Cup 1
Sat Oct 19: Amlin Cup 2
Sun Oct 27: London Irish (H) (3pm)
Sat Nov 2: Saracens (A) (3pm)
Sat Nov 9: LV= Cup 1
Sat Nov 16: LV= Cup 2
Sat Nov 23: Northampton (A)
Sun Dec 1: Harlequins (H)
Sat Dec 7: Amlin Cup 3
Sat Dec 14: Amlin Cup 4
Sat Dec 21: Exeter (A)
Fri Dec 27: Wasps (H)
Fri Jan 3: Sale (H)
Sat Jan 11: Amlin Cup 5
Sat Jan 18: Amlin Cup 6
Sat Jan 25: LV= Cup 3
Sat Feb 1: LV= Cup 4
Sat Feb 8: Bath (A)
Sat Feb 15: Harlequins (A)
Sun Feb 23: Northampton (H)
Sun Mar 2: Leicester (H)
Sat Mar 8: LV= Cup SF
Sun Mar 16: LV= Cup Final
Sat Mar 22: Gloucester (A)
Sun Mar 30: Worcester (H)
Sat Apr 5: Amlin Cup QF
Sun Apr 13: London Irish (A)
Sun Apr 20: Saracens (H)
Sat Apr 26: Amlin Cup SF
Sat May 3: Wasps (A)
Sat May 10: Exeter (H)
Sat May 17: Premiership SF
Fri May 23: Amlin Cup Final
Sat May 31: Premiership Final
It’s getting real now – we’re back!
(Follow The South Stand Choir on Twitter: @SouthStandChoir)
The South Stand Choir 