There’s something of a sense of deja vu when Burnley kick-off the 2013-14 Championship season at home to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, August 3.
What’s different of course, is that there’s no Owen Coyle in charge of the opposition thiis time - that will come later when Wigan roll into town.
It is, though, a derby and a prestigious fixture to boot, one of a handful singled out (and presumably arranged, with a bit of tinkering) to mark the 125th anniversary of the Football League.
Turf Moor is one of only three grounds still in use from that first round of fixtures (another is Deepdale, where Preston will play another founder member, Wolves).
In August there follows a League Cup trip to York and, save for another first when the Clarets entertain Yeovil at Turf Moor on August 17, it is away days at Sheffield Wednesday (August 10), Brighton (August 24) and Derby (August 31) to see out the month.
The derby everyone’s really interested in, of course, is the pair of matches against Blackburn Rovers.
So far at a 3pm kick-off on Saturday, September 14, Rovers will be warmly welcomed to Turf Moor, and the hospitality will be reciprocated at Ewood Park on Saturday, March 8. I bet either date will be subject to change.
Burnley will see another former manager returning to Turf Moor with his new (or should that be old) side this season.
That comes on Saturday, November 9, when Eddie Howe’s promoted Bournemouth side head for Lancashire, the return at Dean Court being on February 15.
Other dates of significance include Boxing Day, when the Clarets will be on the road at Middlesbrough, and New Year’s Day, when they entertain Huddersfield in Lancashire. Easter Saturday is another derby day, at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road. The Turf Moor fixture between the two sides is a Christmas warm-up, on Saturday, December 21.
Another one to watch for is Burnley’s trip to Elland Road, Leeds, for anothr Roses clash. This is early on, Saturday, September 21, with Leeds at Turf on Saturday, March 15.