Fixtures for the weekend

 

The season begins. I have to stay on top of things.

The start of the football season

 Tiverton Town have their final pre season fixture on Saturday at home to Merthyr Town.

Exmouth Town have their final friendly against Okehampton Argyle, also on Saturday.

The Western League kick off this weekend and my pick Buckland Athletic are:

ASHTON & BACKWELL UNITED (away)

Bovey Tracey and Liverton United do not have a fixture showing for 30th July.

It all kicks off

 Football starts this weekend, at least in the Football League and National League. Other teams are still playing friendlies so what can we look forward to with my selections?

Bristol City are away to Hull City in the Championship.

Exeter City are away to Lincoln City in League One.

Swindon Town are away to Harrogate Town in League Two.

That reminds me of my theory that cities are in League One and Towns are in League Two.

In the National League Torquay United are away to Truro City.

The Premier League teams are both playing their last friendly matches against Spanish opposition.

Brentford are at home to Real Betis.

Arsenal are at home to Sevilla although there is an Emirates CUP at stake in that match.

New to the National League South Worthing have a friendly on Friday against Bognor and they have another friendly on Tuesday at home to Wycombe Wanderers. I shall be keeping a sharp eye on them.

Level 7 onwards I shall save until tomorrow.

All Change for the NEW SEASON

 I decided that the women's game is not mature enough yet to match up the teams with the men's leagues so as there is still too little information about the women's leagues and with the men about to start I had to make a quick decision although I am not so rigid these days that I cannot change in August or September.

I will keep watching my favourite Arsenal boys who may get a mention but I will continue at least for this season with Brentford as my Premier League pick. My Championship picks seem to get promoted these days so I have gone with Bristol City as I have been following the ladies for a while now.

Exeter just got promoted to League One and I had a lot of thought before deciding to keep my local city in my selection list. I could have kept Cheltenham and matched them with the women, or Oxford, Plymouth and I think Ipswich matched up but they are the other side of the country. Anyway with the decision not to tie the women in Exeter established themselves in my thinking.

Scanning League two I found no teams in the South West so the nearest team is Swindon Town. There is a lot to learn about them but at least I visited the speedway track way back and bought a strong pair of shoes at the market outside the ground. Memories to build on.

The National League is still up for grabs but I have put Torquay in place until another candidate proves better. I was going to go again with Bath City in the National League South but the team denied promotion twice because of COVID have got my vote for this season and I will be following Worthing.

I kind of want to change Tiverton in the Southern League but they remain the only obvious choice. The new boys in the Southern League One South are Exmouth Town and I have become an armchair fan of the boys.

Buckland Athletic return to my attention as the Western League Premier pick. Bovey Tracey stay as my South West Peninsula League pick and Liverton United remain the Devon League pick albeit in the other half of the Devon League.