There are certain traditional rituals that accompany the production of the fixture list.
And, hand on heart, some that are born simply out of doing the job for 15 years – like looking forward to a mid-week trip to Blackpool in the back end of November. Still, at least the Lights might be on.
And I always think that Turf Moor looks at its best on a Tuesday night at the end of October.
Other dates revolve around Christmas and New Year. So while there is an element of goodwill to all men that accompanies Charlton Athletic at home on Boxing Day, the 'traditional' delight of Crystal Palace away on New Year's Day ensures we can all nurse a hangover in the back streets of South Norwood. Excellent.
As for the derby games – ignore today's claim that they will be played at home on Saturday, November 3, and away on Saturday, April 12. By the time the respective constabularies have had their say, they will be on Sunday, November 4, and Sunday, April 13, respectively.
At least the Football League fixture computer has good eye for headlines – derby days on November 4 cry out for fireworks.
Whether City's 2007-2008 schedule does either club or manager any favours is the more important point and, on first glance, it would appear to be something of a mixed bag.
Get yourself anywhere near jockeying for somewhere good next May and five home games from the last nine are probably just what you'd look for. With the exception of West Bromwich Albion at home (Saturday, April 19), on paper here in the middle of summer, that run of Stoke City, Colchester United, Burnley and Queens Park Rangers at home from the middle of March to the end of the season looks tailor-made for a late charge.
Providing, of course, that City have something about them next season.
If they don't then those same four home games will probably equally ensure that Norwich's Championship destiny will be firmly in their own hands – one way or the other.
The real interest is how it all stacks up in the first two months of the season when all too often the tone of all that follows is set.
Look back now and while there was a hundred and one other things that combined in his downfall, it didn't help Nigel Worthington's high-wire act last autumn that the points and the performances were going astray against the likes of Southend, Coventry City, Plymouth and Burnley. A miserable 1-0 away defeat at Palace was always a given.
A year on and Peter Grant's September is dominated by two big away trips to Charlton on Tuesday, September 18, and Wolverhampton Wanderers the following Saturday.
Having proved they can pick up results away at both Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion under his charge, such trips to two of the likely promotion favourites may yet yield fruit.
But even now, they loom large – there could also be a deep sense of irony floating about the place if Master Varney figures large at The Valley and Master Sharp makes a difference at Molineux.
Which then focusses the mind on whacking points on the door earlier and on that basis, whilst an opening day trip to Deepdale and Paul Simpson's Preston North End might not be just what the doctor ordered, the three home games that follow – albeit sandwiched either side of a trip to Hull City on August 25 – are OK.
Southampton, Cardiff City and Crystal Palace clearly aren't Scunthorpe, Bristol City and Blackpool, but politically there's far more damage to be done slipping up at home to one of the latter three than the first three.
August games against three of the expected strugglers carries so much baggage in terms of expected goal-fests and easy romps; dig out three, ugly 1-0 wins against Southampton, Cardiff and Palace and it will give the Canaries exactly the kind of platform they'll need for the road ahead.
Saints – until Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen comes marching in – are all at sea as player of the season Chris Baird slaps a transfer request in on the back of Gareth Bale's exit; Cardiff aren't exactly awash with cash after peaking on that front a couple of years back; Palace just seem a little listless and adrift. You suspect Simon Jordan's patience with Peter Taylor could be near breaking come the middle of September if the Eagles haven't flown out of the blocks.
October and November look good; Watford at home on a Tuesday night should be one of those good, crackling Carrow Road mid-week games – that, too, you can expect to be moved to the Wednesday as and when the derby game is confirmed as being on the Sunday.
December is just plain awkward featuring trips to Stoke, Colchester, Scunthorpe and the home games against Sheffield United, Wolves and Charlton – that's the month where, to quote the manager, City will really need to “get their working jackets on…”.
January is OK in the fact that the FA Cup takes over – handy if and when Youssef Safri is still here and disappearing on his latest African Nations tournament – February is simply a grind. Nothing big or special – just a case of nose to the grind-stone and dig those results out. Any hint of a performance come that stage of the season will be a bonus.
And then the run for the line with those four, pretty friendly home games to finish.
Overall? Could have been worse. You'd want points and performances on the board pre-mid September; if you had to pick a first game of the season, it wouldn't have been at Deepdale; and mid-week trips to Burnley and Blackpool in the dirty end of autumn means that somoene continues to have a laugh at Norfolk's expense.
See you there.
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