The dates for games across the new Premier League season will be announced on Thursday, and it's the culmination of an enormous job to compile the fixtures.
Glenn Thompson, who is in charge of scheduling all of the 380 matches in a season, has detailed how this crucial job is done.
Thompson revealed that work on the fixtures is done at the start of every year, when he receives the playing dates from the Premier League.
“At the start of the year. That’s when I get the playing dates from the Premier League,” Thompson said.
“The whole thing is built up putting in the international dates from FIFA, then the European club competitions, then the Football Association adds in the dates for its competitions and what you are left with are the dates when you can play league and League Cup matches.”
After Thompson receives the dates from the Premier League, he is then responsible for creating a fixture sequence.
What is sequencing?
Sequencing is the method used to break down the season into different parts - formally named as “sets”.
The games are then broken down into five separate sets, and these will then be reversed for the second half of the season, which is why the matchdays consist of the same fixtures at those points of the campaign.
What are the sequencing rules?
In a block of five fixtures, the aim is to have one team play three matches at home and two away, or the other way around.
A team should never have more than two matches at home or away, and a club will not start or finish the season with two successive home/away matches.
Can clubs from the same area play at home on the same day?
No, they cannot. This is mostly down to the traffic issues it would cause in the city, with two separate games being played.
For instance, if Manchester United are at home, then Man City will have to play away, and vice versa.
Are clubs consulted?
Yes. Each club will be spoken to about this around March, with the Premier League sending a form to each of its clubs, which they will then need to fill out.
On that form, clubs are asked if there are certain dates they do not want to play at home on, although this is answered in conjunction with the local police force.
Clubs are also asked who their partner club is, before then being asked if there are any teams they do not want to play home on Boxing Day.
