That’ll make for a nice return to the top division for West Brom. The same goes for Championship champions Newcastle, who travel to Old Trafford for a reunion with Manchester United while Blackpool get their first ever taste of Premier League action at home against Wigan. The Tangerines will be well pleased with the tie at Bloomfield Road as it gives them a great chance of getting some points on the board early.

The tie of the opening weekend is undoubtedly Arsenal versus Liverpool at Anfield. Liverpool, presumably with a new manager in place, will look to get off to a good start to provide the foundation for a more successful season than last year but they won’t find it easy against Arsene Wenger’s men. Expect this one to move to the Sunday for Sky coverage.

The two teams that battled it out for fourth place last season, Tottenham and Manchester City, get to resume their rivalry early as City travel to White Hart Lane in a potentially mouthwatering clash that could also be chosen by Sky.

Premier League Opening Day Fixtures

• Aston Villa v West Ham
• Blackburn v Everton
• Blackpool v Wigan
• Bolton v Fulham
• Chelsea v West Brom
• Liverpool v Arsenal
• Man Utd v Newcastle
• Sunderland v Birmingham
• Tottenham v Man City
• Wolves v Stoke

Full club-by-club season fixtures here.

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To whom the greater spoils?

Later on today two teams will face off in a final on which millions of pounds is available to the winner, as well as a place in history. Oh, and Inter Milan play Bayern Munich in the Champions League final…

It’s an interesting question – which team will feel the greatest achievement and benefit most, the winner of the Champions League or the winner of the Coca-Cola Championship play off final?

The Champions League winners will receive around £30m in prize money, topped up by TV revenue. It’s been estimated that promotion to the Premiership is worth around £90m – three times more.

£30m for Inter Milan or Bayern Munich would be welcome, of course, but not essential. £90m for the likes of Cardiff City or Blackpool, however, will be, as both managers have said, life-changing. Cardiff, especially, would welcome the money – they are in serious trouble with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs over an unpaid tax bill.

Both Inter Milan and Bayern Munich have enjoyed success at home and in Europe in the recent past. It’s been 39 years since Blackpool were in the top flight of English football. For Cardiff it’s been 49 years.

Yes, the Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football and winning it gives you the right to say you’re the best team on the continent. Whoever wins will receive all the credit they deserve. The telling factor is that whoever loses will go on as normal. Being a losing finalist in the Champions League final does not damage your future. If anything, it strengthens it, albeit less than winning.

It’s clear what the benefits of promotion to the English Premier League are. An immediate cash injection the likes of which Blackpool and Cardiff have never seen, of course, but more than that. Continuous coverage in the media, a growing profile in the minds of the country’s football supporters, bigger gates, perhaps a new generation of supporters, the ability to attract a better class of player, TV revenue…the list is almost endless.

Losing the play off final is completely different to losing the Champions League final. Lose here and you run the very real risk of never having the opportunity to challenge for promotion again. This is especially true for the likes of Blackpool and Cardiff, neither can boast huge incomes. The likely outcome for these two clubs should they fail to win the play off final is, at best, a mid table finish next season. Blackpool, remember, were one of the favourites to get relegated this year.

The psychological blow to the players will also play a part in that. So close to the promised land, only to have it snatched away in the final 90 minutes? Devastating.

Whoever does win will give their manager a chance to keep them up. But such is the achievement in reaching the play off final for these two clubs that the losing manager may well be in demand. You couldn’t blame Holloway or Jones if, faced with another season in the Championship, they are tempted by an offer from a better positioned club or, perhaps, a Premiership team.

Prestige and pocket money await the winner of the Champions League. It wouldn’t be too dramatic to suggest the very future of Blackpool and Cardiff rests on the Championship play off final. We’re looking forward to both.

Predictions? We think Mourinho’s Inter will overcome van Gaal’s Munich – and it won’t be pretty. Back in England we’ve already said we’d love to see Blackpool in the Premiership, but in reality we think Cardiff City will be too strong.

What are your predictions for these two matches? And who do you think it will mean more to? Let us know in the comments.

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Blackpool: A unique away day

We hope they do it for a whole host of reasons. Firstly, the alternative is either Cardiff or Leicester and with no disrespect to either club the prospect of watching them doesn’t fill us with excitement. Watching Blackpool does. They’re new, they’re fresh, they’re exciting! Sounds like an advert for washing powder, but to be honest, the bright orange shirts of Blackpool running out at Old Trafford or Anfield derives a certain childish glee!

Secondly, away days for the supporters in Blackpool will be a ball. The town has a certain reputation, based on fact, if we’re honest. It’s viewed as a typical English seaside resort; grimy, dirty, paint peeling and littered. All “Kiss Me Quick” hats, donkey rides and crap cabaret on the piers.

It’s part of its charm. So now imagine a couple of thousand supporters from the likes of Chelsea descending on it, downing beers, eating candy floss and popcorn and wondering where the hell they’ve ended up. Brilliant!

After the game you can roll up to the Pleasure Beach, ride the Big One, see the Illuminations in winter, visit the Tower and waste your money trying to win a teddy bear for the impatient wife or girlfriend back home. Yes, an away day at Blackpool will be unique.

Funny as f***

Finally, and far more importantly, if Blackpool make it through the play off final and into the Premier League we’ll have their ever-entertaining manager Ian Holloway finally getting the weekly coverage he deserves. How can you not be entertained by comments such as this:

On Cristiano Ronaldo:

“He’s six foot something, fit as a flea, good looking – he’s got to have something wrong with him. Hopefully he’s hung like a hamster – That would make us all feel better. Having said that, me missus has got a pet hamster at home, and his cock’s massive.“

On Blackpool:

“I love Blackpool. We’re very similar. We both look better in the dark.”

On…burglary?!:

“If you’re a burglar, it’s no good poncing about outside somebody’s house, looking good with your swag bag ready. Just get in there, burgle them and come out. I don’t advocate that obviously, it’s just an analogy.”

On a win against Chesterfield:

“To put it in gentleman’s terms if you’ve been out for a night and you’re looking for a young lady and you pull one, some weeks they’re good looking and some weeks they’re not the best. Our performance today would have been not the best looking bird but at least we got her in the taxi. She wasn’t the best looking lady we ended up taking home but she was very pleasant and very nice, so thanks very much, let’s have a coffee.”

On luck:

“I have such bad luck at the moment that if I fell in a barrel of boobs I’d come out sucking my thumb.”

And somewhat randomly, on the Dukes of Hazard:

“There was a woman in it who was quite well-endowed and two boys who used to get drunk and have a fight – it had everything for me.”

Who asks these questions?! Never mind, the fact of the matter is we’d welcome Blackpool into the Premier League with open arms just for Holloway

What’s your favourite Holloway quote? And would you be as pleased as us to see Blackpool get promoted? Let us know in the comments.

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