Complicated Process

It is one of the most eagerly-awaited dates of the calendar and the fixtures team are acutely aware of the responsibility on their shoulders.

Compiling the fixture lists is a hugely complicated process which starts from scratch each year and which cannot even begin until after the Championship play-off final when the full line-up is known for each division.

Some of the groundwork though is done in the preceding weeks when questionnaires are sent to clubs for requests and input on dates to avoid. The questionnaires and date requests are also considered by each club's local police force. For instance the Great North run impacts on teams in the north-east.

Neighbouring clubs across the divisions are paired together to ensure they do not play at home on the same dates. For example, in the West Midlands Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be at home when Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are away.

Other criteria include:

*Wherever possible clubs should have no more than two successive home (or away) fixtures, excluding cup draws.

*All clubs should have an alternating sequence of home and away Saturday fixtures at both the beginning and end of the season.

*Any club away on Boxing Day should be at home on New Year's day and vice versa. Local derbies are avoided on these dates but equally distance of journeys should be minimised. If possible, clubs should have an equal number of home and away fixtures on Bank Holidays, if applicable.

*Clubs playing in the Europa League on a Thursday will have the option of moving a Saturday fixture to a Sunday so, where possible, these should be home matches.

Locked Away

These factors are all programmed into the fixtures computer which then produces a draft list for initial review by the compilation team who consider - along with many other aspects - date requests and pairings which have not been satisfied.

A second review is performed by the fixtures working party in consultation with club representatives, the FA and the National Supporters Association.

It is almost impossible to create a schedule which meets all the requests but the compilers will spend hours locked away studying the draft fixtures to minimise the problems and ensure no one club, league or set of supporters is unduly penalised.

Premier League registrations and fixtures manager Mark Annett explained: "We do our utmost to produce a set of fixtures which meets as many of the police and club requests as possible, usually more than 80 per cent. It is not easy but we try to get the best possible fit.

"We try to make sure the fixtures are as fair as possible with no club being disadvantaged. For example, teams should not play three or more consecutive home or three consecutive away Premier League matches.

"Where possible we seek to minimise midweek travel but this can have an adverse effect on the date requests and other factors and we strive to retain as much a random element as possible in the interests of fairness. That said, we do try to bear fans in mind where travel is concerned, particularly over the Christmas period when transport is not always easy.

"With so many internationals and European dates, it is not easy fitting all the matches in, especially as next season will be two weeks shorter than the 2008/09 season. It starts on 15th August but finishes on 9th May to allow extra preparation time for the World Cup.

"We also have to work round events like political conferences, carnivals and other major sporting events so we work closely with the police as well as with the Football League."

Demanding Task

Annett added: "We start with the fixture questionnaires sent to the clubs. Once a sequence is established, the dates are fed into the computer which produces a draft set of fixtures which are then considered by the compilation team and then the Fixture Working Party and the Association of Police Chief Officers.

"This process requires manual changes but altering even one match can have a knock-on effect on many others and may require another dozen switches. We will sometimes even make changes as late as the day before the fixtures are released.

"It is a very pressurised and demanding task. We lock ourselves away for a week and spend the time poring over them.

"It is hard work but I enjoy it. It is quite a thrill to be part of something so momentous as we know fans will plan holidays, travel, even weddings around the dates.

"We have to be as fair as possible and totally discreet. No-one but the compilation team can take away the final draft which is then given to the Press Association ready for release.

"Often you will get fans who claim to know the fixtures but no-one does - not until 10am on 17th June when the internet almost goes into meltdown such is the interest. "