English top flight climax a week after FA Cup final

THE English Premier League climax will come after the FA Cup final next season for the first time for almost a decade.

The FA Cup final will be played on 14 May, with the final matches of the Premier League season eight days later on 22 May. The FA Cup final is traditionally the climax to the season but Wembley is hosting the Champions League final on 28 May which means there is no option but to stage it before the end of the league campaign.

It is not the first time the Premier League season has ended after the FA Cup final – it did so both in 2001 and 2002.

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As in Scotland, the fixtures for next season were published in England yesterday and double winners Chelsea begin their Premier League defence of the title with a home match against newly-promoted West Brom.

The match on 14 August means a return to Stamford Bridge for former Blues midfielder Roberto Di Matteo, now manager of Albion.

The new Liverpool manager will have one of the toughest of baptisms with a home match against Arsenal, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City meet at White Hart Lane.

Manchester United, runners-up in 2009-10, also start with a home match against a newly-promoted team – Sir Alex Ferguson's side take on Newcastle.

The fixtures computer has Ferguson's side facing Arsenal and Chelsea on consecutive weekends twice next season – on 11 December (Arsenal at Old Trafford) and 18 (Chelsea away), and then 30 April (Arsenal away) and 7 May (Chelsea at home).

In other opening weekend games, Aston Villa face West Ham and Everton travel to Blackburn, while Blackpool's first match in the Premier League is at home to local rivals Wigan.

Elsewhere, Steve Bruce's Sunderland are at home to Birmingham, one of the clubs he previously managed. Wolves and Stoke clash at Molineux, while Bolton and Europa League runners-up Fulham meet in the north-west.

There are no clashes between the likely title challengers on the last day of the season – Chelsea are at Everton, Blackpool are United's opposition at Old Trafford, Arsenal are away at Fulham, Manchester City travel to Bolton, Tottenham are at home to Birmingham and Liverpool away at Aston Villa.

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Brian Laws faces one of his former clubs on the opening day of the Championship season as Burnley begin their bid to regain their Premier League status

with a home match on 7 August against Nottingham Forest, for whom current Clarets boss Laws played between 1988 and 1994.

Portsmouth, hoping to come out of administration and avoid any further points deductions from the Football League, begin their season with a trip to Coventry.