Pre-season fixtures for the Premier League teams ahead of the 2010-11 season

Arsenal

17 July v Barnet (A) 3pm

21 July v Sturm Graz (A) 6pm

27 July v SC Neusiedl 1919 (A) 6pm

31 July v Milan (H, Emirates Cup) 4.20pm

1 August v Celtic (H, Emirates Cup) 4.20pm

7 August v Legia Warsaw (A) 3pm

Aston Villa

24 July v Bohemians (A) 3pm

27 July v Walsall (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Feyenoord (A) 9.15pm

1 August v Benfica (A) 9.15pm

6 August v Valencia (H) 7.45pm

Birmingham City

18 July v Hong Kong League Selection Team (A) 3pm

21 July v Beijing Guoan FC (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Liaoning Hongyun Football Club (A) 8pm

31 July v Derby County (A) 3pm

3 August v MK Dons (A) 7.30pm

7 August v Real Mallorca (H) 3pm

Blackburn Rovers

10 July v Sturm Graz (A) 5pm

17 July v Fleetwood Town (A) 3pm

20 July v Preston North End (A) 7.45pm

21 July v Huddersfield Town (A) 7.45pm

25 July v Rangers (N, Sydney Festival of Football) 3pm

28 July v AEK Aens (N, Sydney Festival of Football) 6pm

31 July v Sydney FC (A, Sydney Festival of Football) 7.15pm

7 August v Hearts (A) 3pm

Blackpool

16 July v Tiverton Town (A) 7.30pm

20 July v Accrington Stanley (A) 7.30pm

22 July v Kilmarnock (A) 8pm

27 July v Crewe Alexandra (A) 7.30pm

31 July v Bristol City (A) 3pm

Bolton Wanderers

14 July v Charlotte Eagles (A) TBC

17 July v Charleon Battery (A) TBC

17 July v Bamber Bridge (A) 3pm

21 July v Toronto FC (A) TBC

23 July v Chorley (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Rochdale (A) 3pm

27 July v Curzon Ashton (A) 7.45pm

28 July v Morecambe (A) 7.45pm

30 July v Fleetwood Town (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Falkirk (A) 3pm

2 August v Johnstone (A) 7.45pm

4 August v AFC Fylde (A) 7.45pm

6 August v Osasuna (H) TBC

7 August v Barrow (A) 3pm

Chelsea

17 July v Crystal Palace (A) 3pm

23 July v Ajax (A) 8pm

1 August v Eintracht Frankfurt (A) 3pm

4 August v Hamburg (A) 8pm

Everton

10 July v Sydney FC (A) 7.30pm

14 July v Melbourne Heart (A) 7.30pm

17 July v Brisbane Roar (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Preston North End (A) 3pm

31 July v Norwich City (A) 3pm

4 August v Everton Chile (H) 8pm

7 August v Wolfsburg (A) 4pm

Fulham

14 July v Brentford (A) 8pm

17 July v Bournemouth (A) 3pm

31 July v Portsmouth (A) 3pm

Liverpool

17 July v Al Hilal (A) 6pm

21 July v Grasshopper (A) 6.30pm

24 July v Kaiserslautern (A) TBC

1 August v Borussia Mönchengladbach (A) 1.30pm

Manchester City

23rd July v Sporting Lisbon (A, New York Football Challenge) 8pm

25 July v New York Red Bulls (A, New York Football Challenge) 3pm

28 July v Club America (A) 8pm

31 July v Internazionale (A) 8pm

4 August v Borussia Dortmund (A) 8pm

Manchester United

16 July v Celtic (N) TBC

21 July v Philadelphia Union (A) 7.30pm

25 July v Kansas City Wizards (A) 5pm

28 July v MLS All-Stars (N) 6pm

4 August v League of Ireland XI (N) TBC

Newcastle United

17 July v Carlisle United (A) TBC

24 July v Norwich City (A) 3pm

31 July v PSV Eindhoven (H) TBC

7 August v Rangers (A) TBC

Stoke City

22 July v Nantwich Town (A) 7pm

22 July v Notts County (A) 7.45pm

24 July v Newcastle Town (A) 2.30pm

27 July v Derby County (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Burnley (H) 3pm

3 August v Bristol Rovers (A) 7.45pm

6 August v Wrexham (A) 7.45pm

Sunderland

17 July v Darlington (A) 3pm

Tottenham Hotspur

10 July v Bournemouth (A) 3pm

17 July v San Jose Earquakes (A) TBC

29 July v Villarreal (H) 8pm

3 August v Benfica (A) 7.45pm

7 August v Fiorentina (H) 3pm

West Bromwich Albion

20 July v Crewe Alexandra (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Bristol Rovers (A) 3pm

West Ham United

24 July v Burton Albion (A) 3pm

Wigan Athletic

20 July v Oldham (A) 7.45pm

4 August v Real Zaragoza (H) 7.45pm

8 August v Dundee United (A) 3pm

Wolverhampton Wanderers

17 July v Bohemians (A) 3pm

20 July v Walsall (A) 7.45pm

24 July v Charleroi (A) TBC

27 July v Reading (A) 8pm

30 July v Cheltenham Town (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Leeds United (A) 3pm

3 August v Hearts (A) 7pm

7 August v Athletic Bilbao (H) 3pm

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Standy in here

Natasha Dowie can’t hide her excitement. She is exhausted, but cannot keep the wonder from her voice. On Monday, the 21-year-old striker scored a goal in the last minute of extra time which won Everton a first FA Women’s cup in the club’s history – and time inflicted the first cup-final defeat on reigning champions Arsenal. And after a night of celebrating she still cannot believe her luck. “It’s like a dream. As soon as I connected with it [the ball] I knew it was going in. I just ran into the crowd and hugged some random boy – I don’t even know if he was a supporter.” The rest of the team were, of course equally ecstatic at the win. “We didn’t even shower,” Dowie laughs, “we just went straight out in our tracksuits into Liverpool. I was still wearing my flip flops. I must have got in about four o’clock this morning, so I’m struggling a bit, but it’s worth it.”

The only cloud marring the win, was the fact that on the day her family and friends were cheering her victory, a more famous Dowie – her uncle Hull manager Iain – was watching his team drop from the Premier League. “It’s a shame because he’s a terrific guy,” she says. “But he’s done his best in Hull it’s probably not worked out the way he wanted it to, but he will kick on and do well wherever he goes. “And she says, he was still one of the first to congratulate her after the game – after getting home in time to catch her winning goal. “He texted me and rung me to tell me how proud he was. He didn’t talk about his own game he was more focused on me and how proud he was of me which was lovely.”

Now she says, she is just pleased that playing for Everton means she is closer to the former striker, who lives in Bolton, and who has been a “massive influence” on her. “I always ask his advice when I see him,” she says. “I was quite young when he played, but I watched tapes of him and he was a terrific striker.”

It’s the second time Dowie’s professional path has crossed her uncle’s. In 2006 (CHECK) she played at Charlton Athletics Ladies while Iain Dowie coached the men’s side. Yet hearing her talk about holding down a full time job coaching at Stevenage Borough football club’s academy, getting lifts from her father and “scraping for pennies”, it’s obvious her lifestyle cannot compare with players involved in the men’s Premier League. Does the difference annoy her? “It is frustrating when you see what kind of money the men are on a week,” she agrees. “They train two hours a day and we are training probably more than they do. We are all holding down full time jobs. It’s very tiring, I’m not going to lie. Mo [Everton coach Mo Marley] helps out with travelling expenses, but we don’t get paid to play so it is tough. But days like yesterday (Monday) make you realise why you play the sport. “

But she hopes the new Women’s Super League due to be launched in 2011, will helps change things. “I’m very excited. Hopefully more people will come and watch us play, and if we get paid we might have more time to train. It’ll be more competitive and it might even attract foreign players.” And she says the fact more girls than ever are taking up the sport should also help. “When I was at school I was only girl playing, but now it’s 50 50. The boys didn’t even like me playing with them in the playground. When I was 14 we were in a 5-a-side tournament and our team got through to the final. I scored most of the goal but the boys complained so I wasn’t allowed to play in the final. I wasn’t the most confident kid when I was younger and I found it quite hard but I loved playing football so any chance I had I would play.”

For now though her mind is on one thing – the Premier League title. On Thursday Everton will play Leeds and on Sunday they will face Arsenal again. “I’m getting alot of attention people wanting to know me now! It’s nice and I’m going to make the most of it as we are back in the League on Thursday so I am going to enjoy it while I can. We have three games in less than a week so it’s back to business.”

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