Hardly, it seems, has the Premier League trophy left west London to take up residence in a trophy cabinet in Manchester, than the fixtures for the 2007-08 season have been released, signifying it's a mere eight weeks before Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Co start all over again.
Also released yesterday were the fixtures for the new Championship campaign, giving Sheffield United a home tie on the opening day against Colchester, a somewhat forceful reminder, with the greatest of offence intended towards Colchester, of just why the club are so intent on winning their legal battle to have their relegation from the Premier League overturned.
So confident, though, are the Premier League of the outcome of next week's arbitration panel, which will determine whether Sheffield retain their place in the top flight, they went ahead and released the fixtures yesterday. United, meanwhile, remain convinced it will be the Chelseas of this world, and not the Colchesters, that they will be squaring up to next season. All concerned await a puff of white smoke from the arbitration panel's chimney.
But assuming there will be no need to redo the fixture list, Manchester United will open the defence of their title against Reading at Old Trafford, an occasion that could see the debuts of Owen Hargreaves, Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira and Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha (the last two better known as Anderson and Nani, much to the relief of parents who pay a pound per letter for names on the back of their kids' replica shirts), Ferguson's summer purchases to date.
Chelsea, meanwhile, will be the opening day opponents at Stamford Bridge for newly-promoted Birmingham. "Obviously we would prefer a lesser team at home to kick off," said Birmingham striker DJ Campbell, greeting the news enthusiastically.
If Martin O'Neill succeeds in bringing Craig Bellamy to Villa Park this summer then the Welsh man will savour his new club's first fixture - a home tie against Liverpool - while Lawrie Sanchez will start his first full campaign in charge of Fulham away to Arsenal.
"It's Sod's Law, isn't it?," asked Sam Allardyce yesterday when he heard the opening fixtures - and he was right: Newcastle, his new club, face Bolton, his old club, at the Reebok Stadium on day one. "I would hope for a pretty good reception there after we finished the last four years seventh, eighth, sixth and eighth, qualifying for Europe twice," he said, challenging Jimmy Magee for the title of "Memory Man". Newcastle's midfield will be armed with Joey Barton, which should give them the punch they have lacked in recent campaigns.
AN Other will lead Barton's former club, Manchester City, in to their opening tie away to West Ham, and he may well remain in charge for the bulk of the season judging by City's "progress" in their quest to find an heir to Stuart Pearce.
New boys Derby begin life in the Premiership with a home tie against Portsmouth, Everton open at home to Wigan while Middlesbrough have home advantage against Blackburn.
Martin Jol, meanwhile, will be the first man in Premier League history to share the managerial touchline with Roy Keane when he takes Spurs to the Stadium of Light on day one of the new campaign. Spurs were the club Keane supported in his youth - it is probably safe to assume that, come August 11th, sentimentality will not overcome him.
