FOOTBALL IS BACK!
5 NEW THINGS
1 EARLY DEADLINE DAY
Prepare for a mad transfer scramble as the 20 Premier League clubs seek to get their business concluded before 5pm on Thursday. The clubs voted for an earlier closing of the window, but European clubs can still sign their players until the end of the month.
2 WARNINGS FOR MANAGERS
While the Premier League won’t have the yellow and red cards for badly behaving managers seen in the Football League, accumulative warnings will apply with four such offences leading to an automatic onegame touchline ban.
3 HIGH-TECH MATCH BALL
There once was a time when footballs would be made of 32 black and white panels all stitched together. Nowadays, the new Nike Merlin ball to be used in the Premier League this season has just four. Apparently, it helps it zip through the air so keepers beware.
4 THE 59TH STADIUM
Tottenham’s new stadium will host its first Premier League action when Liverpool visit on September 15 and it will be the 59th different venue used in the 26 years of the Premier League. With a capacity of 62,062, it will be the league’s second-largest behind Old Trafford.
5 NEW MEN IN THE MIDDLE
Simon Hooper (right) and David Coote have been promoted into the Select Group 1 for the season ahead and will take charge of top-flight matches on a regular basis. We also have two new assistant referees — Neil Davies and Dan Robathan.