Club football is in full swing and we have a pre-season friendlies review covering our Premier League, EFL and non league sides.
Players are starting to get back in shape for the beginning of the new campaign. Depending on the club, they head to places with better climatic conditions than at home to ease the players in, or to places with harsher climates so the players could hit the ground running when the season kicks in.
It also gives managers the opportunity to blend new players into the team, try out different tactics or help players adapt to a new manager and his techniques.
Commercial aspects for top flight sides can be the main reason for the tours. The team is in a place where they want to increase the fanbase, regardless of the climate and/or conditions and made to play high-profile friendlies which are of absolutely no use, as the only purpose they fulfill is filling the stadiums. Despite the torrential rain, bad condition of the pitch, efforts were made till the last minute to make sure the match happened.
The commercial aspect has now become the priority, which shouldn’t be the case. If you go to another country, Premier League / big six clubs should play the local teams for the simple reason that it helps everyone.
Right, time to take a look at the Premier League, EFL and non league friendlies review…
Stockport (Eng) 0-1 Blackburn (Eng)
Stockport: Smith, Wright, Byrne, Southam-Hales, Madden (c) (Omoruyi 86’), Pye, A. Trialist (McMahon 86’), Croasdale, B. Trialist (Mee 63’), Evans, Olaofe
Subs: Jones
Blackburn: Pears, Brittain, Barnes (Gamble 62’), S. Wharton (c), Batty, Garrett, Buckley (Weston 67’), A. Wharton (O’Grady-Macken 78’, Edmondson, Gilsenan, Bloxham
Subs: Hilton, Eastham, Wood, Montgomery, Atcheson, Davies
Brighton (Eng) 1-2 Newcastle (Eng)
Albion line-up: Verbruggen, Gross (Weir 62), Veltman (Turns 59), van Hecke (Lamptey 80), Estupinan Samuels 62), Caicedo (Ayari 59), Dahoud (Gilmour 71), Buonanotte (Peupion 58), Lallana (Ferguson 59), Mitoma (Adingra 62), Welbeck (Pedro 71).
On the bench: McGill, Rushworth, Baker-Boaitey.
Newcastle United: Nick Pope, Harrison Ashby (Lewis Miley 59), Jamaal Lascelles (Remi Savage 79), Paul Dummett (Alex Murphy 75), Matt Targett, Matt Ritchie (Jay Turner-Cooke 79), Bruno Guimarães, Elliot Anderson, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes (Jamie Miley 90), Callum Wilson (Ben Parkinson 75).
Subs not used: Martin Dúbravka.
Blackpool (Eng) 3-0 Hibernian (Sco)
Blackpool XI: Grimshaw, Pennington, Ekpiteta, Husband, Hamilton, Morgan, Norburn, Carey, Connolly, Beesley, Lavery
Final 25 minutes XI: O’Donnell, Tharme, Casey, Pennington, Lyons, Trialist, Trybull, Dougall, Thompson, Dale, Apter
Hibs Starting XI: Jojo Wollacott; Allan Delferrière, Kanayo Megwa, Riley Harbottle, Oscar MacIntyre; Jimmy Jeggo, Reuben McAllister, Rudi Molotnikov; Dan MacKay, Elias Melkersen, Martin Boyle.
Subs: Max Boruc; Owen Hastie, Robbie Hamilton, Jacob MacIntyre, Malik Zaid.
Bolton (Eng) 4-3 West Brom (Eng)
Wanderers: Baxter; Jones (Sadlier 73), Almeida Santos, Ashworth (Forrester 62); Dacres-Cogley Thomason, Sheehan (Morley 62), Williams (Conway 83); Dempsey (Mendes Gomes); Nlundulu (Adeboyejo 67), Charles (Jerome 67). Substitutes: Coleman.
Booked: Ashworth, Sheehan, Nlundulu
West Bromwich Albion: Griffiths; Furlong, Ajayi, Kipre, Townsend; Yokuslu; Swift, Mowatt; Wallace, Thomas-Asante, Phillips. Substitutes (used): Bartley, Pieters, Chalabah, Gardner-Hickman, Fellows, Malcolm, Hall, Faal.
Booked: Furlong, Yokuslu
Referee: Simon Mather
Attendance: 4,900
Derby (Eng) 1-3 Sheff Utd (Eng)
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Hourihane (C), Bradley, Cashin, Bird, Collins (Washington 70), Mendez-Laing (Waghorn 70), Smith, Thompson (Forsyth 46), Ward (Wilson 70), Nelson.
Substitutes Not Used: Loach (GK), Robinson, Rooney.
Sheffield United: Foderingham (GK), Baldock, Lowe, Berge, Egan (C), Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Osborn (Brooks 88), Slimane (Basham 76), Ndiaye, Osula.
Substitutes Not Used: Davies (GK), Freckleton, Marsh, Neal, Larouci.
THE OTHERS:
Bremen (Ger) 1-1 Ipswich (Eng)
Jersey Bulls (Eng) 1-4 Stenhousemuir (Sco)
Betis (Esp) 1-1 Burnley (Eng)
Forest Green (Eng) 2-0 West Brom (Eng)
Hebburn Town (Eng) 1-1 Sunderland U21 (Eng)
Tranmere (Eng) 1-1 Wigan (Eng)
Blyth (Eng) 1-2 Whitby (Eng)
Colchester (Eng) 0-1 West Ham U21 (Eng)
Hartlepool (Eng) 1-2 Harrogate (Eng)
Newton Aycliffe (Eng) 0-2 Morpeth (Eng)
South Shields (Eng) 1-3 Gateshead (Eng)
Farnborough (Eng) 2-2 Dorking (Eng)
Ilkeston (Eng) 2-5 Derby U21 (Eng)
Phoenix (Eng) 2-2 Dartford (Eng)
Swindon S (Eng) 2-1 Taunton (Eng)
Philadelphia II (Usa) 1-1 Wrexham (Wal)
Ashton Utd (Eng) 2-2 FC Halifax (Eng)
Millwall (Eng) 1-2 Sittard (Ned)
Spennymoor (Eng) 1-1 Middlesbrough U21 (Eng)
Bristol Rovers (Eng) 2-0 Chesterfield (Eng)
Charlton (Eng) 2-3 Aberdeen (Sco)
Thatcham (Eng) 0-3 Hungerford (Eng)
Wealdstone (Eng) 0-2 AFC Wimbledon (Eng)
Hanworth (Eng) 4-3 Reading City (Eng)
Bognor Regis (Eng) 4-1 Chichester (Eng)
Celtic (Sco) 1-1 Wolves (Eng)
Chippenham (Eng) 2-1 Melksham (Eng)
Newport (Wal) 1-1 Cheltenham (Eng)
Penybont (Wal) 5-0 Merthyr Town (Wal)
Plymouth Parkway (Eng) 1-1 Yeovil (Eng)
Newtown (Wal) 4-1 Nantwich (Eng)
Accrington (Eng) 2-0 York City (Eng)
AFC Fylde (Eng) 2-0 Salford (Eng)
AFC Telford (Eng) 0-0 Kidderminster (Eng)
Alfreton (Eng) 2-0 Mickleover (Eng)
Ashington (Eng) 0-3 Workington (Eng)
Bala Town (Wal) 3-1 Bootle (Eng)
Bamber Bridge (Eng) 0-2 Warrington (Eng)
Banbury (Eng) 1-0 Maidenhead (Eng)
Barnet (Eng) 2-0 Cambridge Utd (Eng)
Barnsley (Eng) 2-1 Crewe (Eng)
Barrow (Eng) 4-1 Newcastle U21 (Eng)
Basford (Eng) 4-0 North Ferriby (Eng)
Bashley (Eng) 2-3 Eastleigh (Eng)
Beckenham (Eng) 2-3 Welling (Eng)
Bedford (Eng) 1-2 QPR (Eng)
Billericay (Eng) 1-0 Dartford (Eng)
Bishop’s Stortford (Eng) 0-5 Sittingbourne (Eng)
Blackburn (Eng) 2-3 Girona (Esp)
Boreham Wood (Eng) 2-1 Arsenal U21 (Eng)
Bournemouth (Eng) 1-3 Atalanta (Ita)
Broadbridge Heath (Eng) 3-0 Badshot (Eng)
Bromley (Eng) 1-2 Crawley (Eng)
Canvey Island (Eng) 0-2 Bowers & Pitsea (Eng)
Carlisle (Eng) 0-2 Dundee Utd (Sco)
Chipstead (Eng) 3-0 Erith & Belvedere (Eng)
Colchester (Eng) 2-1 Leyton Orient (Eng)
Consett (Eng) 3-1 Alnwick Town (Eng)
Croydon (Eng) 0-1 Tooting & Mitcham (Eng)
Curzon Ashton (Eng) 0-1 FC Halifax (Eng)
Dag & Red (Eng) 0-1 Gillingham (Eng)
Doncaster (Eng) 1-0 Port Vale (Eng)
East Grinstead (Eng) 0-0 Kingstonian (Eng)
Ebbsfleet (Eng) 2-6 Chelsea U21 (Eng)
Evesham (Eng) 2-2 Pershore Town (Eng)
Exeter (Eng) 1-2 Coventry (Eng)
Fleetwood (Eng) 1-0 Grimsby (Eng)
Folkestone (Eng) 5-1 Hythe Town (Eng)
Gosport (Eng) 6-0 Hartley Wintney (Eng)
Guiseley (Eng) 1-1 Farsley (Eng)
Haringey (Eng) 1-2 St. Albans (Eng)
Havant & W (Eng) 1-3 Woking (Eng)
Hendon (Eng) 2-2 St. Ives (Eng)
Horndean (Eng) 0-5 Beaconsfield Town (Eng)
Horsham FC (Eng) 0-3 Worthing (Eng)
Huddersfield (Eng) 1-0 Heerenveen (Ned)
Hull (Eng) 1-1 Nantes (Fra)
Hyde (Eng) 1-1 Stalybridge (Eng)
Leamington (Eng) 2-0 Rushall (Eng)
Lincoln (Eng) 0-3 Rotherham (Eng)
Loughborough Dyn. (Eng) 4-0 Chesterfield U21 (Eng)
Marine (Eng) 0-2 Chester (Eng)
Marske (Eng) 1-2 Scarborough (Eng)
Middlesbrough (Eng) 2-2 Auxerre (Fra)
MK Dons (Eng) 1-3 Northampton (Eng)
Molesey (Eng) 1-4 Met. Police (Eng)
Morecambe (Eng) 0-2 Wigan (Eng)
Mossley (Eng) 3-0 Coleshill (Eng)
Norwich (Eng) 2-0 Olympiacos (Gre)
Nuneaton (Eng) 0-5 FC United (Eng)
Oldham (Eng) 0-3 Mansfield (Eng)
Ossett United (Eng) 1-0 Widnes (Eng)
Oxford Utd (Eng) 5-0 QPR (Eng)
Peterborough (Eng) 3-2 Birmingham (Eng)
Portsmouth (Eng) 0-1 Bristol City (Eng)
Raynes Park Vale (Eng) 1-1 Cray Valley PM (Eng)
Reading (Eng) 0-4 Swansea (Wal)
Redditch (Eng) 0-2 Hereford (Eng)
Rochdale (Eng) 1-0 Bradford City (Eng)
Runcorn Linnets (Eng) 0-2 Southport (Eng)
Salisbury (Eng) 0-2 Hampton & Richmond (Eng)
Scunthorpe (Eng) 2-1 Burton (Eng)
Sheff Wed (Eng) 1-2 Luton (Eng)
Sheffield (Eng) 4-1 Matlock (Eng)
Shrewsbury (Eng) 1-1 Notts Co (Eng)
Slough (Eng) 4-0 Bracknell (Eng)
Solihull Moors (Eng) 0-3 Walsall (Eng)
Southampton (Eng) 0-1 Alkmaar (Ned)
Stamford (Eng) 1-1 Boston Utd (Eng)
Stanway (Eng) 0-1 Hullbridge (Eng)
Stevenage (Eng) 4-0 Tottenham U21 (Eng)
Stockport (Eng) 2-0 Preston (Eng)
Stoke (Eng) 0-1 Everton (Eng)
Stratford (Eng) 3-0 Bedworth United (Eng)
Sunderland (Eng) 1-1 Mallorca (Esp)
Sutton (Eng) 0-1 Aldershot (Eng)
Swindon (Eng) 3-1 Plymouth (Eng)
Tamworth (Eng) 2-0 Barwell (Eng)
Tonbridge (Eng) 1-0 Margate (Eng)
Walton & Hersham (Eng) 4-3 Hashtag (Eng)
Westfield (Eng) 1-1 Cray Wanderers (Eng)
Worksop (Eng) 1-2 Harborough (Eng)
Wycombe (Eng) 0-0 Cardiff (Wal)
Yate Town (Eng) 0-2 Bath (Eng)
Rennes (Fra) 3-1 West Ham (Eng)
Liverpool (Eng) 4-0 Leicester (Eng)
Man City (Eng) 1-2 Atl. Madrid (Esp)
Hearts (Sco) 0-1 Leeds (Eng)
Aston Villa (Eng) 3-3 Brentford (Eng)
Appleby Frodingham 1-0 Scunthorpe Utd U18
Rossington 3-5 Barton Town
Bodmin Town 2-3 Plymstock United
Bradford Park Avenue 2-3 Blackpool XI
Braintree Town 0-1 Ipswich Town U21
Colchester United 0-1 West Ham United U/21
Dulwich Hamlet 3-1 Millwall U/21
Farnborough 2-2 Dorking Wanderers
Hanley Town 4-1 Northwich Victoria
Hebburn Town 1-1 Sunderland U23
Horncastle Town 3-1 Gainsborough Trinity U21
Ilkeston Town 2-5 Derby County XI
Ipswich Wanderers 0-1 Henley Athletic
Launceston 0-10 Mousehole
Newton Aycliffe 0-2 Morpeth Town
North Leigh 1-1 Woodley United
Phoenix Sports 2-2 Dartford
Redbridge 2-2 Hornchurch
Whitehawk 0-2 Burgess Hill Town
Abbey Rangers 4-2 Moneyfields
AFC Totton 4-1 Hamworthy United
Amersham Town 1-0 Stotfold
Ashington 0-3 Workington
Ashton United 2-2 FC Halifax Town
Basford United 4-0 North Ferriby United
Beckenham Town 2-3 Welling United
Bishop’s Stortford 0-5 Sittingbourne
Brackley Town 1-0 Oxford City
Brimscombe & Thrupp 0-6 Malvern Town
Bromsgrove Sporting 2-1 Macclesfield
Carlton Town 3-1 Shepshed Dynamo
Chalfont St Peter 1-1 Aylesbury United
Cleethorpes Town 1-2 Gainsborough
Colney Heath 3-1 Northwood
Consett 3-1 Alnwick Town
Crediton Utd 1-2 Portland Utd
Croydon 0-1 Tooting & Mitcham United
Darlaston Town 1874 3-2 Chasetown XI
Droitwich Spa 4-4 Lye Town
Dunstable Town 1-4 Risborough Rangers
Eastbourne Borough 2-0 AFC Wimbledon XI
Faringdon Town 2-5 Letcombe
Folkestone Invicta 5-1 Hythe Town
Gloucester City 2-1 Coalville
Guiseley 1-1 Farsley Celtic
Halesowen Town 2-0 Walsall Wood
Haringey Borough 1-2 St Albans City
Hastings United 4-3 Charlton Athletic XI
Havant & Waterlooville 1-3 Woking
Hendon 2-2 St Ives Town
Horsham 0-3 Worthing
Hythe & Dibden 2-0 Bashley
Kettering Town 1-1 Spalding United
Kidsgrove Athletic 3-1 Boldmere St Michaels
Leamington 2-0 Rushall Olympic
Leatherhead 1-0 Brentford XI
Liversedge 0-0 1874 Northwich
Long Eaton United 0-1 Belper Town
Marine 0-2 Chester
Marlow 3-2 Ardley United
Marske UniteD 2-3 Scarborough Athletic
Milton United 2-1 Berks County
Mossley 3-0 Coleshill Town
Nuneaton Borough 0-5 FC United of Manchester
Overton United 3-7 Whitchurch
Paulton Rovers 4-1 Corsham Town
Pewsey Vale v Lambourn
Plymouth Parkway 1-1 Yeovil Town
Radcliffe 3-1 Caernafon Town
Raynes Park Vale 1-1 Cray Valley (Paper Mills)
Redditch United 0-2 Hereford
Rugby Town 1-2 Atherstone Town
Runcorn Linnets 0-2 Southport
Salisbury 0-2 Hampton & Richmond Borough
Sittingbourne 5-0 Bishop’s Stortford
South Park (Reigate) 3-0 Three Bridges
Stafford Rangers 0-2 Leek Town
Stratford Town 3-0 Bedworth United
Sutton Coldfield Town 2-1 Romulus
Sutton Common Rovers 1-2 Farnham Town
Thame United 4-1 Academy 23 Slough
Tonbridge Angels 1-0 Margate
Tring Athletic 1-4 Berkhamsted Raiders
Warrington Rylands 3-0 Alvechurch
Welwyn Garden City 1-2 Brightlingsea Regent
Wembley 1-1 Hadley
Weymouth 1-2 Reading XI
Wolverhampton Casuals 3-2 Chasetown XI
Woodley United 1-3 Wallingford & Crowmarsh
Worksop Town 1-2 Harborough Town
Altrincham 2-0 Manchester United U/21
Beccles Town 0-2 Kirkley & Pakefield
Whitchurch Alport 2-1 Shrewsbury Town XI
