Fixture release date plus more on Setanta

The club have confirmed that the fixtures for next season will be released on July 3rd. Not long now until we can really start talking about Boro again and start planning them long trips to Gateshead and Chester City that await us in the coming months. Unlike the fixtures in the football league and Premier League, the fixture list in the BSP gets decided by hand, so holiday fixtures can be evenly distributed and the fixtures meet local policing standards. I don’t really know why it can’t be done on computer like all the others, but it explains the week or two delay.

Highlights from the football league fixtures include BSP Champions Burton Albion being given a trip to Shrewsbury Town in their first game as a football league outfit. Play-Off winners Torquay have a home game against Chesterfield before they go to the capital to fact Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup and then Dagenham in the league.

Another story that affects Boro is the on-going saga with Irish broadcaster Setanta Sports. After weeks of speculation over its future, they finally lost the Premier League rights for next season after failing to pay the latest payment of £30m it currently owes to the league. Talks had been going on with an American investor, but once they had broke down, the Premier League decided to pull the plug on the struggling firm. It makes the attraction of buying out the company far less likely now that their prized asset has gone. I very much doubt the company will continue to run without it’s major income stream and expect an announcement on its future very soon. Let’s hope, like Westley said last week, that the club can absorb any loss they make with regards to the TV rights.

Ed Upson, who spent a while on loan at Stevenage last season has been given a new one year deal at Ipswich Town. New manager Roy Keane has seen enough of the 19 year old midfielder to believe he can play some role at Portman Road.

“Sometimes you have to be a bit patient with players. I saw him briefly in a reserve-team match and saw enough in the boy to give him a chance. It is now up to him and it will be a big year for him.” Keane on Ed Upson

UPDATE: A few ex Boro players are on tonight’s London Masters on Sky Sports 3. Barry Hayles is representing Fulham, while Tony Thorpe is playing for QPR.