This is a very strange situation. I'm currently sitting in a snazzy gaff in Manchester's Northern Quarter waiting for Pele and Eric Cantona. Not a bad way to kick off the new season!
Summer always drags a little with no major football tournament.
Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and England's cricketers have all done their bit to keep us smiling but it's nice to finally think about that bit of pig skin preparing to nestle in the onion bag (first cliche of the season).
This weekend is a special one for all Football League fans, where the Championship and other lower leagues rightly take centre stage. We're in the thick of it right from the start, presenting our first live Football Focus show of the season from the Amex Stadium in Brighton on BBC1 at 12.15pm on Saturday.
It's a great story to cover and we've got the blue-and-white big guns with us to reflect on an emotional day for all Seagulls fans.
Des Lynam sets the scene, Fat Boy Slim will be in town too and we'll have a good nose around the new stadium, which is said to be one of the most accommodating for away fans.
Doncaster supporters will be the best to put that to the test - they were also the last opponents at the old Goldstone Ground. There is an abundance of sentiment wherever you look.
Sam Allardyce returns to football as manager of West Ham United
AFC Wimbledon fans are also looking forward to a shot at redemption, and this weekend we have the first in a series of in-depth pieces on the Football League new boys. We've been granted special behind-the-scenes access this season with Terry Brown's side.
There's live football on the BBC this weekend as well, with two new managers going toe to toe at Upton Park. It's West Ham versus Cardiff, Big Sam up against the ample-sized Malky Mackay on Sunday and we've spoken to West Ham's Kevin Nolan and Mr Allardyce to see whether the mood has improved this season among the not-so-happy Hammers.
My summer move to Sheffield hasn't influenced our editorial plans, but the Steel City features highly in League One this time round and the meetings between United and Wednesday will be as tasty as ever.
The face of the Football League, Mark Clemmit, is back with a bite-size guide to all three divisions and some quirky facts that you may have missed over the summer.
And we're not completely ignoring the Premier League. We'll assess the way things stand with a week to go and hear from Ashley Cole, who spent part of the summer in New York opening a restaurant with Jay-Z.
All this and the prospect of pundits Mark Lawrenson and Robbie Savage returning to their former club Brighton to take in the nostalgia. There won't be a dry eye in the house...
Robbie and Lawro will also be giving their predictions for the season so feel free to stick your necks out and say who you think will win the top four leagues. If anyone gets them all nailed at the end of the season, I'll organise some fig rolls.
Right. Pele is "on his way". More from him on next week's show but as far as Saturday is concerned we'll see you on BBC1 at 12.15pm for the return of Football Focus.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/danwalker/2011/08/football_league_ready_for_kick.html
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