Toon boss Pardew admits he looked straight away for the Mackem fixtures when they were announced yesterday ... and those are obviously the ones we treasure the most.
The two teams will meet on October 20 at the Stadium of Shite, and Pardew admits it’s a game he is looking forward to.
Alan Pardew: “The first home game is probably the one I look for first, quickly followed by the Sunderland situation.
“Those Tyne-Wear derbies are key factors in the season. Just like last year, we are away at the Stadium of Light first, which isn’t ideal, but we coped with that well and we will hopefully do so again.
“After that, I look at the Christmas games and then the final game. I haven’t studied it in too much detail yet, but it always looks really, really tough on paper and this season is no different.
“It’s a fantastic start to be at home – I thought our home game against Spurs was one of the best matches last season.
“We will be looking forward to that. I’m pleased for our fans as it’s a great way to start the season.
“The expectation will be on us to win all our games, so it’s no issue that it’s a tough one.”