Here we go...the big kick-off

As I look out of my window I can see a few fluffy white clouds masking the brilliant blue sky. It is certainly warm as I came back from my lunch hour with a bit of a sweat on after a fast walk back to work. Put all that together and I think we'll find the football season is ready for it's big kick-off.

I know that the Championship kicked off last week but the big boys are now ready for their grand entrance. Manchester United start the defence of their crown with the visit of Newcastle United on Sunday, before them we'll see Chelsea, under Big Phil for the first time, they'll be facing FA Cup Winners Portsmouth.

On Saturday the other two of the 'Big Four' make their debuts, Arsenal entertain West Brom at lunchtime and Liverpool face Sunderland in the tea-time kick-off. The opening weekend sees every member of the big four play in front of the live television cameras.

The season seems to of snuck up on us with the Olympics going on. The biggest sporting event in the world has taken over our consciousness leaving football on the outside looking in. The last time this happened as the season geared up for its big kick-off was in 2005 when cricket as Ashes Fever took the country by storm.

Football is my passion but it is a long season and other sports tug at the emotions. For instance tomorrow afternoon the Men's 100m final is at 3:30 PM UK time. So will people switch over from Jeff and the boys on Sky to watch to find out who is the fastest man in the world? I am pretty confident they will.

Was it Sir Alex Ferguson who once said that the football season doesn't really get going until after Christmas? It might not take that long for our attention to focus on the national pastime but I wouldn't be too surprised to see the first few weeks pass one or two people by.