Suddenly it all feels very real — perhaps scarily so or in the most exciting way possible, depending on your disposition and how daunted or enthused you are by the challenge of Premier League football.
For the first time since the summer of 2016, fixture release day wasn’t dominated by the underwhelming reality of Sunderland making windswept League One or Championship trips to Bradford, Barnsley, Plymouth, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Birmingham and Middlesbrough.
Instead, the list of opponents that was being retweeted and shared among friends, colleagues and family members comprised Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and so on.
The glamour ties against the UK’s heavyweights are back on the agenda and the 2025/2026 calendar looks altogether more appealing, even if there’s an understandable smattering of nerves as we prepare for our first Premier League campaign in almost a decade.
Sunderland v Coventry City - Sky Bet Championship - Play Off - Semi Final - Second Leg - Stadium of Light Photo by Steve Welsh/PA Images via Getty Images
A glance at the schedule offers one or two hints as to how things might go, even if there’s a lot of work to be done between now and the big kick off, with the games themselves doubtless being shuffled around on the whims of the TV executives.
As far as it can be, August looks reasonably agreeable as we begin with the visit of West Ham before crossing swords with Burnley and a Brentford side who may still be adjusting to life without Thomas Frank.
A good chance to get some points on the board, build confidence and get attuned to the demands of the top flight? That has to be the aim, because we all know how unforgiving the Premier League is.
The standard is far higher than 2016/2017 and the adjustment process is sure to be tough as we stand toe to toe with the lethal wingers, deadly strikers and frighteningly athletic defenders and midfielders who call the league their home.
Of course, the standout month is December, not least because the first Wear/Tyne derby of the season will dominate the agenda before we go behind enemy lines for the second edition later in the season, but also for the sheer difficulty of the fixtures and the possibility of some chastening experiences for the Lads and the supporters who’ll follow them in great numbers.
Manchester City v West Ham United - Premier League Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images
Two clashes with Manchester City and a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool will test us to the limit, but is this not what we’ve been seeking since 2017? Surely those long and often painful years in League One were worth the slog for the prize of once again taking a seat at the top table?
It’s been a long time since the Stadium of Light staged those unforgettable domestic affairs, the big midweek games under the floodlights and the visits of the country’s finest players and most elite managers.
Sky Sports will have plenty of interest in our exploits, as will TNT and possibly some of the noted overseas broadcasters, and it’ll give us the kind of exposure and prestige of which we’ve been starved for far too long.
Naturally, there are interesting narratives everywhere you look — among them the return to Wearside of David Moyes and Jordan Pickford when Everton roll into town — but that’s all part of the modern Premier League. It’s part circus, part soap opera and part thrill ride, and we’ll need to deal with the ups and downs as we encounter them.
Will it be tough? Yes.
Can we fulfil our primary brief — that of survival? Yes, but only with the kind of transfer business that covers off areas of current weakness, reshapes the squad so that no driftwood is carried, and gives Régis Le Bris the kind of depth and quality he’ll need.
Sheffield United v Sunderland - Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final Photo by Michael Driver | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
For me, the playoffs have now been parked. A shift in mentality has to take place and we can’t afford to waver, lose our nerve or fail to make the most of this opportunity.
We wanted top flight football and now that we’ve got it, it’s up to Le Bris, Kristjaan Speakman and the wider backroom team to ensure the recruitment is up to par, the players are 100% ready and that by the time we kick off against the Hammers, no stone has been left unturned in the quest to prepare the club for its return to the elite.
Despite the monumentally impressive way in which we eventually won promotion, Le Bris and his team won’t dwell on it forever, and nor should we.
It goes without saying that ‘Til The End was an exceptionally effective rallying cry at the end of last season, but perhaps Just The Beginning ought to be the new one as we prepare for the greatest test in British football.
For the fans, it’s ‘roll on August’. For the club’s decision-makers, things need to start ramping up, with some interesting and hopefully exciting times to come.