By Charlie Summerbell
June 17 2010

The World Cup is in full swing, we haven't had a summer yet ... but the new football season is just over seven weeks away, with the first pre-season games for Hartlepool United planned for the middle of July. Having survived relegation by the skin of their teeth in May, Pools will be hoping that the new season isn't quite as traumatic for them.

 Still waiting for the official verdict on their appeal against being docked three points for fielding Gary Liddle when he should have been suspended, Pools start their League One season on august 7 with an away game - with the Tall Ships in town that weekend, Pools are thought to have requested an away game to start with.
They got one, at newly promoted Rochdale, and face a tough time in the rest of August with a Carling Cup-tie against Championship Sheffield United on August 10 followed by a home League game against Danny Wilson's Swindon, a trip to Yeovil and, in the last game of the month a home game against relegated alleged big club Sheffield Wednesday.
Other so-called big clubs Leeds and Norwich may have gone up, but there are still fixtures against the likes of Charlton (at home on December 18, away on the last day of the season, May 7) and Southampton (home December 4, away April 25), while the away game against Wednesday is on April 16.
Much was made last season of the fact that League One was a very tough one with so many clubs like Leeds, Norwich, Charlton etc involved, and it won't be too much different this time round.
As well as Southampton, Wednesday, Charlton and Plymouth aiming to get back where they claim they belong, the likes of Swindon and Huddersfield will be trying to improve on last season's ply-off failures.
it's going to be a tough nine months, and if Pools are as poor away from home and as inconsistent at home as they were last season, they'll probably go down ... whether they are docked three points or not.

Click for Pools fixtures on club website.