United's 2015/16 Campaign To Start at Home

Fixtures for the 2015/16 at Barclays Premier League season have been released. Manchester United will open the much-anticipated season at home against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, August 8.

The last time the Reds faced the Spurs was one of the highlights of the 2014/15 season. Louis van Gaal’s men put on one of their best performances, shutting out their guests 3-0 at old Trafford in March. The last time the two clubs met on opening weekend it was in 1997 on Tottenham's home turf at White Hart Lane, where United left their hosts scoreless in a 2-0 victory. August 8 will be the first time the Reds have hosted the North Londoners on opening day.

Download the fixtures to your calendar with Manchester United's exclusive app at www.manutd.com/calendar.

The Barclays Premier league fixture list, which was released on Wednesday, is a provisional calendar that is subject to change. For example, United's match away at Southhampton on September 19 could move if the Saints have a Europa League fixture on the preceding Thursday.

2015/16 Barclays Premier League fixtures
Sat Aug 8 Tottenham Hotspur H
Sat Aug 15 Aston Villa A
Sat Aug 22 Newcastle United H
Sat Aug 29 Swansea City A
Sat Sep 12 Liverpool H
Sat Sep 19 Southampton A
Sat Sep 26 Sunderland H
Sat Oct 3 Arsenal A
Sat Oct 17 Everton A
Sat Oct 24 Manchester City H
Sat Oct 31 Crystal Palace A
Sat Nov 7 West Bromwich Albion H
Sat Nov 21 Watford A
Sat Nov 28 Leicester City A
Sat Dec 5 West Ham United H
Sat Dec 12 A.F.C. Bournemouth A
Sat Dec 19 Norwich City H
Sat Dec 26 Stoke City A
Mon Dec 28 Chelsea H
Sat Jan 2 Swansea City H
Wed Jan 13 Newcastle United A
Sat Jan 16 Liverpool A
Sat Jan 23 Southampton H
Tue Feb 2 Stoke City H
Sat Feb 6 Chelsea A
Sat Feb 13 Sunderland A
Sat Feb 27 Arsenal H Tue Mar 1 Watford H
Sat Mar 5 West Bromwich Albion A
Sat Mar 12 Crystal Palace H
Sat Mar 19 Manchester City A
Sat Apr 2 Everton H
Sat Apr 9 Tottenham Hotspur A
Sat Apr 16 Aston Villa H
Sat Apr 23 West Ham United A
Sat Apr 30 Leicester City H
Sat May 7 Norwich City A
Sun May 15 A.F.C. Bournemouth H

Is it random?
Ask your friends how the fixture list is formed and some will likely tell you that each fixture is drawn randomly by a computer. It's a common misperception that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, the process is quite complex and begins at the start of the calendar year when FIFA and UEFA release their schedules for international matches. After all, some 2,036 matches across the top four divisions in England need to be scheduled. 

That each fixture is drawn randomly by a computer is a common misperception that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Many factors must be considered when compiling the list. For example, in any five matches there has to be a split of three home matches and two away, or the other way around. Also, a club will never start or finish the season with two home or away matches. And then there are partner clubs to consider – in United's case it's Manchester City – who they cannot clash with due to the close proximity of the stadiums. The fixture list must also factor in other major sporting events, such as the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 and the Rugby World Cup this year. The clubs to have a say and can make requests, and a conscious effort is also made to take travel times into account.

There's even more to it – find out here.

The European campaign
Though United's Champions League qualifying opponents won't be announced until August 7, the 2015/16 Barclays Premier league season fixture list has provided a bit of relief to what is certainly going to be a busy and high-pressure start to the season. The qualifying matches are scheduled for the weekends of August 18/19 and 25/26. The Reds' home match against Newcastle on the weekend of August 22/23 means that the boys from old Trafford won't have to travel between the two legs of their crunch European assignment.

Tickets
Match tickets for most home league fixtures will be on sale to all Official Members from Friday 19 June. Visit manutd.com/membership to become an Official Member today.