Autumn football fest for on-trade

Broadcasters deliver all the action as new season is off to a flyer

The first Old Firm derby of the season takes place on September 23

THE summer may be fading but the heat is just getting turned up on the new football season as broadcasters Sky Sports and BT Sport serve up some sizzling fixtures across the autumn months.

Both Scottish and English top flights have come back with a bang, and with the added bonus of Champions League and international fixtures there is plenty of live football to savour.

The first Old Firm derby, live from Ibrox on Sky Sports (September 23), will be a huge chance for Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha to prove he’s the man for the job after a stop-start debut season in Govan.

Things seem altogether easier across the city for Celtic; and their Champions League  group stage games from September until December will see them face some of Europe’s elite, exclusively on BT Sport.

Another massive draw for the on-trade this season are games featuring Manchester United, who have regained their lustre following the £90 million signing of attacking conqueror Romelu Lukaku, who has drawn comparisons with former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba.

Manchester United games feature in both broadcasters’ fixture lists with six of their games scheduled to be shown live between now and December.

Sky Sports’ new Premier League channel will show 34 matches live between now and the end of November, with seven massive head to head clashes between last season’s top six in October and November.

Contests between title contenders take centre stage in BT Sport’s autumn line up with Chelsea taking on Manchester City (September 30) and Liverpool hosting Antonio Conte’s side at Anfield, where sparks promise to fly (November 25).