91Èȱ¬

Question - what is unique about Darlington defender Ian Miller?

Answer - he was the sole Quaker to start both and .

Miller and skipper Steve Foster were the only senior players that remained at Darlington over the summer following a torrid few months that started when .

, the chairman when the club went into administration, pumped money into the club to ensure Darlington could complete their fixtures last season but, nonetheless, players did not receive their full pay, and a lot of the their non-football staff were made redundant.

Newcastle might have monopolised the crisis-club headlines but Darlington, 36 miles down the A1, have given their North East rivals an unwanted run for their money.

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At Griffin Park

New Norwich manager Paul Lambert cut a relaxed figure as he stood in the warm evening sun before

In between talking to his new employers and obligingly signing a few autographs, the 40-year-old Scot watched his squad go through their warm-up routine, occasionally casting a glance down at the team sheet in his hand.

But inside he must have surely been as amazed as the rest of us by the turn of events since the start of the new season.

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Among the messages of congratulation that overwhelmed Owen Coyle after was one from Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

It included a list of wines that Ferguson, ever so mischievously, suggested might be suitable for a post-match drink when his team visit Turf Moor this coming season.

"I replied that I would have a look but I did not know if I could afford it," said Coyle, a firm teetotaller who reckons he will stick to his favourite . "I don't know if the salary will stretch to that but I will try my best."

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At The Hawthorns.

There were moments during when Magpies supporters could be forgiven if they briefly thought that the last few months had been nothing more than a terrible dream.

Their team were playing in a and in front of a large and vocal crowd. Alan Shearer was there (albeit as a 91Èȱ¬ pundit) and in the Newcastle starting XI were players that many Premier League teams would be glad to acquire.

As observed afterwards: "If you look at Newcastle's team sheet, it is very strong."

Occasionally Newcastle worked the ball through the midfield area with composure and style, while the move that led to Damien Duff's equaliser was worthy of any Premier League fixture.

It many ways the game had the look and feel of a top-flight fixture, as the two teams that most bookmakers believe will secure automatic promotion played their first game of the Championship season.

But also on evidence on Saturday were plenty of reminders of why Newcastle are now playing second-tier football.

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The problem with writing a piece looking ahead to a new season is the temptation to suggest the forthcoming campaign will be more competitive and stronger than ever.

It is almost a cliché, one that is perhaps born of a desire to see the football season kick off again and often followed by an acknowledgement sometime around March that the previous few months have been a little disappointing/predictable/lacking in quality

This time around, however, I have truly high hopes for the Football League, which starts on Friday with the Championship fixture between Middlesbrough and Sheffield United.

It comes comes only 74 days after to the Premier League.

But who will go up this season?

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The start of a new season is always a special time; one of new beginnings, when the sense of optimism that took root and flourished over the summer months is still firmly intact.

Emotions will be particularly strong at New Meadow as last season's play-off losers Shrewsbury host Burton Albion.

Not only will the fixture be the first Football League match contested by Burton in their 59-year history but it will also be .

It will not be an easy task, especially given that he has to follow in the footsteps of Nigel Clough, a man who is regarded in the very highest esteem in Burton after his successful decade in charge of the club.

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