Newcastle United pre-season starting to take shape with fourth pre-season friendly reported

Newcastle United begin pre-season on Friday, the players returning to the training ground to kick off preparations for the new season.

A tighter schedule due to the Qatar World Cup finals in the middle of the season, meaning that the Premier League kicks off on the first weekend of August.

Despite being only a shade over five weeks away from that first PL game against Nottingham Forest, we are still yet to be told the full Newcastle United itinerary.

Friendlies have been announced away at Benfica (26 July) and home to Atalanta (29 July) and Athletic Bilbao (30 July) but the rest yet to be revealed.

(***With immaculate timing, just after this article was published, literally seconds later Newcastle United put out an official update on pre-season friendlies and training camp in Austria – Go HERE to see it)

Unofficially, with a pre-season tournament in the United States cancelled, numerous NUFC journalists have said that Eddie Howe is taking his players for a pre-season training / bonding camp in Austria, with a couple of low key friendlies set to happen while they are there.

Now lower league Austrian side FC Pinzgau Saalfelden have said / claimed that their stadium will host a friendly between Newcastle United and German side 1860 Munich on Friday 15 July, though neither the German nor English club have confirmed. 1860 Munich side are currently in the third tier of German football, finishing fourth in the table last season.

Great to see Newcastle United move quickly to land Targett, Pope and Botman so early, ensuring that they will get the full benefit of pre-season with their new (in two of their cases) teammates.

Newcastle United important dates:

Sunday 22 May 2022 – NUFC end the 2021/22 season with a 2-1 win at Burnley.

Wednesday 8 June 2022 – Club announce Matt Targett has signed for NUFC.

Friday 10 June 2022 – Premier League summer transfer window opens.

Thursday 16 June 2022 – The 2022/23 Premier League fixtures released (view them HERE).

Thursday 16 June 2022 – Opening weekend live TV choices announced and two NUFC matches to be shown on Amazon Prime confirmed (read HERE).

Thursday 23 June 2022 – Club announce Nick Pope has signed for NUFC.

Saturday 25 June 2022 – The new 2022/23 NUFC home shirt went on sale at the official club shop.

Monday 27 June 2022 – Club announce noon.com as the new sleeve sponsor, reports claim the deal is worth £7.5m per season. The Middle East shopping website is part owned by Saudi Arabia PIF.

Tuesday 28 June 2022 – The new 2022/23 NUFC white and green third shirt launched and went on sale at the official club shop.

Tuesday 28 June 2022 – At 10am, around 2022/23 1,000 season tickets were made available to buy online, tens of thousands queued online trying to get them.

Tuesday 28 June 2022 – Club announced Sven Botman is signing for NUFC, deal agreed in principle and ‘formalities’ to be sorted by the end of the week.

Friday 1 July 2022 – First team squad return for start of Newcastle United pre-season preparations (as reported by Chronicle)

Tuesday 5 July 2022 – Tickets go on sale for the St James Park friendlies against Atalanta (29 July) and Athletic Bilbao (30 July)

Tuesday 5 July 2022 – August/September 2022 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days late).

Friday 15 July 2022 – Lower league Austrian side FC Pinzgau Saalfelden have said that their stadium will host a friendly between Newcastle United and German side 1860 Munich on this date.

Tuesday 26 July 2022 – Away friendly at Benfica with 8pm kick-off (local time).

Friday 29 July 2022 – October 2022 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days late).

Friday 29 July 2022 – Home friendly at St James Park – Newcastle v Atalanta with 7.45pm kick-off.

Saturday 30 July 2022 – Home friendly at St James Park – Newcastle v Athletic Bilbao with kick-off time to be confirmed.

Saturday 6 August 2022 – Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest 3pm kick-off, kicks off Premier League season for NUFC.

(Week commencing) Monday 22 August – League Cup second round matches will be played.

Thursday 1 September 2022 – The Premier League summer transfer window closes at 11pm.

Tuesday 13 September 2022 – November 2022 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days late).

Tuesday 11 October 2022 – December 2022 and January 2023 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days late).

(Week commencing) Monday 7 November – League Cup third round matches will be played.

Saturday / Sunday 12/13 November 2022 – Sixteenth and final round of Premier League fixtures before the World Cup finals begin.

Monday 14 November 2022 – Players able to join up with national squads only a week ahead of the finals starting.

Monday 21 November 2022 – Qatar World Cup finals kick-off.

Tuesday 6 December 2022 – February 2023 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days late).

Sunday 18 December 2022 – World Cup final.

(Week commencing) Monday 19 December – League Cup fourth round matches will be played.

Monday 26 December 2022 – Full round of Premier League fixtures, the first of 22 more rounds of games to be fitted in by end of May.

Saturday 7 January 2023 – This weekend sees FA Cup third round matches played

(Week commencing) Monday 9 January – League Cup quarter final matches will be played.

Wednesday 25 January 2023 – March 2023 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days late).

Wednesday 25 January 2023 – League Cup semi-finals first leg matches played.

(Weekend of) Saturday 28 January – FA Cup fourth round matches to be played.

Wednesday 1 February 2023 – League Cup semi-finals second leg matches played.

Tuesday 21 February 2023 – April 2023 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days late).

Sunday 26 February 2023 – League Cup final.

(Midweek of) Wednesday 1 March – FA Cup fifth round matches to be played.

(Weekend of) Saturday 18 March – FA Cup quarter-finals to be played.

Thursday 23 March 2023 – Match Week 35 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days later).

Thursday 30 March 2023 – Match Week 36 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days later).

Friday 7 April 2023 – Match Week 37 Premier League live TV matches scheduled to be announced (though sometimes a day / days later).

(Weekend of) Saturday 22 April – FA Cup semi-finals to be played.

(Sometime after Saturday 20 May 2023) – Match Week 38 live TV match choices to be announced, after Match Week 37 games played.

Sunday 28 May 2023 – Final round of Premier League 2022/23 fixtures, Chelsea v Newcastle United 4pm kick-off.

Saturday 3 June 2023 – FA Cup final.