Back in business before this season has even finished

Early success: Dagenham scorer Phil Walsh (left) celebrates with Darren Currie at Boreham Wood

11 April 2012

Four capital teams kick-off their pre-seasons tomorrow — 24 hours before the present campaign ends with the World Cup Final in Johannesburg.

Tottenham, Watford, Millwall and Charlton all play their first friendlies while, incredibly, Dagenham and Redbridge had their first game on Wednesday. John Still's men beat Boreham Wood 4-0 just 38 days after the club's play-off final victory over Rotherham took them into League One.

Harry Redknapp is anxious to hit the ground running as Tottenham face the first leg of their Champions League play-off on either 17 or 18 August, just after their first League game against Manchester City at White Hart Lane.

The manager has chosen strong opponents as Tottenham build towards that crucial Euro fixture. When they return from their short tour of the US — in which they face San Jose, New York Red Bulls and Sporting Lisbon — Spurs take on Spanish club Villarreal at White Hart Lane on 29 July.

Five days later, Redknapp's men tackle Portuguese champions Benfica in Lisbon, before returning to London and a meeting with Fiorentina on 7 August.

For Arsenal and Chelsea, European duties do not begin until mid September. The Gunners will take on AC Milan and Celtic in the Emirates Cup at the end of the month, after meetings with Sturm Graz and SC Neusiedl 1919 in Austria.

With Carlo Ancelotti planning to strengthen his squad this summer, Chelsea fans would love to see Liverpool striker Fernando Torres wearing a blue shirt for their friendlies against Eintracht
Frankfurt and Hamburg at the start of August.

Chelsea's former manager Avram Grant will be working overtime to implement his plans for West Ham, with Spanish team Deportivo La Coruna on 7 August the pick of their six pre-season friendlies.

Arsenal
17 July Barnet (A) 3pm
21 July SK Sturm Graz (A) 6pm
27 July SC Neusiedl 1919 (A) 6pm
31 July AC Milan (H) 4.20pm
1 Aug Celtic (H) 4.20pm
7 Aug Legia Warsaw (A) 3pm

Barnet
Tues Thurrock (A) TBC
17 July Arsenal (H) 3pm
20 July Watford (H) 7.45pm
24 July Charlton Athletic (H) 3pm
27 July Southampton (H) 7.45pm
31 July Peterborough United (H) 3pm

Brentford
Wed Fulham (H) 8pm
20 July Wycombe (H) 8pm
22 July Staines (A) 7.30pm
27 July Woking (A) 7.45pm
28 July Hendon (A) 7.45pm
30 July Crystal Palace (H) 8pm

Charlton
Tom AFC Wimbledon (A) 3pm
13 July Welling United (A) 7.45pm
17 July Kettering Town (A) 3pm
24 July Barnet (A) 3pm
31 July Watford (A) 3pm

Chelsea
17 July Crystal Palace (A) 3pm
23 July Ajax (A) 8pm
1 Aug Eintracht Frankfurt (A) 3pm
4 Aug Hamburg (A) 8pm

Crystal Palace
Tues Crawley Town (A) 7.45pm
17 July Chelsea (H) 3pm
21 July Dorchester Town (A) 7.45pm
23 July Exeter City (A) 6.30pm
27 July Croydon Athletic (A) 7.30pm
30 July Brentford (A) 8pm
3 Aug Dulwich Hamlet (A) 7.30pm

Dagenham
Tom Dartford (A) 3pm
17 July Dorchester (A) 3pm
20 July Thurrock (A) 7.45pm
22 July Norwich City (H) 7.45pm
24 July Staines Town (A) 3pm
26 July Wealdstone (A) 7.45pm
31 July Braintree Town (A) 3pm

Fulham
Wed Brentford (A) 8pm
17 July Bournemouth (A) 3pm
22 July Halmstad (A) 8pm
27 July Malmo (A) 7pm
31 July Portsmouth (A) 3pm
7 Aug Werder Bremen (H) 3pm

Leyton Orient
Wed Cray Wanderers (A) 7.45pm
16 July St Albans (A) 7.45pm
20 July Eastleigh (A) 8pm
22 July Truro City (A) 7.30pm
31 July Cambridge United (A) 3pm

Millwall
Tom Crawley Town (A) 3pm
16 July AFC Wimbledon (A) 7.45pm
24 July Stevenage (A) 3pm
27 July Dartford (A) 7.45pm
31 July Hearts (H) 3pm

QPR
Mon Tavistock AFC (A) 7pm
Wed Bodmin Town (A) 7.30pm
16 July Torquay United (A) 7.30pm
21 July Equipe Romagna (A) 8pm
25 July Ravenna Calcio (A) 8pm
28 July Crawley Town (A) 7.45pm
31 July Hampton & Richmond (A) 3pm

Tottenham
Tom Bournemouth (A) 3pm
17 July San Jose (A) 9pm
23 July New York Red Bulls (A) 1am
25 July Sporting Lisbon (A) 6pm
29 July Villarreal (H) 8pm
3 Aug Benfica (A) 7.45pm
7 Aug Fiorentina (H) 3pm

Watford
Tom Boreham Wood (A) 3pm
17 July St Albans (A) 3pm
21 July Barnet (A) 7.45pm
24 July Northampton Town (A) 3pm
27 July Stevenage (A) 7.45pm
31 July Charlton (H) 3pm

West Ham
Wed Peterborough (A) 7.45pm
17 July B Monchengladbach (A) 6pm
23 July Panathinaikos (A, Ger) 6.30pm
28 July MK Dons (A) 7.30pm
31 July Ipswich (A) 3pm
7 Aug Deportivo La Coruna (H) 3pm

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