Not exactly two fixtures that get your sweaty palms reaching for the Yellow Pages for Happy Al's number, particularly as we played both sides last pre-season!
Last season's trip to Gigg Lane marked Andy Johnson's debut in an Everton shirt and, if my memory serves me correctly, it was one of those mad pre-season set ups whereby half the squad played at one ground and the other half slogged it somewhere else.
I think the other half of the squad turned out at Port Vale on that particular occasion.
Anyway, it was also the start of Andy Johnson's pre-season goal drought that had all the 'dithering Dave' brigade rubbing their hands in anticipation of Moyes pulling another Kroldrup out of the bag.
Didn't happen though did it?!
Everton won 3-1 on the day thanks to two goals from Victor Anichebe and one from Mikel Arteta.
We also played Preston four days after the Bury game last year and drew 0-0 at Deepdale in Paul McKenna's testimonial.
Is this just a coincidence? Or some form of superstition at the club whereby we have to repeat our pre-season preparations every time we have a decent season?
Or has no-one at the club got any imagination any more?
Oh for a return to the days of Kendall's Scandanavian sojourns?