Premier League clubs are flying all over the world on their pre-season tours as they prepare for another gruelling top-flight season.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham are in the United States, while Chelsea and Arsenal faced each other in Beijing.
Everton have played in Tanzania and are off to the Netherlands and Belgium, while Leicester City, West Brom, Crystal Palace and Liverpool contested the Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong.
As teams aim to strike the perfect balance between fitness and finance, here's a rundown of pre-season fixtures and results for all 20 Premier League clubs.
Arsenal
13 July: Sydney FC 0-2 Arsenal ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia. Goals: Mertesacker, Lacazette
15 July: Western Sydney Wanderers 1-3 Arsenal ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia. Goals: Lustica; Giroud, Ramsey, Elneny
19 July: Bayern Munich 1-1 Arsenal (Arsenal win 3-2 on penalties) Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China. Goals: Lewandowski; Iwobi
22 July: Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal (Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing, China). Goals: Willian, Batshuayi (2)
29 July: Benfica (Emirates Stadium)
30 July: Sevilla (Emirates Stadium)
6 August: Chelsea (Community Shield, Wembley)
Bournemouth
15 July: Estoril Praia 1-2 Bournemouth Stadium Municipal, Marbella, Spain. Goals: Eduardo; Ibe, Gradel
22 July: Portsmouth 1-2 Bournmeouth, Fratton Park. Goals: Chaplin; Mousset, Afobe
29 July: Queens Park Rangers (Loftus Road)
30 July: Valencia (Vitality Stadium)
2 August: Yeovil Town (Huish Park)
6 August: Napoli (Vitality Stadium)
Brighton and Hove Albion
14 July: Fortuna Dusseldorf 0-2 Brighton Sportplatz St Ulrich, Austria. Goals: Murphy, Hemed
22 July: Crawley Town 0-6 Brighton. Checkatrade.com Stadium. Goals: March, Gross, Hemed, Murphy, Goldson, Murray
25 July: Southend United 0-3 Brighton (Roots Hall) Goals: March (2), Murray.
29 July: Norwich City (Carrow Road)
1 August: Girona FC (Nou Estadi Municipal de Palamos, Catalonia, Spain)
6 August: Atletico Madrid (Amex Stadium)
Burnley
14 July: Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Burnley Tallaght Stadium, Dublin. Goals: Walters, Barnes, Brady, Vokes
22 July: Kidderminster Harriers 0-1 Burnley Aggborough Stadium. Goal: Brady
22 July: Alfreton Town 2-3 Burnley (The Impact Arena). Goals: Gray 3
25 July: Preston North End 1-2 Burnley (Deepdale). Goals: Maguire; Walters, Vokes.
29 July: Nottingham Forest (City Ground)
1 August: Celta Vigo (Turf Moor)
5 August: Hannover 96 (Turf Moor)
Chelsea
22 July: Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal (Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing, China). Goals: Willian, Batshuayi (2)
25 July: Bayern Munich 3-2 Chelsea (National Stadium, Singapore). Goals: Rafinha, Muller; Alonso, Batshuayi.
29 July: Inter Milan (National Stadium, Singapore)
6 August: Arsenal (Community Shield, Wembley)
Crystal Palace
15 July: Maidstone United 1-3 Crystal Palace (Gallagher Stadium). Goals: Pigott; Mutch (2), Berkeley
19 July: Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace (Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong). Goals: Solanke, Origi
22 July: West Brom 0-2 Crystal Palace, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong. Goals: Milivojevic, Sako
5 August: Schalke 04 (Selhurst Park)
Everton
13 July: Gor Mahia FC 1-2 Everton (National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania). Goals: Tuyisenge; Rooney, Dowell
19 July: FC Twente 0-3 Everton (SV De Lutte, Overijssel, Netherlands). Goals: Mirallas, Lennon, Dowell
22 July: KRC Genk 1-1 Everton, Luminus Arena, Genk, Belgium. Goals: Samatta; Rooney
6 August: Sevilla (Goodison Park)
Huddersfield Town
12 July: Accrington Stanley 0-1 Huddersfield (Wham Stadium). Goal: Ince
16 July: Bury 1-3 Huddersfield (Gigg Lane). Goals: Beckford; Mounie, Ince, Kachunga (pen)
18 July: SV Sandhausen 3-2 Huddersfield (BWT Stadium, Sandhausen, Germany). Goals: Vollmann, Daghfous, Holer; Ince, Mounie.
22 July: Barnsley 0-1 Huddersfield Oakwell, Barnsley. Goal: Mounie
26 July: Udinese (John Smith's Stadium)
1 August: Stuttgart (Schwaz, Austria)
4 August: Torino (Jenbach, Austria)
Leicester City
19 July: Leicester 1-1 West Brom (Leicester win 7-6 on penalties) (Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong). Goals: Mahrez; Rodriguez
22 July: Leicester 1-2 Liverpool, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong. Goals: Slimani; Salah, Coutinho
26 July: Luton Town (Kenilworth Road)
28 July: MK Dons (Stadium MK)
29 July: Wolverhampton Wanderers (Molineux Stadium)
1 August: Burton Albion (Pirelli Stadium)
4 August: Borussia Monchengladbach (King Power Stadium)
Liverpool
12 July: Tranmere Rovers 0-4 Liverpool Prenton Park. Goals: Milner (pen), Grujic, Chirivella, Woodburn
14 July: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Liverpool DW Stadium. Goals: Gilbey; Salah
19 July: Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace (Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong). Goals: Solanke, Origi.
22 July: Leicester 1-2 Liverpool Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong. Goals: Slimani; Salah, Coutinho
29 July: Hertha Berlin (Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany)
1 August: Bayern Munich (Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany)
2 August: Atletico Madrid or Napoli (Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany)
5 August: Athletic Club (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Manchester City
21 July: Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City (NRG Stadium, Houston, USA). Goals: Lukaku, Rashford
27 July: Real Madrid (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, USA)
29 July: Tottenham Hotspur (Nissan Stadium, Nashville, USA)
4 August: West Ham United (Laugardalsvollur National Stadium, Reykjavik, Iceland)
Manchester United
16 July: LA Galaxy 2-5 Manchester United (Stubhub Centre, Los Angeles, USA). Goals: Dos Santos, Romney; Rashford (2), Fellaini, Mkhitaryan, Martial
18 July: Real Salt Lake 1-2 Manchester United (Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, USA). Goals: Silva; Mkhitaryan, Lukaku
21 July: Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City (NRG Stadium, Houston, USA). Goals: Lukaku, Rashford
23 July: Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester United (United win 2-1 on penalties) (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, USA) Goals: Casemiro; Lingard
27 July: Barcelona (FedExField, Washington DC, USA)
30 July: Valerenga (Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, Norway)
2 August: Sampdoria (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
8 August: Real Madrid (Uefa Super Cup, Philip II Arena, Skopje, FYR Macedonia)
Newcastle United
14 July: Heart of Midlothian 1-2 Newcastle Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh. Goals: Walker; Gayle 2
22 July: Preston North End 1-1 Newcastle Deepdale, Preston. Goals: Barkhuizen; Mitrovic
26 July: Bradford City (Northern Commercials Stadium)
29 July: FSV Mainz 05 (Opel Arena, Mainz, Germany)
2 August: Wolfsburg (AOK Stadion, Wolfsburg, Germany)
6 August: Hellas Verona (St James' Park)
Southampton
22 July: Brentford 2-2 Southampton Griffin Park. Goals: Vibe, Clarke; Austin (2)
29 July: Saint-Etienne (Stade Municipal de Chambery, France)
2 August: Augsburg (St Mary's)
5 August: Sevilla (St Mary's)
Stoke City
10 July: Neuchatel Xamax 0-1 Stoke City Tissot Arena, Biel, Switzerland. Goal: Sejmenovic og
12 July: Young Boys Bern 2-2 Stoke City Stoke win 4-3 on pens. Tissot Arena. Goals: Guillaume, Yoric; Adam (pen), Muniesa
15 July: Monaco 4-2 Stoke City Stade d'Octodure, Martigny, Switzerland. Goals: Fabinho, Saint-Maximin, Falcao, N'Doram; Berahino, Diouf
22 July: Amiens SC 0-1 Stoke City Stade de la Licorne, Amiens, France. Goal: Diouf.
25 July: Sheffield United 2-1 Stoke City (Bramall Lane). Goals: Sharp, Brooks; Shaqiri.
29 July: Bolton Wanderers (Macron Stadium)
5 August: RB Leipzig (Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany)
Swansea City
12 July: Barnet 1-0 Swansea The Hive Stadium. Goal: Akinde
15 July: Philadelphia Union 2-2 Swansea (Talen Energy Stadium, Philadelphia, USA). Goals: Sapong, Simpson; Bartley, Ayew
19 July: Richmond Kickers 1-2 Swansea (City Stadium, Richmond, USA). Goals: McBurnie pen, Abraham
22 July: North Carolina FC 0-0 Swansea (Sahlen's Stadium, Cary, USA)
29 July: Birmingham City (St Andrew's)
5 August: Sampdoria (Liberty Stadium)
Tottenham Hotspur
23 July: Tottenham 4-2 Paris St-Germain (Camping World Stadium, Orlando, USA). Goals: Eriksen, Dier, Alderweireld, Kane
26 July: Roma 3-2 Tottenham (Red Bull Arena, Harrison, USA). Goals: Perotti, Under, Tumminello; Winks, Janssen
29 July: Manchester City (Nissan Stadium, Nashville, USA)
5 August: Juventus (Wembley)
Watford
8 July: Woking 1-1 Watford Laithwaite Community Stadium. Goals: Bawling; Jakubiak
15 July: AFC Wimbledon 3-2 Watford (Cherry Red Records Stadium). Goals: McDonald (2), Egan; Watson, Berghuis
18 July: Viktoria Plzen 0-1 Watford (Austria). Goal: Okaka.
22 July: SD Eibar 0-1 Watford Kufstein, Austria. Goal: Capoue
29 July: Aston Villa (Villa Park)
5 August: Real Sociedad (Vicarage Road)
West Bromwich Albion
12 July: SK Slavia Prague 2-1 West Brom Kumberg Stadium, Kumberg, Austria. Goals: Deli, Frydrych; McClean
19 July: Leicester 1-1 West Brom (Leicester win 7-6 on penalties) (Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong). Goals: Rodriguez; Mahrez.
22 July: West Brom 0-2 Crystal Palace, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong. Goals: Milivojevic, Sako
26 July: Walsall (Banks' Stadium)
26 July: Burton Albion (Pirelli Stadium)
29 July: Bristol Rovers (Memorial Stadium)
29 July: Slough Town (Kevin McGoldrick testimonial, Arbour Park)
1 August: Kidderminster Harriers (Aggborough Stadium)
1 August: Port Vale (Vale Park)
5 August Deportivo La Coruna (Estadio Riazor, A Coruna, Spain)
West Ham United
28 July: Werder Bremen (Osterwald Stadion, Schneverdingen, Germany)
29 July: Werder Bremen (Heinz-Dettmer Stadion, Lohne, Germany)
1 August: Altona 93 (Adolf-Jager-Kampfbahn Stadium, Hamburg, Germany)
4 August: Manchester City (Laugardalsvollur National Stadium, Reykjavik, Iceland)
All fixtures are subject to change. BBC is not responsible for any changes.
It is a tough balancing act between getting the players ready for that new campaign and exploiting sponsorship opportunities, says football finance expert Rob Wilson.
"Last year, China seemed to be the significant market and a lot of teams focused on that - but the North American market is the one the teams have been looking at this summer, largely because of sponsorship values," Wilson told BBC Sport.
"The clubs will be looking to pick up affluent sponsors and there is a nice alignment between American brands and sponsorship deals for the clubs to exploit."
Wilson, from Sheffield Hallam University, says it is difficult to get the right pre-season training while reaping the financial benefits of a tour.
"The choice of friendlies in Germany and Austria is about season preparation being at the forefront of clubs' minds, rather than looking for sponsorship deals," he said.
"Arsenal have always been very good at that in the past - putting football first. Others are much more focused on commercial drive.
"When you look at Manchester United, they are heavily sponsored by American companies.
"It also ties in with the increased interest in MLS. The infrastructure is already in place, the stadiums are there and fans' interest is there. Clubs already have associations with football in America.
"In the Far East it is more difficult to sort out, logistically, so clubs have to work much harder to make a success of a tour."
He says the focus has switched slightly this summer.
"Clubs do tend to work on a cyclical basis - there was a lot of activity in the Far East last year. I was half expecting teams to do some work in Japan this summer, especially a club like Chelsea, who have their Yokohama shirt deal.," he adds.
"But maybe it is because China are concentrating much more on the Chinese Super League, so there is a bit of a conflict and the tours would not get as much attention.
"In terms of other countries - such as Africa - there are problems of infrastructure. It is getting to the point, though, where a club might need to do something different."
Former QPR midfielder Bradley Simmonds is a fitness coach to players including former Chelsea and England captain John Terry and Arsenal forward Theo Walcott. He says there are some benefits to the long-distance travelling.
"Lots of teams go to different countries to experience playing against different sides, so if they come to play in the Champions League they are used to playing against a range of top sides," he said.
"Obviously the travelling is going to take its toll, but the staff at these clubs know what they're doing. Jet lag can cause a problem, but coaches and medical staff will make sure the players get enough rest.
"You can become stiff during long-haul flights especially after training, so your body needs to recover. But these players travel first class on flights so they will be able to stretch their legs and get rest."
While the clubs might be looking at the financial benefits, Simmonds says the players will be solely focused on their fitness.
"They'll be looking to get lots of game time, even players who may not play regularly during the season will play in as many games as possible.
"It's all about strength and conditioning, making sure the core and glutes have been worked on.
"They've had four or five weeks off so they need to get the brain switched on. The players that have been drinking or not looking after their body quite as much as maybe they should need to get back into it."


Fans and musicians have been reacting to the announcement of BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend coming to East Yorkshire.

Kings of Leon, Little Mix and Grime artist Stormzy are due to perform at the free event at Burton Constable Hall, near Hull, on 27 and 28 May.
The US rockers said it was "going to be a great show, can't wait".
Little Mix tweeted: "YAAAAS!!!! We're headlining the #R1BigWeekend in Hull on 28th May. Bring it on! We seriously cannot wait @BBCR1 ðŸ˜


Gary Locke has agreed to stay on as Cowdenbeath manager after the Fifers retained their senior status via the play-offs.

The former Hearts and Kilmarnock boss, 41, took over at Central Park in March after being sacked by Raith Rovers during the previous month.
He could not prevent the Blue Brazil from finishing bottom of League Two.
However, Cowden kept their league place after a penalty shoot-out win against Lowland League champions East Kilbride.


Stock markets in Asia fell as investors reacted to Friday's weaker-than-expected US jobs figures.

The unemployment figures led to speculation the Federal Reserve may not increase interest rates by July.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1.2% in early trading, before recovering some ground to close 62.20 points, or 0.4%, lower at 16,580.03.
The weak US jobs figures sent the value of the dollar lower against major currencies, including the yen.
A stronger yen is seen as bad news for Japanese exporters. The dollar was trading at about 107 yen, compared with about 109 yen before US jobs figures were released on Friday.
The figures showed that US employers added just 38,000 jobs last month, the fewest since September 2010.
Margaret Yang from CMC Markets in Singapore called the data "a big miss".
"The disappointing jobs data has removed some uncertainties surrounding the June rate hike, and thus will help to stabilize global liquidity and exchange rate expectations despite some corrections in the near term," she said.
"In the short term, however, it will also bring in new concerns over the growth prospects for the US economy."
In China, the Shanghai Composite closed down 4.58 points at 2,934.10, although in Hong Kong the Hang Seng reversed early losses to end the day up 82.98 points at 21,030.22.
Australia S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 41.53 points, or 0.8%, at 5,360.42.
South Korea and New Zealand's stock markets were closed for public holidays.
On the currency markets, the pound fell after weekend polls suggested growing support for the Leave campaign in the referendum on EU membership. Two polls put the Leave camp ahead of the Remain campaign.
The pound fell as much as 1.1% against the dollar and by about 0.7% against the euro.
Shares of Japan's biggest brewer Asahi fell by more than 2% on media reports it is exploring a bid for some of SABMiller's eastern European assets.
However, Asahi has denied the reports, saying it is focused on integrating its February purchase of beer brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev.
In Singapore, shares of commodity trader Noble Group tumbled by nearly 10% on concerns over its finances and a major management upheaval.
The firm has been hard hit by the rout in global commodity prices and recently saw its credit rating downgraded to junk by Moody's Investors Services.
On Friday, Noble stock shed 14% to hit its lowest level since 2003 after the company announced senior executives including its chief executive and chairman step down.


A North Carolina man has been arrested after he failed to return a movie he rented 14 years ago.

James Meyers said he was pulled over for driving his car with a defective taillight on Tuesday when the police officer told him there was a warrant out for his arrest.
In 2002, Mr Meyers rented the comedy Freddie Got Fingered from J&J's Video, which has since closed.
He had been charged with failure to return rental property, a misdemeanour.
"The officer said, 'I don't know how to tell you this but there's a warrant out for your arrest from 2002. ... I thought he was joking," Mr Meyers told WSOC, a local TV station.
"For the first time I got put in handcuffs."
He was booked at the police station and was given a court date, but the charge was later dismissed. He faced a fine of $200 (Â£140).
Freddie Got Fingered, about an out-of-work cartoonist who moves in with his parents, was criticised by critics and was considered a disappointment at the box office when it was released in 2001.
The story even caught the attention of the movie's star comedian Tom Green.
Green told the Australian TV show The Project that he would have gladly paid the fine for Mr Meyer.
"I think it's sort of an example of how bureaucracy can get out of control," Mr Green said.


Former Swansea City striker Lee Trundle says the club's senior players need to "step up" and fill the void left by captain Ashley Williams' exit.

Defender Williams, 31, joined Everton on the eve of the new season.
Trundle said other members of the squad now needed to show leadership following the Wales skipper's departure.
"Now he's moved on I think it's up to other people to step up and take that mantle," Trundle told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"Ashley was very important on the pitch but he was very important off it as well and he held the dressing room together.
"When a player leaves, as a squad you've got to get together and get on with it."
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Midfielder Jack Cork said Swansea's players are still adjusting to the departure of Williams, who spent eight seasons at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea beat Burnley 1-0 on the opening day of the Premier League season, their first game since Williams left the club.
Midfielder Leon Britton has been handed the club's captaincy by manager Francesco Guidolin, a move welcomed by Trundle.
"He can fill the role that Ashley did but in a different way," added Trundle, who scored 83 league goals in two spells with the Swans.
"He's not a ranter and raver but he's a big character and well respected within that dressing room.


The number of new businesses starting up in Wales has dropped by 26% over five years, figures obtained by a banking group have shown.

UK-wide there was a 19% fall, with a 20% drop in England and 3% in Scotland.
Data from BankSearch for Lloyds Bank showed almost half of Scotland's regions recorded growth.
The bank said the downward trend was likely to be in response to the "uncertain economic environment".
Across Wales, 23,195 new business start-ups were recorded in the 12 months to November 2011, compared to 17,089 in the year to November 2016.
Anglesey saw the biggest fall, from 668 start-ups to 337 in the same period, but Merthyr Tydfil only fell from 364 to 363.
Economists say this could be a sign that things are going well with those forced to become self-employed after the financial crisis now finding more secure work.
Prof Dylan Jones-Evans, of the University of Western England said: "Lloyds Bank have said shows the economy was uncertain because of this drop.
"Well, actually it works the other way because many people go into self-employment not because they've seen an opportunity but because of necessity and once the economic problems get better then what happens is they go away from self-employment back into employment."
"So paradoxically perhaps what this data is actually showing is that the economy is improving".
The Federation of Small Businesses said it was essential that those starting out were prepared.
"There are a few common challenges," said Ben Cottam, of FSB Cymru.
"The first is that businesses expand - too big, too quickly. We also find that people fail to look for the right advice to support them so it might be not sourcing an accountant to get the right financial advice, which is absolutely crucial."


A French MP is campaigning for vegetarian school meals to be introduced to help pupils whose religions prevent them eating pork.

Yves Jego has launched a drive on the Change.org website calling for vegetarian alternatives to be compulsory in all schools.
More than 73,000 people have so far backed the petition.
The move comes after a town in eastern France banned all pork substitutes in school meals last week.
The conservative mayor of Chalon sur Saone had earlier launched his own campaign on Change.org, reiterating France's secular values. His campaign has gained 2,750 supporters.
"Messages of support and of encouragement have come from every corner of France and from French people of all backgrounds, faiths and professions," the mayor, Gilles Platret, wrote.
A court in the city of Dijon last week rejected an appeal against Mr Platret's intention to ban pork substitutes.
"Can we force a Catholic child to eat meat on Good Friday because nothing else is proposed, or a Jew or a Muslim to eat pork?," Mr Jego asked in his petition, set up in response to Mr Platret's.
He said he would propose a law if the petition received 75,000 signatories.
France insists on the separation of religion and the state, and in 2004 introduced a ban on headscarves in schools.
France has five million residents of Muslim descent, half of whom are under the age of 24. It also has the largest Jewish population in Europe.
A secular solution to the problem of school meals was possible, said Mr Jego, of the left-wing Radical Party.
The petitions have led to a debate in some quarters on the nature of secularism and what is ethically correct.
"Secularism is not the denial of religions and beliefs, but the respect of all religions," wrote Houari Zeidouni, who signed Mr Jego's petition.
But France's Agriculture Minister, Stephane le Foll, wrote in a tweet: "Supporting French livestock with vegetarian menus: that's Yves Jego's programme! Let's be consistent."


As the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day is celebrated, former refugees from Poland reflect on their lives in 1940s North East England.

Although the fighting in Europe officially ceased on 8 May 1945, the effects of the World War Two were far from over.
With their homes destroyed and nations now under the control of the Soviet Union, millions of Eastern Europeans found themselves in displaced persons camps around the continent, waiting for the time they could return home.
A former army camp near the Northumberland town of Morpeth became one such temporary base for hundreds of Polish refugees.
But for many, the North East became a permanent home.
Among the refugees coming to The Common Camp were Krystyna Wojcicka's parents and young brothers.
"There was absolutely nothing, no heating or cooking facilities or running water, people had to use a bath house and communal dining rooms and a laundry and lavatories that were all communal, so that was quite hard," she said.
"But they came here with hope for the future and I think the camp gave them a place of stability and safety to adjust to life."
Piotr Sulek was a soldier who fought with the British Army after escaping a Siberian labour camp.
The Soviet Union's occupation of his native Poland had rendered Piotr homeless, so he made his way west ending up in Northumberland.
He admits that VE Day itself brought only fear.
"I was crying because people have got wife, children in Poland but were frightened to go to Poland, they were frightened to go to Siberia again."
Piotr settled in the Morpeth camp.
"It was like a small Poland and everybody was happy, was dance and music every Saturday, we keep a discipline between us.
"The English haven't got any problems with us."
Piotr Sulek found work in a pit at Ashington alongside Northumberland natives.
He said: "I was very surprised, they were very friendly with us."
But there was some discrimination.
Not all native North Easterners welcomed the incoming Poles, with one councillor writing in the Morpeth Herald that he was "alarmed" at the numbers of people coming to the camp, calling them a "menace" due to their need for food and shelter.
About 140,000 Poles ended up in Britain which meant a large workforce, especially for the coal mining industry.
Fuel and power minister Mannie Shinwell said the Polish workers would go down the mines prompting a furore from the Daily Mirror, which said they should be "deported" amongst fears they would take British jobs.
In reality, there were plenty of jobs available given the Europe-wide shortage of coal at the time.
At Woodhorn Colliery in Ashington, for example, the Poles were banned from working on peace rates, which paid more, and if jobs were to be cut the foreigners would go first.
"We was told 'if redundancy was coming Polish people are going out first, this is work for English'", Piotr Sulek said.
"We wasn't very happy, but such things never come."
After VE Day just finding family proved a big task for many of the refugees.
Before ending up in the Morpeth camp, Wojciech Kurowski was reunited with his father who had been serving in the British Army.
His mother did not recognise her husband after three years apart - despite being sat next to him.
Mr Kurowski said: "After about 20 minutes a man comes in and says to my mother 'well, have you introduced yourself to him?'
"She said 'no, where's my husband?'
"He said 'It's him', they were both so physically wrecked that neither of them could recognise each other."
As the Poles settled in the region romances started.
Zbigniew Nurowski spotted his future wife Kathleen at a church social evening and started courting her soon afterwards, although not everyone was happy with the blossoming love affair.
"My father was not impressed" remembers Kathleen.
"In fact he was waiting for us coming one night and told (Zbigniew) in no uncertain terms to buzz off.
"I was stepping out of line really, we didn't know many foreigners in Newcastle in those days.
"I didn't speak to my father for six months, but it was resolved."
Zbigniew retrained as a photographer and ended up marrying Kathleen, although the wedding rehearsal did not exactly go to plan.
"The priest says 'don't worry, all you have to do is repeat after me and it will be alright'," he said.
"He started 'I' and I said 'I', then on a piece of paper he had my name and instead of making a mess of it he said 'say your name' and I said 'say your name'.
"Then he repeated 'say your name', me 'say your name', and at the same time (Kathleen's) digging me 'Zbiginiew Zbiginiew'."
Kathleen said: "Sometimes (Zbiginiew) says 'I don't know whether we're really married or not because I didn't know what I was talking about'."
There was further trouble when Zbiginiew failed to find landlords who would accept a foreign tenant in Newcastle.
Kathleen said: "It was 'no foreigners, no dogs and no Irish'.
"Zbignieiw was like an innocent abroad, he didn't realise people didn't want him, but I wanted him and that was enough."
Their stories a part of a BBC documentary, Friends or Foes, being screened on BBC One on Monday 11 May at 19:30 BST.


Scotland's economy secretary has said the Conservative government should indicate whether it wants the UK to stay in the single market after Brexit.

Keith Brown believes it is "untenable" to maintain silence on the issue.
He was speaking six months on from June's referendum which saw UK voters back leaving the European Union.
In response to Mr Brown's call, a UK government spokeswoman said the United Kingdom would "continue to be a global leader of free trade".
She added that it would also remain the "best place in Europe to run and grow a business".
Mr Brown would like to see assurances given that Scotland's interests would be at the heart of Brexit negotiations.
He reckoned that coming out of the single market would "severely damage" the economy in Scotland.
Last week, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon argued that it would be "democratically justifiable" for the whole of the UK to remain in the European single market after Brexit.
But she also said it would be possible for Scotland to remain in the free trade bloc even if the rest of the UK left.
The UK government said it was committed to involving each of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but that a special deal for Scotland was unrealistic.
Mr Brown said a different deal north of the border should be considered because life outside the single market could cost Scotland 80,000 jobs over 10 years.
The minister explained: "Independent research has estimated the cost of leaving the single market at more than Â£11bn annually which could mean Scotland's public services revenues would be Â£3.7bn per year lower than they are now.
"The EU is also the main destination market for Scotland's international exports, accounting for 42% of trade in 2014.
"Losing membership of the world's largest single market would mean forfeiting the right to buy goods and services from other parts of this union free from import taxes and would also seriously impact on the ability of Scottish companies to export to other EU member nations.
"More than six months on from the EU referendum, it is completely untenable that the UK government are unable to give even an indicative position on whether it supports remaining in the single market."
Reality Check: Who has access to the single market?
Although the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48%, voters in Scotland backed remain by 62% to 38%.
Mr Brown added: "The people of Scotland voted to remain within the EU and a 'hard Brexit' would severely damage our economic and social interests.
"That is why I want an assurance from the UK government that Scotland's interests will be at the heart of any negotiations on the future of the UK within the EU."
The UK government spokeswoman said that the UK as a whole had voted to leave the EU.
She added: "The prime minister has repeatedly made clear that we want to ensure British companies have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market.
"We are determined that the UK will continue to be a global leader of free trade and that it will remain the best place in Europe to run and grow a business."


A three-year-old girl has died in hospital after the car she was travelling in crashed into a tree next to the M4 in Berkshire.

A woman, a man in his 30s and two girls aged three and five were involved in the accident near Junction 11, Reading, at around 14:10 BST on 7 May.
The woman, 37, from London, died at the scene while the younger girl later died of her injuries.
The man and the five-year-old girl were discharged from hospital.


Legal action is being taken against a surgeon who is accused of carrying out unnecessary operations.

Patients are suing Dr Arackal Manu Nair, who it is alleged gave prostate cancer treatment to patients who did not have the disease.
Heartlands NHS Hospital in Birmingham and the Spire Parkway private hospital in Solihull, where Dr Nair practised, have recalled the affected patients.
The General Medical Council said it was investigating.
About 170 men who had their prostate removed have been contacted, the Heart of England NHS Trust said.
More on this and other Birmingham stories
Dr Nair is also alleged to have given some patients laser treatment - a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) - which was yet to be approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice).
The GMC put restrictions on the consultant urologist's work while the allegations are investigated. These restrictions include not working in private practice and all work being supervised.
Medical negligence lawyer, Adam Wright, said his firm has been contacted by 57 of Dr Nair's former patients.
Spire Parkway Hospital said Dr Nair had not worked there since 2014 and Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which manages Heartlands NHS Hospital, said he had been "excluded from the trust since April 2014".
He worked at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust between February and July as a locum surgeon. The trust said he declared the GMC's restrictions imposed on him and he "gave [them] no cause for concern".


Lancashire have signed experienced Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene for the upcoming T20 Blast campaign.

He played for Somerset last season and has since appeared for Karachi Kings and Central Stags in T20 competitions in Pakistan and New Zealand.
The 39-year-old helped Sri Lanka win the 2014 World T20 and has scored 5,455 runs in the game's shortest format.
"I can't wait to watch him bat," Lancashire head coach Glen Chapple told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"He has a massive amount of experience in T20 cricket, in cricket all around the world and great captaincy experience. He'll add in all areas for us."
Lancashire won their first T20 Blast title in 2015, but failed to progress from the group stage last season.
Board member Paul Allott told BBC Radio Lancashire in January that the Red Rose county were looking to sign an "iconic player or coach for T20 cricket".
Jayawardene is their second signing for the Blast, which runs from 7 July to 2 September, and will play alongside Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan.
He does not count as an overseas player as he has been granted a spousal visa because his wife is Danish.
Former Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene said: "Lancashire is a huge county with a fine history in the game. There is a young group of players at the club and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to working with them and to be part of the T20 campaign this summer.
"I haven't won the NatWest T20 Blast in my career and it's a trophy I'd love to experience success in this summer with Lancashire Lightning."


East Kilbride hope they have not peaked too soon as they and Buckie Thistle vie for the chance to win promotion to the Scottish Professional Football League.

East Kilbride secured the Lowland League title on 1 April and eventually finished seven points clear of East Stirlingshire.
But Buckie had to wait until the final day of the Highland League season to make the play-off semi-final.
"We had a great start and led all the way," said EK secretary Dave McKenna.
"But it was great to to get over the line.
"This will be a tough game, especially as Buckie had to wait until the final game to win the title and will be firing on all cylinders."
It was Buckie's 11th title but the first time it will bring with it the chance to win promotion to the senior leagues via a pyramid play-off in its third year.
Graeme Stewart's Jags beat bottom side Strathspey Thistle 9-0 on the final day of the season to finish above Cove Rangers on goal difference and a point clear of Brora Rangers.
East Kilbride were founded in 2010 and this is the first time they have won the Lowland League - itself only in its fourth season.
Manager Martin Lauchlan steered Kilby to title glory and is someone who knows the senior leagues well, having played for Partick Thistle, St Johnstone, Dumbarton, Stenhousemuir and Elgin City.
He took over at EK last summer and has supplemented his squad with some experience from the senior leagues, including former Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender David Proctor, Paul Woods, who recently left Queen's Park, and fellow midfielder Adam Strachan, who started his career with Partick Thistle.
Lauchlan's side visit Buckie on Saturday, with the Highlanders travelling to K-Park for the second leg on 6 May.
He told BBC Scotland: "The club have been great and put us up overnight.
"It wasn't possible to see them myself because we didn't know who was going to win the league, but I have had them watched for three or four weeks."
Stewart, the 34-year-old former Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Peterhead and Montrose midfielder, is pleased with progress during his second season in charge of Buckie.
"Nobody expected us to get in the top six, nobody thought we would get in the top four and nobody expected us to win the title, so we have risen to the challenge each time and hopefully we can do so again," he said.
Two seasons ago, Brora Rangers chairman John Young suggested that beating Montrose in their play-off final could have crippled the club financially and Stewart recognises that Buckie view the Highland League as a good set-up to be involved in.
"Promotion might not be ideal for the club, but my staff and my players want to play at as high a level as possible," he said.
Whoever wins through on aggregate will then face another two-legged affair against the side finishing bottom of League Two.
That was East Stirlingshire's fate last season as they fell out of the senior leagues after defeat by last season's Lowland League champions, Edinburgh City.
City secured a second season in the SPFL with last week's 2-0 win over Annan Athletic.
That left Clyde and Berwick Rangers three points ahead of Cowdenbeath with two games remaining as they battle it out to avoid a play-off against Buckie or East Kilbride.


Bastian Schweinsteiger has been included in Germany's preliminary 27-man squad for Euro 2016.

The Manchester United midfielder, 31, has been named as captain by Joachim Low, despite not playing for his club since March because of a knee ligament injury sustained on international duty.
The uncapped pair of Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich, 21, and Julian Brandt, 20, of Bayer Leverkusen, are included.
The world champions are in Group C with Northern Ireland, Poland and Ukraine.
Germany last won the tournament in 1996 but have named 14 players who are World Cup winners, including Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil.
Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has also been selected in a squad which must be cut to 23 before 31 May.
The tournament in France starts on 10 June and runs until 10 July.
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Emre Can (Liverpool), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke 04), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia), Sebastian Rudy (Hoffenheim), Antonio Rudiger (AS Roma)
Midfielders: Karim Bellarabi (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Wolfsburg), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Leroy Sane (Schalke 04), Andre Schurrle (Wolfsburg), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund)
Striker: Mario Gomez (Fiorentina)
We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter ahead of the Euros and Olympics, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.


A combination of measures may be needed to best deal with radioactive contamination at Dalgety Bay, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The MoD has unveiled four options for the Fife beach, where thousands of radioactive particles have been found.
But it said an "optimised approach" was the likely preferred solution.
This may include removing material from the beach, construction work to contain radioactive material and diverting the public away from it.
It is believed the contamination was caused by WW2 aircraft which were destroyed and dumped in the area.
The MoD was formally named as the polluter by environment agency Sepa last year, and an MoD agency has now drawn up a list of four options.
These are:
The report said the preferred option would be chosen after further detailed appraisal and consultation.
However, it said a likely preferred solution would be the optimised option involving keeping people out with fences, modifying some of the pathways and excavating the material from some areas.
Sepa's report into the contamination, which was published last year, said the MoD had routinely incinerated and disposed of aircraft dials in the bay before the town was developed.
The dials had been illuminated by paint containing radium-226.
The aircraft had been stationed at the nearby HMS Merlin airfield, which was commissioned in 1939 as a Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard and decommissioned in 1959 before being sold off through the 1960s.
Calum MacDonald, Sepa's executive director, said the MoD's report was a "significant step forward".
He added: "This report outlines the extent of management options which could be adopted at the site, ranging from excluding the public from some areas to encapsulating and/or removing the contamination.  We will be working towards a solution which is both effective and durable.
"I believe this is a significant step forward and we are already engaging with local stakeholders regarding the detail of these proposals.
"This is part of the consultative framework intended to get the views of those directly affected by any future works. Sepa is keen to see these works delivered without delay and will work collaboratively with the MoD to ensure momentum continues."
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the MP for the area, said the report was the "first sign of hope for Dalgety Bay after three years of delays and in action".
He called on the MoD to announce at a summit meeting in Dalgety Bay next Monday that they will fund the clean up of the beach area and "end the blight on the town".
The do nothing option is still contained in a new report from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, entitled the 'Outline Management Options Appraisal', but in words attached to the report the Ministry of Defence back away from doing nothing to the contamination.  And in an attached statement they say that "the preferred option is likely to comprise a combination of measures and activities presented."


A suspected bank robber in the US returned to the scene of the crime to try again just as an Iowa television station was conducting a live report.

KIMT-TV reporter Adam Sallet was reporting on the first heist at Sterling State Bank in Rochester, Minnesota, when a bank employee ran out and gesticulated at the suspect.
The TV journalist was forced to cut short his on-air report.
"I have to go," he announced. "I have to call [emergency services on] 911."
Minnesota police said the 36-year-old suspect - not captured on film during Sallet's report - was later pulled over south of Minneapolis and arrested.
He is suspected of robbing the bank on consecutive days. In both, the suspect is reported to have presented a note and escaped with money.
Bank robberies are becoming much less commonplace in the US, officials say, because the rise of electronic payments is creating a more cashless society.
Since 2003, bank robberies are estimated to have have fallen by 47%.


Former footballer Tommy Gemmell, who died last week aged 73, has been described as "an inspiration" at his funeral service.

The Celtic great and Lisbon Lion, who won 18 Scotland caps, died on 2 March after a long illness.
The funeral procession left Celtic Park in the east end of Glasgow shortly after 11:30.
It travelled down the Celtic Way, then on to London Road and towards Daldowie Crematorium for the service.
Fellow members of the Celtic team which won the European Cup in Lisbon in 1967 were among the pallbearers.
They included Bobby Lennox, Bertie Auld, John Clark and Jim Craig, alongside former Rangers and Scotland winger Willie Henderson.
Other former Celtic players at the funeral included Danny McGrain, Andy Walker, Davie Provan and Frank McGarvey, as well as current manager Brendan Rodgers and former boss David Hay.
Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson attended on behalf of the Ibrox club.
Jim Craig spoke at the service of how his former team-mate remained inspirational despite declining health in recent years.
Choking back tears, he said: "That once powerful frame began to weaken and Tam was confined to his bed, a situation such a strong athlete must have found really difficult to cope with.
"Yet, as his strength waned, I never once heard him complain and, frankly, the way he dealt with whatever came his way was a lesson to us all."
Of their playing days together, Jim Craig said: "Tam could be accused of being noisy, argumentative, flamboyant - he had the flashy suits and the car with the Colonel Bogey horn - and even cocky.
"But he also delivered - his scoring record an excellent one for a fullback, and his ability to drive home a penalty a great bonus.
"Probably his most famous goal was the equaliser in the European Cup Final, although with great modesty might I point out that he received such a perfect pass along the 18-yard line that his granny could have knocked that one in."


A crowd-funding bid to buy Sheffield's Tramlines festival for £1.2m has been launched.

Music City Foundation, which is behind the proposed buyout, said it wanted to "buy back the festival for the people".
It said it had been given until mid-June to raise the money, and then the proposal would go before the Tramlines board.
Festival director Sarah Nulty said the board had "agreed in principle to the offer" subject to shareholder approval.
The event began in 2009 and last year attracted more than 100,000 people.
Winston Hazel, director of the not-for-profit Music City Foundation (MCF), said it hoped to take over the running of the festival in 2018.
He said he was concerned that if the festival were to be sold to a private investor, it could be relocated out of the city centre.
"We want to ensure that Tramlines continues to support our vibrant culture while also contributing to the city's economic success," he said.
The group is asking people to buy shares packages for between £200 and £10,000.
Ms Nulty said: "The Tramlines board agreed in principle to the offer made by the Music City Foundation, although it was very clear throughout discussions that Tramlines was not for sale.
"The board is not made up of all shareholders and so any proposal will need to be agreed by them if a bid was to be successful."
She said she was disappointed that MCF had released details of "a possible sale of this magnitude" without consulting shareholders.
She added: "There are no changes to the 2017 event and we're all very excited to deliver yet another fantastic festival, with our biggest line-up yet."
Tramlines was named Best UK Metropolitan Festival at the 2011 UK Festival Awards.


A Russian political activist has suffered burns to her eyes after an attacker splashed her with a chemical, the opposition Yabloko party has said.

Natalia Fedorova was leaving her house when a man splashed the substance in her face and ran away, Moscow party branch head Sergei Mitrokhin said.
She had lost vision, but may regain her sight in time, he told Interfax.
He said he believed the attack was related to her campaign against property development in her area.
Mr Mitrokhin wrote in a tweet that the attack had taken place in Cheremushki, a suburb of Moscow.
Ms Fedorova had been taken to hospital with burns to her face and eyes, he later told Interfax news agency.
"She's a Yabloko member, but I don't think this is the reason. This is more likely to be a reaction to her campaigning," Mr Mitrokhin was quoted as saying.
"She's had her windows shot at already, and a coffin has been placed at her door," he said.
It comes a day after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was taken to hospital after antiseptic green dye was splashed on his face in Moscow.
It was the second time he has been attacked with zelyonka ("brilliant green" in English) this year.
The dye is a common antiseptic in Russia and has been used in protests there and in Ukraine.
It is not clear who carried out the latest attack, which happened near the offices of the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) that he founded.
Mr Navalny is one of the foremost Russian critics of President Vladimir Putin and has announced his intention to run for president himself.


People separated from their partners are more than four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than those who are married or in civil partnerships, figures suggest.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales found 4.2% of separated adults had been victims in the year ending March 2015.
The figure for those married or in civil partnerships was 1%.
New detailed data also showed students were more likely than other groups to be victims of violent crime.
Responding to the survey, 3.4% of full-time students said they had been victims at least once in the last year, compared to 1.9% of people in "routine and manual" jobs, 1.8% of the long-term unemployed and 1.5% of people in "managerial and professional" work.
Among those surveyed were 1,067 separated people, 15,014 who were married or in civil partnerships and 1,027 full-time students.
Based on reporting their own experiences of violent crime in the year up to the end of March 2015, higher-risk groups included men, people aged 16-24, those of a "mixed or multiple ethnic background" and "adults in low-income households".


When it comes to cancer, there is a mountain of statistics.

But if you want to understand the challenge facing the nation, simply consider this: the disease has now become so common that one out of every two people born after 1960 will develop it during their lifetime.
It means that every two minutes someone in England is diagnosed with the disease.
The major cause is, of course, the fact we are living longer. But lifestyle factors, such as smoking, drinking and obesity are also playing a role.
It means over the past 40 years the number of cancer diagnoses has more than doubled - as this graph from figures collated by the Office for National Statistics shows.
But the increase in cases is putting a strain on services. The plans unveiled on Sunday cover just England, but across the UK the health service is struggling to meet its targets.
Probably the most high-profile target is the 62-day deadline for patients to start treatment following an urgent referral by a GP.
This is used in all parts of the UK - although it is measured slightly differently in each country so direct comparisons are difficult.
Nonetheless, all the parts of the UK have one thing in common: They are not meeting their own target.
These problems are similar to the ones experienced by A&E and routine hospital operations services. But for cancer it is arguably even more important. The faster patients get treated, the greater their chance of survival.
Go to our special report page on cancer for more information about the disease and what is being done to tackle it.
Talking of survival, how is the NHS faring? Well, survival rates have been increasing. Research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows that five-year survival in England has risen substantially since the early 1970s.
Fewer than a third of patients diagnosed during 1971-2 lived for another five years. Now more than half do.
But depending on which cancer you have, survival rates vary greatly.
For example, among men five-year survival rates for testicular cancer stand at 97%, skin melanomas 90% and Hodgkin lymphoma 84%.
But for lung cancer it is 11% and pancreatic cancer 5%.
Among women the survival rates for those two cancers are the same, while the best rates are seen in skin melanomas at 93%, followed by thyroid cancers at 87% and breast at 86%.
Despite the overall improvements it is also clear the NHS has some way to go before it achieves the results of some of the best-performing health systems.
A report by the Nuffield Trust think tank published earlier this month looked at how the UK was performing against 14 similar countries when it came to three common cancers.
The mortality rates date back to 2010, but still give a good indication of how far there is to go.
A big part of England's new cancer strategy is improving earlier diagnosis - half of patients are currently diagnosed at an advanced stage with a fifth only happening after a visit to an A&E department.
Improving access to tests is a key part of this.
But there is also a lot of work is going on to develop new treatments. My colleague Fergus Walsh explains what's been happening in this video below.
But for all the emphasis on testing and treatment, there is a lot people can do. Four in 10 cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyles.
The biggest cause of cancer is smoking, but a host of other activities from diet to exercise also play a role.
If we are going to improve the odds in the fight against cancer, everyone has a role to play.


Eight inmates due to be put to death over 10 days next month in Arkansas are making last-ditch bids to halt the unprecedented flurry of executions.

Lawyers for the prisoners say the "assembly-line" of four double lethal injections is unconstitutional.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson last month ordered the death row inmates to be killed before the state's execution drugs expire.
Arkansas has not executed an inmate since 2005.
No US state has put eight inmates to death in such an accelerated schedule since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
Bruce Ward - Convicted of 1989 strangling murder of teenage shop clerk Rebecca Doss
Don Davis - Condemned for 1990 execution-style killing of Jane Daniel as he burgled her home
Stacey Johnson - Found guilty of 1993 murder of Carol Heath, who was beaten, strangled and had her throat slit
Ledell Lee - Sentenced to death for 1993 killing of Debra Reese, who was bludgeoned with a tyre iron that her husband had given her for protection
Jack Jones - Condemned for 1995 rape and murder of accounts clerk Mary Phillips, and the nearly fatal beating of her 11-year-old daughter
Marcel Williams - Sentenced to death for 1994 rape and murder of Stacey Erickson, after kidnapping her from a convenience store
Kenneth Williams - Convicted of 1999 murder of farmer Cecil Boren during an escape from prison where Williams had been incarcerated for murdering cheerleader Dominique Hurd
Jason McGehee - Jailed for the death of 15-year-old John Melbourne, who had been his friend
In the latest legal action in the case, one of men, Stacey Eugene Johnson, asked the state's highest court on Wednesday to block his execution so evidence from his murder trial can be retested.
Attorneys for another of the convicted murderers, Bruce Ward, asked a state judge to block his execution, saying the prisoner is not mentally competent.
A group of former corrections officers wrote to the governor on Tuesday to say the pace of the executions threatens prison staff's mental health.
Two other lawsuits filed this week seek preliminary injunctions to halt the executions, arguing the inmates need time to appeal against their convictions.
Lawyers also argue that state authorities are unconstitutionally hurrying the clemency process.
"The state can show no valid reason it cannot schedule executions at a pace that would allow for meaningful review," said one of the lawsuits.
The convicted killers are also asking the US Supreme Court to review a ruling allowing the state to keep its source for the execution drugs a secret.
Arkansas has scheduled the executions for 17, 20, 24 and 27 April, citing a shortage of a drug used in lethal injections.
The state's supply of midazolam, a sedative used in its three-drug lethal injection cocktail, is nearing its expiration date.
The sedative has become increasingly scarce as anti-capital punishment drug-makers refuse to supply it to corrections officials.
Midazolam has been blamed for botched executions in Oklahoma, Ohio and Arizona.
Lawyers have argued that use of the sedative amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, which is banned under the US constitution.
The condemned prisoners are Bruce Ward, Don Davis, Stacey Johnson, Ledell Lee, Jack Jones, Marcel Williams, Kenneth Williams and Jason McGehee.
The state parole board has recommended clemency requests by Johnson and Lee be rejected. Further parole hearings are due this week.


A mother who is appealing a conviction for murdering her two-year-old son will have to wait for a decision.

Rachel Fee's lawyers have told judges at the Criminal Court of Appeal in Edinburgh that the conviction is unsafe.
Last May, she was found guilty with her civil partner, Nyomi Fee, of the murder and ill-treatment of Liam.
Judges Lady Dorrian, Lord Turnbull and Lord Bracadale said they would issue the appeal ruling in the near future.
Defence advocate Brian McConnachie QC told the court that the judge who jailed her made mistakes when directing the jurors.
He said Lord Burns did not tell jurors they could find Fee guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
Evidence that was led in court against Fee may have shown that she was not responsible for murdering the toddler at a house near Glenrothes in Fife, he added.
Instead, he said jurors may have concluded that the 32-year-old was responsible for the culpable homicide of Liam.
Mr McConnachie said evidence led by the Crown during the original case showed that it was conceivable that Nyomi Fee was the "main actor" in the murder of Liam.
He said: "The jury were entitled to convict the appellant of something less than murder."
Prosecution lawyer Alex Prentice QC told the court that Rachel and Nyomi Fee engaged in a course of criminal conduct which culminated in the death of Liam.
He told the court that, because Rachel did not do anything to alleviate or stop what was happening to Liam, the jurors were entitled to convict her of murder.
Mr Prentice added: "There is no room for culpable homicide in this case."
Lord Burns jailed Fee for 23-and-a-half years for murdering Liam at the High Court in Edinburgh in July 2016. Her civil partner Nyomi Fee was jailed for 24 years.
Jurors heard how the pair spent two years torturing the to before finally killing him at their home in March 2014.


Talks intended to resolve an industrial dispute at the Faslane and Coulport naval bases have broken down.

Civilian workers represented by the Unite union have been taking part in an overtime ban and a series of staggered strikes.
The union has accused employer Babcock Marine of a "systematic campaign to undermine workers".
The company has rejected the claim and said previously it was "disappointed and perplexed by Unite's actions".
Talks have been held at the conciliation service Acas over two days but the union said they ended without resolution.
Faslane is home to Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent.
Unite regional officer Stephen Deans said: "Unite put forward a range of proposals that we believed would address our members' concerns and resolve this dispute.
"Unfortunately, Babcock Marine has chosen to disregard most of these and instead provided a set of counter-proposals which fail to address our concerns in any meaningful way."
He added: "No-one wants this dispute to drag on but we will not be daunted by the company's intransigence towards our members' concerns."
Babcock Marine has previously said it had offered "reasonable solutions" to all of the issues raised by Unite.
A spokesman added: "We absolutely refute the allegations that we are attempting to undermine our relationship with the trade union and wider workforce or that we are engaged in a wide-ranging plan to outsource services.
"Our workforce at HMNB Clyde do a magnificent job in support of the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy and it is disappointing that most will get no direct benefit from the issues raised with us.
"We are working closely with our customer and the 1,100 Babcock employees who are not involved in this industrial action to minimise any impact to the smooth running of HMNB Clyde."


Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark admits his January signing policy is short-termist but stressed loan deals were the only way he could attract players of the quality he wanted.

Clark brought in seven new players last month, six of whom are on loan.
He acknowledged that may mean another summer rebuild job but said financial limits prevented a longer-term outlook.
"It's not ideal but I have to get the best players I possibly can within those constraints," he said.
"We couldn't have touched four of their salaries that they're earning elsewhere.
"So it's us having the relationships and the contacts with those clubs to get the deals when they do become affordable to us."
Killie completed the loan addition of former striker Conor Sammon from Hearts on the final day of the window, alongside striker Joshua Umerah.
Those signings followed that of Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer, who also moved to Rugby Park on loan until the end of the season, and the capture of three Newcastle United youngsters, all on loan.
The Ayrshire club also secured an 18-month deal for Scott Boyd following an initial loan spell from Ross County.
The other January addition to Clark's squad was 28-year-old defender Karleigh Osborne, who signed a two-year deal after leaving Plymouth.
"I have a budget to work to, to spread around to try to get us a competitive squad and that's the way it has to be done," Clark continued.
"In an ideal world I'd like every member of my first-team squad to be permanent signings so we're not having another summer like we had last year and when the loan lads go back, I'm not having to replace them."
Despite the loss of top scorer Souleymane Coulibaly during January, Clark feels his squad is strong going into the final months of the season.
The manager feels the additions of Sammon and Umerah, to compete with Kris Boyd and Nathan Tyson up front, gives the club good depth.
"It was always my aim to get more competition in the striking areas," he added. "We feel we've brought two very good signings in.
"We've brought in an experienced player [in Sammon]. He's experienced generally but he also has experience of Scottish football."
In addition to the seven new players, Clark hopes to have Miles Addison and Greg Kiltie back from injury soon.
"You're looking at us then having four central defenders - three experienced ones in [Scott] Boyd, Osborne and Addison and one who's come in and hit the ground running and looks a very special talent in Kristoffer Ajer," Clark said.
"We've got four strikers, the young Newcastle lads have come in so we've got real competition in the goalkeeping area.
"Sean Longstaff has shown everybody what he can be - a very athletic midfield player who can get goals and we still feel there's a lot more to come from Callum Roberts. So we're excited by it all."


The number of swans on the River Thames recorded in the yearly count is expected to have risen.

The tradition called Swan Upping started at 9am on Monday in Sunbury, Surrey.
The five-day count also passes through Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London.
Last year, 2,014 swans were recorded, including 120 baby cygnets and 34 breeding pairs.
The Queen's Swan Marker, David Barber, who is in charge of the count, said "Our expectations are that numbers should be better than last year."
The history of the swan count dates back to the 12th Century and sees the mute swans on the river rounded up, marked, weighed, health-checked and then released.
Mr Barber said it also served as a "very important conservation and educational exercise", with many local schools taking part in the event.
The Queen keeps the right to own all unmarked mute swans in open water.
Killing or injuring them is punishable by a six-month prison term and, in some cases, a fine up to Â£5,000.


Eight Turkish soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in the south-eastern province of Siirt, the army says.

The bomb exploded on a highway as a military vehicle was passing. Seven more soldiers were wounded.
No-one has admitted the attack, but the army blamed it on Kurdish PKK militants. A further four troops died in gun battles with the PKK in Diyarbakir province.
The attacks come amid a wave of violence after a two-year truce failed.
Separately, two people have been arrested after gunfire was heard outside Istanbul's iconic Dolmabahce Palace, which houses offices of the prime minister.
Police seized two hand-grenades, an automatic rifle, a hand gun and ammunition.
One policeman was slightly injured in the attack and a third suspect is being sought, the Turkish Anadolu news agency reported.
A statement from the Istanbul governor's office said the attackers were from a "terrorist group" and that they had previously carried out an attack on the Istanbul HQ of the ruling AK party on 8 August.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in Ankara at the time of the attack.
The palace, in the Besiktas district on the European side of Istanbul, was the main administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire for many years in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The founder of modern Turkey, Mustapha Kemal Ataturk, died there in 1938, and the palace is now a major tourist attraction.
A man suspected of belonging to the banned leftist group DHKP-C was arrested in January after attacking guards outside the palace.
The group said it was behind a gun attack on the US consulate in Istanbul by two female assailants earlier this month.
Turkey has been on high alert since launching a two-pronged air campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria and PKK bases in northern Iraq last month.


A full report into allegations of police misconduct at the so-called Battle of Orgreave will not be made public, the Independent Police Complaints Commission has ruled.

It said publishing its full review of the actions of South Yorkshire Police may prejudice criminal investigations into the Hillsborough disaster.
A redacted copy was released in 2015.
Barbara Jackson of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) said she was "disappointed" with the decision.
Thousands of striking miners and police officers clashed at the Orgreave coking plant near Rotherham in June 1984.
Campaigners called for a public inquiry after the IPCC ruled the passage of time meant allegations of assault could not be pursued.
Live updates on this story and others in South Yorkshire
What was the 'Battle of Orgreave'?
What happened at Hillsborough?
A spokesperson for the IPCC said: "After consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, the IPCC has determined that it will not publish an unredacted report.
"This is because there may be some material within that report which is relevant to the current Hillsborough investigation.
"Decisions are yet to be made on whether any criminal proceedings are to be brought as a result of those investigations and the IPCC does not want to prejudice that process."
Ms Jackson said: "The redacted report had nuggets of gold in it [and] I think there could be clear links [in the full version] between the police culture and attitude at the time of Orgreave and then Hillsborough.
"The miners in our campaign have their hopes raised and dashed and people get very cynical. They need to see justice quite quickly before they lose what hope they are holding on to."
South Yorkshire Police referred itself to the IPCC in 2012 over allegations of assault and misconduct relating to the events at Orgreave.
Criminal investigations into the events at Hillsborough and its aftermath are being carried out by the IPCC and Operation Resolve.
Labour MP Andy Burnham, who called for an inquiry into Hillsborough, previously claimed the redacted report contained proof police used "underhand tactics" against both miners and Liverpool supporters.
He said: "As I've always said, we won't have the truth about Hillsborough until we have the full truth about Orgreave."


Sainsbury's has said sales of clothes, summer food and paddling pools helped speed up growth in the past few months.

Analysts said June's hot weather had helped to lift sales at the company, which also includes Argos.
The UK's second biggest supermarket said like-for-like sales - which strip out the impact of new stores - grew by 2.3%, excluding petrol.
Chief executive Mike Coupe said he was "pleased" with the results - its best growth in four years.
Laith Khalaf, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "The recent heatwave helped to boost sales at Sainsbury's group, as customers turned to the Argos website to buy electric fans and paddling pools to keep cool in the hot weather."
Demand for deals on British strawberries and its summer eating range added to Sainsbury's grocery sales, which were up 3%.
Food price inflation also contributed to a rise in sales at the supermarket's checkouts.
This is the best quarterly performance by Sainsbury's in years, with sales up across the board. Like the other main supermarkets, inflation is driving some of this sales growth.
The boss said the company had managed to "keep a control over prices" and that the rise in own label goods had been a big success.
Was this a sign of shoppers trading down, for instance eating in instead of eating out? Chief executive Mike Coupe said there wasn't any evidence of a massive change in consumer behaviour although there might be a trend starting to come through.
Most striking though is the rise in clothing sales - up by more than 7%, a very strong performance, in stark contrast to its competitors on the high street. A sign, perhaps, that consumers are watching their wallets.
Mr Coupe said "inflation was coming through", but that Sainsbury's was trying to keep prices down by striking deals with suppliers.
He pointed to chicken, milk and broccoli, which he said were cheaper than three years ago.
The company's latest sales figures marked an acceleration from the previous quarter when sales grew by just 0.3%.
The growth was also slightly stronger than expected, with analysts having forecast like-for-like sales to grow 2%.
David Alexander of GlobalData, said: "Even accounting for a later Easter and Mother's Day, and the inclusion of a buoyant Argos in the figures, the numbers still present a positive picture."
Widespread media reports have suggested Sainsbury's is lining up Nisa, a convenience store chain and wholesaler, for its next acquisition.
George MacDonald, editor of Retail Week, told the BBC that Sainsbury's was "possibly grabbing on the coat-tails of Tesco which wants to buy another wholesaler called Booker".
However, Mr Coupe declined to comment on any possible Nisa deal, saying it regularly looked at potential tie-ups.
"We are not holding onto anyone's coat-tails - that's just the nature of a large corporation. Most of these conversations come to nothing," the Sainsbury's boss told reporters.


A police force made mistakes over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man but said there was no "cover up", a public inquiry heard.

Anthony Grainger, of Bolton, was shot in the chest during a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) operation in Culcheth, Cheshire, on 3 March 2012.
Liverpool Crown Court heard GMP was "committed to learning lessons".
Anne Whyte QC, for the force, said: "No commander or firearms officer goes to work wishing to injure or kill."
Mr Grainger was under surveillance as part of Operation Shire, set up to target an organised crime gang believed to be conspiring to commit armed robberies.
He was shot through the windscreen of a stolen Audi in a car park.
In her closing statement, Ms Whyte said an inaccurate briefing to firearms officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) "contained avoidable errors".
She said: "The team relied on sensitive intelligence from the NCA. Some (of it) was inaccurate and out of date.  The team received it in good faith."
But there was no cover up or culture of secrecy at GMP. Ms Whyte added: "The worst is always assumed - misjudgements immediately characterised as more sinister."
"We are conscious that errors have occurred... GMP is committed to learning lessons from the untimely death of Anthony Grainger."
The public inquiry has heard from 80 witnesses since hearings began in January.
Inquiry chairman Judge Teague will now begin the process of writing his report.
Mr Grainger's inquest was converted to a public inquiry in March 2016 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May.


Stephen Crabb MP has been appointed as Welsh secretary, after the serving minister David Jones was sacked.

The Preseli Pembrokeshire MP was Mr Jones's deputy, but was promoted in a cabinet reshuffle.
Mr Crabb said he was "very pleased" and would be "working hard for Wales" and was described by First Minister Carwyn Jones as "pragmatic and reasonable".
Vale of Glamorgan MP Alun Cairns takes over as junior minister at the Wales Office.
Shortly after leaving Downing Street Mr Crabb - who had been widely tipped to replace Clwyd West MP David Jones - paid tribute to his predecessor.
He tweeted: "I will build on the excellent work of David Jones. He achieved so much during his time as Welsh secretary & leaves a strong legacy to Wales."
In further tweets, he said: "Wales deserves the best and I look forward to providing a strong voice for Wales around the Cabinet table."
He said it was a "huge privilege" to join the cabinet.
Mr Crabb added: "This Gov is ambitious for Wales, working to ensure Wales at front of the economic recovery".
Entering Gwydyr House, the Whitehall headquarters of the Wales Office, Mr Crabb said he was "looking forward to getting on with the job right now".
David Jones was seen by Labour ministers in Cardiff as someone instinctively hostile to devolution, and during First Minister's Questions Carwyn Jones said he now hoped for a "new approach and a new attitude" from the Wales Office.
"I do have to say that I know that my colleagues have dealt with the new secretary of state in the past and have found him to be pragmatic and reasonable, if I can put it that way, remembering of course the obvious political difficulties and differences that are there..."
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies congratulated his "close colleague" on his promotion.
Mr Davies has had a number of public disagreements with David Jones, including over the form of income tax raising powers UK ministers are making available to the Welsh assembly.
"Stephen Crabb has been an effective and hardworking minister and will be a powerful advocate for Wales around the cabinet table," said Mr Davies.
By David CornockBBC Wales Parliamentary correspondent
And now it's official, as the newspapers used to say...
Shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith urged Mr Crabb to "break free" from what he called the "ceaseless negativity" of his predecessors' attitude to Wales and the Welsh government.
The new secretary of state should "go into the new job with the aim of standing up for our nation, rather than indulging in politicised attacks on Wales, with the aim of winning votes in England", said Mr Smith.
Raised by a single parent in a council house, Stephen Crabb was first elected as Preseli Pembrokeshire MP in 2005 and re-elected in 2010. He previously a government whip and David Jones's deputy at the Wales Office.
Mr Crabb grew up in Haverfordwest and attended the town's Tasker Milward School.
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart MP said: "From my point of view as a Pembrokeshire colleague I think it will put a bit of an important spotlight on our part of south west Wales.
"All the years I've known Stephen, he's got a very shrewd brain. He understands business, he understands politics, he understands Wales and I think he will bring just a nice refreshing and different approach to the way politics is seen in Wales."
Mr Jones had succeeded his former Wales Office boss, Cheryl Gillan, in September 2012, and was the 16th secretary of state and the first to have been an AM, having sat in the Welsh assembly from 2002 to 2003.


The organisers of the Glastonbury Festival have admitted allowing human sewage to leak from a tank and pollute a stream.

The leak happened at the Worthy Farm site in Somerset in June 2014 and damaged water quality and killed fish.
Founder Michael Eavis, who was at Yeovil Magistrates' Court, said the sewage was in a £100,000 slurry tank.
The Glastonbury Festival is one of the UK's biggest music events, with some 175,000 people attending each year.
During the hearing, the judge was told that 42 fish were killed by the sewage after a "large quantity" of sewage filtered into Whitelake River.
Sensors in the stream alerted the Environment Agency to increased ammonia levels.
The court was told fish - including protected brown trout - died as a result.
Glastonbury Festival 2014 admitted the single charge against it.
Prosecuting, Kieran Martyn said: "The impact was extensive... It extended for at least 4km downstream."
Representing the festival, Kerry Gwyther, said the leak in the tank was a "freak incident" and not as serious as was being made out.
"We don't accept that it was a major incident as described by the agency," he said.
"The leak period was eight hours. We do accept that there was a significant effect on water quality and the fish health.
"Significant costs were not incurred in terms of a clean up."
The case has now been adjourned while both parties put together more detailed background reports.
Outside court Michael Eavis said: "Of course, I'm exceedingly sorry for what's happened.
"We had a problem obviously - there were 200,000 people and we were storing slurry.
"It was a tank for holding farm slurry, but on this occasion we were using it for the festival sewage and it was starting to leak.
"It was a brand new build, it cost me £100,000, so that's my defence."
Another issue yet to be decided is the seriousness of the breach.
If it is a category one offence, the festival would be in line for a fine of between £55,000 to £300,000 or, if it is deemed a category two the fine would be £20,000.
The defence team told the court any fine should be in line with the company's finances. They said the festival's net profit was £84,000 a year before tax. But the prosecution said turnover was about £37m.
Mr Gwyther said the site donated £2m in 2015 to a number of charities, including the Somerset Wildlife Trust and WaterAid.
District Judge David Taylor said there was "significant differences between one account to another" and said there would be a four-day hearing to decide the facts before sentencing.
Kasabian, Dolly Parton and Metallica headlined the festival in 2014.


The second of two GPs accused of unlawfully killing a 12-year-old boy has been cleared.

Ryan Morse, from Brynithel, Blaenau Gwent, died on 8 December 2012 from Addison's disease.
The jury at Cardiff Crown Court was dismissed and the judge acquitted Dr Joanne Rudling, 46, of Cardiff, of manslaughter on Friday.
Dr Lindsey Thomas, 42, from Tredegar, was cleared of manslaughter by gross negligence on 27 May.
A new trial with a new jury will consider a second charge against Dr Rudling of perverting the course of public justice.
The doctors had been accused of not asking enough questions about Ryan's condition before he died. Both had denied the charges.
The court has previously heard Ryan's death could have been prevented if he had been examined at any point up until a couple of hours before it happened.
Mrs Justice Nicola Davies ruled there was insufficient evidence.
She said: "I had decided that there was no case upon which a properly directed jury could convict Dr Rudling."


Simeon Akinola scored twice as Braintree beat promotion-chasing Dagenham 3-2 in a thrilling National League game.

Oliver Hawkins put Dagenham ahead after 32 minutes when he headed in Jordan Maguire-Drew's cross, but the hosts levelled just three minutes later through Michael Cheek.
Akinola's penalty on the stroke of half-time put Braintree ahead at the break but two minutes after the interval the Daggers were awarded a spot-kick of their own and, while Hawkins' effort was saved, Maguire-Drew smashed home the rebound.
The away side had Scott Doe sent off for a second booking, and Braintree took advantage as Akinola scored his second.
Braintree's Manny Parry was also given his marching orders but Dagenham were reduced to nine men when Magnus Okuonghae went off injured with all three substitutions made.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Braintree Town 3, Dagenham and Redbridge 2.
Second Half ends, Braintree Town 3, Dagenham and Redbridge 2.
Substitution, Braintree Town. Zak Jules replaces Ian Gayle.
Substitution, Braintree Town. Harry Lee replaces Reece Hall-Johnson.
Ebou Adams (Braintree Town) is shown the red card.
Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Paul Benson replaces Jordan Maguire-Drew.
Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Scott Heard replaces Sam Ling.
Goal!  Braintree Town 3, Dagenham and Redbridge 2. Simeon Akinola (Braintree Town).
Second yellow card to Scott Doe (Dagenham and Redbridge) for a bad foul.
Reece Hall-Johnson (Braintree Town) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Magnus Okuonghae replaces Tyrique Hyde.
Goal!  Braintree Town 2, Dagenham and Redbridge 2. Jordan Maguire-Drew (Dagenham and Redbridge).
Second Half begins Braintree Town 2, Dagenham and Redbridge 1.
First Half ends, Braintree Town 2, Dagenham and Redbridge 1.
Goal!  Braintree Town 2, Dagenham and Redbridge 1. Simeon Akinola (Braintree Town) converts the penalty with a.
Sam Ling (Dagenham and Redbridge) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!  Braintree Town 1, Dagenham and Redbridge 1. Michael Cheek (Braintree Town).
Goal!  Braintree Town 0, Dagenham and Redbridge 1. Oliver Hawkins (Dagenham and Redbridge).
Ebou Adams (Braintree Town) is shown the yellow card.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.


Scotland will prepare for the vital World Cup qualifier against Slovenia with a friendly against Canada.

Slovenia visit Hampden on 26 March, with Gordon Strachan's team desperately in need of victory after picking up four points in the opening four games to sit fifth in Group F.
The warm-up against Canada will take place four days earlier at Easter Road.
Canada were last in Scotland in 2002, again at the Edinburgh home of Hibernian, losing a friendly 3-1.
"This match will give us a chance to see up-close some of the players who have been in such excellent form over the winter months," said Strachan.
"There are a number of players who may not have been involved in the recent games but who have been pushing hard for a place, so this will allow them to stake their claim.
"It's important we have a match before the second half of the qualification programme begins.
"We know that a win against Slovenia at Hampden will take us to just one point behind them in second place and put us right back in contention, so the players involved in the Canada game can take this opportunity to show they should be involved."
This will be the sixth meeting with Canada, with Scotland winning all of the previous games.


Usain Bolt says athletes who dope must "stop or the sport will die" as he prepares to race for the final time in his illustrious career.

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Bolt, an eight-time Olympic champion and icon of world sport, will retire after this month's World Championships.
The Jamaican, 30, will run in the 100m and 4x100m at the Worlds, which begin in London on Friday.
"Hopefully athletes will see what's going on and what they need to do to help the sport move forward," he said.
Referring to the McLaren report, which uncovered evidence of a Russian state-sponsored doping programme, he added: "Personally I think we were at rock bottom. After the scandal on Russia I don't think it gets any worse than that.
"Over the years we're doing a better job, it's getting clean and we're catching up to a lot of athletes. There's an understanding that if you cheat you will get caught. Over time the sport will get better.
"I said a couple of years ago it had to get really bad, when there's nowhere else to go but up. Doping is always a bad thing and it's never pleasant because you put in the hard work and the sport starts going forward and then you have other guys bringing it back, it's hard.
"It's going in the right direction so hopefully it will continue in that direction."
The men's World 100m final is on Saturday, 5 August, while the men's 4x100m relay race - which will mark the end of Bolt's career - is on the following Saturday.
Bolt has won 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold at the past three Olympic Games - Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.
However, his unprecedented 'triple triple' of nine gold medals was downgraded to eight after Jamaican team-mate Nesta Carter, who was part of the quartet that won the 4x100m in Beijing, tested positive for a banned substance. Carter has appealed against the decision.
Nevertheless, Bolt's exploits remain unprecedented and he also holds the world record in the 100m (9.58 seconds) and 200m (19.19).
Asked if he still believes he is the fastest in the world, the Jamaican replied: "Yeah, without a doubt.
"The last race I ran was a 9.95, so that shows I am going in the right direction. After the two rounds leading up to the 100m final, which always help me, it's all about who keeps their nerve.
"I have been here many times. I know I am ready."
Asked in an interview with BBC Sport whether he believes his world records will be broken, he replied: "I hope they're not. No athlete would ever wish for that - I want to brag to my kids when they're in their 20s: 'See, I'm still the best!
"There is no-one around now, in this era, who can do it. No. Maybe in a couple of years, 10 years, but my records are safe for now."
Bolt was also asked which of the current stars of track and field could potentially replace him as the pre-eminent force in the sport.
He named South African 25-year-old Wayde van Niekerk, who will be competing in the 400m and 200m in London.
"Wayde van Niekerk is proving he is a world star. He has broken the 400m world record, he ran the fastest 300m ever, and now he's doing the 200m also. For me, he's proving that he can step up to the plate," said Bolt.
"I'm watching him, we've had discussions and he's a cool person but I've told him to open up his personality a little bit because he's really laid back."
Bolt says he will miss the "thrill" of being on the track but that it is time for him to slow down and enjoy himself.
"The energy when you first walk out on the track and the people go crazy, that's what I'll miss the most," he said.
He might manage to replace the buzz of competing with one of his hobbies, though.
"I ride quad bikes, that's an adrenaline rush," he said.
"But I think it's time for me to slow down a little, relax a little bit. Enjoy myself as much as possible."
He says he does not think he will re-consider his retirement as he has nothing left to prove - and of his legacy added that he wanted to be considered among the greatest sports figures of all time.
"I just want to be one of the greats," he said.
"Whenever there's a conversation about the greatest sports stars, I want to be part of that conversation. I want people to say: 'Yeah, Usain Bolt was one of the greatest'."
Asked if it was his mind or body saying 'enough', he replied: "It's the body, definitely.
"Over the years, I've got more niggling injuries than anything else, simple little things, but it's just because I'm getting older. The pounding means my body's just deteriorating now, so for me it's just time to go."
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A man has died after he was shot by a police officer, Bedfordshire Police has said.

Armed officers were called after reports of a woman being assaulted at a property in Tracey Court, off Hibbert Street, Luton, at about 13:30 GMT.
The 24-year-old man was shot by an officer during the incident.
He was taken to hospital and died at 14:50 GMT. The force has referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
A spokeswoman for Bedfordshire Police said the man, who was described as white and British, was initially treated at the scene by officers and paramedics.
His family has been informed.
Chief constable Jon Boutcher said: "First and foremost our thoughts are very much with the family of the man involved in this tragic incident.
"The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed, as is standard protocol when someone has died following police contact, and as such it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this stage."
The police watchdog confirmed it had sent investigators to the scene and also to the hospital.
In a statement. the IPCC said: "The investigation is in its early stages and no further information is available at this time."


Japan has dispatched its biggest warship, in the first such operation since it passed controversial laws expanding the role of its military.

The helicopter carrier Izumo is escorting a US supply vessel within Japanese waters.
The US ship is heading to refuel the naval fleet in the region, including the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group.
North Korea has threatened to sink the Carl Vinson and a US submarine, amid rising tensions in the region.
It also carried out a failed missile test on Sunday, despite repeated warnings from the US and others to stop its nuclear and missile activity.
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says the Izumo is the pride of the Japanese navy, and is by far its biggest ship.
The 249m-long Izumo can carry up to nine helicopters, and resembles US amphibious assault carriers, reported The Japan Times.
Kyodo news agency said it was leaving its base in Yokosuka south of Tokyo to join the US supply ship, and accompany it to waters off Shikoku in western Japan.
Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan is gradually pushing the limits of what its modern and powerful military is allowed to do, and with tensions high on the Korean peninsula, Mr Abe appears keen to try out the new laws for the first time, our correspondent says.
Japan's post-World War Two constitution bars its military from using force to resolve conflicts except in cases of self-defence.
The Izumo is the first warship deployed outside of military exercises under new laws passed in 2015 that allow Japan to come to the aid of an ally under attack known as "collective self-defence".
Mr Abe's government, which pushed for the change, faced criticism that the new laws could lead the country into unnecessary wars abroad - something Mr Abe has rejected.
The Izumo's deployment follows recent joint exercises conducted by Japan and the US, and other naval developments.
A French amphibious assault ship arrived in south-west Japan on Saturday for an exercise also involving Japanese, US and British naval forces.  South Korea has been conducting joint exercises with the US as well.
China last week also launched its second aircraft carrier.


The family of a man whose life was saved by a fundraising campaign say he is "struggling", six months after he was shot in the head.

Christopher Tester, 37, from Torquay, was shot during a robbery at his parents' restaurant in Antigua.
He was wounded on Christmas Day while trying to "shield his mother", and campaigners raised more than Â£103,000 to fly him to Devon for treatment.
Mr Tester needed an operation on his skull and is now blind.
For more on the shooting, and other stories across Devon and Cornwall.
After the shooting Mr Tester was in an induced coma at Mount St John Hospital on the Caribbean island before being brought to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.
He returned home on his birthday at the end of February, and his parents Tony and Gill said additional money was raised to adapt his home to make it comfortable.
He is now said to be enjoying guitar lessons, playing the ukulele, walking, swimming and spinning, despite "struggling to come to terms with his blindness", according to his parents.
In an update on his appeal website, his parents said it had been a "very trying time" for him since his return to the UK in January and he was in "a lot of pain" after surgery.
After being transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Plymouth, a CT scan revealed Mr Tester had an "air leak" in his skull, requiring a seven-hour operation to avoid a brain infection, they said.
Mr and Mrs Tester said they were "truly grateful" to the 1,728 fundraisers who made their son's journey home possible.


The annual growth in UK house prices slowed to 8.2% in November compared with 8.8% in October, according to the latest figures from the Halifax.

The lender, part of Lloyds Banking Group, said that property prices were 0.4% higher last month than they were in October.
The price of the average home in the UK was £186,941.
The figures come on the same day that an overhaul of the stamp duty system takes effect.
About three-quarters of all property buyers in England and Wales in the 12 months to the end of September faced a stamp duty bill, the Halifax said.
"The average homeowner will be financially better off under the new structure and the changes should encourage more movement in the housing market as transactional costs will be reduced for many," said Stephen Noakes, of the Halifax.
Matthew Pointon, property economist at Capital Economics, said the change could provide a temporary "second wind" to house prices.
Under the old system, that ended on 3 December, buyers were charged stamp duty in the UK as a percentage of the whole of the property price. Chancellor George Osborne said it was an "outdated, badly designed" system.
Now, the new rates of stamp duty will only apply to the amount of the purchase price that falls within the particular duty band, making it more like income tax.
The system will operate across the UK until April, after which Scotland will break off to use its own system.
Regionally, in England and Wales, there is a large variation in the amount of stamp duty that is paid, according to calculations by the Halifax.
For example, 98% of homebuyers in London paid stamp duty in the year to September, compared with about 50% in the North and North West of England.
The average house price in England and Wales is £255,003, according to the Halifax, which calculates its figures based on its own mortgage lending.
As this is just over a trigger point under the old system, the savings are relatively large under the new stamp duty structure.
At that price, buyers would now pay £2,750 under the new system compared with £7,650 under the old system.
Some people have suggested that this could prompt some sellers at this level to raise their asking price slightly in the coming months.
"The cut in stamp duty will give house prices a boost over the next few months, but with house prices already very high, a sustained boom is not on the cards," said Mr Pointon, at Capital Economics.
Regionally, the biggest savings - in percentage terms - on stamp duty under the new system were in the North West of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North of England and Wales, the Halifax said.
Buyers who pay more than £937,500 for a property are mostly worse off in terms of stamp duty payments.


Northampton Saints captain Tom Wood is one of six players to have signed new undisclosed-length deals with the club.

The 29-year-old, who has made 129 Saints appearances, is joined by two other England internationals - flanker Teimana Harrison and prop Paul Hill - in committing his future to the club.
Wood had neck surgery in May, but hopes to be fit for the start of the season.
Flankers Jamie Gibson and Ben Nutley and prop Adam Parkins have also agreed new contracts at Franklin's Gardens.
Along with Wood, Courtney Lawes (ankle), Ethan Waller (toe) and Tom Stephenson (foot) have all undergone operations this summer, but all are expected to be fit for the start of the 2016-17 campaign against Bath on 3 September.
Winger George North is also expected to be fit for the start of the campaign after leaving Wales' summer tour of New Zealand with a hamstring injury.
However, Jamie Elliott (shoulder), Rory Hutchinson (ankle) and Calum Clark (shoulder) are set to miss the start of the campaign.


Apple has accused the US government of trying to "smear" it with "desperate" and "unsubstantiated" claims.

It comes as the US Department of Justice (DOJ) renewed its demand for access to data on the iPhone owned by San Bernardino gunman Rizwan Farook.
Apple is appealing against a court order that it unlock the iPhone, calling it "unprecedented".
But in its latest court filing, the DOJ claims Apple helped China's government to access more than 4,000 iPhones.
Farook and his wife killed 14 people in the Californian city last December before police fatally shot them.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) wants Apple to create a so-called "back door" that would unlock Farook's iPhone. It says the phone may contain crucial evidence, but has been unable to break into it.
Apple has so far refused to comply with the court order, obtained last month. The company's chief executive, Tim Cook, has previously called the court order "dangerous", "chilling" and "unprecedented".
It has argued the government is asking for a security hack that could be exploited by both governments and criminals.
The DoJ said Apple's stance was "corrosive" to institutions trying to protect "liberty and rights".
Apple's lawyer, Bruce Sewell, told reporters that the tone of the latest DOJ court submission "reads like an indictment".
He said: "Everybody should beware because it seems like disagreeing with the Department of Justice means you must be evil and anti-American, nothing could be further from the truth."
Prosecutors claim Apple's own data shows that China demanded information from Apple regarding more than 4,000 iPhones in the first half of 2015, and Apple produced data 74% of the time.
But Mr Sewell said the new filing relied on thinly sourced news reports to inaccurately suggest that Apple had colluded with the Chinese government to undermine [iPhone] buyers' security.
The DOJ claimed in its court filing that Apple had attacked the FBI investigation as "shoddy" and tried to portray itself as a "guardian of Americans' privacy".
This "rhetoric is not only false, but also corrosive of the very institutions that are best able to safeguard our liberty and our rights: the courts, the Fourth Amendment, longstanding precedent and venerable laws, and the democratically elected branches of government", the DOJ said.
Apple has appealed against the original court order, arguing that it violates the company's constitutional rights.
UN human rights chief backs Apple
Apple boss hits back at FBI conduct
McAfee offers to unlock iPhone for FBI
"This case is about the Department of Justice and the FBI seeking through the courts a dangerous power that Congress and the American people have withheld," Apple said.
The iPhone maker has received support for other tech giants including, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.
The FBI says Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were inspired by Islamist militants when they killed 14 people at a party on 2 December.
The couple later died in a shootout with police and the FBI said it wants to read the data on Farook's work phone to investigate any links with militant groups.
A hearing into the case is scheduled for 22 March in a California federal court. Apple's Mr Cook has said he is willing to take the case to the Supreme Court.