Relegated and West Ham will meet on the opening weekend of the Championship season on Sunday, 16 August.
The Clarets, whose bid to nominate Wales supervisor Craig Bellamy as boss appears to be like to have fallen by means of, completed nineteenth within the prime flight final season and can host the the Hammers, who went down on the ultimate day.
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Fellow relegated facet will play the league’s curtain-raiser towards Blackburn at Molineux on Friday, 14 August.
Elsewhere, Southampton, who will begin the season on minus 4 factors after the Spygate scandal, journey to Watford on the opening weekend and promoted Cardiff welcome Welsh rivals Wrexham on Monday, 17 August.
League One champions Lincoln begin the season at overwhelmed play-off finalists Middlesbrough on Saturday, 15 August and third tier play-off remaining winners Bolton start the marketing campaign with a house sport towards Preston on the identical day.
The Championship season begins per week after golf equipment play their first aggressive fixture within the first spherical of the Carabao Cup and one week earlier than the Premier League will get below means.
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Championship first spherical fixtures in full
Friday, 14 August
v Blackburn Rovers (20:00)
Saturday 15 August
Bolton Wanderers v Preston North Finish (12:30)
Bristol Metropolis v Millwall (15:00)
Charlton Athletic v Derby County (15:00)
Middlesbrough v Lincoln Metropolis (15:00)
Norwich Metropolis v West Bromwich Albion (15:00)
Portsmouth v Queens Park Rangers (15:00)
Sheffield United v Birmingham Metropolis (15:00)
Stoke Metropolis v Swansea Metropolis (15:00)
Sunday, 16 August
Watford v Southampton (13:30)
Burnley v West Ham United (16:00)
Monday, 17 August
Cardiff Metropolis v Wrexham (20:00)
All instances BST
Can relegated Premier League sides bounce again?
Burnley, West Ham and Wolves will all be trying to safe Premier League promotions on the first time of asking.
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The Clarets have now been relegated from or promoted to the highest flight in every of the previous 4 seasons.
Nonetheless, now lower than two months out from the beginning of the season they continue to be with no supervisor following the departure of Scott Parker in Could.
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has remained regardless of them dropping out of the highest flight after 14 seasons.
The Portuguese led Wolves to the Championship title in his one earlier season managing at this stage in 2017-18.
Wolves completed backside of the Premier League in 2025-26 and sacked boss Rob Edwards earlier this month to usher in Cesar Peixoto.
They’ve bolstered their squad with former England defender and returning Mexico striker Raul Jimenez.
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Nonetheless, all three will probably be conscious that in each of the previous two seasons a crew relegated from the highest tier has suffered a second successive demotion to League One.
Former Premier League champions Leicester Metropolis went the identical means as Luton City had in 2024-25.
New rivalries and acquainted foes
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert (left) is about to satisfy Middlesbrough and boss Kim Hellberg (proper) for the primary time because the Spygate incident on 28 November [Getty Images]
Southampton have been expelled from the play-offs in Could after a member of workers was discovered spying on Middlesbrough coaching earlier than their Championship play-off semi-final.
Saints admitted to additionally watching coaching periods at Oxford United and Ipswich City within the common season and in addition to being faraway from the play-off remaining and changed by Boro, who they beat 2-1 on combination, have been deducted 4 factors for the 2026-27 marketing campaign.
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They host the Teessiders on Saturday, 28 November within the first league assembly between the edges.
Among the many stand-out derby fixtures within the division there’s a big day on Saturday, 19 September.
Millwall welcome East London rivals West Ham for the primary sport between the 2 since February 2012 and Wolves host West Brom within the first league fixture between the 2 in entrance of followers in 14 years.
Elsewhere, south coast rivals Southampton and Portsmouth meet at St Mary’s on Saturday, 10 October and the primary east Lancashire derby of the season will probably be performed at Turf Moor on Saturday, 21 November when Blackburn go to Burnley.
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Say hiya to the brand new boss(es)
Burnley may nonetheless be on the hunt for his or her new supervisor however six Championship sides have appointed a brand new boss this summer season.
Bristol Metropolis introduced in Michael Skubala as Gerhard Struber’s substitute after Skubala led Lincoln to the League One title and a primary season within the second tier of English soccer in 65 years.
The Imps have changed him with Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, who have been on the workers below Skubala.
Tony Mowbray has returned for a second spell at Blackburn after Northern Eire boss Michael O’Neill selected to not prolong his quick spell with Rovers.
Alessio Dionisi has taken over at Watford after Ed Nonetheless’s temporary and unsuccessful interval at Vicarage Highway.
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West Brom have given James Morrison the managerial function on a everlasting foundation after he led them to security final season and Black Nation neighbours Wolves will probably be hoping that Peixoto can do what Portuguese compatriot Nuno did final time they have been at this stage and information them to promotion.