Burnley and West Ham are set to face each other in one of the standout fixtures on the opening weekend of the new Championship season, with the match scheduled for Sunday, August 16.
Both clubs return to the second tier after suffering relegation from the Premier League last season. Burnley finished 19th and will begin their campaign at home against West Ham, whose drop was confirmed on the final day of the top flight season.
Burnley are also preparing for life after an unsuccessful attempt to appoint Wales manager Craig Bellamy as their new head coach, with the move now appearing unlikely to materialise.
The Championship season will officially get underway on Friday, August 14, when fellow relegated side Wolves welcome Blackburn to Molineux in the opening fixture of the campaign.
Elsewhere, Southampton will begin the new season away to Watford after being handed a four point deduction following the Spygate scandal. Newly promoted Cardiff City will host Welsh rivals Wrexham on Monday, August 17, in another eagerly anticipated opening weekend encounter.
League One champions Lincoln will launch their Championship campaign with an away trip to Middlesbrough, who narrowly missed promotion after losing in the play off final. That fixture is scheduled for Saturday, August 15.
Bolton, who secured promotion by winning the League One play off final, will also begin their return to the Championship on the same day with a home match against Preston.
The new Championship season is set to begin one week after clubs play their opening competitive matches in the first round of the Carabao Cup. It will also kick off a week before the start of the new Premier League campaign, setting the stage for another exciting season of English football.
