EFL Championship fixtures 20/21: first round schedule as Sheffield Wednesday take on Cardiff City

The fixture list for the 2020-21 Championship campaign has been released.

The season kicks off on Saturday 12 September 2020, with relegated sides Norwich, Bournemouth and Watford facing Huddersfield, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesborough, respectively.

League One champions, Coventry City, kick off their campaign with a trip to Bristol City, while fellow promoted sides, Rotherham and Wycombe, will face off against each other.

Brentford, who narrowly missed out on promotion via the playoffs to Fulham, will face Birmingham City.

Fellow playoff runners up, Cardiff and Swansea, will take on Sheffield Wednesday and Preston.

Opening fixtures

All 12 opening Championship fixtures are currently scheduled to take place on 12 September at 3pm, though this is subject to change.

Here are the current fixtures:

- AFC Bournemouth v Blackburn Rovers

- Barnsley v Luton Town

- Birmingham City v Brentford

- Bristol City v Coventry City

- Cardiff City v Sheffield Wednesday

- Derby County v Reading

- Huddersfield Town v Norwich City

- Millwall v Stoke City

- Preston North End v Swansea City

- Queens Park Rangers v Nottingham Forest

- Watford v Middlesbrough

- Wycombe Wanderers v Rotherham United

Relegated duo face tough starts following hiring of new managers

Unknown Serbian Vladimir Ivic is the man charged with making sure Watford’s stay in the Championship is a brief one.

Ivic has replaced Nigel Pearson, who was sacked just two games before the team’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed. Given how the land lies at Vicarage Road, and their owners’ penchant for sacking managers, he will have to start well.

A home game against Championship veteran Neil Warnock, who is now in permanent charge of Middlesbrough, begins the campaign, with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday and a local derby against Luton next up.

Back-to-back away games at Reading and Derby follow, making it a tough start. If Ivic does not deliver some early wins, he could easily be fearing for his job.

Bournemouth decided to keep things in-house following Eddie Howe’s exit in the wake of their relegation from the Premier League, and appointed Jason Tindall. Tindall, a former Cherries player, was Howe’s number two. His first match in charge is a home game against Blackburn.

Warnock is in the opposing dugout as they hit the road to Middlesbrough for a lengthy first away trip before taking on fellow relegated side, Norwich, in another tough encounter.

Much of how Tindall gets on will depend on which of his best players he can keep before the campaign gets under way.

Nathan Ake and Aaron Ramsdale have already departed, with the future of Callum Wilson, Josh King and David Brooks all uncertain. Tindall is one of five new managers in the division, with Watford, Birmingham, Bristol City and Huddersfield all taking new men on.