From Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer to Lee Johnson and Steve Lansdown with new Leeds United rollercoaster in black and white

A club used to Fulham away on Tuesday nights, trips to Ipswich on a Sunday lunch-time and a never-ending amount of games moved for coverage by Sky.

Step forward another long away day and another late finish over the first weekend of the season – Lee Johnson’s Bristol City away with the double whammy of the inevitable TV coverage.

Leeds United’s quest to finally achieve promotion to the Premier League after what will now be a 16-year absence will begin with the trip to Ashton Gate for a 4.30pm kick-off on Sunday, August 3.

In truth, any of the club’s remaining five games in August could also yet be moved for live TV coverage with Sky obliged only to give five weeks’ notice in the first seven months of the season before switching a game.

United’s first home game against Nottingham Forest, the midweek August 21 Elland Road clash against Brentford and even the month-ending visit to Stoke City and welcoming of Swansea City could all be regarded as potential candidates.

But the season-opening date at Bristol City is now set in stone with Robins boss Lee Johnson unable to resist an early spygate jibe assessing the prospect of a “cup final” and “real biggy” over the launch weekend.

United’s opening assignment against the Robins forms only one 46th of the overall picture that will determine whether or not Leeds can erase the pain of missing out on promotion last term by sealing a place in the Premier League next term.

Despite not yet making any signings, the Whites are favourites to do so in the ultimate style of winning the league – no bigger than 11-2 and now comfortably ahead of second favourites and recently relegated Fulham under Scott Parker.

From that point of view, eyes were naturally drawn to the two fixtures against the Cottagers next term.

For once, Leeds have been spared a trip to Craven Cottage on a Tuesday night with the Whites travelling to Fulham just before Christmas on Saturday, December 21 though that fixture and the return clash look banker bets for Sky.

The Cottagers are due back at Elland Road on Wednesday, March 18 and time will tell if Leeds and Fulham are indeed next season’s big two.

Of the new faces to the Championship from the Premier, United will visit their old friends at Huddersfield Town on Saturday, December 7 as things stand – another game Sky will surely get their hands on – with the Terriers back at Elland Road on Saturday, March 7 as part of what looks, on paper, a very demanding month.

Huddersfield and Fulham at home sandwich the trip to Neil Warnock’s recently relegated Cardiff City on Saturday, March 14 – third favourites for the division – with Warnock and his Bluebirds due at Elland Road on Saturday, December 14.

March looks big. August – as the first month – is always important.

And the festive period looks ‘mega’ with Leeds at home against Preston North End on Boxing Day just five days after their clash at Craven Cottage and then away at free-scoring West Brom on New Year’s Day, just three days after the trip to Birmingham City.

Unlike last season, the Whites will be hoping to be home and dry by the end of April which will end with a bang with a trip to play-offs conquerors Derby County on Saturday, April 25 and an Elland Road date against Lee Bowyer’s Charlton Athletic on Sunday, May 2

Leeds will take on Bowyer’s men at The Valley on Saturday, September 28 while another former White in Jonathan Woodgate will bring his Middlesbrough side to LS11 on Saturday, November 30 with the return clash at The Riverside coming on Wednesday, February 26.

Woodgate and Bowyer can be assured of fantastic receptions from Leeds United’s following and Bowyer readily admitted the Whites clashes are high on his agenda in addition to the two dates against another former club, Birmingham City.

“Leeds, last game of the season away, hopefully we’ll know where we stand by then,” said the former Whites midfielder of the club’s Champions League days.

“Those games were the ones I was looking for obviously, Leeds and Birmingham.”

Connections and backdrops all over the place with Leeds set to be handed their first chance of revenge against Derby on Saturday, September 21, shortly before the dreaded drip to Millwall on Saturday, October 5.Easter also promises ‘fun and games’ from a travel perspective with the Whites facing the long trip to Swansea City on Easter Monday.

And while Leeds might have avoided a midweek trip to Fulham for once, fear not, as the EFL have again produced the goods with two other midweek forays down south with Reading away on Tuesday, November 26 and Brentford away on Tuesday, February 11.

Yet for now the only focus can be the season opener at Bristol City, yet another club that can now be added into the list of those with an element of needle involved with the Whites.

Robins owner Steve Lansdown was not shy in airing his views on what punishment he felt Bielsa’s Leeds should receive for sending a member of Bielsa’s staff to spy on a Derby County training session, a fate that had actually befallen every opponent of United’s until one of Bielsa’s video analysts was caught in the act at Derby.

Bielsa then admitted to spying on every team but was adamant no rules had been broken. He was right, but Lansdown didn’t see it that way.

“The only thing that makes sense, if I’m honest, is a points deduction,” said the Robins owner at the time.

Leeds, of course, were instead handed a £200,000 fine – paid by Bielsa – with Bielsa and his club video analyst also given formal warnings by the FA. But Robins boss Johnson then threw in his two-penneth following his side’s 1-0 loss to the Whites at Ashton Gate back in March. Leeds hoped they wouldn’t be back.

“I’d love to play Leeds in the play-offs,” said the Robins boss, a comment that brought about wry smiles in Leeds with the Whites then looking all set to seal a place in the top two.

The failure to do so and subsequent heartache to Derby County in the play-offs semi-finals will now have Leeds heading back to Ashton Gate just five months later and Johnson has again been quick to stir the pot.

“Me and Jamie (McAllister, assistant coach) have just rented out a two-bedroom flat overlooking Leeds’ training ground so we can get a good old view of their training!” quipped Johnson.

“It’s a biggie! Fantastic. That’s exactly what you want – a big, big game. The first game is always like a cup final mentality.”

Forty-six of them stand between Leeds United and promotion with those challenges now in black and white after Thursday morning’s fixture release.

With Sky hovering, Whites fans know too well to take the majority of dates with a pinch of salt but a Sunday starter in Bristol is definitely on the menu first.

“Obviously it’s a tough game,” said Whites midfielder Kalvin Phillips. “It’s no different to the game we had at the start of last season. We’ll be looking to get things going straight away.

“We played very well against Bristol last season, they like to play football and attack the teams they come up against. We’re looking forward to it.We’ll be looking to get the win as we do every game.”