Championship fixtures 2011-12: West Ham start against Cardiff
Sam Allardyce will start his career as West Ham manager with a tricky-looking Championship opener at home to Cardiff on 6 August. Faced with the task of leading the club back to the Premier League, the former Bolton boss would have hoped for an easier first opponent than the play-off semi-finalists, who are still hunting for a manager themselves after parting company with Dave Jones.
Allardyce has already stated his intent with the signing of Kevin Nolan from Newcastle, and following the clash with Cardiff, he will take his team into away games with Doncaster and Watford.
The former England manager Steve McClaren's first game in charge of Nottingham Forest is a slightly easier-looking encounter at home to Barnsley, while Ian Holloway's Blackpool, who offered so much to the Premier League during their brief stay, start life back in the Championship away to Hull. The third side relegated from the top flight, Birmingham, will start their campaign at Derby.
League One's champions Brighton will celebrate the opening of their new stadium with a home clash against Doncaster. Southampton, also promoted from the third tier, will face last season's nearly men Leeds at St Mary's while Peterborough, who beat Huddersfield in the play-offs to clinch the division's final place, start at home to Crystal Palace.
The play-off final losers Reading will look to pick themselves up at home to Millwall, while Middlesbrough, who finished last season so strongly under their new manager Tony Mowbray, will kick-off at home to Portsmouth.
The remaining opening-day fixtures pit Bristol City against Ipswich and Burnley against Watford, while there will be a midlands derby as Coventry face Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester.
Allardyce and McClaren, who have both managed with distinction in the Premier League, will be hoping their returns to the top flight will have been secured by the time the season draws to a close on 28 April. West Ham end the campaign at home to Hull, while Forest will face Portsmouth at the City Ground.
In League One, Huddersfield - who again lost out in the play-offs last month - start their campaign at home to Bury, while Sheffield United begin with a trip across the Pennines to face Oldham.
In League Two, AFC Wimbledon begin their first season in the Football League at home to Bristol Rovers while their fellow newcomers Crawley Town begin their campaign away at Port Vale.