EFL fixtures: Birmingham open against Ipswich, Wrexham go to Saints

Birmingham and Ipswich will kick off the Championship campaign on 8 August with a Friday night game under the St Andrew’s lights. Two divisions separated the clubs last term as Birmingham won the League One title and Ipswich were relegated after one season in the Premier League.

Birmingham’s start before the September international break also includes trips to Blackburn and Leicester and a visit from Oxford.

Wrexham, under the ownership of the Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds and his fellow actor Rob McElhenney, begin at Southampton, which will be Will Still’s first game as Saints’ manager, on Saturday 9 August with a 12.30pm kick-off.

The Welsh club, back in the second tier of English football for the first time in 43 years after three successive promotions, then have home games against West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday and a trip to Millwall.

Sheffield United and Bristol City start at Bramall Lane on 9 August in a repeat of last season’s Championship playoff semi-final. West Brom host Blackburn and promoted Charlton welcome Watford to The Valley.

Coventry start at home to Hull, Stoke entertain Derby, Oxford play Portsmouth and Liam Manning’s first game in charge of Norwich will be at home to Millwall. The new Middlesbrough manager, Rob Edwards, opens at home against Swansea and Julien Stéphan’s first game at QPR is a visit from Preston.

Relegated Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday are the last two teams in action on the opening weekend, with a 4.30pm kick-off on Sunday 10 August. On the second weekend of action Ipswich and Southampton meet at Portman Road.

Championship Boxing Day highlights include Birmingham at home to Derby, Leicester entertaining Watford, Norwich hosting Charlton and Wrexham meeting Sheffield United. Leicester travel to Sheffield United on New Year’s Day, with Southampton at home to Millwall and Swansea greeting West Brom.

League One and League Two starts a week earlier than the Championship, with relegated Luton and promoted AFC Wimbledon getting things under way at Kenilworth Road on Friday 1 August at 8pm.

Cardiff and Plymouth start out with home games the next day after dropping into League One, against Peterborough and Barnsley respectively. Promoted Bradford and Doncaster are at home to Wycombe and Exeter, while Port Vale mark their return to the division away to Rotherham.

Barnet and Oldham are back in the EFL after promotion. The Bees open their League Two campaign at home to Fleetwood on Saturday 2 August, while Oldham make the trip to MK Dons.