Familiar start for Toon

17 June 2009 09:27
Newcastle and West Brom, both relegated from the Premier League last season, will meet again on the opening day of the new Championship season. The two sides will meet at the Hawthorns on August 8 as Newcastle come up against some of their old top flight foes in their first month back in the second tier. Reading visit St James' Park on August 15, closely followed by Sheffield Wednesday on August 19 and a trip to Crystal Palace on August 22. Newcastle's arrival in the Championship may begin to sink in when they visit Blackpool on September 15 and Scunthorpe on October 20, while Christmas is made up of a trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day and a home game with Derby on December 28. United, who are the pre-season title favourites, welcome local rivals Middlesbrough to Tyneside on December 19 before making the return journey on March 13. Their season ends with a trip to London where they will face QPR (May 2).

Source: Eurosport