Thursday 20 June 2013 09:14, UK
Manchester United begin the defence of their Premier League title with a tough looking trip to Swansea City, in a game that will mark David Moyes' bow as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor.
Hull's fans will relish their festive programme, with Manchester United heading to the KC Stadium on Boxing Day, while Manchester City against Liverpool is another tasty-looking December 26 encounter. The season wraps up on May 11, with three of the expected title chasers finishing on the road. Chelsea head to Cardiff, Manchester United go to Southampton and Arsenal are at Norwich, with Manchester City at home to West Ham. In the Championship, Harry Redknapp's rebuilding mission at QPR will start on August 3 when Sheffield Wednesday visit Loftus Road on the first day of the new season. Rangers are spending the summer licking their wounds after their high-profile relegation from the Premier League, and Redknapp has warned his big-name players they need to be ready for the second-tier's 46-game slog. That will begin against Dave Jones' Wednesday, followed by a trip to Huddersfield a week later and then a home meeting with Ipswich. Owen Coyle's first game in charge of Wigan will take him to Oakwell for a meeting with Barnsley. Coyle took the job this week after Roberto Martinez left the relegated FA Cup winners for Everton. The other side to have dropped into the Championship, Reading, host Ipswich, with manager Nigel Adkins set to try and win a fifth promotion. Play-off final losers Watford - who will be be adapting to the new overseas loan rule - start at Birmingham, while defeated semi-finalists Brighton and Leicester are away to Leeds and Middlesbrough respectively. The Championship, League 1 and League 2 seasons all culminate on Saturday May 3. League 1 champions Doncaster kick off their second-tier return at home to Paul Ince's Blackpool, runners-up Bournemouth are at home to Charlton and play-off winners Yeovil head to Millwall for Steve Lomas' first game in charge. The remaining opening-day games feature two of the Football League's 125th anniversary games - Burnley at home to Bolton and Blackburn at Derby - plus Nottingham Forest's hosting of Huddersfield.