Fixtures Announced For 2009/10 Season

It seems like the football season has only just finished but the new campaign is already starting to take shape after the Premier and Football League fixture lists were announced. Premier League champions Manchester United will kick off their title defence at home to new boys Birmingham City. Liverpool face a difficult trip to White Hart Lane, while new Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti will pit his wits against Phil Brown's Hull City. Elsewhere, Arsenal travel to Everton, Burnley visit Stoke and Wolves have a home match with West Ham. Last seasons top two, Manchester United and Liverpool, will play each other at Anfield on October 24 th and at Old Trafford on 20 th March. Meanwhile in the Championship, relegated duo Newcastle and West Brom face each other at The Hawthorns and Middlesbrough have a home tie with play-off runners up Sheffield United. In League One promoted Wycombe face relegated Charlton and in League Two Burton Albion's first ever Football League campaign will begin with an away match against Shrewsbury. Opening weekend fixtures: Premier League (15 th August) Aston Villa v Wigan Athletic Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City Bolton Wanderers v Sunderland Chelsea v Hull City Everton v Arsenal Manchester United v Birmingham City Portsmouth v Fulham Stoke City v Burnley Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Ham United Championship (8 th August) Cardiff City v Scunthorpe United Coventry City v Ipswich Town Crystal Palace v Plymouth Argyle Derby County v Peterborough United Leicester City v Swansea City Middlesbrough v Sheffield United Preston North End v Bristol City Queens Park Rangers v Blackpool Reading v Nottingham Forest Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley Watford v Doncaster Rovers West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United League One (8 th August) Brighton & Hove Albion v Walsall Bristol Rovers v Leyton Orient Carlisle United v Brentford Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers Gillingham v Swindon Town Leeds United v Exeter City Milton Keynes Dons v Hartlepool United Norwich City v Colchester United Oldham Athletic v Stockport County Southampton v Millwall Southend United v Huddersfield Town Yeovil Town v Tranmere Rovers League Two (8 th August) Aldershot Town v Darlington Bury v Bournemouth Cheltenham Town v Grimsby Town Crewe v Dagenham & Redbridge Lincoln City v Barnet Morecambe v Hereford United Northampton Town v Macclesfield Notts County v Bradford City Port Vale v Rochdale Rotherham United v Accrington Stanley Shrewsbury Town v Burton Albion Torquay United v Chesterfield