It’s the day all Nottingham Forest fans have been waiting for following the 3-2 defeat at Bolton Wanderers on the final day of the last Championship season. As the new campaign edges ever closer, the fixtures for the new season have been revealed today, with Aitor Karanka's men heading to Bristol City on opening day. Fans will also be keen to put the meetings with arch-rivals Derby County in their diaries, along with those over Christmas and towards the end of a season which they’ll hope will end in promotion to the Premier League. Our Forest writers Sarah Clapson and Barry Cooper will also be going live on Facebook to discuss the new fixtures, and they’ll welcome your thoughts. Away from the fixtures, we’ll keep tabs on the latest transfer developments at the City Ground, with Aitor Karanka’s players returning for pre-season training on Monday morning at St George’s Park, and of course, all the news from the World Cup in Russia. Stick with us throughout the day. You can also get involved by tweeting @NFFC_Live or by joining the Facebook community here .<doc-sep>Hello and welcome to the Bristol City Championship fixtures live blog. It's Thursday June 21 and the Robins are set to learn their schedule for the 2018/19 season at 9am today. Last season Bristol City took on Lee Johnson's former club Barnsley and secured a 3-1 victory as they started the campaign in style. They will hope for a repeat as the fixtures are revealed for the upcoming season. We will have all the latest news and reaction to the fixtures, including the festive schedule and the run-in as Johnson's men prepare for the new season. The club will also be revealing the new kit for the 2018/19 season and you can follow developments here. Join the Bristol Live team for all the latest from Ashton Gate.<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Leeds United and Stoke City face off on an exciting opening weekend to the Championship football season. Relegated Stoke will travel to Elland Road, where both sides have never managers. Marcelo Bielsa is something of a coop for the Yorkshire side, while Gary Rowett will be hoping to build on his excellent Championship reputation. Elsewhere, Frank Lampard's first senior game in management will see him travel to Reading on Friday 3 August to open the campaign. Sheffield United take on Swansea, West Brom host Bolton and Hull welcome Aston Villa on a stacked opening weekend. On the final day, Villa vs Norwich looks to be the key fixture. Scroll down to see the fixtures* for the season in full. (Image: Birmingham Mail) (Image: Stoke Sentinel) AUGUST 3rd Reading v Derby County 4th Birmingham City v Norwich City Brentford v Rotherham United Bristol City v Nottingham Forest Ipswich Town v Blackburn Rovers Millwall v Middlesbrough Preston North End v Queens Park Rangers Sheffield United v Swansea City West Bromwich Albion v Bolton Wanderers Wigan Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday 5th Leeds United v Stoke City 6th Hull City v Aston Villa 7th Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion 11th Aston Villa v Wigan Athletic Blackburn Rovers v Millwall Bolton Wanderers v Bristol City Derby County v Leeds United Middlesbrough v Birmingham City Norwich City v West Bromwich Albion Nottingham Forest v Reading Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield United Rotherham United v Ipswich Town Sheffield Wednesday v Hull City Stoke City v Brentford Swansea City v Preston North End 18th Birmingham City v Swansea City Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday Bristol City v Middlesbrough Hull City v Blackburn Rovers Ipswich Town v Aston Villa Leeds United v Rotherham United Millwall v Derby County Preston North End v Stoke City Reading v Bolton Wanderers Sheffield United v Norwich City West Bromwich Albion v Queens Park Rangers Wigan Athletic v Nottingham Forest 21st Aston Villa v Brentford Derby County v Ipswich Town Middlesbrough v Sheffield United Queens Park Rangers v Bristol City Rotherham United v Hull City Sheffield Wednesday v Millwall 22nd Blackburn Rovers v Reading Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City Norwich City v Preston North End Stoke City v Wigan Athletic Swansea City v Leeds United 25th Aston Villa v Reading Blackburn Rovers v Brentford Bolton Wanderers v Sheffield United Derby County v Preston North End Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion Norwich City v Leeds United Nottingham Forest v Birmingham City Queens Park Rangers v Wigan Athletic Rotherham United v Millwall Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich Town Stoke City v Hull City Swansea City v Bristol City (Image: PA) SEPTEMBER 1st Birmingham City v Queens Park Rangers Brentford v Nottingham Forest Bristol City v Blackburn Rovers Hull City v Derby County Ipswich Town v Norwich City Leeds United v Middlesbrough Millwall v Swansea City Preston North End v Bolton Wanderers Reading v Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield United v Aston Villa West Bromwich Albion v Stoke City Wigan Athletic v Rotherham United 15th Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion Blackburn Rovers v Aston Villa Bolton Wanderers v Queens Park Rangers Brentford v Wigan Athletic Bristol City v Sheffield United Hull City v Ipswich Town Millwall v Leeds United Norwich City v Middlesbrough Preston North End v Reading Rotherham United v Derby County Sheffield Wednesday v Stoke City Swansea City v Nottingham Forest 18th Derby County v Blackburn Rovers Leeds United v Preston North End Stoke City v Swansea City West Bromwich Albion v Bristol City Wigan Athletic v Hull City 19th Aston Villa v Rotherham United Ipswich Town v Brentford Middlesbrough v Bolton Wanderers Nottingham Forest v Sheffield Wednesday Queens Park Rangers v Millwall Reading v Norwich City Sheffield United v Birmingham City 22nd Aston Villa v Sheffield Wednesday Derby County v Brentford Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers Leeds United v Birmingham City Middlesbrough v Swansea City Nottingham Forest v Rotherham United Queens Park Rangers v Norwich City Reading v Hull City Sheffield United v Preston North End Stoke City v Blackburn Rovers West Bromwich Albion v Millwall Wigan Athletic v Bristol City 29th Birmingham City v Ipswich Town Blackburn Rovers v Nottingham Forest Bolton Wanderers v Derby County Brentford v Reading Bristol City v Aston Villa Hull City v Middlesbrough Millwall v Sheffield United Norwich City v Wigan Athletic Preston North End v West Bromwich Albion Rotherham United v Stoke City Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United Swansea City v Queens Park Rangers (Image: Evening Gazette) OCTOBER 2nd Aston Villa v Preston North End Brentford v Birmingham City Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough Reading v Queens Park Rangers Stoke City v Bolton Wanderers Wigan Athletic v Swansea City 3rd Blackburn Rovers v Sheffield United Derby County v Norwich City Hull City v Leeds United Nottingham Forest v Millwall Rotherham United v Bristol City Sheffield Wednesday v West Bromwich Albion 6th Birmingham City v Rotherham United Bolton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers Bristol City v Sheffield Wednesday Leeds United v Brentford Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest Millwall v Aston Villa Norwich City v Stoke City Preston North End v Wigan Athletic Queens Park Rangers v Derby County Sheffield United v Hull City Swansea City v Ipswich Town West Bromwich Albion v Reading 20th Aston Villa v Swansea City Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United Brentford v Bristol City Derby County v Sheffield United Hull City v Preston North End Ipswich Town v Queens Park Rangers Nottingham Forest v Norwich City Reading v Millwall Rotherham United v Bolton Wanderers Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough Stoke City v Birmingham City Wigan Athletic v West Bromwich Albion 23rd Middlesbrough v Rotherham United Millwall v Wigan Athletic Norwich City v Aston Villa Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield United v Stoke City Swansea City v Blackburn Rovers 24th Birmingham City v Reading Bolton Wanderers v Nottingham Forest Bristol City v Hull City Leeds United v Ipswich Town Preston North End v Brentford<doc-sep>Sign up NOW for the latest Reds news and views direct to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Nottingham Forest can approach the new season with optimism because of the man who will be in the dugout, according to Reds legend Kenny Burns. Having replaced Mark Warburton at the turn of the year, Aitor Karanka is heading into his first full campaign in charge at the City Ground – and a promotion challenge is very much the target. The release of the Championship fixtures today sees Forest set for a trip to face Bristol City on the opening day, with a visit from West Brom their first home game of the 2018/19 term. Burns says both matches can offer an early yardstick for Karanka’s men, with the Robins having at one stage been pushing for the play-offs last season and the Baggies newly-relegated from the Premier League. “It should give us a bit of a feel of where we’re at and what we’re up against,” said Burns. “Bristol City had a good season last year. They did well, just fading away a bit at the end. But that game should give us a good feeling of what we can do. “The pressure will be more on Bristol City than Forest in that game because they are the ones at home. That might work in Forest’s favour. (Image: Getty) “Then it’s West Brom. You’d look at it and think that might be a hard game, but it can go the other way, too. It might be that they are a bit cocky, having come down from the Premier League, and go into it thinking, ‘it’s only the Championship’. “If we can get a point against Bristol City, at least, and then three against West Brom, that would be a great start.” The Reds are likely to field a very different line-up to the one which faced Millwall in the first match last year – a clash which ended in a 1-0 win for the hosts at the City Ground. Boss Karanka is looking to overhaul his squad this summer, with as many as 10 new additions expected and a number of players heading in the opposite direction. Michael Dawson, Joao Carvalho and Diogo Goncalves are the only new arrivals so far, but Burns believes the signs are largely looking good. And that is mostly down to the man in the hotseat, with Karanka having previously guided Middlesbrough to the Premier League. “What makes me optimistic is the manager. I’ve got confidence in Aitor Karanka. I’m optimistic about next season because of him,” said Burns. “We’re all hoping it’s going to be a good season, but at the moment we can’t say it’s going to be a great season because we don’t know what the squad’s going to look like. “But I think we can be optimistic.”<doc-sep>
The planning for the 2018-19 Championship campaign can begin in earnest as the new season fixtures are released. And Bristol City will kick off their season with a game against Nottingham Forest. Aitor Karanka's side will visit Ashton Gate on the opening weekend - with the balloon fiesta the weekend after ensuring that the Robins are then away from home in round two as per normal. Following the visit of the Tricky Trees it's on the road to Bolton before Middlesbrough come visit. Trips to London - for the first mid-week game - to take on QPR and over the Bridge to Swansea City then await the Robins before the first international break. Brentford will visit BS3 on Boxing Day. But it's away to Stoke to see in the new year. The season rounds off with a trip to Hull, with City having to go to Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday in their two prior final games on the road. Villa visit Ashton Gate on 29 September and Leeds come over on 9 March. Bristol City should be pleased with their start to the season, with two games against bottom half sides from last season to begin on the road before a tasty-looking fixture in Wales. It all kicks off again on 4 August and we can't wait. All game dates and times subject to change, of course. City have also released details of their new kits today too. Full fixtures 04/08/2018 Bristol City v Nottingham Forest 11/08/2018 Bolton Wanderers v Bristol City 14/08/2018 Plymouth Argyle (7.45pm, Carabao Cup) 18/08/2018 Bristol City v Middlesbrough 21/08/2018 Queens Park Rangers v Bristol City (7.45pm) 25/08/2018 Swansea City v Bristol City 02/09/2018 Bristol City v Blackburn Rovers (Sunday) 15/09/2018 Bristol City v Sheffield United 18/09/2018 West Bromwich Albion v Bristol City (8pm) 21/09/2018 Wigan Athletic v Bristol City (Friday) 28/09/2018 Bristol City v Aston Villa (Friday) 03/10/2018 Rotherham United v Bristol City (7.45pm) 07/10/2018 Bristol City v Sheffield Wednesday (Sunday) 20/10/2018 Brentford v Bristol City 24/10/2018 Bristol City v Hull City (7.45pm) 27/10/2018 Bristol City v Stoke City 03/11/2018 Reading v Bristol City 10/11/2018 Bristol City v Preston North End 24/11/2018 Leeds United v Bristol City 28/11/2018 Ipswich Town v Bristol City (7.45pm) 02/12/2018 Bristol City v Millwall (Sunday) 08/12/2018 Birmingham City v Bristol City 15/12/2018 Bristol City v Norwich City 22/12/2018 Derby County v Bristol City 26/12/2018 Bristol City v Brentford 29/12/2018 Bristol City v Rotherham United 01/01/2019 Stoke City v Bristol City 12/01/2019 Bristol City v Bolton Wanderers 19/01/2019 Nottingham Forest v Bristol City 26/01/2019 Middlesbrough v Bristol City 02/02/2019 Bristol City v Swansea City 09/02/2019 Blackburn Rovers v Bristol City 13/02/2019 Bristol City v Queens Park Rangers (7.45pm) 16/02/2019 Bristol City v Birmingham City 23/02/2019 Norwich City v Bristol City 02/03/2019 Preston North End v Bristol City 09/03/2019 Bristol City v Leeds United 12/03/2019 Bristol City v Ipswich Town (7.45pm) 16/03/2019 Millwall v Bristol City 30/03/2019 Sheffield United v Bristol City 06/04/2019 Bristol City v Wigan Athletic 09/04/2019 Bristol City v West Bromwich Albion (7.45pm) 13/04/2019 Aston Villa v Bristol City 19/04/2019 Bristol City v Reading (12pm) 22/04/2019 Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City 27/04/2019 Bristol City v Derby County 05/05/2019 Hull City v Bristol City (12.30pm) You can see the full Championship fixtures here.