Football League names its dates for Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough, Huddersfield Town, Barnsley, Rotherham United, Hull City, Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City, Harrogate Town and Leeds United Under-23s

The Football League has firmed up its plans for 2020-21, confirming the new Championship, League One and Two fixture lists will be announced at 9am on August 21.

The Premier League will reveal its fixture "no later than" that day.

With the league campaign due to start later than usual on September 12, but no room for a later finish with the 2020 European Championships due to be played next summer, the schedule will be more condensed and sacrifices have had to be made.

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That is demonstrated by the first round of the League Cup, which is pencilled in for September 5, but may have to start earlier for many clubs because that falls during a window set aside for international football. England have games scheduled for September 5 and 8, disrupting preparations for the new campaign.

DATES: The Football League is due to start on September 12DATES: The Football League is due to start on September 12
DATES: The Football League is due to start on September 12

The league have said teams will be allowed to play on alternative dates, but round two, when Sheffield United and Leeds United will join the competition, is scheduled for September 15/16.

Two-legged semi-finals have been dropped, with the games played at the ground of the team drawn out of the hat first. The final is due to be on February 28.

The draw for round one is on Tuesday.

The regular Football League campaigns are due to finish to finish on the second weekend of May, and will feature 13 midweek rounds in the Championship, and 11 in Leagues One and Two.

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The play-offs are due to be at Wembley on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May.

The final round of Premier League matches will be on May 23.

Harrogate Town will be making their Football League debut in 2020-21, although in September they will groundshare with League One Doncaster Rovers whilst a new grass playing surface beds in at Wetherby Road. The artificial surface they won promotion on is not permitted in the Football League.

The Football League Trophy will being in the week before the league season kicks off under the usual format of group stage then knockouts, with the final at Wembley on March 14. Harrogate, Bradford City, Hull City and Doncaster Rovers will take part, along with Leeds's under-23s.

The draw for the group stage will be on Tuesday at 1.30pm.

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The Football Association has also announced there will be no replays in next season's FA Cup, which begins with the extra preliminary round on September 1, and is due to finish with a May 15 final.

Prize money has been halved from 2019-20 because of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Initial matches in all competitions will be played behind closed doors, but the hope is that stadia will be allowed to open to between 17 and 33 per cent of capacity in October, depending on the public health situation at that stage.

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