Flitcroft grateful Barnsley face short trips in the first month of new season

Owen Coyle’s Latics will be among the favourites to win promotion back to the Premier League, but as anyone in the Championship will testify, a trip to Oakwell – no matter that Barnsley are perennial relegation battlers – is daunting.

Flitcroft’s Reds accounted for a number of top teams last season as they pulled off the great escape having been seemingly doomed to relegation at Christmas.

They were in the top six in the form table in the second half of the campaign and Flitcroft believes they will take some of that momentum into the new season.

He said: “It’s a tough start against Wigan. Nobody knows whether there’s going to be a buzz of excitement around the place because of their FA Cup win, or disappointment because of the relegation.

“But there’s an excitement here about what we are doing. We are trying to bring fresh players in and also trying to re-engage the players who served us so well last season.

“We are not scared of anyone in this division. We showed last season against Hull, Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Watford etc that a united front and a united team is a match for anyone.

“Those memories are there and we are going to need them. We’ll carry some motivation over from the end of last season, no doubt about it, but what we have also got to do is guard against complacency.

“If I see any of it creeping in I will stamp it out immediately.”

Barnsley also visit Blackpool and Blackburn in August before ending the month with a Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Town, the side they stayed up alongside on a dramatic Championship finale last month.

Flitcroft, who yesterday concluded a deal to take Chris O’Grady from neighbours Sheffield Wednesday, added: “There’s not much travelling in the first month which is good. Blackpool have been a force over the last few years.

“Charlton finished the season strongly and Blackburn are more stable under Gary Bowyer, so they’re all tough fixtures.”

A South Yorkshire derby between Barnsley and Wednesday is scheduled for October 26 at Oakwell with the return at Hillsborough on February 1.

Wednesday provide Harry Redknapp with his first opposition back in the Championship on August 3, as the Owls visit relegated QPR, who have already been installed as early favourites for promotion. Burnley are the first visitors to Hillsborough on August 10.

Leeds United host play-off semi-finalists Brighton on the opening weekend before visiting Leicester City seven days later.

“I like the fact we are starting at home for the first game of the season,” said McDermott.

“But we have a lot to do before. We have lots of planning to do including trying to sign players. There’s a process in place to get where we need to get to.”

Leeds versus Wednesday on August 17 is the first of 30 Yorkshire derbies to be contested by the six teams repesenting the region in the second tier next season.

For Doncaster Rovers midfielder David Syers, who is from Leeds, such a large amount of cross-county duels is something to relish.

“The first fixtures I looked for were the Leeds games,” said Syers, with United visiting the Keepmoat Stadium on December 14 and Rovers at Elland Road on March 29. “We’re lucky we’ve got a lot of Yorkshire teams in the Championship so we’re going to have a lot of derby fixtures which is exciting.”

Doncaster begin life back in the Championship at home to Blackpool, a game followed up two weeks later with another fixture at the Keepmoat, this time against Blackburn. Paul Dickov’s side are inactive on the second weekend because they were due to play Wigan, who are in the Community Shield at Wembley on August 11. Instead Dickov’s side visit the DW Stadium on August 20.

Syers added: “It’s massively exciting. When you see the calibre of teams on that fixture list it really does hit home that we’re now in the Championship and we have a big season to look forward to.

“You look at Sheffield United and the problems they have had with not coming straight back up, like having to release players on big wages, so for us to have a retained list that includes 90 per cent of players that were due to leave, who we might have lost had we not won promotion, is encouraging.

“It’s very important we get those players signed back up and keep the close-knit squad that had such a huge success last year.”

Huddersfield begin away at Nottingham Forest and then welcome QPR to the John Smith’s Stadium on August 10.

The busy Christmas period in the Championship sees a handful of short trips and Roses encounters, with Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds heading over the Pennines for games with Blackburn and Blackpool respectively, on Boxing Day, and Bolton going to Barnsley.

Other Boxing Day fixtures see Huddersfield take on Derby, Doncaster welcome Ipswich and Middlesbrough host Burnley.

On the final day of the season, May 3, Barnsley hope to scupper QPR’s anticipated promotion celebrations at Oakwell.

Leeds, hoping that McDermott will be the man to finally make a decent fist of a promotion attempt, finish with perennial bogey side Derby, while Ipswich are at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

Huddersfield travel to Watford and Doncaster visit Leicester.

Fans of Middlesbrough – who begin at home to Leicester – will hope the longest trip in the division, to Yeovil, will yield a tangible reward.

Yorkshire duo square up on Boxing Day

The pick of the fixtures in League One is a Yorkshire derby between Rotherham United and Bradford City on December 26.

There is no love lost between the two promoted sides so expect a fiery festive encounter. The return fixture at Valley Parade is on April 12.

The Millers begin at Crewe on August 3 before hosting Preston North End seven days later.

Bradford have a very tricky opener, away at relegated Bristol City on August 3. Carlisle are the visitors a week later.

Both Yorkshire teams finish with away games, the Bantams at Tranmere and the Millers at Swindon.

Rotherham versus Sheffield United on September 7 is the first South Yorkshire derby with the return at Bramall Lane on March 8.

The Blades, who open against Notts County at the Lane in a fixture to mark the 125th anniversary of the Football Association, host Oldham on Boxing Day and Coventry on May 3.

In League Two, York City open against beaten play-off semi-finalists Northampton, travel to Accrington on Boxing Day and close the season at Scunthorpe.