Huddersfield Town kick-off new EFL campaign

It is Huddersfield Town who have the honour of hosting the first game of 2022-23 with last season’s Championship play-off finalists welcoming relegated Burnley in front of the Sky cameras at the John Smith’s Stadium on July 29 in Vincent Kompany’s first game at the Clarets helm.

Back in 2020-21, Middlesbrough featured in the opening game of the EFL season at Watford, having stepped out just up the M1 in the first fixture of 2019-20 at Luton Town.

White Rose sides facing relegated teams fresh out of the Premier League first up is hardly a new phenomenon at Championship level and while Town open up against a team who have dropped back into the second tier, Sheffield United face another to end the first round of games.

They visit Vicarage Road on Monday, August 1 where Rob Edwards – like Kompany – makes his bow as Watford chief against Yorkshire opponents.

Speaking of introductions, there is a fair chance that new Barnsley head coach Michael Duff had a wry smile on his face when he discovered that the first opponents for his league introduction to the Oakwell faithful on August 6 will be against the club he has just left and has such a long affinity with in Cheltenham.

It is one of those headline early-season fixture quirks that often crop up and arouse the interest straightaway.

Duff’s reunion comes seven days after his Reds side open up their League One season with their longest trip of the campaign to Plymouth Argyle on July 30 – when the summer holidays might just inspire more visiting supporters to make the trek to the south west than usual.

Meanwhile, Duff has to wait until late winter on February 18 for his first return to Cheltenham, which remains his family home.

After a quick glance at first and last day opponents and a brief scan at Christmas, attention for fans of many clubs will have been quickly drawn to the derbies, with a few cropping up early on.

Bradford City get the ball rolling on the first weekend at home to Doncaster Rovers, with a new-look Bantams side likely to take the field against Gary McSheffrey’s side, who will be eager to spoil the claret-and-amber party and make an early statement on their return to League Two.

Barnsley visit the venue where they love to win like no other in Hillsborough on Saturday, September 3 with the reverse fixture taking place at Oakwell on January 28, although that weekend is also designated for the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, newly-promoted Rotherham United renew acquaintances with Sheffield United with an early-season trip to Bramall Lane on September 10 and the second meeting is staged at the AESSEAL New York Stadium on February 4 with both games being on a Saturday.

On the same day as Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley lock horns, another choice derby will take place in the North Riding asBoro lock horns again with Sunderland in a Tees-Wear stoush for the first time in four years.

The reverse fixture is scheduled for the Stadium of Light, also on a Saturday, on January 21, as the Teessiders head up the A19 for the first time since 2018.

The EFL season will be a unique one in 2022-23 and not just because it gets underway on the last weekend of July. It will be paused for almost a month at Championship level during the 2022 World Cup, which takes place between November 21 and December 18 in Qatar.

Fixtures will continue in League One and League Two.

The resumption of second-tier action starts with a bang in Yorkshire with Huddersfield heading to Bramall Lane for a derby meeting on December 10.

Town also face Tyke opponents on their last game in 2022 with a December 29 home meeting with the Millers.

There will be a new ground for both Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday in 2022-23 when they make their first visits to the New Lawn to face Forest Green.

Both trips are in late season with the Owls heading there on March 25.

The Reds visit the Gloucestershire venue on April 15, the same day as Doncaster go to Harrogate Town for a competitive game for the very first time.

Meanwhile, Barnsley also head to Morecambe for the first time for a fixture on October 22.

Rovers’ home meeting with Leyton Orient in early October may not leap from the page, but it will see Richie Wellens make his first return to the club following his sacking as manager late last year.

Several clubs will be seeking better times in 2022-23 and none moreso than Hull and Bradford.

The former’s credentials will certainly be tested in an August which sees them face the likes of Norwich, Burnley and West Brom – with Huddersfield also facing that trio early on.