White Rose trio plan a warm welcome for Villa

FOR three of Yorkshire's Championship constituents, there is an unmistakable claret-and-blue hue which pervades when surveying their early-season fixtures of 2016-17.
Owls fans at Wembley.Owls fans at Wembley.
Owls fans at Wembley.

The White Rose trio of Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town all play relegated Aston Villa – embarking upon their first second-tier campaign since 1987-88 – in the first week of the new season, with each fixture representing one to savour for fans.

And when it comes to the county’s opening weekend of league matches, one game leaps off the page instantly.

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It promises to be a fascinating occasion for all manner of reasons on Sunday, August 7 when Wednesday welcome Villa for the Midlanders’ first match at this level since May 7, 1988.

For those supporters who revel in nostalgia, it also offers a rewind to an infamous meeting almost exactly a quarter-of-a-century earlier between the pair.

Back on August 17, 1991, former Owls chief Ron Atkinson – who had controversially left for Villa in the wake of promotion and League Cup glory – ran the gauntlet as Wednesdayites heaped scorn upon him on his first-day return to Hillsborough.

But the ebullient manager had the last laugh; Villa winning 3-2 in front of a bumper crowd of 36,749 mostly seething spectators.

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Villa’s televised trip to Wednesday, one of two televised matches on the Sabbath – with Leeds United somewhat inevitably chosen by the Sky Sports for their game at QPR – forms the first leg of a daunting looking opening week for Carlos Carvalhal’s side.

An opening away game against another relegated side in Norwich is then pencilled in for August 13.

Yet while it promises to be a baptism of fire, the glass is half full argument suggests it gives Wednesday the perfect chance to vanquish any lingering hangover from their play-off final heartache against Hull City at the earliest juncture.

After entertaining Brentford in their final game of the 2015-16 season, the quirks of fixture fortune see Huddersfield also start out against the visiting Bees on the opening day – with Town afforded the chance for instant revenge after being hammered 5-2 in May, with the Londoners scoring a combined nine goals against them last term.

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But it is two juicy back-to-back away games for Town, who have lost every opening day league match since returning to this level in 2012-13, which will have seriously whetted the appetite.

David Wagner’s side provide the opposition for Newcastle United’s first league home match on August 13 – with a crowd of around 50,000 pretty much nailed on at St James’ Park, a venue Town last visited at league level in December, 1983.

After starting out against the Owls, more Yorkshire opposition will also be afforded Villa on the second Saturday of the embryonic season and you have to go back even longer for Rotherham’s last league visit to Villa Park, which arrived way back in October, 1971.

The Millers’ trip comes seven days after the Alan Stubbs era starts against more Midlands opposition, at home to Wolves.

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After hosting the Millers, Villa then welcome Huddersfield three days later on August 16, Town’s first trip to that venerated venue since Christmas, 1987.

A televised opening-day game for the fifth time since returning to the Championship in 2010-11 will have surprised no-one at Leeds, as the sight of an early-season derby with Wednesday will, with the Whites visiting Hillsborough on August 20, on the same day as Barnsley visit Huddersfield in a derby double-header.

Paul Heckingbottom’s Reds open up with a first-day trip to Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich, but it is their final day assignment at Newcastle which will have represented the top one on May 7, while Lee Johnson heads back to Oakwell for the first time with Bristol City on October 29.

Ex-Bradford City chief Phil Parkinson has to wait until February 18 for his return to Valley Parade with Bolton Wanderers, where Chris Wilder starts out his Sheffield United odyssey on August 6, having been linked with the Trotters before joining the Blades.

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Meanwhile, City’s brave new world under new owners in Stefan Rupp and Edin Rahic, albeit with an old face in charge in Stuart McCall, begins at home to Port Vale.

For two of Doncaster Rovers’ new signings in goalkeeper Ross Etheridge and defender Joe Wright, there is also a spicy opening at old club Accrington Stanley, as Rovers start their first season in the basement since 2003-04.

Everyone of a Rovers persuasion will be hoping it proves a flying visit to a southern-dominated league which sees them embark on an epic 6,864-mile road trip.