With the dust starting to settle and the realisation that the Swans will be playing in the Sky Bet Championship next season really beginning to hit home, our thoughts turn to the one thing that all football fans look forward to once the season has ended, when do next season’s fixtures come out!
The EFL have confirmed that the 2018/19 Sky Bet Championship fixtures will be released on Thursday 21st June at 9am.
Swansea already know that they’ll be facing fellow relegated teams Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, as well as former Premier League opponents in the shape of Middlesbrough, Hull City, Norwich City, Bolton Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers, not to mention newly promoted Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic of course.
Trips to clubs the Swans faced during previous stints in the Championship and League One such as, Derby County, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Ipswich Town, Preston North End, Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Millwall also await.
Many Jacks will no doubt look forward to the Swans facing Garry Monk’s Birmingham City and Paul Clement’s Reading, not to mention a sort of derby game against Bristol City.
The remaining 2 opponents will be confirmed after the Championship Play-Off Final between Aston Villa and Fulham, plus the League One Play-Off Final between Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham United on the weekend of May 26/27th.
Other key dates for Swans fans to put in the diary for next season are:
- The opening day fixtures for the new campaign will get underway on the weekend of 3/4/5th August 2018.
- The First Round of the Carabao Cup will be played the week commencing the 13th August 2018.
- The final day of the season is on Sunday 5th May 2019.
Other points to note are that the Swans will still enter the Emirates FA Cup in the Third Round, which is usually on the first Saturday in January and if the Swans are invited to field an Under-21s team in the Checkatrade Trophy, then that competition will get underway during the week starting Monday 3rd September 2018.
In terms of transfers – a key area for the Swans this summer for sure – the EFL voted to end the summer transfer window in line with the Premier League on Thursday, August 9 (5pm) 2018. Clubs will still however be allowed to loan players and register free agents up until August 31.
Keep an eye on the SCFC2 website for more details about fixtures and TV coverage for the Swans on their return to the Championship.