Rovers will face Queens Park Rangers at Ewood Park on the opening day of the 2022/23 Championship season.

The visit of Michael Beale’s side will be the first official game in charge for new head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson on Saturday, July 30, with the first away match being a trip to Swansea City on Saturday, August 6.

The first East Lancashire derby of the season will come on Saturday, November 12 at Turf Moor which will be followed by a one-month international break to accommodate the World Cup in Qatar. Rovers will host Burnley on March 18.

Here are some of the things to take away from Rovers’ 2022/23 schedule.

 

HOME START

For the second successive season Rovers will start at Ewood Park. They ended their 11-year wait for an opening day win with victory over Swansea City last season and will look to make it back-to-back successes when QPR come to town.

They are an opponent that Rovers have a good recent record against, unbeaten since the turn of the century.

It will be a first home game for new head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson, with all of Rovers’ five pre-season friendlies to be played away from Ewood.

It will also be a first competitive game in charge for QPR head coach Michael Beale who was on Rovers’ radar before taking over at Loftus Road.

 

DERBY DATES

Trips to Blackpool and Wigan Athletic are within Rovers’ first five away fixtures, while Burnley away comes on November 12.

It means that three of the four ‘local’ home games come in the second half of the season.

The one exception is the home game with Preston North End that comes on Saturday, December 10.

 

MIDWEEK MEETINGS

Two in August, one in September, two in October, one in November, one in December, one in February, one in March and one in April, excluding the Easter fixtures, bringing a total of 10 midweek fixtures for Rovers.

The likelihood of switches will mean that figure will increase, but it’s down on the 13 that came in the Covid-impacted season of 2020/21.

The first two are away at Reading and Blackpool, with further trips to Cardiff City, Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion.

The five home dates come against Watford, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Reading and Coventry City.

 

INTERNATIONAL BREAKS

The World Cup adds a unique aspect to the upcoming season.

That’s the reason why the campaign gets under way earlier than usual on Saturday, July 30 and then have a month-long break.

Interestingly for Rovers that follows the trip to Burnley on Saturday, November 12, and they resume with a home game with Preston North End on Saturday, December 10.

There is another international break in March, which again follows the Burnley fixture. The Ewood meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 18.

There will be an international break in September, which follows the Luton Town trip on Saturday, September 17, with the blank weekend coming on Saturday, September 24.

There is no international break in October this time around, with 21 matches coming before the break, and 25 afterwards.

 

TRANSFER TIMELINE
Rovers will play seven league games in August, with the transfer window not closing until 11pm on Thursday, September 1.

So the need for players coming through the door as soon as possible is important to help Rovers get off to the best possible start.

Rovers had to wait until after the second game of the season last year to make their first addition, but plans are afoot with recruitment as Tomasson looks to reshape his squad.

 

CUP DATES
Rovers will face Hartlepool United in the Carabao Cup first round. 

That tie will be played on the week commencing Monday, August 8, by which point two league fixtures will have played.

Should Rovers make it into round two, then that tie will be played on the week commencing Monday, August 22.

And should they reach round three for only a second time since promotion from League One, that will be played on the week commencing Monday, November 7.

Rovers will enter the FA Cup in round three, which falls on the weekend of January 7/8.
The Blackpool home game on Saturday, January 28 will have to be rescheduled should either of the sides make it into round four.

The fifth round of the FA Cup will be played midweek, so won’t affect the Championship fixture list.

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