What we know of Bristol City’s 2022/23 Championship fixtures so far

Excitement is building around Bristol City at the moment and that will be followed up by the 2022/23 Championship fixtures being released later this week.

At 09:00 AM this coming Thursday (June 23), the English Football League will release all 46 league fixtures with the season running from late July to mid May.

The free transfer signings of Mark Sykes, Kal Naismith and Kane Wilson have given Robins fans reason for optimism ahead of the new campaign, as well as signing Timm Klose to new deals.

City’s 2022/23 home kit has also been released and now the next thing on the agenda after three transfers is the fixture list as supporters try and map out their seasons. For season ticket holders, they’re guaranteed 23 games whilst ardent supporters will think of how they’re going to travel up and down England, as well as two visits to Wales.

Championship opening day

To accommodate for the World Cup being played in the winter, the Championship will start the earlier date of July 30.

It is a week earlier than the usual start and is one of the earliest times that a league season has began for the Robins.

From the 2016/17 season onwards, City have been home on the opening day of the season, losing just once, which was eventual champions Leeds United.

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

After years of it being cancelled due to Covid, the Balloon Fiesta is back in Bristol and will take place from Thursday, 11 August to Sunday, 14 August.

A four-day long event sees hot air balloons come to the City, which is mainly held in the Ashton area.

It is rare that City play at home on the same day, owing to staffing of police resources and a clash of two events nearby, so expect City to be on the road for this match. That could mean two consecutive away matches in a row if City continue the six-year tradition of starting off at home.

Cup dates

Should Bristol City fancy a Cup run, the first three rounds of the Carabao Cup will run from August 10, August 24 and November 9. For the FA Cup, the third round is on January 7, the same time as last year’s competition. If they navigate two rounds then the fifth round proper is on Wednesay March 1, so there is a potential for two Championship fixtures to be rearranged.

International breaks

The staging of a World Cup in the winter has disrupted the football calendar for many, making it a logistical nightmare. As we look ahead to next season, some City players have only just finished their 2021/22 campaign having represented their country with some playing four games in the space of a fortnight.

As well as a World Cup that starts in November, there is an international period on the weekend commencing September 24, which is the last round of Nations League matches. This means a pause for a week or so with players joining up with their respective countries.

The next international break will then be the World Cup itself with the tournament taking place from November 21 to December 18, though the Championship will resume on December 10. The World Cup will be in its knockout stages and the EFL will monitor closely on a game-by-game basis on whether games need to be postponed.

Severnside Derbies

Last season, Bristol City’s away match with Swansea City was moved to the Sunday on police advice after a Six Nations game was held.

Should City play either Cardiff or Swansea away from February or March onwards, the Welsh rugby team has two fixtures, both on a Saturday, so it does open the door for any possible rearrangements.

Both games against Cardiff were played at an earlier kick-off time of 12:30 on a Saturday, but was not chosen for television coverage and instead moved on police advice.

As both teams finished lowly last year, broadcaster Sky Sports may choose not to broadcast it and should it be played outside the 15:00 slot, it could be available to watch on Robins TV.