When Championship and EFL season starts, Bristol City pre-season plans and Carabao Cup dates

The 2023/24 season is almost upon us after the 2023/24 campaign concluded for English sides following Manchester City and West Ham’s European wins.

The Hammers won the Europa Conference League last Wednesday and then Pep Guardiola’s men made it an English double on Saturday, after beating Inter Milan 1-0. The Premier League fixtures are due to be released this week, and that is a sign that the new season is just around the corner.

Bristol City’s season ended on May 8, with a 2-0 win over QPR, and preparations are already underway for what could be an exciting year ahead. The Robins have a genuine belief they can challenge for the play-offs and cut that 10-point gap between them and sixth-placed Sunderland.

Are you excited for the 2023/24 campaign? To help you get in the mood we cover the key dates for you.

When do the EFL fixtures come out?

The Championship fixtures are released on Thursday, June 22 at 9.00 am. It’s a week after the Premier League come out.

When does the season start?

Last season saw the season begin at Hull City, and that was in the last week of July, which accommodated for the winter World Cup.

The league season will begin for most clubs on Saturday, August 5, but there is always a televised game on Friday, August 4, and then some over the weekend. City are likely to be at home for their first game of the season, and that is because Bristol’s Balloon festival is a week later, and given its close proximity to Ashton Gate, the police advise for City to be away from home that weekend.

When does the transfer window open?

The transfer window opens at midnight on Wednesday, June 14. Contracts are due to expire on Friday, June 30, though deals have already taken place.

Rob Dickie and Ross McCrorie were both bought for transfer fees and have signed their contracts, and so they are already official Robins players.

When is the Carabao Cup draw, and when are the games?

The Robins did well in the competition last year, but were knocked out by League One outfit Lincoln City. It was a competition that benefitted young players like Sam Bell and Tommy Conway.

Round One of the Carabao Cup is set to take place on either Tuesday, August 8 or Wednesday, August 9.

The draw date is yet to be confirmed, but last year it was on the same day as the league fixture release. If you’re a hopeful City fan, the final is on Sunday, February 25, 2024 and will be at Wembley Stadium.

What about the FA Cup?

Bristol City enjoyed a Cup run last year, beating Swansea City and West Brom, to earn a glamour tie against Manchester City. It saw a sold out Ashton Gate witness the Citizens deliver a brilliant performance on their way to a treble-winning season.

The draw is set to take place on December 4, and the first round is set to take place between Friday, January 5 and Monday, January 8, 2024.

When is the Championship play-off final?

Time to put to bed the ghosts of 2008? The closest City have got to getting to the Premier League is that play-off final defeat to Hull City in 2008. The Play-Off final is Sunday, May 26, 2024.

And the international breaks

Not a massive England fan? September 9, 2023, October 14, 2023, November 18, 2023, and March 23, 2024 are the weekends in which City won’t be in action, because of international duty.

What are Bristol City’s pre-season plans?

Bristol City are due to return to pre-season training at the end of the month. Several players won’t be afforded a long break however after being called up for international duty. Joe Low, Mark Sykes, Anis Mehmeti, Tommy Conway, Stefan Bajic and new signing Ross McCrorie are all with their respective countries.

All of the Robins fixtures have been confirmed, and unfortunately there won’t be a home fixture at Ashton Gate for a second year in a row. The pitch is being worked on, and instead their pre-season schedule will finish at Fratton Park, to help celebrate Portsmouth’s 125th anniversary.

City’s pre-season begins in a behind-closed-doors clash at the High Performance Centre with recently relegated Reading on Wednesday, July 12 at 12.30, but the fixture will be streamed on Robins TV. Six days later, Swindon Town will come to the HPC on Tuesday, July 18, in another behind-closed doors match.

Two games will then take place in one day on Saturday, July 22, with the two squads to be split. Newport County are the first opposition and then Oxford United are the second opponents. Both matches will be shown on the clubs’ official streaming platform Robins TV.

Two more games then take place on the same day with Exeter City coming to the HPC on Tuesday, July 25 but that fixture won’t be televised. Another team will then head to Whaddon Road to face Cheltenham Town on Tuesday, July 25. Tickets are on general sale right now and an initial allocation of 1,100 has been made available for this fixture. Advanced ticket prices are £12 for adults, and then £6 for concessions, but then there is an increase of £2 on the day. The club are running official coach travel with £11 for season ticket holders and £16 for non-season ticket holders.

The pre-season is then rounded off with a match against promotion-chasing Portsmouth on Saturday, July 29. Tickets for the clash are on general sale and are priced at £12 for adults, £10 for Over 65’s, 18-22 and Wheelchair users. 14-17-year-olds will pay £3 and then Under-14’s who must be accompanied by an adult over 18 are £1. Prices go up by £2 on the match-day for adults, concessions and young persons.