Derby County’s fixtures for the 2019/20 Sky Bet Championship season were revealed this morning and brought up numerous talking points.


dcfc.co.uk has taken a look at what we have learned following the release of the Rams’ draft fixture list for Frank Lampard’s Rams.


What’s Our Start Like?

Frank Lampard’s side have six league fixtures to play during August, plus potentially two Carabao Cup ties as well, in what is set to be a busy first month of the campaign.

On paper, it’s a start to relish with some big games from the off.

The season-opener is on the road for the third season in a row, with recently relegated Huddersfield Town the opposition at the John Smith’s Stadium on Monday 5th August.

As a result, it’s the second time in three seasons that Derby have travelled to a side relegated from the Premier League in the previous season after heading to Sunderland, and claiming a 1-1 draw, in 2017/18.

The Rams’ first game of the campaign on home turf is an intriguing clash against Swansea City, who last week appointed England Under-17 World Cup winning coach Steve Cooper as their new Head Coach, on Saturday 10th August.

They will then travel to Nathan Jones’ Stoke City on Saturday 17th August at the bet365 Stadium as they aim to mount a promotion challenge in his first full season at the helm.

Derby will then face two sides who were in the promotion race last term in Bristol City, who the Rams pipped to a play-off place last season, and West Bromwich Albion, who were beaten by Aston Villa in the Play-Off Semi-Finals, in back-to-back home games on Tuesday 20th August and Saturday 24th August.

The opening month of the season will then conclude with an away fixture at Brentford on Saturday 31st August for what will be the Rams’ last-ever trip to Griffin Park, ahead of the Bees moving to their new stadium in time for the 2020/21 campaign.

The start to the season certainly won’t be low key.


What’s New On The Fixture List?

Of the six teams new to the Championship next season, half of them are making their return to the division after just a year’s absence.

Fulham and Cardiff City have returned to the second tier following one season in the Premier League, while Huddersfield Town are back in the Championship after a two-season stay in the top-flight.

Coming up from League 1, meanwhile, are Luton Town, Barnsley and Charlton Athletic.

Luton were last in the Championship during the 2006/07 season and, after suffering from financial problems, suffered relegations down to the National League.

However, the Hatters have stormed their way back through the leagues in recent years.

Barnsley and Charlton Athletic also secured promotion from League 1, the former bouncing back at the first attempt while the latter Championship after three years in the third tier.


When Do We Face Our Rivals?

The East Midlands derby clashes against Nottingham Forest and showdowns with old rivals Leeds United are some of the first fixtures fans look out for when the fixtures are revealed.

The first meeting of the season against Forest will be at the City Ground on Saturday 9th November, while the Rams will welcome the Reds to Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 4th April.

It’s the first time since the 2015/16 campaign that the Rams will head across Brian Clough Way to the home of the Reds first.

Derby will also travel to Leeds first this term, with a trip to Elland Road scheduled for Saturday 21st September.

Lampard and his side enjoyed their finest moment of last season in Yorkshire, when they made Play-Off history by becoming the first-ever team to turn around a First Leg deficit at home to reach the Championship Play-Off Final.

Interestingly, Leeds will be the opposition in the final home game of the season at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 25th April.

If there’s something riding on that game, it should be a cracker!

How Does Our Festive Period Shape Up?

The ever-busy Christmas period has thrown up four games for the Rams, two at home and two away.

Derby will travel to Reading, where Lampard got his managerial career underway last season with a 2-1 success over the Royals at the Madejski Stadium, on Saturday 21st December.

The annual Boxing Day fixture, on Thursday 26th December, has thrown up a trip to Wigan Athletic while the Rams will conclude 2019 on home turf against Charlton Athletic on Sunday 29th December.

They will also kick off 2020 at Pride Park Stadium on Wednesday 1st January against Barnsley before heading into an Emirates FA Cup Third Round tie over the weekend of 4th/5th January.

Home comforts either side of the new year are certainly not to be sniffed at.


What Are Our Midweek Games Like?

All Championship clubs have received two home Tuesday fixtures and two home Wednesday fixtures, following a similar pattern to last season.

Derby’s home midweek games are against Bristol City on Tuesday 20th August, Wigan Athletic on Wednesday 23rd October, Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday 11th December and Reading on Tuesday 17th March.

Away from home, midweek fixtures will see the Rams hit the road and visit Barnsley on Wednesday 2nd October, Fulham on Tuesday 26th November, Bristol City on Wednesday 12th February and Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday 25th February.

Obviously, a few more games could fall into midweeks further down the line.


What’s Our Run-In Like?

Derby have six games to play in the final month of the season following the final international break of the campaign and there’s plenty of big games to look forward to.

They will return to action after the two-week break with an East Midlands derby clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday 4th April – so there will be plenty of build-up to the big game.

The Easter period will then get underway with a short journey across the Midlands to West Bromwich Albion on Good Friday (10th April), before welcoming Brentford to Pride Park on Easter Monday (13th April).

The final three has thrown up more mouthwatering clashes, too.

The penultimate away game of the season will see Derby travel to Cardiff City on Saturday 18th April, before facing Leeds United at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 25th April in their final home game of the campaign.

The season will then conclude with one of the shortest away days of the season, at Birmingham City, on Saturday 2nd May.