By David Williams
Cardiff City, Swansea City and Newport County are all digesting their new fixture lists as The Football Supporters’ Association co-ordinate a new campaign to protect the “very existence” of clubs across the country.
With the English Football League fixture list out for the 2020-21 season, the three Welsh clubs have an opportunity to examine what lies ahead.
In the Championship, after their play-off bids ended at the semi-final stage for last season, Cardiff host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday September 12, while Swansea City are away at Preston North End.
In League Two, Newport County will begin on the same weekend with a trip to Scunthorpe United.
There will have been fewer than 40 days between the end of the last Championship campaign and the start of the new one, after Fulham concluded the English domestic season with victory over Brentford in the second-tier play-off final on 4 August.
Matches at the start of the 2020-21 season, which officially begins on 5 September with ties in the Carabao Cup first round, are to remain behind closed doors because of the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
With concern growing for many clubs due to the financial ramifications of a lack of fixtures in Leagues One and Two last season, and no fans being permitted into stadia, the FSA believes pre-existing issues within the game have been magnified.
Working with a number of politicians as well as former sports minister Tracey Crouch and fan groups from the majority of the 92 Premier League and EFL clubs, the new ‘Sustain the Game!’ initiative calls for urgent action from football authorities to help struggling clubs survive.
“Football occupies a special space in our society as clubs carry huge cultural and local economic importance,” FSA chief executive Kevin Miles said in a statement.
“Sustain The Game! will demonstrate the need for urgent action as the very existence of many clubs is under threat. If we don’t act now we might lose some forever.
“We call on everyone with an interest in the game, from clubs and leagues to players and managers, to come together and work in partnership to support Sustain The Game! The time for action isn’t next week, next month, or next year – it’s now.”
The campaign consists of five key principles which the FSA and its partners want to see addressed.
#SustainTheGame – a new campaign has been a launched by fan groups, politicians and pundits calling for urgent action to protect the “very existence” of clubs: https://t.co/Ld1Hes7O3G
— The FSA (@WeAreTheFSA) August 21, 2020
These include legal protection and “urgent support” to secure the future of struggling clubs, transparency of ownership, independently enforced financial controls on owners, a more sustainable model for distributing finances across the football pyramid and giving supporters more of a voice on community issues arising around their clubs.
One high-profile backer of the campaign is former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher, who insists supporters deserve to be at the heart of any changes moving forward.
“The FSA’s Sustain The Game! campaign can play a massive role in protecting clubs throughout the game,” he said.
“This is a difficult time for the game but it’s also a chance to make real changes. Supporters’ have to be involved in that as well.”
Cardiff City:
Sat Sep 12 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY H
Sat Sep 19 Nottingham Forest A
Sat Sep 26 READING H
Sat Oct 03 Blackburn Rovers A
Sat Oct 17 Preston North End A
Wed Oct 21 AFC BOURNEMOUTH H
Sat Oct 24 MIDDLESBROUGH H
Wed Oct 28 Derby County A
Sat Oct 31 Queens Park Rangers A
Tue Nov 03 BARNSLEY H
Sat Nov 07 BRISTOL CITY H
Sat Nov 21 Millwall A
Wed Nov 25 Coventry City A
Sat Nov 28 LUTON TOWN H
Tue Dec 01 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN H
Sat Dec 05 Watford A
Tue Dec 08 Stoke City A
Sat Dec 12 SWANSEA CITY H
Wed Dec 16 BIRMINGHAM CITY H
Sat Dec 19 Norwich City A
Sat Dec 26 BRENTFORD H
Tue Dec 29 Wycombe Wanderers A
Sat Jan 02 Rotherham United A
Sat Jan 16 NORWICH CITY H
Wed Jan 20 QUEENS PARK RANGERS H
Sat Jan 23 Barnsley A
Sat Jan 30 MILLWALL H
Sat Feb 06 Bristol City A
Sat Feb 13 COVENTRY CITY H
Tue Feb 16 Luton Town A
Sat Feb 20 PRESTON NORTH END H
Wed Feb 24 AFC Bournemouth A
Sat Feb 27 Middlesbrough A
Tue Mar 02 DERBY COUNTY H
Sat Mar 06 Huddersfield Town A
Sat Mar 13 WATFORD H
Tue Mar 16 STOKE CITY H
Sat Mar 20 Swansea City A
Fri Apr 02 NOTTINGHAM FOREST H
Mon Apr 05 Sheffield Wednesday A
Sat Apr 10 BLACKBURN ROVERS H
Sat Apr 17 Reading A
Sat Apr 20 Brentford A
Sat Apr 24 WYCOMBE WANDERERS H
Sat May 01 Birmingham City A
Sat May 08 ROTHERHAM UNITED H
Swansea City:
September
Sat, Sep 12 – Preston North End (A)
Sat, Sep 19 – Birmingham City (H)
Sat, Sep 26 – Wycombe Wanderers (A)
October
Sat, Oct 3 – Millwall (H)
Sat, Oct 17 – Huddersfield Town (H)
Tues, Oct 20 – Coventry City (A)
Sat, Oct 24 – Bristol City (A)
Tues, Oct 27 – Stoke City (H)
Sat, Oct 31 – Blackburn Rovers (H)
November
Tues, Nov 3 – Brentford (A)
Sat, Nov 7 – Norwich City (A)
Sat, Nov 21 – Rotherham United (H)
Weds, Nov 25 – Sheffield Wednesday (H)
Sat, Nov 28 – Nottingham Forest (A)
December
Weds, Dec 2 – Middlesbrough (A)
Sat, Dec 5 – Luton Town (H)
Tues, Dec 8 – AFC Bournemouth (H)
Sat, Dec 12 – Cardiff City (A)
Weds, Dec 16 – Derby County (A)
Sat, Dec 19 – Barnsley (H)
Sat, Dec 26 – Queens Park Rangers (A)
Tues, Dec 29 – Reading (H)
January
Sat, Jan 2 – Watford (H)
Sat, Jan 16 – Barnsley (A)
Tues, Jan 19 – Blackburn Rovers (A)
Sat, Jan 23 – Brentford (H)
Sat, Jan 30 – Rotherham United (A)
February
Sat, Feb 6 – Norwich City (H)
Sat, Feb 13 – Sheffield Wednesday (A)
Weds, Feb 17 – Nottingham Forest (H)
Sat, Feb 20 – Huddersfield Town (A)
Weds, Feb 24 – Coventry City (H)
Sat, Feb 27 – Bristol City (H)
March
Weds, Mar 3 – Stoke City (A)
Sat, Mar 6 – Middlesbrough (H)
Sat, Mar 13 – Luton Town (A)
Tues, Mar 16 – AFC Bournemouth (A)
Sat, Mar 20 – Cardiff City (H)
April
Fri, Apr 2 – Birmingham City (A)
Mon, Apr 5 – Preston North End (H)
Sat, Apr 10 – Millwall (A)
Sat, Apr 17 – Wycombe Wanderers
Tues, Apr 20 – Queens Park Rangers (H)
Sat, Apr 24 – Reading (A)
May
Sat, May 1 – Derby County (H)
Sat, May 8 – Watford (A)
Newport County:
September
Saturday 12th Scunthorpe United
AWAY
Saturday 19th Barrow
HOME
Saturday 26th Bolton Wanderers
AWAY
October
Saturday 3rd Mansfield Town
HOME
Saturday 10th Cambridge United
AWAY
Saturday 17th Tranmere Rovers
HOME
Tuesday 20th Stevenage
AWAY
Saturday 24th Bradford City
AWAY
Tuesday 27th Colchester United
HOME
Saturday 31st Harrogate Town
HOME
November
Tuesday 3rd Carlisle United
AWAY
Saturday 14th Grimsby Town
AWAY
Saturday 21st Port Vale
HOME
Saturday 24th Walsall
HOME
December
Tuesday 1st Forest Green Rovers
AWAY
Saturday 5th Morecambe
HOME
Saturday 12th Leyton Orient
AWAY
Tuesday 15th Salford City
AWAY
Saturday 19th Oldham Athletic
HOME
Saturday 26th Crawley Town
AWAY
Tuesday 29th Exeter City
HOME
January
Saturday 2nd Southend United
HOME
Saturday 9th Cheltenham Town
AWAY
Saturday 16th Salford City
HOME
Saturday 23rd Oldham Athetic
AWAY
Tuesday 26th Carlisle United
HOME
Saturday 30th Harrogate Town
AWAY
February
Saturday 6th Grimsby Town
HOME
Saturday 13th Port Vale
AWAY
Saturday 20th Forest Green Rovers
HOME
Tuesday 23rd Walsall
AWAY
Saturday 27th Stevenage
HOME
March
Tuesday 2nd Tranmere Rovers
AWAY
Saturday 6th Colchester United
AWAY
Tuesday 9th Bradford City
HOME
Saturday 13th Morecambe
AWAY
Saturday 20th Leyton Orient
HOME
Saturday 27th Scunthorpe United
HOME
April
Friday 2nd Barrow
AWAY
Monday 5th Bolton Wanderers
HOME
Saturday 10th Mansfield Town
AWAY
Saturday 17th Cambridge United
HOME
Tuesday 20th Crawley Town
HOME
Saturday 24th Exeter City
AWAY
May
Saturday 1st Cheltenham Town
HOME
Saturday 8th Southend United
AWAY