MIDDLESBROUGH will get the Blues on the opening day of the Championship season as they host Birmingham City at the Riverside on August 9.

Aitor Karanka's side first trip of the new campaign is a short one, as they visit Elland Road to face Leeds United on August 16 before heading to Bolton for their first midweek game in the Championship.

August ends with successive home matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Reading, with three of September's five games being away.

Boro are at home on Boxing Day, with Nottingham Forest heading to the Riverside, and travel to Blackburn two days later. There are no Championship games scheduled for New Year's Day.

A trip to Reading kicks off 2015's league programme on January 10, with Boro's first home game of the new year pitting them against Huddersfield.

The home game with Leeds takes place on February 21, with Boro's final away game of the season taking them to Fulham.

The programme ends with a home game at the Riverside against Brighton on May 2.

MIDDLESBROUGH 2014-15 FIXTURES

Aug 9 Birmingham City (h)

Aug 16 Leeds United (a)

Aug 19 Bolton Wanderers (a)

Aug 23 Sheffield Wednesday (h)

Aug 30 Reading (h)

Sep 13 Huddersfield Town (a)

Sep 16 Cardiff City (a)

Sep 20 Brentford (h)

Sep 27 Charlton Athletic (a)

Sep 30 Blackpool (h)

Oct 4 Fulham (h)

Oct 18 Brighton (a)

Oct 21 Wolverhampton (a)

Oct 25 Watford (h)

Nov 1 Rotherham United (a)

Nov 4 Norwich City (h)

Nov 8 Bournemouth (h)

Nov 22 Wigan Athletic (a)

Nov 29 Blackburn Rovers (h)

Dec 6 Millwall (a)

Dec 13 Derby County (h)

Dec 20 Ipswich Town (a)

Dec 26 Nottingham Forest (h)

Dec 28 Blackburn Rovers (a)

Jan 10 Reading (a)

Jan 17 Huddersfield Town (h)

Jan 24 Cardiff City (h)

Jan 31 Brentford (a)

Feb 7 Charlton Athletic (h)

Feb 10 Blackpool (a)

Feb 14 Birmingham City (a)

Feb 21 Leeds United (h)

Feb 24 Bolton Wanderers (h)

Feb 28 Sheffield Wednesday (a)

Mar 3 Millwall (h)

Mar 7 Nottingham Forest (a)

Mar 14 Ipswich Town (h)

Mar 17 Derby County (a)

Mar 21 Bournemouth (a)

Apr 4 Wigan Athletic (h)

Apr 6 Watford (a)

Apr 11 Rotherham United (h)

Apr 14 Wolverhampton (h)

Apr 18 Norwich City (a)

Apr 25 Fulham (a)

May 2 Brighton (h)