Eye-catching first home games and long mid-week away trips as Stoke City learn their fixture schedule for the new season

Stoke City manager Mark Robins will start his first full season in charge at home against Derby County.

Stoke City start their home campaign for 2025/26 against three Midlands rivals, Derby County, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City.

Mark Robins can be sure that his team will be playing in a pretty full stadium as they look to get off to a solid start in his first full season as manager. It is a good chance for Robins to lay down a marker as he tries to build a new era on solid home foundations. He has kept reiterating the importance of results at the bet365 Stadium to shaping the mood as well as the league table.

Stoke – who have returned for pre-season training today – are at home on Boxing Day too, against Preston North End, and on Good Friday, against Sheffield Wednesday.

That Boxing Day match is currently scheduled as a 3pm kick-off while games on December 29, when Stoke host Sheffield United, are currently scheduled for 7.45pm, and on New Year’s Day, when Stoke are at Hull, they are pencilled in for 3pm.

The EFL schedulers have tried to minimise travel distances around Christmas and the New Year but there are some eye-catching long mid-week trips to Middlesbrough, Millwall, Oxford United and Ipswich Town. Charlton Athletic away is on the same day as the FA Cup fourth round too so that could feasibly shift to a Tuesday night.

All opening day fixtures will be broadcast on Sky Sports either via their main football channel or on Sky Sports+. There is still a TV blackout rule which prevents matches being broadcast live between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays except in the case – like on opening weekend – when less than 50 per cent of matches in the top two divisions (Premier League and Championship) are played at the same time.

Sky’s opening weekend TV picks are being confirmed today. Birmingham City’s home game against Ipswich Town will open the campaign on Friday, August 8 (8pm). Southampton v Wrexham, Charlton v Watford and Coventry v Hull are 12.30pm kick-offs on Saturday, August 9 and Sheffield United v Bristol City is a 5.30pm kick-off. Leicester will play Sheffield Wednesday on the Sunday (4.30pm).

The selections for the rest of August and September will be confirmed by July 3. The sections for October, November, December and up to January 10 will be announced by July 31.

All final day fixtures will kick-off at 12.30pm on Saturday, May 2, when Stoke are at Bristol City.