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Watford v Rovers kick off
DONCASTER Rovers were handed an opening day away trip for the second time in The Championship - this time they travel to Watford on next season's first day, August 8.
It will certainly spark a memory for injury hit striker Steve Brooker - his only Rovers appearance last season was at Vicarage Road and he marked it with a goal, his only one, after going one as a substitute to earn a 1-1 draw.
Play-off semi-finalists Preston North End provide the first opposition at the Keepmoat Stadium the following Saturday. They were 2-0 winners there in Rovers penultimate home game last season.
Sean O'Driscoll's get an early taster of some recent Premier League status when they travel to Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium for the second away game on August 22 - and Rovers are sure to have a big following as this will be the club's first trip there.
First of their six South Yorkshire derbies will be on October 3 with the trip to Bramall Lane where they won so famously last January.
A fortnight later (which is their next game because of international weekend on October 10) comes the first home derby when they tackle Barnsley who, of course, did the double over them last season.
October is quite a month because it features the much awaited trip to St.James' Park to face Newcastle United. The return fixture - and a guaranteed full house at the Keepmoat - is on March 23, a Tuesday.
As they did last Boxing Day, Rovers have an away game in the Midlands - this time at Coventry. The home Christmas fixture two days later on December 28 (a Monday) is against newly-promoted Leicester.
Big South Yorkshire opener on the first day comes at Hillsborough where Wednesday take on Barnsley - which means a certain bumper gate.
Wednesday's first away game is at Darren Ferguson's Championship newcomers Peterborough and then four days later they are at Newcastle.
For their opener, Sheffield United get a teasing taste of the Premier League they narrowly missed out on because they go to newly relegated Middlesbrough.
The first Sheffield derby is at Bramall Lane on September 19 with the Hillsborough return on April 17.
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Fog
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
