SUNDERLAND will begin life in League One with a lunch-time home game against Charlton Athletic on the opening weekend of the new Football League season.

Having been relegated from the Championship last season, the Black Cats will kick off their campaign in the third tier with a game that will be televised live on Sky Television, kicking off at 12.30pm.

Their first away game takes place seven days later, and will see them head to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton Town, who were promoted from League Two last season.

Sunderland will then take on Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, in another game that has been selected for live television. The first-round game at the Stadium of Light will take place on Thursday, August 16 (7.45pm).

Scunthorpe United are the next visitors to the Stadium of Light in the league, and August will end with matches against Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon.

September begins with a home game against Oxford United, a match that is sure to have special resonance for new owner Stewart Donald given his lifelong support of the Us.

There is an away game at Bradford City on October 6 – Sunderland’s closest geographical rivals in the Championship – and the Black Cats’ final pre-Christmas game takes them to Portsmouth on December 22.

Sunderland are at home on Boxing Day, with Bradford providing the opposition, and are also at home on December 29, when they will entertain Shrewsbury Town.

New Year’s Day will see them travel to Blackpool for their first game of 2019, while their first home match of the New Year will see them host Luton on January 12.

March will be a busy month, with six matches scheduled, and Sunderland’s final home game of the season pits them against Portsmouth on April 27.

The Black Cats will finish their League One campaign with a trip to Southend United for a 5.30pm kick-off on May 4.


SUNDERLAND’S 2018-19 FIXTURES:


Aug 4 CHARLTON (H)

Aug 11 Luton (a)

Aug 18 SCUNTHORPE (H)

Aug 21 Gillingham (a)

Aug 25 AFC Wimbledon (a)

Sep 1 OXFORD (H)

Sep 8 FLEETWOOD (H)

Sep 15 Burton (a)

Sep 22 ROCHDALE (H)

Sep 29 Coventry (a)

Oct 2 PETERBOROUGH (H)

Oct 6 Bradford (a)

Oct 13 BLACKPOOL (H)

Oct 20 Shrewsbury (a)

Oct 23 Doncaster (a)

Oct 27 SOUTHEND (H)

Nov 3 Plymouth (a)

Nov 17 WYCOMBE (H)

Nov 24 Walsall (a)

Nov 27 BARNSLEY (H)

Dec 8 Accrington Stanley (a)

Dec 15 BRISTOL ROVERS (H)

Dec 22 Portsmouth (a)

Dec 26 BRADFORD (H)

Dec 29 SHREWSBURY (H)

Jan 1 Blackpool (a)

Jan 5 Charlton (a)

Jan 12 LUTON (H)

Jan 19 Scunthorpe (a)

Jan 26 GILLINGHAM (H)

Feb 2 AFC WIMBLEDON (H)

Feb 9 Oxford (a)

Feb 16 ACCRINGTON STANLEY (H)

Feb 23 Bristol Rovers (a)

Mar 2 PLYMOUTH (H)

Mar 9 Wycombe (a)

Mar 12 Barnsley (a)

Mar 16 WALSALL (H)

Mar 23 Fleetwood (a)

Mar 30 BURTON (H)

Apr 6 Rochdale (a)

Apr 13 COVENTRY (H)

Apr 19 DONCASTER (H)

Apr 22 Peterborough (a)

Apr 27 PORTSMOUTH (H)

May 4 Southend (a)