GARETH Southgate will begin his managerial career by taking on the boss who gave him his professional debut after Middlesbrough were handed an opening-day trip to Reading when next season's fixtures were released yesterday.

Newcastle kick off their Premiership campaign with a home game against Wigan, two weeks after Sunderland begin life in the Championship with a trip to Coventry.

In League Two, Danny Wilson's first game as Hartlepool boss will be a home tie against Swindon, while Darlington start their new campaign by entertaining Macclesfield.

After being confirmed as Middlesbrough's new manager earlier this month, Southgate could not have wished for a more emotional start to his career on the touchline.

Fifteen years ago, Steve Coppell was the Crystal Palace manager as the former England international took his first tentative steps in the professional game.

The pair will be reunited again on August 19 but, this time, Southgate will be in the opposite dug-out as his Boro side look to spoil Reading's Premiership party.

The Royals won the Championship title at a canter last season and the Madejski Stadium is sure to be sold out as the Berkshire club celebrate their first ever game in the English top-flight.

As if that was not a stiff enough test, Southgate's first home game, three days later, sees champions Chelsea visit the Riverside.

Boro beat Jose Mourinho's men 3-0 last season, and August's rematch will give new signing Robert Huth an early opportunity to get one over on his former employers.

"There's always a story and, in my first match as manager, I will come up against Steve Coppell who was the first manager I played under as a young lad at Crystal Palace," said Southgate, who is currently in Germany working as a World Cup pundit for ITV.

"It's always tough when you play a newly-promoted team so early in the season, so it will be a hard start. Reading had a fantastic season to win promotion and will be keen to set off in the right manner.

"The Chelsea game is fantastic and it should ensure there's a wonderful atmosphere in our first home game. It will be a different test but, in my opinion, it will be no more or less difficult than the Reading match."

Middlesbrough travel to Everton on Boxing Day and end their campaign with a home game against Fulham.

Newcastle have a rather more low-key start, with Paul Jewell's Wigan visiting Gallowgate on the opening weekend of the season.

The Lancashire side beat the Magpies twice last season, although Glenn Roeder's side extracted a measure of revenge when they triumphed 3-1 on Tyneside in April.

With the following week's trip to Liverpool already having been postponed because of the Anfield club's involvement in the qualifying round of the Champions League, Newcastle's first away game will take them to Aston Villa on August 26. Eight-and-a-half months later, they will end their campaign with a trip to Watford.

"When the fixture list comes out, you have to take what is given," said Roeder. "But, as a player and now a manager, I always hoped for a home game on the opening day.

"I've been told that we haven't had a home game for a while on the first day of the season, so that will be nice for the fans.

"The first away game for us will be at Villa, which was my first away game as a caretaker. We had a great result that day and I'd certainly settle for that again."

This time last season, Sunderland fans were looking forward to trips to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. On August 5, they will head to the Ricoh Arena as the reality of life in the Championship begins to hit home.

A trip to Coventry hardly represents the most glamorous of starts to the season, but the Wearsiders will be hoping it represents a lucky omen. When Mick McCarthy's side won the Championship title two seasons ago, they also kicked off with an away game against the Sky Blues.

"We're all looking forward to getting back into it and I personally can't wait for the season to start," said striker Jon Stead. "There's a lot more games but that's a good thing, it's a chance for us to get out there and prove ourselves.

"A few of the lads have already been in preparing and I know from talking to them that everyone is really looking forward to the new season. It's a fresh start and we all want to put things right, especially for the fans."

Sunderland's first home game sees them entertain Birmingham, another of the relegated sides, on August 8, while the Black Cats will finish the season with a trip to Luton.

For the third successive year, Hartlepool will begin the season at Victoria Park. Swindon are the visitors on August 5, with Wilson taking his new charges to Macclesfield for their opening away game three days later.

The two derby games with Darlington are evenly spaced - the Quakers visit Victoria Park on October 28 before Pool make the reverse trip on March 24 - while Bristol Rovers are the visitors on the final day of the season.

Darlington kick off with a home game against Macclesfield, three days before David Hodgson's side become the first team to play a league game at Accrington Stanley for almost 45 years.

Mansfield Town visit the 96.6tfm Darlington Arena on Boxing Day, with the Quakers ending their campaign with a home game against Stockport County.