Five key Championship dates every West Ham fan needs to know ahead of fixture release

West Ham supporters will be keeping a close eye out when their Championship fixtures are revealed.

The EFL will release the schedule on Thursday 25 June at 12pm, so there is not long to wait.

Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to take the Hammers back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The fixture schedule may well play a part in determining the chances of that happening.

A harder run-in could pose issues while an easier one could give the London Stadium side a nice way to finish their season.

West Ham Zone examines what dates that Irons fans should be writing in their calendars.

The opening day will be crucial for West Ham

The Irons need to start the campaign on a high note, and get the season up and running early.

If they can secure three points on the weekend of 14-17 August, it could be a vital spark for their season.

They need to show the second tier and their promotion rivals that they mean business.

Boxing day could provide the sparks for Nuno

The festive period is always an exciting period for all supporters, but it could be especially good for the Hammers this time around.

They played Fulham on 27 December last season rather than the traditional day after Christmas fixture, losing 1-0 to the Cottagers.

However, the Championship usually has the full slate of matches on Boxing Day itself.

Easter Weekend could provide West Ham drama

The second tier has a full schedule of matches on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Two games in quick succession could be very good for the E20 side, if they are in good form when it comes around.

They could pick up a quick six points to help their promotion chances, across the weekend between 26-29 April.

Final day of the season could provide fireworks

West Ham may be involved in drama on the final day of the regular season.

They may still be fighting for promotion, if they can't get the job done beforehand.

The EFL is yet to confirm the date for the final round of matches, but it is usually at the end of April or start of May.

Play-offs may be an unwanted solution

West Ham will hope to avoid being involved in the play-offs.

They have won the showcase twice in the 2004-05 and 2011-12 seasons, but they should have the job done beforehand.

The EFL are yet to announce the dates for the play-offs, but this season's semi-finals were held between 8-9 May and 11-12 May.

The final was held on 23 May, so it should be a similar timeframe for the new campaign.