West Ham United are set to kick-off the 2011/12 npower Championship season with the visit of Cardiff City.

Sam Allardyce's side are due to welcome the Welsh club to the Boleyn Ground on Sunday 7 August. It promises to be a tricky test for the Hammers, given that Cardiff just missed out on promotion after defeat in last season's play-offs.

The first away match is scheduled to be a trip to Doncaster Rovers the following weekend. With two potential Carling Cup ties also in August, the Hammers could play seven matches in the first month of the season alone - although fans should note all fixtures are subject to change.

The Hammers are set to be on the road over the crucial Christmas period, with a Boxing Day game at Birmingham City on Monday 26 December and a New Year's Eve trip to Derby County on Saturday 31 December.

Allardyce's men will wrap up league matters on Saturday 28 April with a home match against Hull City. It is the fifth consecutive campaign that the club have been handed a Boleyn Ground date to complete the campaign.

The first London derby will be the Saturday 17 September trip to Millwall, with the Lions making the return journey to east London on Saturday 4 February.

Supporters planning for weekends away in Brighton and Blackpool will be pleased by the news that the trips to the new Amex Stadium and Bloomfield Road will take place on Saturday 22 October and Saturday 18 February respectively.

West Ham United learned their Carling Cup first round opposition on Thursday, with the Hammers set to face Aldershot Town in the week following the Cardiff fixture. Click here for the news on that draw. 

West Ham United 2011/12 fixtures (subject to change)

Sun 7 Aug - Cardiff City H
Sat 13 Aug - Doncaster Rovers A
Tue 16 Aug - Watford A
Sat 20 Aug - Leeds United H
Sat 27 Aug - Nottingham Forest A

Sat 10 Sep - Portsmouth H
Sat 17 Sep - Millwall A
Sat 24 Sep - Peterborough United H
Tue 27 Sep - Ipswich Town H

Sat 1 Oct - Crystal Palace A
Sat 15 Oct - Blackpool H
Tue 18 Oct - Southampton A
Sat 22 Oct - Brighton and Hove Albion A
Sat 29 Oct - Leicester City H

Tue 1 Nov - Bristol City H
Sat 5 Nov - Hull City A
Sat 19 Nov - Coventry City A
Sat 26 Nov - Derby County H
Tue 29 Nov - Middlesbrough A

Sat 3 Dec - Burnley H
Sat 10 Dec - Reading A
Sat 17 Dec - Barnsley H
Mon 26 Dec - Birmingham City A
Sat 31 Dec - Derby County A

Mon 2 Jan - Coventry City H
Sat 14 Jan - Portsmouth A
Sat 21 Jan - Nottingham Forest H
Tue 31 Jan - Ipswich Town A

Sat 4 Feb - Millwall H
Sat 11 Feb - Peterborough United A
Tue 14 Feb - Southampton H
Sat 18 Feb - Blackpool A
Sat 25 Feb - Crystal Palace H

Sat 3 Mar - Cardiff City A
Tue 6 Mar - Watford H
Sat 10 Mar - Doncaster Rovers H
Sat 17 Mar - Leeds United A
Tue 20 Mar - Middlesbrough H
Sat 24 Mar - Burnley A
Sat 31 Mar - Reading H

Sat 7 Apr - Barnsley A
Mon 9 Apr - Birmingham City H
Sat 14 Apr - Brighton and Hove Albion H
Tue 17 Apr - Bristol City A
Sat 21 Apr - Leicester City A
Sat 28 Apr - Hull City H

If you cannot wait for the npower Championship season to get under way, remember the club will have a pre-season friendly at the Boleyn Ground at 3pm on Saturday 30 July. Click here for the latest ticket news. To see a full run-down of the club's pre-season games click here.

Hammers mobile text alert subscribers received this news first. Click here to sign up so you can make sure you stay in touch wherever you are this summer.

Check back on whufc.com later for all the reaction to the announcement of the 2011/12 npower Championship fixture list. Please note all fixtures are subject to change.