Falkirk and Hibs to meet on Championship's opening weekend
Promotion candidates Falkirk and Hibs will meet on the opening weekend of the Championship season after the SPFL released the fixture list for the 2016/17 Scottish football campaign.
The two sides built up quite a rivalry last season as they battled for promotion to the top flight. Falkirk didn’t manage to defeat Hibs across the four regular season encounters but bested them over two legs in the play-offs. The SPFL have recognised the rivalry and chosen the pair to square off again in the New Years’ derbies on 31 December.
Dundee United will begin life in the Championship with a home game against Queen of the South. They’ll play Hibs - the side that knocked them out of both cup competitions last term - at Easter Road on 1 October.
The opening weekend also throws up a rather tasty derby clash between rivals St Mirren and Morton at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
Dunfermline Athletic’s first game back in the second tier following three seasons in League One will come against Dumbarton at East End Park. The Pars will then have the unenviable task of travelling to Easter Road the following week.
Raith Rovers’s trip to newly promoted Ayr United rounds out the opening weekend.
Opening weekend fixtures
Dundee United v Queen of the South
Ayr United v Raith Rovers
St Mirren v Greenock Morton
Dunfermline Athletic v Dumbarton
Falkirk v Hibernian
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