We’re one step closer to the 2019-20 Championship season after the fixtures were announced on Thursday morning and there’s certainly plenty for Brentford fans to get excited about.

The upcoming season will be the Bees’ sixth consecutive campaign in the second tier of English football – but their last at their Griffin Park home as they prepare to move into their new stadium at Lionel Road.

Having finished the 2018-19 season in 11th with 64 points, Thomas Frank’s side will be targeting promotion as the West Londoners look to give Griffin Park a dream send-off.

Here’s a look at five fixtures which could define their 2019-20 campaign:

Birmingham (H), August 3

Brentford have been handed a home game to begin with against Birmingham City – and a winning start will be vital for Thomas Frank’s side if they want to embark on a promotion push.

The Bees drew against Birmingham twice last season, 1-1 at Griffin Park in October and 0-0 in the away fixture in December.

The Blues, who finished a disappointing 2018-19 campaign in 17th and have just sacked boss Garry Monk, will be determined to go one better this year, making this fixture one to feast your eyes upon when the Championship season gets underway.

Charlton (A), August 24

Just three weeks later, the Bees make the short trip across the capital to face the newly-promoted Charlton Athletic at the Valley.

Patrick Bauer scored with what was virtually the last kick of the game to send Charlton back to the Championship with a 2-1 win over Sunderland in the League One play-off final in May.

The Addicks, who return to the second tier after three seasons in League One, will look to take points in this London derby as they attempt to establish themselves in the division after somewhat of a yo-yo decade for the club.

With three tricky fixtures against Middlesbrough, Hull City and Leeds United preceding this one, this trip across the capital could become a must-win for Thomas Frank’s side.

QPR (A), October 26

The following month sees another derby in the capital as the Bees travel to Loftus Road to face their West London rivals Queens Park Rangers.

This fixture guaranteed goals last season, with QPR running out 3-2 winners at Griffin Park in October before the Bees stormed to a comprehensive 3-0 victory in the away fixture in March.

And with former Brentford boss Mark Warburton taking the hotseat at QPR this season, the fixture is sure to provide another level of entertainment for Bees and Rs fans alike.

Fulham (A), March 14

By the time March comes along, the promotion hopes of Championship teams tend to be ranked by the difficulty of their remaining fixtures and travelling to Craven Cottage to face recently-relegated Fulham is sure to be a tough test.

Fulham, who finished second-from-bottom in the Premier League last season with 26 points, will be targeting an immediate return to the top flight and a solid home record will be vital if they want to complete that task.

The Bees will have a lot to contend with if Fulham can keep hold of their key players following last season’s relegation and Frank will certainly be keen to prove his side are capable of competing with the league’s strongest squads.

Barnsley (H), May 2

Brentford’s final game at Griffin Park will have always guaranteed emotion and excitement in equal measure, no matter who the Bees were drawn to play against.

But, the 2019-20 Championship fixture list confirmed that Griffin Park’s final visitors will be the newly-promoted Barnsley.

The Tykes, who secured immediate promotion back to the Championship after being relegated at the end of the 2017-18 season, will be out to prove why they belong in the second-tier of English football.

And while finishing the season on a home win is important for any side, Brentford will be determined to give the fans one last hurrah as they bid farewell to their beloved ground.