Six minutes into the new campaign and Charlton striker Lee Novak is already on his way to an early bath at Bristol Rovers in League One.

The former Birmingham City man is shown a straight red card for a challenge on Stuart Sinclair.

It seems the two clubs viewed that incident slightly differently!

BBC Sport app users may need to click "view more" to see social media content.

Image source, Rex Features

Marley Watkins is close to a debut goal for Norwich but David Button pulls off an excellent stop to deny him the opener.

BBC Sport app users may need to click "view more" to see social media content.

Looks like the weather's refusing to play ball on the opening day in the West Midlands...

BBC Sport app users may need to click "view more" to see social media content.

We're under way in our eight Championship games and around the country.

It's back.

As well as following this live text commentary, you can also listen to radio coverage from around the grounds on BBC Radio 5 live this afternoon.

Just pop up to the play icon at the top of this page to tune in.

Image source, Empics

Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy is braced for the "inevitable" response from fans if his side fail to improve after a 6-1 loss in their final pre-season friendly last Saturday.

The 58-year-old described the defeat by Charlton as an "unnatural disaster".

There were calls from some supporters last season for McCarthy to be sacked.

"We've got to play well on Saturday and we've pretty much got to win because if we don't, it's starting where we left off last season and that's not good for anybody," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

Portsmouth, whose fall from the Premier League to League Two has clearly already been well documented, begin the first chapter of their rise back up the pyramid this afternoon

Kenny Jackett is the new man in charge of the first team following Paul Cook's departure to Wigan, and off the pitch there's a new owner in former Walter Disney chief executive Michael Eisner, who has now completed his takeover.

Will it be a season of stability or can they continue their climb? Pompey face Rochdale at Fratton Park today.

Brentford boss Dean Smith says his side "quietly believes" they can challenge bigger-spending teams for promotion.

The Bees finished 10th last season, losing two of their last nine games.

Brentford's most costly summer signing was the reported £1.8m spent on Exeter's Ollie Watkins, £14m less than Wolves paid for midfielder Ruben Neves.

"I think the quality of the football that we play, the entertainment value that I think we give out, is reason for optimism," Smith told BBC Radio London.

Looks like the good people at Ipswich Town are doing their bit this season to unearth the next generation of sports reporters...

... keep it to a strict 200-word limit is all I'd suggest!

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Neil begins life as Preston boss at home to last season's beaten play-off semi-finalists Sheffield Wednesday.

PNE are without Jordan Hugill in attack, who is among the substitutes, but Tom Barkhuizen will look to pick up from where he left off at the end of last season with his goal-scoring form.

Seani Maguire and Darnell Fisher make their debuts.

Wednesday have new man George Boyd in midfield as well as familiar pairing Jordan Rhodes and Fernando Forestieri up top for the trip to Deepdale.

Preston: Maxwell, Fisher, Huntington, Spurr, Cunningham, Pearson, Browne, Johnson, Barkhuizen, Robinson, Maguire.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood; Loovens, Lees, Pudil, Boyd, Bannan, Hutchison, Reach, Rhodes, Forestieri.

QPR give a debut to former Barnsley midfielder Josh Scowen, while goalkeeper Vito Mannone makes his bow for Reading.

QPR: Smithies, Perch, Onouha, Lynch, Wszolek, Scowen, Luongo, Freeman, Bidwell, Washington, Mackie.

Reading: Mannone, Gunter, Blackett, Moore, Ilori, Kelly, Evans, Swift, Clement, Popa, Bodvarsson.

Sheffield United give debuts to three summer signings as they prepare for their first game in the Championship after a six-year absence.

Sheffield United: Blackman, O'Connell, Stearman, Basham, Freeman, Fleck, Coutts, Carruthers, Sharp, Clarke.

Brentford: Bentley; Dalsgaard, Bjelland, Egan, Henry; Mokotjo, Woods, McEachran; Jozefzoon, Vibe, Jota.

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves give a Championship debut to the league's most expensive player, Ruben Neves.

Middlesbrough's record signing Britt Assombalonga starts in what looks like a front three for Garry Monk's men.

Wolves: Ruddy, Boly, Coady, Miranda, Douglas, Doherty, Neves, Saiss, Jota, Enobakhare, Bonatini.

Middlesbrough: Randolph, Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, De Roon, Clayton, Howson, Fletcher, Assombalonga, Braithwaite.

Lee Tomlin makes his Cardiff City debut, while Marvin Sordell starts up front for Burton Albion in the absence of the injured Liam Boyce.

Burton Albion: Bywater, Warnock, Mousinho, McFadzean, Murphy, Lund, Akins, Dyer, Sordell, Buxton, Irvine.

Cardiff City: Etheride, Bamba, Manga, Morrison, Peltier, Bennett, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Hoilett, Tomlin, Zohore.

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy hands debuts to new signings Dominic Iorfa and Joe Garner for the visit of Birmingham City.

Andre Dozzell starts in midfield after helping the England Under-19s to the European Championship title last month.

Birmingham manager Harry Redknapp names new signing and former Ipswich loanee David Stockdale in goal but is without striker Lukas Jutkiewicz through injury.

Ipswich Town: Bialkowski; Iorfa, Spence, Chambers, Smith, Knudsen; Skuse, Dozzell, Ward; Sears, Garner.

Birmingham City: Stockdale, Nsue, Grounds, Morrison, Roberts, Davis, Gardner, Ndoye, Maghoma, Donaldson, Adams.

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson has left star centre-half Aden Flint, subject to recent transfer speculation, on the bench.

Bristol City: Fielding, Pisano, Wright, Hegeler, Bryan, Brownhill, Smith, Pack, Paterson, Reid, Diedhiou.

Barnsley: Davies, McCarthy, MacDonald, Jackson, Yiadom, Potts, Williams, Moncur, Mowatt, Ugbo, Bradshaw.

Two promotion candidates meet at Craven Cottage and last season's beaten play-off semi-finalists Fulham go with a strong looking starting line-up including Sone Aluko, who has attracted interest from elsewhere.

Norwich new boss Daniel Farke names Marley Watkins in attack among his debutants.

Fulham: Button; Fredericks, Kalas, Ream; Sessegnon, Norwood, Johansen, Cairney; Ayite, Kebano, Aluko.

Norwich City: Gunn; Martin, Zimmermann, Franke; Wildschut, Reed, Husband; Vrancic, Maddison; Watkins; Jerome.

Image source, Getty Images

For some players the season doesn't start today and, in fact, will not start for some time.

Burton Albion's summer club record signing Liam Boyce was ruled out for the majority of the campaign on Tuesday after suffering a serious knee injury in a pre-season friendly.

Aston Villa are going to be without attacking duo Jonathan Kodjia and Jack Grealish for a little while, the latter for at least three months after damaging one of his kidneys.

Wolves winger Helder Costa is also out for a couple of months after having ankle surgery, while Derby County's Darren Bent is another headline name missing today - he's unlikely to feature before Christmas because of a hamstring injury.