BURNLEY have been handed a tough start to their quest to repeat last season's play-off challenge.

When the First Division fixtures were released this morning, Burnley were sent to Sheffield Wednesday for the big kick-off on Saturday, August 11.

Their first home game is a repeat of last season's Turf Moor opener against Wimbledon -- when a Paul Weller goal clinched a 1-0 win -- before newly promoted Millwall lie in wait at the New Den.

Kevin Keegan's Manchester City are then due at Burnley on August Bank Holiday in one of the most eye-catching early fixtures.

And a trip to relegated Bradford City on Saturday, September 1 completes another baptism of fire.

However, Burnley's assistant boss Sam Ellis believes the Clarets will again rise to the challenge as they did 12 months ago.

"They said we had a bad start last year so this won't frighten the players. I'm sure they will all be looking forward to it," he said.

And a first-day trip to Hillsborough represents an instant chance to make amends for a 2-0 defeat to Wednesday in March, which manager Stan Ternent described as one of his side's worst away performancees of the season.

"It will be good to get that one out of our systems early on," admitted Ellis, who will come up against two of his former clubs in the first four games.

Burnley would love to repeat last season's impressive start, although Ellis is ntaurally looking beyond just the opening few games.

"You have to play them all and we know that they are all hard fixtures. I don't know about the fixtures whetting the appetite because the players will be looking forward to coming back already," he said.

Burnley face another December trip to derby rivals Preston North End before entertaining David Moyes's men in mid-March.

A Boxing Day trip to Rotherham may not set the pulses racing, although it should make for an interesting Christmas in the Moore hosuehold.

But back-to-back games against Manchester City and Bradford will still make it an initersting holiday programme.

For a fill list of the season's fixtures pick up a copy of today's Lancashire Evening Telegraph, on the streets at lunchtime...