SUNDERLAND will head to the Hawthorns for their first game of the season after they were handed an away game with West Brom on the opening weekend.

The Black Cats will take on the Baggies on the weekend of August 16 before hosting Manchester United for their opening home game of the new campaign seven days later.

A mixed start sees Gustavo Poyet's side travel to London to face QPR for their second away game, with Tottenham travelling to the Stadium of Light after the September international break.

Late November and early December looks tricky, with successive home matches against Chelsea and Manchester City (who the Black Cats have an excellent record against) preceding a trip to Liverpool.

The opening derby of the season takes place on the weekend before Christmas (December 20), with Sunderland travelling to St James' Park to face Newcastle.

Hull City are the visitors to the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day, with the Black Cats heading to the Eithad Stadium to face Manchester City on New Year's Day.

That game precedes matches against Liverpool and Tottenham, with the home derby against Newcastle scheduled for April 4.

The Black Cats will have a reltaively tough run in, with their final home game against Leicester City sandwiching trips to Everton and Chelsea.

Having helped secure their Premier League status last season with a shock win at Stamford Bridge, Sunderland will travel to Chelsea on the final day.

SUNDERLAND's 2014-15 FIXTURES

Aug 16 West Bromwich Albion (a)

Aug 23 Manchester United (h)

Aug 30 Queens Park Rangers (a)

Sep 13 Tottenham Hotspur (h)

Sep 20 Burnley (a)

Sep 27 Swansea City (h)

Oct 4 Stoke City (h)

Oct 18 Southampton (a)

Oct 25 Arsenal (h)

Nov 1 Crystal Palace (a)

Nov 8 Everton (h)

Nov 22 Leicester City (a)

Nov 29 Chelsea (h)

Dec 3 Manchester City (h)

Dec 6 Liverpool (a)

Dec 13 West Ham United (h)

Dec 20 Newcastle United (a)

Dec 26 Hull City (h)

Dec 28 Aston Villa (a)

Jan 1 Manchester City (a)

Jan 10 Liverpool (h)

Jan 17 Tottenham Hotspur (a)

Jan 31 Burnley (h)

Feb 7 Swansea City (a)

Feb 11 Queens Park Rangers (h)

Feb 21 West Bromwich Albion (h)

Feb 28 Manchester United (a)

Mar 3 Hull City (a)

Mar 14 Aston Villa (h)

Mar 21 West Ham United (a)

Apr 4 Newcastle United (h)

Apr 11 Crystal Palace (h)

Apr 18 Arsenal (a)

Apr 25 Stoke City (a)

May 2 Southampton (h)

May 9 Everton (a)

May 16 Leicester City (h)

May 24 Chelsea (a)