NEIL Clement is hoping to send out a strong message to the rest of the division by beating Newcastle in Albion's Coca-Cola Championship opener on Saturday, August 8.

The Baggies defender believes a victory over one of the favourites for automatic promotion will set a high benchmark for the rest of the season.

The Magpies clash is immediately followed by back-to-back away games at Nottingham Forest and newly-promoted Peterborough, before a home clash with Ipswich and a trip to Sheffield United in the first month.

And, although he accepts it will be difficult, he insists it is vital Albion make a positive start to the campaign.

"The Newcastle game was a Premier League fixture last season and it's a nice game to kick-off with," said Clement, reacting to the new fixtures being released today .

"If we can get off to a good start against one of the favourites to go up it could bode well for the rest of the season.

"We had a similar scenario eight years ago when we played one of the hot favourites to go up in Manchester City at home early in the season and beat them 4-0 when I scored two.

"It did the team the world of good and gave us the confidence to believe we had a good chance of getting promoted, which we did.

"If we play well against Newcastle it will lay down a marker to the rest of the division.

"Sheffield United are always pretty strong in the Championship.

"Ipswich will be a good footballing game because both teams like to pass the ball and, with Roy Keane there this year,they could be dark horses for promotion - I think they'll be dangerous this season.

"Roy did well when he took over at Sunderland and got them promoted.

"Darren Ferguson is doing a good job at Peterborough so it's a tough start - but they are winnable games and hopefully the players can step up to the plate.

"In the past we haven't started very well in the Championship and still won promotion.

"But I think it's important we make a good start and kick on."

Albion's first away-day takes them to the City Ground where they will be up against former Hawthorns hitman Robert Earnshaw, who Clement played alongside for a season-and-a-half.

Forest join Leicester, Coventry and Derby as the other Midlands sides in the division and the 30-year-old ace feels the Baggies will benefit from not having to worry about intense derby encounters with nearby neighbours Villa, Blues, Wolves or Walsall.

"Earnie on his day can be very dangerous," he added.

"If you give him a chance he'll put it away.

"He showed it with us in the Premier League when he finished as our top scorer and didn't start every week.

"He'll be desperate to score against us and hopefully we can stop him.

"Obviously we're eager to beat our Midlands rivals but it might work in our favour that we don't have to face any of our fierce local rivals."

Clement has spent five of his nine seasons at The Hawthorns in the Championship and expects this term to be one of the hardest at this level.

"It's going to be a tough league this season," he said.

"There are potentially a lot of teams in there with a bit of money.

"There are two Premier League clubs in there who haven't been in there in a while and will be looking to bounce straight back up.

"Reading are a bit of a wounded animal after just missing out on promotion this year.

"And there is always someone who comes up from the division below - potentially like Peterborough - who come up and get into the play-offs.

"I think it's going to be a difficult league and hopefully we'll be the ones who finish on top of them all."