The Sky Bet League season of 2025/26 starts this weekend.
The curtain variety comes on Friday evening, when Luton – who was relegated from the championship – host AFC Wimbledon – who won the Sky Bet League Two Play – off final – on Kenilworth Road, live on Sky Sports.
After this, each of the other 23 opening weekend luminaires in League One and League Two will be available to watch Sky Sports live.
Prior to the start of the new season, here is a selection of the most important points …
Luton to bounce back with a title win?
One season after relegation of the Premier League, it was only goal difference that Luton relegated from the championship and saved Hull.
“To work so hard to get ourselves so close and fall at the last obstacle is particularly painful,” said Hatters -Baas Matt Bloomfield.
The task is now to stop the rotten and prevent a third straight relegation – and Bloomfield forms his team accordingly.
Club legend Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu was released, together with Tim Krul, Victor Moses and Amari'i Bell, while six players were sold, including Carlton Morris, Thelo Baasgaard and Alfie Doughty.
They have signed six players, with four of those who have championship experience between them: Kal Naismith, George Saville, Hakeem Odoffin and Nahki Wells. The best part? All four have arrived on free transfers.
The expectation that is accompanied by choosing as early title favorites can weigh heavily, but Luton has fought much larger fights and this is one that they will enjoy.
Things finally look up to read
There was real fear reading in the past term could have been kicked out of the EFL. Former owner Dai Yongge was disqualified in March in March as director among the EFL's owners' and the provincial test and dreams of a proposed sale that went as the season progressed.
Fortunately, a takeover led by former Wycombe owner Rob Couhig was finally completed in May – and under the new regime, life was reduced to the football club.
Captain Joe Jacobson of former chairman was appointed as the new CEO and last week he spoke exclusively with Sky Sports about his new role and the ambitions in the future. An in -depth position will follow on Thursday 31 July on Skysports.com.
There is little talk about the misery of the past, although Noel Hunt and his team managed to finish seventh, only three points of the play-offs, in the midst of all the uncertainty. Of course there is a feeling for fans that they can continue to thrive with stability.
Transparency is also the key. Couhig and Jacobson are all too happy to discuss the project, which is the key to earn the confidence of the fans. A recent open day at their Bearwood Park Training Ground attracted more than 3000 fans, with shuttle buses from the Select Cars Leasing Stadium that runs almost 12 hours.
Next year 20 years since the side of Steve Coppell de Royals led 106 points to a championship record. It is of course the dream to mark that with a return to the second level, but for most it is just a bright future to look forward to again enough for now.
Billionaire supported Wycombe strives to get better
For many months of last season, Wycombe was the biggest threat to the automatic promotion of Birmingham and Wrexham. It was only in the last fourteen days that they fell away after three straight defeats – and they then lost to Charlton in the play -offs.
In reality, however, the record of Mike Dodds of seven wins of 17 after taking over Matt Bloomfield was not enough in February. The gap to second place Wrexham was finally eight points.
The chairmanboys clearly do not want to leave the fate of this season to chance.
Supported by Georgian -Kazache billionaire Mikhail Lomtadze, nine intriguing signing sessions have currently been done, including those of striker Bradley Fink – a former Borussia Dortmund – youth player – and the Irish midfielder Jamie Mullins, who joined Brighton.
Temporary frontman Richard Kone is also not seduced.
Although they got so close last year, it was not an unknown territory; They were promoted to the championship in 2019/20, albeit on points per game because of Covid who forced a premature end to the campaign.
But to do it without the asterisk, there would be a different prospect.
Stockport owes another promotion … If history is something to visit
Since Stockport was already in the National League in the National League in 2021/22, she is a challenge at the top of League One, seriously impressive. But they want more.
County finished third, only five points behind Wrexham, in 2024/25, back in their first season at that level since 2009/10, and it was a defeat of the penalty shoot-out against Leyton Orient-after a 3-3 tie on aggregated who denied them a place in the play-off final.
This is personal for manager Dave Challinor, who has so far has seven promotions on his resume. The National League North, National League and League Two are ready and in the bag. From League One and coming into the championship is the natural next step for both manager and club.
The last club history is encouraging, in that sense. It took six attempts to come from the National League North, three to get from the National League and two to come from League Two.
The second -layer exile has now lasted more than 23 years – and stockport is probably better equipped than they have ever been to work to end it.
New Manager, talk about a bale -guided acquisition – but no signing sessions for Cardiff yet
In May, Cardiff finally collapsed at the relegation with which they flirt the best part of four years, ending a period of more than 20 years exclusively in the top two divisions of English football.
Writing was quite early on the wall. Erol Bulut was fired after five defeats of the first six to leave the Bluebirds bottom, but despite a first bouncer, Omer Riza could not turn the tide. Aaron Ramsey supervised the last four games, but could not accompany his boy's club more than two points.
It feels like there is now a chance for a new start for the Welsh club.
Brian Brian Barry-Murphy, a highly rated former man City Elite Development Squad manager, has taken over and there has been talking about Gareth Bale who led a consortium to buy Cardiff from the owner of 15 years, Vincent Tan.
At the time of writing, however, they still have to sign a first team player, either permanently or on loan, and the only outgoing is Callum O'Dowda to Ferencvaros. Admittedly, they have the team to compete more than at this level, but in that respect there has been little to generate the appetite.
All change in Plymouth under Cleverley
Plymouth was shaken at the end of May when, shortly after the relegation, Miron Muslic left to take over at Schalke, only four months in a deal of three and a half years in Home Park.
“We are frustrated by this decision, after we have implemented clear structures, processes and staff to help Miron and his coaching staff with the earliest chance of returning to the championship,” said a statement on the club's official website.
“Not only that, the club … received repeated verbal promises from Miron that he was committed to Argyle and would do everything to help the club bounce back to the second layer.”
All they could do was continue, albeit with a bitter taste in their mouths. Within fourteen days, Tom Cleverley was brought in as his successor, who undoubtedly has his own point to prove after a predictable dismissal by Watford.
Since then there has been a revision of a team. Ten players have left and another 10 arrived for a fraction of the prize, with a reported profit of almost £ 3 million made in the process. The biggest Miss wants, demonstrably, Ryan Hardie, who has scored 74 goals for the club since 2019/20.
Such a turnover from a large player can be a risk, but Plymouth hopes to bike that trend and immediately return to the championship.
The return of open competition
In the past term, all attention was paid to Birmingham and Wrexham – two clubs with American owners and Premier League ambitions. Their was a race with two horses that ended, perhaps not surprising, with both automatic promotion obtained.
This time the aforementioned Luton was installed as favorites by most bookmakers.
But so many other clubs, including Plymouth, Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bolton, Stockport, Blackpool, Reading and Wycombe, are in the mix.
It can really be someone's season.