Birmingham Metropolis
The Blues dominated League One final time period, setting a file EFL factors complete. Birmingham will host the Championship’s opening recreation towards newly relegated Ipswich, whereas a visit to Portsmouth will spherical off the season. Chris Davies’s crew will endure their shortest commute of the season on 26 November as they journey just below seven miles to West Brom. The journey to Middlesbrough on 8 November can be their furthest-flung fixture.
Fast Information
Beadle heading for Birmingham mortgage
Present
Birmingham are poised to announce the signing of the England Below-21 goalkeeper James Beadle from Brighton on a season’s mortgage. Beadle, who joined Brighton from Charlton in 2022, has had two earlier loans within the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday and made 38 appearances for them final season. He has performed each match for England on the European Below-21 Championship in Slovakia and is predicted to maintain his place for Saturday’s closing towards Germany. Ed Aarons
Blackburn Rovers
After lacking out on the playoffs by two factors, Blackburn will hope to push on this season. Beginning with West Brom, the ultimate recreation of the season pits the previous Premier League winners towards Leicester, themselves former champions and newly returned to the second tier. Blackburn’s shortest journey, to Preston , takes place on 22 November whereas their longest to Portsmouth is on 13 December.
Bristol Metropolis
Bristol stays the biggest English metropolis by no means to have hosted a Premier League crew and the Robins take flight at Sheffield United, who gained the playoff semi-finals between the golf equipment final season. Gerhard Struber’s crew will face Stoke on the ultimate day. As probably the most south-western membership within the division, Bristol Metropolis’s shortest away recreation can be greater than 80 miles away at Swansea on 2 February. Their longest journey sees them journey to the Championship’s most northerly crew, Middlesbrough, on 14 March.
Charlton Athletic
Nathan Jones’s facet will play Championship soccer for the primary time in 5 seasons once they tackle Watford, with Swansea the vacation spot on the ultimate day of the season. Travelling Addicks take a five-mile journey to Millwall on 24 January, and a for much longer journey – 219 miles – to Middlesborough’s Riverside Stadium on 11 March.
Coventry
Just below three months from being on the unsuitable facet of Dan Ballard’s last-gasp header of their playoff semi-final towards Sunderland, Coventry start the season towards Hull Metropolis. Watford’s Vicarage Highway will host Coventry’s concluding contest. The shortest journey Frank Lampard’s facet should journey is Birmingham’s St Andrew’s on 4 January. Like many golf equipment, the Sky Blues’ journey to Middlesbrough, at 180 miles, is their longest on 25 November.
Fast Information
EFL opening fixtures
Present
Championship
Friday 8 August Birmingham v Ipswich (8pm, all occasions BST).
Saturday 9 August Charlton v Watford, Coventry v Hull, Southampton v Wrexham (all 12.30pm); Middlesbrough v Swansea, Norwich v Millwall, QPR v Preston, Stoke v Derby, West Brom v Blackburn (all 3pm); Sheffield United v Bristol Metropolis (5.30pm).
Sunday 10 August Leicester v Sheffield Wednesday (4.30pm).
League One
Friday 1 August Luton v AFC Wimbledon (8pm).
Saturday 2 August Cardiff v Peterborough (12.30pm); Blackpool v Stevenage, Bradford v Wycombe, Burton v Mansfield, Doncaster v Exeter, Huddersfield v Leyton Orient, Lincoln v Studying, Plymouth v Barnsley, Rotherham v Port Vale, Wigan v Northampton (all 3pm).
Sunday 3 August Stockport v Bolton (12pm).
League Two
Sat 2 Aug (all 3pm): Accrington v Gillingham, Barnet v Fleetwood, Bristol Rovers v Harrogate, Cambridge v Cheltenham, Chesterfield v Barrow, Colchester v Tranmere, Grimsby v Crawley, MK Dons v Oldham, Newport v Notts County, Salford v Crewe, Shrewsbury v Bromley, Walsall v Swindon.
Derby
The Rams survived a brush with relegation final season andaim to kick off the brand new season on the precise foot towards Stoke. John Eustace’s crew wrap up the marketing campaign towards Sheffield United. Derby’s shortest journey is to newly relegated Leicester on 29 December, their furthest to Portsmouth’s Fratton Park on 14 March.
Hull Metropolis
The 2014 FA Cup finalists start their marketing campaign towards Coventry. Final season, the Tigers solely survived on the ultimate day and this time they log out towards Norwich. Hull’s shortest journey is marginally Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane on 11 April, their longest journey to Portsmouth.
Ipswich
Kieran McKenna’s crew look to return to the Premier League on the first time of asking. The primary hurdle can be Birmingham, QPR the final. They lock horns with native rivals Norwich at Carrow Highway within the East Anglian derby on 11 April. Swansea would be the location of Ipswich’s furthest recreation, travelling the 278 miles to the south Wales membership.
Leicester
A decade in the past Leicester started their fairytale Premier League successful season. Now they begin their second season within the Championship since Wes Morgan lifted the title in Could 2016, towards Sheffield Wednesday. To log out, Leicester tackle Blackburn. Their shortest journey of the season comes on 17 January once they journey to Coventry, whereas the Foxes’ earliest begin would be the morning of their journey to Swansea.
Middlesbrough
Rob Edwards will take cost for the primary time within the league towards Swansea and rounds off at Wrexham. Their shortest journey, to Hull Metropolis, nonetheless includes a journey of greater than 80 miles, one thing of a breeze in contrast with the 321-mile lengthy haul to Portsmouth.
Millwall
The Lions, regardless of having a adverse objective distinction, practically snuck into the playoffs final trip. Their quest to go one higher begins at Norwich, with a final-day fixture on the New Den towards Oxford United. As above, rivals Charlton is the shortest journey. and Middlesbrough their longest.
Norwich
After switching from fellow Championship facet Bristol Metropolis, Liam Manning will take cost of Norwich for the primary time within the league towards Millwall and the Canaries will nonetheless wish to be singing once they meet Hull on the season’s final day. They are going to be seeking to lengthen a 13-game unbeaten run towards Ipswich on 4 October, their furthest journey to Swansea.
Oxford United
Oxfordshire’s sole EFL facet thrived on their return to the Championship after 25 years. In a bid to repeat that feat, they kick off their season towards Portsmouth, and finish the marketing campaign at Millwall. At just below 50 miles, Watford at Vicarage Highway is Oxford’s shortest journey, with the furthest coming towards Middlesbrough.
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Portsmouth
John Mousinho, beforehand League 1 Supervisor of the Season, impressed his facet to security in 2024-25. Step one this time spherical can be on the membership he represented as a participant, Oxford United. Pompey will shut out the season enjoying Birmingham. All eyes can be on the south coast derby, the primary within the league since 2012, towards Southampton. From that journey of just below 20 miles, a visit of extra that 300 miles to Middlesbrough would be the furthest Portsmouth journey.
Preston North Finish
QPR’s Loftus Highway will play host to Preston’s first fixture of the season, with Southampton at Deepdale the final. Fellow Lancashire membership Blackburn Rovers are the Lilywhites’ closest league date, lower than 14 miles, with Portsmouth on 30 August the furthest.
Queens Park Rangers
Julien Stephan takes cost of his first match in England towards Preston, Ipswich the Rs’ closing examination of the season. At just below 10 miles, Millwall can be QPR’s shortest journey, strolling distance compared to the 247 miles to Middlesbrough on 13 December.
Sheffield United
The Blades will search to overlook Tom Watson’s last-gasp playoff closing winner once they meet Bristol Metropolis on opening day. Rubén Sellés’ facet can be hoping to be in rivalry on their final-day go to to Derby. The shortest away recreation within the EFL will happen on 22 November because the Blades journey fewer than 4 miles for the Metal Metropolis derby towards Sheffield Wednesday. Swansea is Sheffield United’s longest journey.
Sheffield Wednesday
Greater than 1 / 4 of a century on from their final Premier League recreation, Sheffield Wednesday start their Championship marketing campaign at Leicester and end it towards West Brom. The Owls’ journey to Bramall Lane, the place they’ve gained simply twice since 1967, takes place on 21 February. Like United, Wednesday’s longest journey of the season is to Swansea.
Southampton
Lately appointed Will Nonetheless can be seeking to choose Southampton up on opening day with a win towards newly promoted Wrexham. Silverware can be anticipated on the ultimate day towards Preston. The final time the Saints visited Fratton Park in 2019 they left with a four-goal win towards rivals Portsmouth. A 299-mile trek to Middlesbrough comes on 4 January.
Stoke Metropolis
As soon as a Premier League mainstay, Stoke begin their season towards Derby and finish it towards Bristol Metropolis. The Potters will meet West Brom for his or her closest recreation on 7f February. A 400-mile spherical journey to Portsmouth comes on 25 October.
Swansea
The 2013 League Cup winners are set for on opening-day fixture at Middlesbrough, the 319 mile trek the Swans’ longest journey. A house recreation towards Charlton rounds off the marketing campaign. Within the absence of Cardiff, Bristol Metropolis are Swansea’s closest opponents.
Watford
Paulo Pezzolano will take cost for the primary time on opening day towards Charlton, whereas the go to of Coventry rounds off the marketing campaign for Hertfordshire’s solely Championship membership. A day journey to QPR can be Watford’s briefest journey, with Middlesbrough on 25 April the Hornets’ furthest foray.
West Bromwich Albion
Ryan Mason’s first style of the Hawthorns dugout will come towards Blackburn. The ultimate day will see the Baggies in motion at Sheffield Wednesday. West Brom’s closest recreation can be towards newly promoted Birmingham on 26 November. Like most others, a visit to Middlesbrough on 20 September can be their longest.
Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Welsh membership turned the primary within the historical past of England’s prime 5 tiers to file three consecutive promotions. Their first Championship recreation in additional than 40 years can be towards newly relegated Southampton, with Middlesbrough set for the ultimate day. A commute to Staffordshire for a contest towards Stoke is Wrexham’s shortest away journey. Portsmouth away on 5 November can be their furthest.
