EFL Fixture Release Date, What to Watch For?

EFL Fixture Release Date

Soccer starts August 10–11 and ends May 3, 2025. In the Championship, 46 games were played on 33 weekends, nine midweek games, and four public holidays. League One and League Two will have 36 weekends of play, along with six-midweek matches and four public holidays.

A new deal between the EFL and Sky Sports worth £935 million over five years means more than 1,000 EFL games will be shown on TV, quadrupling the current number.

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A Promising Beginning

New team, Bromley, is happy to start their first EFL season. They won a prize to move up from the National League at Wembley. The team led by Andy Woodman is keen to know their first opponent in the new season. They are ready to start their journey in the league.

Only three teams have won their first-ever EFL match: Aldershot in 2008/09, Salford City in 2019/20, and Harrogate Town in 2020/21. Starting well is important for Bromley, who are following the example of Notts County, another Play-Off Final winner, who had a strong start last season as a newly promoted team.

Fresh Faces

Wayne Rooney will be the new boss at Plymouth Argyle. He led Derby County and Birmingham City before. Plymouth won a big game against Hull City, so they're in the Championship now. Rooney wants to build a strong team for next season.

In other Championship news, Hull City appointed Tim Walter as their new manager, and Norwich City chose Johannes Hoff Thorup as their head coach, marking their first ventures into English football with their clubs.

Seeking Redemption: A Mission to Prove Himself

Bristol Rovers have been aiming to win their first match of the season since 2011. They've had a hard time, with no wins in 12 games at the start. They had nine losses and three draws. But they got promoted three times and went down twice during this time.

Last season, Bristol Rovers almost broke the streak with a 1-1 draw against League One winners Portsmouth. However, Portsmouth's late goal in added time denied Bristol Rovers a victory at Fratton Park. Manager Matt Taylor is hopeful that this season will finally see his team break this long-standing trend.

Titleholders in Waiting

Huddersfield Town's rivals in League One will be watching closely to see who they face in their first home game at the John Smith's Stadium. In the last four years, teams visiting Huddersfield as their first match have won the Championship title. This includes Norwich City, Fulham, Burnley, and Leicester City.

Even with Huddersfield's recent drop, this may be a good omen for the teams visiting this season. After 12 years, Huddersfield Town is back in League One, led by new manager Michael Duff. The goal is to come back strong and move up to the higher leagues.

What to Watch For?

• Last season, all three teams promoted from the Championship to the Premier League were relegated straight back, a rare occurrence not seen since 1997–98.
• Portsmouth, Derby, and Oxford are hopeful after seeing Ipswich achieve promotion last season from League One to the Premier League after just one year in the Championship.
• In League One, Wrexham aims for a third consecutive promotion under Phil Parkinson, while Chesterfield returns to the EFL with momentum from their National League title win.
• Norwich City and Hull City have new managers, with Johannes Hoff Thorup and Tim Walter, respectively, aiming to lead their clubs back to the Premier League.
• Sunderland appointed Regis Le Bris as their new manager after a four-month search following Michael Beale's departure.
• Birmingham City turns to Chris Davies, a former Tottenham assistant, to lead them back to the Championship in League One.
• In League Two, Bromley enters their first-ever EFL campaign after winning promotion via penalties at Wembley.
• Wayne Rooney returns to manage Plymouth Argyle after a challenging stint with Birmingham City, aiming for a better start this time.
• Rotherham has re-appointed Steve Evans to guide them out of League One again, while Morecambe brings back Derek Adams as manager for the third time.

EFL Wiki

The Championship is England's second-highest football league, featuring 24 clubs. It started in 2004–05 as a rebrand of the Football League First Division, which was once called the Football League Second Division.