Can you believe it’s time for the new season already? Or has the summer flown by, and August has come as a bit of a shock? Whatever your take, League Two is back for the 23/24 season this weekend, and things are looking a little different…
League Two this year is arguably the most competitive it’s been for a decade. Playoff contenders Stockport County, Salford City, and Bradford City are still very much in contention, but they’ve been joined by Accrington Stanley, Morecambe, MK Dons, and Forest Green Rovers from League One, and Wrexham and Notts County from the National League. Gillingham, Doncaster, and AFC Wimbledon have all made the most of transfer window business, and Barrow and Grimsby are definitely in ‘darkhorse’ territory. At the other end of the table, Crawley will be looking to reverse their fortunes of last year, with Harrogate and Sutton hoping to avoid joining them in the relegation zone.
Key opening weekend clashes include one featuring two newcomers to League Two, with Wrexham hosting MK Dons, and another seeing Gillingham travel to Stockport, looking to start this season with an away win to silence critics from last season who highlighted their poor away record. We’ll also see play-off semi-finalists Salford and Bradford attempt to bounceback from last season, away from home at Forest Green Rovers and Crawley Town, respectively.
We’ll be covering the weekend’s highs and lows on The Real EFL League Two Podcast next week. Click here to listen to this week’s episode where Liam and Hannah discuss all the games this weekend and cover The Guardian’s League Two predictions, as well as news from around the league. If you’ve got a long away day road trip (missed them so much!) and need some more entertainment you’ll also find an interview with football legend Neil Redfearn who spoke to us about his playing career which included over 1,000 first team appearances, and playing for Lincoln at Bradford the day of the stadium fire, as well as his time as first team manager at Leeds United, and his transition into managing in the women’s game.
So with an (alphabetical!) approach to the opening weekend games, let’s see how they all measure up…
Accrington Stanley vs Newport County – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Accrington’s relegation from League One in May was their first since 1999, and they start their campaign to return to the third tier at home to Newport. With midfielder Ethan Hamilton heading for Lincoln, and Mitch Clark joining Port Vale, new arrivals at The Crown Ground include Birmingham’s Josh Andrews, Norwich’s Lewis Shipley and Brad Hills, and Kelvin Mellor, who left Crewe at the end of the season. In their season opener John Coleman’s side will be looking for a statement win, setting their intentions for the season ahead, and it should be within their grasp.
Despite some disappointing pre-season results including a 8-0 loss to Bristol City, The Exiles ended their friendlies with a draw against League One’s Cheltenham Town. With key striker Omar Bogle now looking set to stay at Rodney Parade, and joined by goalkeeper Jonny Maxted from Northampton, and Liverpool defender Adam Lewis, who returns after a loan spell, Newport will be looking for a solid start to the season despite a significant attrition of players. Stanley have only beaten them once in 10 meetings, which will given them some confidence, as well as news in mid-July that director Madigan is looking to secure additional inward investment for the fan-owned club.
Head-to-head record:
Accrington Stanley 1 – Draws 4 – Newport County 5
Colchester United vs Swindon Town – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Colchester and Swindon’s meetings last season both ended 1-0, with the home team taking three points each time. Colchester will be hoping for at least the same and to improve their head to head record further this year as they host an unsettled Swindon team. In the last week The Us have resigned goalkeeper Tom Smith from Arsenal as well as youngster midfielder Bandeira, another goalkeeper from Crystal Palace, Owen Goodman, and striker Samson Tovide has signed a new two-year deal, with an option for an additional year. However, with Junior Tchamadeu’s (League Two Young Player of the Year 2022-23, Team of the Year 2022-23) future at Colchester uncertain after the attacking wing-back reportedly handed in a transfer request in a bid to join Stoke City, in a deal worth seven figures, Colchester may need to bolster further, but will undoubtedly have the funds to do so.
Swindon’s limited transfer business was bolstered on Wednesday with the signing of Bradford’s Jake Young, with club insiders predicting one to two more signings before the meeting with Swindon on Saturday to boost a somewhat lightweight squad. Liam Kinsella joined from Walsall to play again under Michael Flynn, and Dan Kemp has arrived on loan from MK Dons. With owner Clem Morfuni publicly sharing that Swindon are still ‘cleaning up’ two years after taking over, their transfer activity has been slow, but at the end of last season the team were starting to click under Michael Flynn, and will be hoping that trajectory will continue in August.
Head-to-head record:
Colchester United 9 – Draws 6 – Swindon Town 5
Crawley Town vs Bradford City – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Crawley’s turnaround under Scott Lindsey saw them secure League Two football this season with a key win over Hartlepool United and a run of good form in the last couple of months of the 22-23 campaign. Since then, they’ve lost key players in Kwesi Appiah, James Tilley (to AFC Wimbledon), and Ashley Nadesan (to Gillingham) with defender Will Wright coming the other way, as well as Ronan Darcy joining them from Swindon, and Kamarai Swyer from West Ham in a season long loan. Off the pitch, Crawley are still without a CEO, and the summer saw the Crawley Town Supporters’ Alliance call for meeting with owners Preston Johnson and Eben Smith, which did ultimately take place, but to date little has changed.
Bradford City go into their 23/24 slightly bruised from their playoff semi-final defeat to eventual winners Carlisle United, despite taking a lead into the second leg. They’ve retained the services of League Two 22-23 golden boot winner Andy Cook, and highly rated goalkeeper Harry Lewis, who played every minute of their 22/23 season. 23/24 sees the final season of Mark Hughes’ three year plan for promotion to League One, and the automatic places will very much be in their sights as they start the season, bolstered by right-back Daniel Oyegoke from Brentford and forward Tyler Smith from Hull. With that said, and definitely the stronger team on paper, Bradford don’t have a great record when meeting Crawley, and trend they’ll be looking to overturn this weekend.
Head-to-head record:
Crawley Town 7 – Draws 3 – Bradford City 4
Crewe Alexandra vs Mansfield Town – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
This summer has seen key departures from Crewe, including Daniel Agyei to Leyton Orient, but Newport’s departing captain Mickey Demetriou joins them alongside Crawley’s 22/23 player of the season Jack Powell. Despite a relatively neutral transfer window it’s unlikely that Crewe will have done enough to prove truly competitive in 23/24 against stronger opposition from both League One and The National League, and teams they played against last season but have seen significant investment in the latter half of the season and the summer transfer window. With a fairly even head to head record Crewe will be looking for at least a draw during the opening weekend.
Mansfield are in a similar position to Crewe in that, although they have welcomed some new signings in George Williams, Christy Pym, Aaron Lewis, Baily Cargill, and Calum MacDonald, Danny Johnson has re-signed at Walsall, and their new additions are unlikely to make enough of a different to their fortunes in a much more competitive League Two. The announcement this week of Aden Flint’s arrival from newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday should be encouraging though. With Mansfield narrowly missing out on play-offs last season that must be at least their goal, and they will need to capitalise on the games like this Crewe fixture and their next game at Morecambe.
Public service announcement: the lovely Gresty Road chippy has closed its doors recently, so other pre-game chippies will need to be located.
Head-to-head record:
Crew Alexandra 3 – Draws 4 – Mansfield Town 3
Doncaster Rovers vs Harrogate Town – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Doncaster’s transfer business has been amongst the most impressive in League Two, but after their disastrous end to the season which included nine losses in a row was broken by a win against Colchester before they were leapfrogged by Walsall’s win over them in the last game of the season, they desperately need a turnaround. However, the club defended the position as preparation for 23/24 given they were neither in playoff nor relegation contention, and meant Danny Schofield could experiment with academy players without any pressure. In April owner Terry Bramall promised an injection of cash, but it wasn’t clear until the summer the extent of that commitment or how it would be spent. With Grant McCann making a return to The Rovers, he’s been instrumental in assembling a roster that includes new additions George Broadbent, Joe Ironside, Jack Senior, Owen Bailey, Tyler Roberts, Deji Sotona, and Tom Nixon, and Doncaster could very easily be the dark horses of the 23/24 campaign.
Harrogate, by contrast, have been tipped for relegation this season. They finished last season dangerously close to the relegation zone and although they’ve strengthened their squad early in the transfer window with Matty Foulds from Bradford, and Rod McDonald from Crewe. They’ve also brought in ex-Burnley goalkeeper Lewis Thomas, Dean Cornelius from Motherwell, James Daly from Woking, and Abraham Odoh from relegated Rochdale. With that last transfer announced on 5th July, they’ve seemingly finished business early, and will have been able to maximise pre-season preparations. As we get closer to the opening weekend it looks like they’ve been able to retain Luke Armstrong (although Simon Weaver said yesterday they are still fielding bids), which must be a massive relief to the Sulphurites.
Head-to-head record:
Doncaster Rovers 1 – Draws 1 – Harrogate Town 1
Forest Green Rovers vs Salford City – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
After a short spell under Hannah Dingley, FGR welcomed Dave Horseman from Southampton in mid-July, and much of pre-season will be about finding their feet under a new head coach and new personnel. Their transfer window has not been particularly busy, which could have been at Horseman’s insistence, meaning we may well see comings and goings during August. However, goalkeepers James Searle and Luke Daniels have joined them from Barnsley and Oxford after respectively. They’ve also welcomed midfielder Callum Jones from Hull and Teddy Jenks from Brighton, in a summer that has been dominated by headlines about Duncan Ferguson, and then Dingley’s short tenure as the first woman to manage a men’s professional football team. As they head into the 23/24 season they’ll be looking for a speedy return to League One, but should not underestimate the level of competition in League Two this season.
Speaking of teams with something to prove in League Two, Saturday sees FGR host Salford City who finished 22/23 in seventh position with their highest points finish, edging Mansfield out of the playoffs in the last game of the season. Whilst Ibou Touray has left for Stockport, fellow 22/23 EFL League Two Team of the Season player Elliot Watt remains, and has been joined by Connor McLennan from Aberdeen, Ossama Ashley from Colchester, and Luke Garbutt from Blackpool, with Matty Lund and Adrian Mariappa signing new contracts. With a large proportion of the squad unchanged from last season, they’ve used pre season to strengthen and get in the right mindset after their disappointing penalties defeat to Stockport in the play-off semi-final. 23/24 is their opportunity to ‘go one better’ and their approach to that is unified and committed. Coming out of pre-season with no injuries, they’re definitely one to watch in the season’s opening month and beyond.
Head-to-head record:
Forest Green Rovers 2 – Draws 2 – Salford City 2
Grimsby Town vs AFC Wimbledon – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Grimsby’s first season back in the EFL saw their playoff challenging position eroded by their stellar FA Cup campaign, and a mid-table finish. Keeper Max Crocombe has left for Burton, but Grimsby have signed Jake Eastwood from Sheffield United, and Harvey Cartwright has re-joined from Hull as replacements. Kamil Conteh also joins them from Middlesborough, as does striker Rekeil Pyke from Shrewsbury Town, and Harvey Rodgers from Accrington. The biggest move, in the fans’ eyes anyway, is the return of Charles Vernam to Blundell Park from Lincoln City with The Mariners securing his services until 2026 after three years away. With a strengthened squad, and a single-minded approach to League Two success, Grimsby could well do far better than league predictions are suggesting.
AFC Wimbledon may well also end up taking League Two by surprise this season after a disappointing end to 22/23 with a run of bad form and some arguably undeserved last-minute defeats. Despite losing Ethan Chislett, they’ve so far managed to hold on to Ali Al-Hamadi, who only joined The Dons in January, on a two-and-a-half year deal, but nevertheless has been subject to intense interest from League One and The Championship. Early reinforcements came in the shape of Ryan McLean from Hereford, and Crawley’s James Tilley at the end of June, followed by Stockport’s Ryan Johnson and Joe Lewis, Armani Little from FGR, Alex Bass from Sunderland, and James Ball from Rochdale. With so many new arrivals one of the main challenges for The Dons in the early season may be fielding a cohesive team used to working together.
Head-to-head record:
Grimsby Town 2 – Draws 0 – AFC Wimbledon 2
Morecambe vs Walsall – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
After a comeback victory against Lincoln at the end of April briefly kept survival dreams alive, Morecambe were ultimately relegated on the last day of the season after two seasons in League One. With inevitable departures including Cole Stockton, keeper Connor Ripley and Ryan Cooney, they’ve recruited to cover losses, including defender Chris Stokes from Kilmarnock, Charlie Brown from Cheltenham, Yann Songo’o, Stuart Moore, Cammy Smith, JJ McKiernan, Jordan Slew, Michael Mellon, and Eli King. This will be the fifth time Derek Adams has signed Songo’o who is keen to replicate his 20/21 promotion campaign success at The Shrimps. With rumours about financial issues at the club still circulating, Morecambe will need to do their talking on the pitch to counterbalance somewhat low expectations for the 23/24 season, but a significant challenge will be the number of new arrivals and their lack of playing time together as they start the season.
Walsall’s Priestley Farquharson will be looking to even the score having played for the Newport County team that were defeated in the 20/21 play-off final that confirmed Morecambe’s ascension to League One. Chris Hussey will join him in defence, after a season at play-off finalists Stockport County. Danny Johnson is a high profile return, in addition to Douglas James-Taylor, Freddie Draper, Harry Williams, Jackson Smith, Ross Tierney, and Aramide Oteh. Ex-striker Darren Byfield has also made a return as first-team coach, working alongside Mat Sadler and Gary Waddock.
With both sides keen to defy relatively low expectations for the season, this may be one of the more interesting ties for the weekend.
Head-to-head record:
Morecambe 3 – Draws 1 – Walsall 1
Stockport County vs Gillingham – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Stockport County’s 22/23 season ended in penalties in the play-off final at Wembley, and defeat to Carlisle. Their first season back in the EFL after 11 years saw a very slow start as they struggled to find rhythm and consistency in a new league, and with a raft of new signings. Their approach to 23/24, much like Salford’s, is to ‘go one better’, and their core team for last season has been retained which should stand them in good stead for the new season. Their transfer window business shouldn’t be undersold though – signings include League Two Team of the Season’s Ibou Touray from Salford, ex-Manchester United and Stoke attacking midfielder Nick Powell, and Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry, who played alongside Touray last season at The Ammies. Although they continue to nurse long term injury absences, key faces from last season remain, and fan favourites Will Collar and Paddy Madden will bring the experience to support younger players including Ethan Pye, Ryan Rydel, and newcomers Jayden Richardson and Josh Popoola.
Gillingham’s 22/23 season was very much one of two halves. Before Christmas they were propping up the table, and then came the interventions of Brad Galinson as he took majority shares over from Paul Scally who had maintained ownership for 27 years. The January transfer saw a raft of investment and signings including Tom Nichols from Crawley Town, and a dramatic return to form, with the best home record in the season. Away wins continued to be elusive, and they would have undoubtedly preferred to start this season at home. Their transfer business has been predictably, aggressive, with highlights including Ashley Nadesan to rejoin ex-Crawley teammate Nichols, Scott Malone, Shadrach Ogie, Max Clark, and most notably Jonny Williams who chose Gillingham over Bradford City. Like Stockport, Gillingham start the season carrying some injuries, and lacking a 25-goal striker, so it’s entirely feasible we might see more signings before the end of the month.
Head-to-head record:
Stockport 0 – Draws 4 – Gillingham 4
Sutton United vs Notts County – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Sutton face significant challenges this season given the expected increase in quality and competitiveness. They have invested in the off-season, including signings such as Omari Patrick who was excellent in the play-off final for Carlisle, forward Aiden O’Brien, and ex-Orient striker Harry Smith, which would arguably have made them incredibly competitive in last season’s League Two, but may not be enough for the 23/24 season.
With arguably one of the biggest League Two signings of the summer, David McGoldrick’s return to Notts County from Derby dominated headlines, and they’ve managed to retain National League golden boot winner Macaulay Langstaff despite significant interest. Ollie Tipton, Aaron Nemane, and Aidan Stone are the other notable arrivals, joining a squad that Luke Williams will be keen to see make the jump in style and level to League Two. Notts County beat Chesterfield on penalties at Wembley to take the second promotion to League Two, with a point scoring performance which in any other year would have seen them take automatic promotion. Tipped to at least challenge for the play-offs in a very competitive league, Notts County will be looking for a win this opening weekend.
Head-to-head record:
Sutton United 0 – Draws 2 – Notts County 4
Tranmere Rovers vs Barrow – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Tranmere finished 13th last season, and their summer transfer business so far suggests that mid-table might currently be outside their reach given the increase in much stronger sides in League Two. Josh Dacres-Cogley’s departure for Bolton will be acutely felt, with new signings not quite matching his star power with National League signings including Joe Yarney from Oldham and Connor Jennings from Hartlepool returning for his second stint. They will be joined by Jake Leake from Hull City and Luke McGee from FGR, and Regan Hendry who has signed a permanent contract at the club. Tranmere will need to take every opportunity for points this season, grinding out draws if necessary to preserve their EFL status.
Barrow finished their first season under Pete Wild in ninth place. Over the summer they’ve seen key departures in Patrick Brough and Josh Gordon, and have welcomed midfielder Dean Campbell from Aberdeen, and 20-year-old defender Mazeed Ogungbo from Arsenal, and striker Emile Acquah from Maidenhead. Give the expected uplift in quality across League Two this season, it may be quickly apparent that they’ve not done enough, but their solid, reliable presence throughout the 22/23 season might make them quiet contenders for the play-offs if they can harness the advantage of having a potentially relatively unchanged squad early this season.
Head-to-head record:
Tranmere Rovers 8 – Draws 3 – Barrow 3
Wrexham vs Milton Keynes Dons – 3pm, Saturday 5th August 2023
Saving arguably the biggest fixture of the weekend for last (not intentional, alphabetical!), we get to Wrexham and MK Dons, who have never met before (in the interests of protecting my sanity we won’t be using any previous iterations of Wimbledon as a point of comparison for head-to-head records this season), and are both newcomers to League Two. Both make their return after fifteen years of absence, but whilst Wrexham have been languishing in non-league football, MK Dons have predominantly enjoyed League One football, with a brief spell in the Championship.
Wrexham’s change in fortunes since 2021 have been well documented, and their record breaking accession to League Two, with a roster of players that wouldn’t seem out of place in League One, are aiming for back-to-back promotions. Going into 23/24’s opening weekend they have a massive advantage over other teams in the division in that they haven’t recruited heavily, which means that the team expected to start at The Racecourse on Saturday will closely resemble their National League winning team, a closely knit unit. Phil Parkinson’s side will miss the injured Paul Mullin, but their form last season without him was not drastically altered. That said, with Phil Parkinson confirming that Mullin may be out for up to two months, they have got bids in for strikers they’re targeting. It will be interesting to see how Wrexham respond to both a higher level of football and increased scrutiny, and how other teams in the league respond to playing against them – will they rise to the challenge, or struggle under the deferred spotlight?
When Graham Alexander’s appointment at Milton Keynes Dons was confirmed it was immediately clear of their ambitions to return to League One this season. They moved characteristically early in the transfer window, securing the signatures of MJ Williams from Bolton, Tommy Smith from Colchester, Alex Gilbey from Charlton, and goalkeepers Craig MacGillivray from Burton Albion, and Nathan Harness from Charlton. Alexander specialises in promotion campaigns, overseeing Fleetwood in 15/16 and Salford in 18/19, and promotion will very much have been his brief on joining. MK Dons start the season with one of the most difficult ties, with Wrexham having an exceptional record at home, and one of their biggest games ever ahead of them. However, they would do well to remember Stockport County’s start in League Two last season – with similar fanfare, and starting as many pundits’ favourites to win the league, they were defeated at home by Barrow and had a disastrous start to the season. Whatever 23/24 brings to both Wrexham and MK Dons, attention will be focused on them both.
Head-to-head record:
Wrexham 0 – Draws 0 – MK Dons 0
