Fixture Day: the day that can build up hopes or destroy aspirations as teams learn who they will face at the start of the season.
Whether it’s an easy home game or a difficult run to begin the campaign, nothing stirs up anticipation for the new season like fixture release day. Here are five of the tastiest matches to look out for when the EFL kicks off at the start of August.
Plymouth Argyle vs Sheffield Wednesday
Starting in the Championship, and two teams who battled towards the bottom of the table last campaign, both narrowly avoiding relegation. That being said, they are two teams who could potentially have very different seasons this time around, with very different feels around the respective clubs.
Plymouth Argyle kick off the new campaign having appointed former Birmingham City and Derby County manager Wayne Rooney, with the former England striker tasked with ensuring the Devon side avoid the relegation worries of last season. Argyle face a battle on their hands to keep star player Morgan Whittaker, with Rooney’s chances of success likely depending on the attacker.
As for Sheffield Wednesday, confidence is high at Hillsborough under young German boss Danny Rohl, who masterminded the Owls to unlikely survival last term. Wednesday would have finished comfortably mid-table if Rohl had been in charge for the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign. With a summer window and pre-season under their belts, a mid-table finish, or even better, could be on the cards this year, and the South Yorkshire outfit will be hoping for a win at Home Park to strengthen those ambitions.
Leeds United vs Portsmouth
At the other end of the Championship, Leeds United will look to put the disappointment of their play-off final defeat against them with an opening day win over newly-promoted Portsmouth.
Daniel Farke’s side went an unbelievable 15 games unbeaten at the turn of the year and will hope that run translates into the start of this season. Having thus far kept hold of key men such as Willy Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville, Leeds look as though they’ll once again have the firepower to blow teams away. The Whites are generally considered one of the favourites in a fairly weak division this season and will fancy themselves against Pompey to get their season off to a winning start.
For Portsmouth, this is their first season in the second tier since 2012 and they’ve already been making their side Championship-ready with signings such as Oxford United’s Wembley hero Josh Murphy. Manager John Mousinho is one of a number of impressive young managers in the second tier, and if he can do as well in his first Championship season, Pompey are in for a good campaign. A win in his side’s first game back in the division might be a struggle though.
Peterborough United vs Huddersfield Town
Turning to League One now, and two sides likely to be there or thereabouts at the business end of the table come May 2025.
Peterborough United are likely to have another season towards the top of the table, having secured several play-off finishes in recent years but never quite being able to make the step up. This is likely to be the case again, with Posh having made several signings typical of their recruitment model, such as George Nevett from Rochdale. The full make-up of their squad remains to be seen, with star men Harrison Burrows and Ronnie Edwards touted for moves, which will certainly make their season harder if they come to fruition.
Huddersfield Town will be hoping to make their stay in the third tier a short one after last season’s dismal campaign, and the Terriers’ hierarchy are certainly making moves geared towards instant promotion. The appointment of Michael Duff, who has experience around the top of League One with Barnsley, as well as the signing of Lasse Sorensen from Lincoln City, show the Yorkshire club aren’t messing around and want out of League One at the first attempt. However, they’ll have a tricky start to life in the division with a trip to Bristol Street Motors Trophy holders Posh.
Birmingham City vs Reading
With their first game back in the division against a Reading side struggling off the pitch, this may be the perfect chance for Birmingham to get some early points on the board. Owner Tom Wagner has already made it clear he is willing to spend to get out of the league, with £20 million reportedly available for new boss Chris Davies to spend. If the Blues do spend that much, and spend it wisely, it would be hard to bet against them making an immediate return to the Championship, with their opening match at home to Reading likely to be a sign of what to expect over the season.
It was a difficult campaign last time out in Berkshire, with unpopular owner Dai Yongge attracting protests at the club. There was also several instances of the club being deducted points for financial mismanagement. Towards the end of the 2023/24 campaign though, manager Ruben Selles had managed to put together a decent team despite the struggles as the Royals pulled away from danger to eventually finish 17th. Going into this season, their fortunes depend highly on their ownership status, and if they avoid any points deductions a positive campaign looks to be on the cards.
Barrow vs Crewe Alexandra
Onto the fourth tier now, and a game which pits two top half sides against each other. Barrow have finished ninth and eighth in their two seasons in the EFL and will be hoping to continue that upward trajectory to land themselves a play-off spot. They’ll have to do it without ex-manager Pete Wild, who left the club in the summer following discussions with the board. New manager Stephen Clemence had a spell with Gillingham last season, and fans of the Cumbrians will be hoping he’s the man to take them to the third tier.
They’ll face a tough start though, against a Crewe Alexandra side who reached the play-off final last campaign and are likely to be up there again this season. The Cheshire outfit have added the likes of Ed Turns and Kane Hemmings to their ranks, so will be a difficult team to beat. Manager Lee Bell is one of the top young bosses in the division, and if he gets his side firing again they’ll be fighting it out at the top end of the table. A win against Barrow on the opening day will help as they look to return to League One after two seasons in League Two.
Writer’s View
The EFL fixture supercomputer has worked wonders this season, with opening day producing a range of strong fixtures across the league.
As for the tastiest looking tie, it’s hard to look past Leeds United vs Portsmouth. It’s been far too long since Pompey have been in the second tier, but their start looks frankly ridiculous, so it’s tough to see where they pick up points. Toughest of them all is their first game against beaten play-off finalists Leeds, who are among the favourites for promotion to the Premier League. A win for Pompey on the opening weekend would really put the cat amongst the pigeons.
