Sky Bet League One Opening Fixtures Previewed: Your Guide to Every Match

The final programmes are being published, kits are being printed, pitches are being sprinkled – we are just a matter of hours away from the EFL’s return.

After enduring the annual long-old wait, football is finally back and it’s kicking off in League One as of tonight. Luton and Wimbledon will cut the ribbon for the 2025/26 season, but this article isn’t just about them. What about all the other stellar fixtures on offer?

There are 12 matches to look forward to this weekend - in League One alone. So, lets have a look at each one of them, to see what’s in store.

Luton Town vs AFC Wimbledon

This is it. The debutant for the new season. Two teams who did not even compete in League One last season will collide at Kenilworth Road tonight, in hopes of starting their campaign in the right way.

Luton faced a second consecutive relegation from the Championship last season, after finishing 22nd in the table. Never would they have thought two years ago, when playing the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, that they would have fallen all the way back to the third tier – but here they are.

(Luton Town's Position 2023/24 and 2024/25: FotMob)

Surprisingly, the Hatters have kept the bulk of their squad throughout their double drop. However, the losses of star-men Carlton Morris and Alfie Doughty will be a painful blow.

AFC Wimbledon have alternately arrived via the complete opposite route. Johnnie Jackson’s men sought promotion from League Two last season, after a monumental campaign in the playoffs.

They conquered Notts County in the semi-finals and then Walsall at Wembley, now looking to cement their place in the third tier after three years away.

Cardiff City vs Peterborough United

This is our Saturday lunchtime sorted. Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough will travel all the way to South Wales on opening day, to face the Championship’s rock-bottom finishers from last season at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Cardiff fans may be the set least excited for this new campaign. It is in fact their first season back in the third tier since 2003, after years of enjoyment in the Championship and even the Premier League.

The Bluebirds finished 24th with just 44 points last season; however, they have now appointed former Manchester City youth coach Brian Barry-Murphy as their manager and will be seeking a top two finish in League One.

Peterborough will be hoping and praying for nothing worse than what they had to go through last term. After two consecutive years of playoff football, the Posh ended up in 18th place last season, amidst relegation contenders.

With Ferguson still persevering as head coach, he has acquired some key targets this summer, including Declan Frith, Kyrell Lisbie, Brandon Khela and Alex Bass. The EFL Trophy holders are clearly attempting to build their way back up towards the top six.

🏆 Retained ✅#pufc | #VertuTrophyFinal #WembleyAgain pic.twitter.com/QHjmY5C1oJ

— Peterborough United (@theposh) April 13, 2025

Blackpool vs Stevenage

Stevenage’s League One season kicks off at the seaside this term, as they face Blackpool tomorrow afternoon.

Bloomfield Road now excites its third consecutive season in the third tier, after Blackpool spent yet another year short of the playoff positions.

The Tangerines concluded last season in ninth spot, giving them very little to shout about under experienced manager Steve Bruce. However, with some positive signings reinforced into the side, Blackpool could certainly improve on past results.

Stevenage seemed to have gotten weaker last season. Of course, losing manager Steve Evans played a huge part in their 14th finish, but they may fare similarly throughout this new campaign. The Boro have picked up a few players in the window, but another mid-table to lower half finish looks likely.

Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers

Bradford’s first year back in League One commences against last season’s fifth placed side Wycombe tomorrow. The matchup at Valley Parade will sure attract a crowd, with Graham Alexander’s men raring to start their new adventure.

Bradford had been trapped in League Two for six seasons prior to their automatic promotion last term. The Bantams finished 3rd with 78 points in the fourth tier, avoiding the playoff series that had treated them so badly in years before. Valley Parade, packed out with 24,000 fans, is finally back where it belongs.

Wycombe head into this game on the back of a fantastic season in League One, but one that carried so much disappointment. They competed amongst Birmingham and Wrexham all season long for automatic promotion, until a string of three losses sent them deep into the playoffs.

⚽️ Our defeat today sees us finish fifth in @SkyBetLeagueOne. pic.twitter.com/ywAoF3dL1m

— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) May 3, 2025

From there, the Chairboys were knocked out straight away in the semi-finals against Charlton and are now stuck to see another campaign in the third tier. However, just one day out from their visit to West Yorkshire, they still have top scorer Richard Kone at their disposal.

Burton Albion vs Mansfield Town

Tomorrow’s long list of League One games also features a midlands reunion, as Mansfield travel the minor distance of 32 miles to reach their opponents Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium.

Burton escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, as just one point separated them from the drop zone. With some fresh faces brightening up their squad, the Brewers could be building a much greater end-goal come May next year.

Mansfield fell from grace in the second half of last season in League One. The Stags looked like potentially gaining a playoff spot until their 13-game winless run between January and March set them back. Only earning 23 points post New Year’s Eve ended their season in 17th.

Doncaster Rovers vs Exeter City

It’s time for the League Two champions to take their stance in the league above, as Doncaster host Exeter on opening weekend. This game tomorrow will be the first time that League One football has been played at the Eco-Power Stadium in three years.

Doncaster won the fourth tier title last season on a staggering 84 points, following the late nosedive of Walsall. Grant McCann’s men tried and tested playoff football the year prior, but it wasn’t meant to be. That was until his goal-heavy side outperformed every other team in the league within a year after.

(Doncaster Rovers Position in League Two 2024/25: FotMob)

In that same timespan, Exeter have since become a League One household name - finishing no lower than 16th in the three years they have been there. Gary Cadlwell has truly worked his magic on the Grecians, avoiding all threat of relegation and looking to do the same this season.

Huddersfield Town vs Leyton Orient

We are in for a competitive match with this one, as a reignited Huddersfield welcome playoff finalists Leyton Orient to the Accu Stadium tomorrow.

Lee Grant’s reimagined Huddersfield have dug deep into their pockets this summer, acquiring a chain of powerhouses at this level. The Terriers’ 10th place finish last term was in no way good enough, so why not fix that with the combination of Alfie May, Jack Whatmough, Ryan Ledson, Marcus Harness and co.

If all goes smoothly, Huddersfield could be in for a stellar year in League One.

It has not been easy for Leyton Orient to get over the heartbreak of last season. To lose the playoff final after a campaign full of highs and determination left a horrible bitter-sweet taste in East London, especially now that they have lost their top scorer, top assist maker and a lot of their squad.

However, Orient have brought in some viable replacements, including Josh Koroma and Demetri Mitchell. This makes Richie Wellens men are more than capable of giving this season another roll of the dice.

Lincoln City vs Reading

The grass may be turning greener for Reading ahead of this season, as they travel northbound to the LNER Stadium tomorrow to face Lincoln City.

💪 MD-1 prep.

— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) August 1, 2025

Lincoln City haven’t made much movement in the third tier since their playoff final collapsed in 2021, finishing outside the top six in each season afterwards. Last term, the Imps took up 11th position, closer to the relegation zone on points than they were to the playoffs.

Michael Skubala’s outfit haven’t been too active in the summer transfer window either, picking up just two players in Ryley Tower and free agent Sonny Bradley.

Reading have not had it easy in the last couple of years. They finished just one spot adrift of the playoffs last season, amidst an ongoing ownership saga and transfer embargoes.

However, former owner Dai Youngge recently sold the club to the supporters’ relief and yesterday the Royals completed their first paid-for signing in over four years. This set of good news could rekindle a spark back into Reading and help push them up to where they belong.

Plymouth Argyle vs Barnsley

The derby of young managers. Home Park Stadium will house Plymouth versus Barnsley tomorrow afternoon, with both teams still wailing from their dispiriting campaigns of last season.

Plymouth suffered an expected relegation from the Championship last term, after it had been brewing all year long through their inadequate performances on the pitch. The Greens picked up just 11 wins in the second tier and ironically, four of those came in their last six matches when they already looked dead and buried.

Now, with 35-year-old Tom Cleverley at the wheel, Argyle will be eager to compete at the top end of League One next season.

Barnsley were another team to spend back-to-back years amongst the League One playoffs, until last season’s distress dawned on them. The Tykes ended up 12th in the league, 17 points behind the playoffs and with more losses than wins.

Heading into Conor Hourihane’s first full season in charge, it will be interesting to see how the 34-year-old copes with little coaching experience to his name.

🚨 Breaking… Conor Hourihane has signed a 2-year deal with a club 1-year option to become Barnsley’s permanent head coach.

🗣️ “It’s pretty emotional, to be honest. I’m really honoured. I had success as captain & now I want success as a head coach.”#BarnsleyFC | @BBCSheffield pic.twitter.com/CJZcr1ve9u

— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) April 18, 2025

Rotherham United vs Port Vale

Here are two sides who may well find themselves at the bottom end of the table this season, as Rotherham United host newly promoted Port Vale at the AESSEAL New York Stadium on opening day.

Rotherham severely underachieved last season, as they ended up in 13th whilst bringing in an astonishing 17 signings throughout the year. Despite none of these transfers costing a penny in fees, the Millers acquired a wealth of experience that simply just did not work out for them.

Now with an unproven manager in Matthew Hamshaw and plenty of outgoings, Rotherham may struggle to get back on the ball this season.

Port Vale accompanied both Doncaster and Bradford in the League Two automatic promotion spots last season, finishing second out of the three on 80 points. Darren Moore continues to pull in some fantastic signings for Vale, but they have certainly leaned how difficult League One can be throughout previous seasons.

Wigan Athletic vs Northampton Town

The final game of the Saturday 15:00 kick-off package is Wigan versus Northampton, as the Greater Manchester side entertain this game at The Brick Community Stadium.

Wigan just haven’t seemed to stay away from the middle of the table since their relegation to League One in 2023. The Latics closed last season in 15th, never really threatened by relegation, but also not once looking likely to push up the table.

This summer, Ryan Lowe’s men have added various talent to their squad without breaking the bank, through many loan deals. Some of these signings being Paul Mullin from Wrexham and Dara Costelloe from Burnley.

_(Wigan Athletic Transfers 2025/26: Transfermarkt)

Northampton are one of many people’s relegation favourites. Although they escaped the drop last season by five points, the Cobblers performed significantly worse than the year prior and cannot afford to make the same mistakes again this time around.

With some of their more prominent scoring outlets not getting any younger - such as Sam Hoskins and Cameron McGeehan - Northampton have not made an effort to fill their gaps, leaving them with little sources for goals ahead of this season.

Stockport County vs Bolton Wanderers

This is the final fixture of game-week one and what a matchup it is. Two Greater Manchester powerhouses battling it out on Sunday lunchtime at Edgeley Park, ahead of a year where both will have high hopes to reach the Championship.

Stockport have showed that they mean business after falling short in the playoffs last season. They have attained some truly sensational signings, including Stoke City’s Nathan Lowe on loan, who scored 15 League Two goals prior to Christmas last year.

The hurt of losing on penalties to deny them a trip to Wembley, despite finishing third in the league, could only make them want it more. And County are clearly putting all of their eggs into a promotion basket.

Similarly to both Peterborough and Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers ended their consecutive playoff run by occupying eighth position in the League One table last season. Steven Schumacher’s men still played at a respectable quality but just cannot seem to grasp the promotion they have been investing so heavily into.

The Whites have one of the highest club market values in the league, just shy of €20 million. Now, they continue to orchestrate many pricy deals, putting more and more pressure on their promotion spectacle.

(League One Club Market Values 2025: Transfermarkt)