44 days and counting until we see a return to weekly Football League football across the country, with the EFL releasing the 2016/17 fixtures for League Two today.
Carlisle United have not got the rub of the green from the fixture administrators with a 700-mile round trip to Portsmouth to prepare for ahead of the season’s kick-off on Saturday 6 August.
Six years ago Blackpool were opening their Premier League campaign with a 4-0 victory over Wigan at the DW Stadium, Gary Bowyer looks for a first victory as the new Tangerines boss when they host Exeter City.
Doncaster Rovers have strengthened their team after relegation from League One, they and Accrington Stanley will seek to dislodge the disappointment of last season in their encounter at the Wham Stadium.
Plymouth Argyle are handed a difficult opening game against Luton with play-off heartache still fresh in the memory for the Pilgrims, the Hatters are anticipating their first full season under manager Nathan Jones.
Leaving the National League behind, Champions Cheltenham Town are welcomed back to the Football League with a home tie against Leyton Orient, while Paul Hurst’s Grimsby mark their return against Morecambe.
Steve Davis has been the subject of fan frustration since Crewe Alexandra’s board publicly backed their manager – at a fans’ forum in April – to return the Railwaymen back to League One at the first time of asking. Stevenage await Crewe on the first day of the season after showing a revival under Darren Sarll, who will have former Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder advising him.
Key dates:
Sat 6 August – start of season
Mon 26 December – Boxing Day match
Sat 31 December – New Year’s Eve match
Mon 2 January – First match of 2017
Sat 6 May – Final match of the season
Sun 28 May – League Two Play-off final
Full fixtures:
Accrington Stanley – www.accringtonstanley.co.uk/fixtures-201516/
Barnet – www.barnetfc.com/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Blackpool – www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Cambridge United – www.cambridge-united.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Carlisle United – www.carlisleunited.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Cheltenham Town – www.ctfc.com/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Colchester United – www.cu-fc.com/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Crawley Town – www.crawleytownfc.com/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Crewe Alexandra – www.crewealex.net/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Doncaster Rovers – www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Exeter City – www.exetercityfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Grimsby Town – www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Hartlepool United – www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Leyton Orient – www.leytonorient.com/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Luton Town – www.lutontown.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Mansfield Town – www.mansfieldtown.net/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Morecambe – www.morecambefc.com/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Newport County – www.newport-county.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Notts County – www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Plymouth Argyle – www.pafc.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Portsmouth – www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Stevenage – www.stevenagefc.com/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Wycombe Wanderers – www.wycombewanderers.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Yeovil Town – www.ytfc.net/fixtures-results/fixtures-list/
Final day: The matches will are likely to decide some teams’ fate (photo by EFL)
