Introducing The Seven New Teams In League One Next Season

With fixture release day, fast-approaching anticipation of the new season is growing. In this article, we will look at the seven new teams in Sky Bet League 1 this season, and give a very early prediction ahead of the new season.

Birmingham City

Manager – TBC (To be updated upon appointment)

Stadium – St Andrew’s

Capacity – 30009

Key Player – Jordan James, keeping hold of the Welsh International may prove extremely challenging with clubs higher in the pyramid sniffing around. Jordan came through the Blues, youth academy and played in all but four championship matches last season.

Last Season – 22nd Sky Bet Championship

With new owners coming in at the start of the 23/24 season, Birmingham fans had new optimism, after seven years of finishing in the bottom six in the league. They started well under John Eustace, before sacking him while sitting in the playoff places. Wayne Rooney replaced him, and much like when Gianfranco Zola was in charge the club plummeted down the table with only two wins in 15 games.

Rooney was replaced, by experienced manager Tony Mowbray, before he stepped back from management (at first till the end of the season), with Mark Venus taking charge, before ending the season with Gary Rowett who won 3, drew 2 and lost 3 of his eight games in charge. The draws to also relegated sides, Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town ultimately cost Birmingham.

Early Prediction – I do expect Birmingham to be at least in the top six, ultimately this does depend on who they lose. Players such as Siriki Dembele, Koji Miyoshi, Krystian Bielik and Lee Buchanan are far too good for League One in my opinion, but with them being League Cup winners as recent as 2011 they would be an attractive club to join.

Huddersfield Town

Manager – Michael Duff

Stadium – John Smith’s Stadium

Capacity – 24554

Key Player – Michal Helik, having worked under Duff before at Barnsley, Helik offers a great threat from set pieces as well as being in the top 90% percentile last season for aerial duels won as well as the top 95% percentile for defensive actions.

Last Season – 23rd Sky Bet Championship

Another club, that had new owners around the start of last season, with Neil Warnock at the helm you would have been forgiven for thinking that they would have survived. Warnock left the club in September upon the takeover and was replaced with Darren Moore, who recently guided Sheffield Wednesday to promotion. He only lasted until January with only three wins from 23 games. He was then replaced by Andre Breitenreiter, who was highly critical of his players in post-match press conferences, as the club was relegated on the final day against Ipswich Town.

Early Prediction – Another club, which hasn’t had the best of fortunes over the past two years, I expect Huddersfield to be solid at the back, but they may struggle for the first few months of the season to score goals, I expect Sorba Thomas and Jack Rudoni to both leave the club this summer, which removes a lot of creativity from the side.

I would predict Huddersfield to miss out on the play-offs.

Rotherham United

Manager – Steve Evans

Stadium – ASSEAL New York Stadium

Capacity – 12021

Key Player – Liam Kelly, who joined from Coventry City as a summer signing provides vast experience at the base of the midfield and will provide calmness in the squad as well as much-needed quality in the middle of the park.

Last Season – 24th Sky Bet Championship

Last season was one to forget for The Millers, with only five wins all season. After a 19th place finish the previous year, a lot of people would have predicted Rotherham to struggle again, due to the vast finances available at other championship clubs, which they ultimately did. Matt Taylor started the season as manager, before being sacked and replaced by Leam Richardson ahead of the January window but he was sacked in April averaging 0.4 points per game. He was replaced by former manager Steve Evans, who had been promoted from this level with Rotherham in 2014.

Early Prediction – I expect Rotherham to be promoted, Steve Evans has a track record of getting the best out of players at this level and with no fewer than seven first-team players already joining the club, such as Liam Kelly from Coventry City, Joe Powell from Burton Albion, Evans is getting his business done early which can only bode well for building a ethos at a club.

Stockport County

Manager – Dave Challinor

Stadium – Edgeley Park

Capacity – 10852

Key Player – Ibou Touray, full-backs for me don’t get enough credit, you could say Olaofe after his 20 goals last season, but the left-back was an extremely consistent performer providing 9 assists in 32 games last season and being crucial in the way in which Stockport play alongside Kyle Knoyle who is their right wing-back.

Last Season – 1st Sky Bet League Two

Stockport started the season off slowly only winning one of their first six games, but they soon kicked into gear winning their next 11 league matches. A sticky spell followed over Christmas and into February with injuries stacking up, but they once again showed their quality going on an unbeaten 13-match run from March to the matchday 45 which ultimately ended up with them being champions.

Stockport were the league’s top scorer with 96 goals scored, and the second-best defence in the league behind Mansfield by a single goal however, Stockport did keep the most clean sheets in the league with 17.

Early Prediction – Stockport is another club, who have started their business earlier, already adding Jayden Fevrier from Colchester United who is comfortable playing down the entire right-hand side, as well as Jay Mingi from Colchester United who is also comfortable playing at right back. They did lose marksman Paddy Madden on the expiry of his contract, but I believe they will recruit someone with the same qualities.

I would predict an upper mid-table finish for Stockport.

Mansfield Town

Manager – Nigel Clough

Stadium – One Call Stadium

Capacity – 8186

Key Player – Davis Keillor-Dunn the attacking midfielder had 32 goal involvements last season and was at the heart of everything good Mansfield did, his last spell in League One was with Burton Albion where he scored 5 times in 19 games before joining Mansfield in January 2023.

Last Season – 3rd Sky Bet League 2

Mansfield has been consistent, over the past seasons just missing out on the play-offs in the 22/23 season. Starting the season of the best out of the three promoted teams not losing a league game until the 25th of November, they were probably the most consistent team throughout the season, even though they finished 3rd, and very rarely lost by more than one goal.

Mansfield, had the most touches in the opposition box, favouring a more direct style of play and being first to pick up on second balls, as they had the 5th most long passes per match last season with 32.4.

Manager Nigel Clough has managed at this level before with Burton Albion and against the odds getting them promoted as well as managing Sheffield United so know what it takes to get out of this league.

Early Prediction – Mansfield, another club that has started their summer business early, already added experienced marksman Lee Gregory and full-back Frazer Blake Tracy, I do feel however this may be a season of struggle for Mansfield, with them fighting at the bottom end of the league, due to the vast quality of the league this season.

Wrexham

Manager – Phil Parkinson

Stadium – Stok Cae Ras

Capacity – 19118

Key Player – Elliot Lee, the midfielder scored 16 goals and got 6 assists last season, and is one of very few Wrexham players to have played at this level having played for Oxford United, Charlton and Luton Town.

Last Season – 2nd Sky Bet League Two

Like Stockport, Wrexham started slowly, with 1 win in their first 5 games, however upon the return of leading marksman Paul Mullin they soon found their form. Their home form was the best in the league last season with 17 wins and only three defeats, while their away form wasn’t as spectacular.

Wrexham, like Mansfield, favour a more direct style of play, using the pace of Mullin and the intelligence of Lee to get on the end of balls into channels. Wrexham was the joint 3rd highest scorer, alongside Notts County with 89.

Wrexham ended the season with 8 wins from their final nine games beating league champions Stockport on the final day to take 2nd place.

Early Prediction – Wrexham, have the finances and the ‘celebrity status’ to pull players you wouldn’t expect, however, I think a season of stability is ahead of them, with back to back promotions under their belt it may take them time to adapt and secondly get the additional quality needed.

Crawley Town

Manager – Scott Lindsey

Stadium – Broadfield Stadium

Capacity – 6134

Key Player – Danilo Orsi, the former Grimsby striker was prolific last season, and quickly became a fan favourite, scoring Crawley’s first goal at Wembley in the League Two Play-off final, taking his tally to 19 goals. Striking a good relationship with attacking midfielder Klaidi Lolos and Adam Campbell has proven crucial to Crawley.

Last Season – 7th Sky Bet League Two (Play-Off Winners)

Crawley, was a lot of people’s favourites, to go down last season, but a change in Recruitment Policy, in terms of still using the data approach but giving Lindsey the final say on the players, worked brilliantly. Players such as Jay Williams, who joined from Banbury United, and Lawrence Maguire on loan from Chesterfield, moulded into a team that had all the right profiles for a Scott Lindsey outfit.

Crawley managed to get into the playoffs on the final day of the season, after defeating Grimsby Town 2-0 while Barrow failed to beat Mansfield.

Crawley was 16th in terms of clean sheets getting eight across the season, and being ranked 16th in terms of xG (Expected Goals).

Early Prediction – I was wrong about Crawley last season, as a lot of people were! Most people expected them to struggle, but against the odds, they won promotion under the leadership of Lindsey playing a high-pressing, high-energy game. I would expect Crawley to struggle this year, again due to the vast quality and size of clubs in the league, but I have been proven wrong once!