PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Last season: 7th
P46 W23 D11 L12 F68 A48 Pts80
Chairman/owner: Simon Hallett, 66 (appointed August 2018)
Manager: Steven Schumacher, 38 (appointed December 2021)
Steven Schumacher’s managerial record:
League games only – play-offs and cup games not included.
Players out (4):
Goalkeepers (1):
Luke McCormick, 38 (Retired)
Defenders (1):
Ollie Tomlinson, 20 (Torquay United)
Midfielders (2):
George Cooper, 25 (Chesterfield)
Alfie Lewis, 22 (Dundalk)
Forwards (0):
Players in (5):
Goalkeepers (0):
Defenders (1):
Bali Mumba, 20 (season loan from Norwich City)
Midfielders (2):
Matt Butcher, 25 (Accrington Stanley)
Finn Azaz, 21 (season loan from Aston Villa)
Forwards (2):
Mickel Miller, 26 (Rotherham United)
Morgan Whittaker, 21 (season loan from Swansea City)
Average age of players out: 26
Average age of players in: 23
Player of the Season 2021-22: Michael Cooper, 22 (goalkeeper)
One to watch: Ryan Hardie, 25 (striker)
Season ticket sales: 8,319
Ground capacity: 17,000
Visiting supporter capacity: 1,300 (can be increased to 2,022)
Pre-season:
P6 W3 D2 L1 F25 A5
2/7 Plymouth Parkway A 2-2 Hardie, Edwards
7/7 Europa Point N 15-1 Hardie 4, Ennis 4, Jephcott 2, Edwards, Houghton, Butcher, Randell, Lewis (in Estepona, Spain)
12/7 SWANSEA CITY H 1-1 Hardie
16/7 BRISTOL CITY H 0-1
19/7 Torquay United A 5-0 Mayor 2, Azaz, Randell, Endacott
23/7 Yeovil Town A 2-0 Hardie, Azaz
Commentary:
“There is still a little bit of room in the budget in case we need it. The areas that I wanted to strengthen, we did. I brought in two midfield players, two wing-backs and a striker so they were the key areas. Now we just need to monitor how we are going with our defenders. Do we need cover or not? I’m cautious not to just go out and chuck all the budget away in case an emergency occurs and we need to do something. We have to be mindful of where we are at, but also be ready to move in case we need to.” – Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher
Having spent almost the entire season in the top six and some of it at the very top, Plymouth slipped out of the League One play-off positions on the last day of the season after a 5-0 humiliation at home to MK Dons. It was a disappointing end to a season that promised so much, and how significant an impact the mid-season loss of manager Ryan Lowe made remains open to conjecture. On the positive side, the average attendance of 13,130 was the highest at Home Park for sixteen years and their highest in the third tier since Billy Rafferty and Paul Mariner fired the Pilgrims to promotion in 1974-75.
Plymouth undertook an interesting pre-season with two home friendlies against Championship sides plus four aways to non-league opposition. Those results certainly suggest that goals should not be a problem, although a question mark remains over the head of want-away striker Panutche Camará at the time of writing. Summer changes have been steady with five arrivals replacing four fringe players. Pick of the bunch is midfielder Matt Butcher from Accrington while the season-long signing of Morgan Whittaker will be of interest to Lincoln supporters. The appropriately named Mickel Miller won promotion from League One with Rotherham last season.
A costly break-in at the start of June targeted the pitch specifically, with a tractor causing damage that initially cast doubts over the club’s ability to start their home fixtures on time. In more positive news, the unveiling of the Jack Leslie statue by sculptor Andy Edwards is in the offing, while manager Steven Schumacher achieved the Pro Licence alongside the Cowleys and Mark Bonner. Season ticket sales have increased, and another promotion challenge is the target at Home Park.
At the bookies (Sky Bet): 7/1
PORTSMOUTH
Last season: 10th
P46 W20 D13 L13 F68 A51 Pts73
Chairman/owner: Michael Eisner, 80 (appointed August 2017)
Head Coach: Danny Cowley, 43 (appointed March 2021)
Danny Cowley’s managerial record:
League games only – play-offs and cup games not included.
Players out (7):
Goalkeepers (2):
Alex Bass, 24 (Sunderland)
Ollie Webber, 22 (Glentoran)
Defenders (3):
Shaun Williams, 35 (Gillingham)
Paul Downing, 30
Callum Johnson, 25 (Ross County)
Midfielders (1):
Marcus Harness, 26 (Ipswich Town)
Forwards (1):
Aiden O’Brien, 28 (Shrewsbury Town)
Players in (9):
Goalkeepers (2):
Josh Oluwayemi, 21 (Tottenham Hotspur)
Josh Griffiths, 20 (season loan from West Bromwich Albion)
Defenders (3):
Michael Morrison, 34 (Reading)
Joe Rafferty, 28 (Preston North End)
Zak Swanson, 21 (Arsenal)
Midfielders (1):
Marlon Pack, 31 (Cardiff City)
Forwards (3):
Joe Pigott, 28 (season loan from Ipswich Town)
Colby Bishop, 25 (Accrington Stanley)
Dane Scarlett, 18 (season loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
Average age of players out: 27
Average age of players in: 25
Player of the Season 2021-22: Sean Raggett, 28 (central defender)
One to watch: Colby Bishop, 25 (striker)
Season ticket sales: 12,550
Ground capacity: 20,300 when redevelopment work is completed
Visiting supporter capacity: 1,400 (all seated – can be increased to 2,800)
Pre-season:
P7 W4 D1 L2 F12 A6
2/7 Havant & Waterlooville A 3-0 Tunnicliffe, Curtis, Vincent
3/7 Gosport Borough A 0-1
9/7 Qatar SC N 2-0 Trialist, Bridgman (at Pinatar Arena, Murcia)
12/7 Bristol City A 0-0
16/7 Gillingham A 2-1 Hackett, Ogilvie
19/7 Leyton Orient A 5-2 Pigott 2, Pack, Curtis (pen), OG
23/7 COVENTRY CITY H 0-2
Commentary:
“We have always said the sky’s the limit, I think what people have an issue with is the timetable. We have talked about the ideal situation to never get relegated. So, say you go up to the Championship, don’t come back down. Work your way up to the top of the Championship and then maybe, if you are lucky enough to get to the Premier League in the first year, it’s the same philosophy – don’t get relegated in our tenure.” – Portsmouth director Eric Eisner
According to Portsmouth director Eric Eisner, the strategy at Fratton Park is long-term: a desire to build success under one manager and progress up the leagues in a co-ordinated fashion. Eisner’s references to not winning promotion until all the building blocks are in place are also interesting and hint at a schism with the wishes of supporters. However, fellow director Andy Redman also states that Cowley’s mandate is twofold: the intention is not only to win League One this season, but also to have the squad and foundations required to survive in the Championship. Cowley would be forgiven for hearing conflicting messages here, a position possibly hampered by rumours of further budget cuts. Whatever the truth of that, expectations are high at refurbished Fratton Park.
Off the field, season ticket prices have been frozen and sales are consistent with last season. Redevelopment work costing £11.5 million continues at great speed with gleaming new seats and improved sightlines emerging from the fabric of ancient stands. Capacity is set to increase to over 20,000 for the first time in several years as spectator facilities are upgraded to Championship standard.
The signings of proven League One strikers Joe Pigott and Colby Bishop sounds a warning to defences everywhere, while teenage prodigy Dane Scarlett on loan from Spurs offers an interesting option. Experienced defender Joe Rafferty arrives from Preston while former Lincoln loanee Josh Griffiths takes his place in goal. Portsmouth have a dynamic look about them that was not there previously, which makes them dangerous contenders: think Rotherham in blue. Coventry manager Mark Robins referred to Portsmouth as physical and hard to play against after a pre-season friendly, and Lincoln fans will recognise two cornerstones of a Danny Cowley team. Whether that will equate to a successful promotion campaign remains to be seen.
One final point of interest to Lincoln supporters is that both Danny and Nicky Cowley have now achieved the UEFA Pro Licence. However, they will always be schoolteachers, won’t they?
At the bookies (Sky Bet): 7/2
PORT VALE
Last season: 5th in League Two (promoted via play-offs)
P46 W22 D12 L12 F67 A46 Pts78
Chairperson: Carol Shanahan OBE, 64 (appointed sole chair January 2020)
Manager: Darrell Clarke, 44 (appointed February 2021)
Darrell Clarke’s managerial record:
League games only – play-offs and cup games not included.
Players out (5):
Goalkeepers (0):
Defenders (2):
Aaron Martin, 32 (Eastleigh)
James Gibbons, 24 (Bristol Rovers)
Midfielders (3):
David Amoo, 31
Jake Taylor, 23 (Morecambe)
Alex Hurst, 22 (York City)
Forwards (0):
Players in (6):
Goalkeepers (0):
Defenders (4):
Lewis Cass, 22 (Newcastle United)
Will Forrester, 21 (Stoke City)
Derek Agyakwa, 20 (Watford)
Thierry Small, 17 (season loan from Southampton)
Midfielders (1):
Funso Ojo, 30 (Aberdeen)
Forwards (1):
Gavin Massey, 29 (Wigan Athletic)
Average age of players out: 26
Average age of players in: 23
Player of the Season 2021-22: Ben Garrity, 25 (attacking midfield)
One to watch: James Wilson, 26 (striker)
Season ticket sales: 6,050
Ground capacity: 15,036
Visiting supporter capacity: 4,500 (all seated)
Pre-season:
P3 W2 D0 L1 F4 A5
7/7 Kidsgrove Athletic A 0-3
13/7 Dundee United N 1-0 McDermott (in La Cala, Spain)
23/7 Rochdale A 3-2 Proctor 2, Ojo
Commentary:
“We have missed out on some targets – it is pretty obvious to say that – but then we then move on. It has been a little bit of a frustrating window but also with the season finishing so late, and not being sure what division you will be in, there are always reasons why we haven’t done the business we would have liked. There are six weeks before the window shuts and I have no doubt in my mind there will be six or seven players coming into the squad.” – Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke
It would be fair to say that few outside the town of Burslem forecast a promotion challenge from Port Vale last season. However, a fantastic late run of eight wins and a draw from nine games secured the play-off spot that led to Wembley and a dominant 3-0 win over Mansfield. Considering manager Darrell Clarke’s absence from the club for a period of compassionate leave following the sad loss of his daughter, Vale’s promotion was an outstanding achievement.
With Vale’s season finishing four weeks later than usual due to their successful play-off campaign, manager Clarke is acutely aware of the challenges posed by fatigue and the availability of players due to the uncertainty of not knowing which division his side would be playing in. Vale supporters have responded well to promotion with over 6,000 season tickets sold, but the possibility of a late-season hangover looms large. For that reason, Clarke restricted his side’s pre-season programme to just three matches and a warm weather camp in La Cala.
To his credit, Clarke has shown faith in his promotion team, releasing only five players in early June. However, history shows that promoted teams usually require an extensive overhaul to prepare for life in League One, so it will be interesting to see how many new arrivals there are before the window closes. Four of the six arrivals to date are defenders aged 22 and under, while the pick of the bunch must be wide man Gavin Massey, twice promoted from League One with Wigan. Massey is not a prolific scorer but should provide an effective supply line for 15-goal striker James Wilson.
At the bookies (Sky Bet): 33/1 (relegation)
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Last season: 4th (lost in play-off semi-final)
P46 W24 D13 L9 F78 A50 Pts85
Chairman/owner: Dejphon Chansiri, 54 (appointed February 2015)
Manager: Darren Moore, 48 (appointed March 2021)
Darren Moore’s managerial record:
League games only – play-offs and cup games not included.
Players out (6):
Goalkeepers (1):
Joe Wildsmith, 26 (Derby County)
Defenders (2):
Sam Hutchinson, 32 (Reading)
Chey Dunkley, 30 (Shrewsbury Town)
Midfielders (2):
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, 30 (Derby County)
Massimo Luongo, 29
Forwards (1):
Saido Berahino, 28
Players in (8):
Goalkeepers (1):
David Stockdale, 36 (Wycombe Wanderers)
Defenders (4):
Michael Ihiekwe, 29 (Rotherham United)
Ben Heneghan, 28 (AFC Wimbledon)
Reece James, 28 (season loan from Blackpool)
Akin Famewo, 23 (Norwich City)
Midfielders (2):
Will Vaulks, 28 (Cardiff City)
Tyreeq Bakinson, 23 (Bristol City)
Forwards (1):
Michael Smith, 30 (Rotherham United)
Average age of players out: 29
Average age of players in: 28
Player of the Season 2021-22: Barry Bannan, 32 (central midfield)
One to watch: Barry Bannan, 32 (central midfield)
Season ticket sales: not disclosed
Ground capacity: 34,835
Visiting supporter capacity: 4,700
Pre-season:
P5 W1 D1 L3 F4 A8
2/7 Alfreton Town A 0-0
8/7 Harrogate Town A 2-0 Windass, Smith (pen)
15/7 AFC Bournemouth N 1-2 Dele-Bashiru (in Portugal)
20/7 RAYO VALLECANO H 0-2
23/7 Wigan Athletic A 1-4 Heneghan
Commentary:
“League One has respect for nobody, it’s a demanding and challenging division and there’s lots of variation in terms of how teams set up and play…reputations hold no bearing, you have to perform. Only three can get promoted and there’s no God-given right for the former Premier League clubs to succeed.” – Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore
If Darren Moore did not previously understand the challenges presented to relegated Championship clubs by League One, he certainly does now. Although his Sheffield Wednesday side eventually gained momentum after a difficult start to last season, at no time did they look serious challengers for automatic promotion. Defeat to promotion-winners Sunderland in the play-off semi-final consigned the Owls to a second season in the third tier, and expectations among supporters are high. Wednesday will not be able to buy their way to promotion as their annual accounts readily confirm. Even allowing for some creative accounting which eventually brought a points deduction and relegation, the club lost £25.8m during 2020-21 when they were spending £209 for every £100 of income. Their total net liabilities now stand at… drum roll… £58.2m.
Summer squad building did not get off to the best of starts as three senior players declined contract offers, two of whom signed for relegated Derby. Darren Moore’s strategy appears to be based upon experience: not only do Wednesday’s eight summer signings to date have an average age of 28, five of them have previously won promotion from League One. Star midfielder Barry Bannan remains despite rumours of a bargain £1 million release clause in his contract and will be the focal point once again. New arrival Will Vaulks will provide Championship experience alongside Bannan while Rotherham’s Michael Smith scored 25 times last season and will be expected to repeat that in his new colours.
Wednesday have a more dangerous look about them already and the bookmakers have them as clear favourites to win the league. Pre-season did not quite go to plan, but there is no reason to believe Wednesday will not carry last season’s momentum into the opening months. If Moore has got his summer business right, the Owls will surely be the team to beat.
At the bookies (Sky Bet): 6/5 (favourites)
SHREWSBURY TOWN
Last season: 18th
P46 W12 D14 L20 F47 A51 Pts50
Chairman/owner: Roland Wycherley MBE, 81 (appointed July 1996)
Manager: Steve Cotterill, 58 (appointed November 2020)
Steve Cotterill’s managerial record:
League games only – play-offs and cup games not included.
Players out (7):
Goalkeepers (1):
Cameron Gregory, 22 (Kettering Town)
Defenders (2):
Ethan Ebanks-Landell, 29 (Rochdale)
Aaron Pierre, 29
Midfielders (3):
David Davis, 31 (Forest Green Rovers)
Josh Vela, 28 (Fleetwood Town)
Joshua Daniels, 26 (The New Saints)
Forwards (1):
Shaun Whalley, 34 (Accrington Stanley)
Players in (6):
Goalkeepers (0):
Defenders (2):
Chey Dunkley, 30 (Sheffield Wednesday)
Julien Dacosta, 26 (season loan from Coventry City)
Taylor Moore, 25 (season loan from Bristol City)
Midfielders (2):
Jordan Shipley, 24 (Coventry City)
Tom Bayliss, 23 (Preston North End)
Forwards (1):
Aiden O’Brien, 28 (Portsmouth)
Average age of players out: 28
Average age of players in: 26
Player of the Season 2021-22: Luke Leahy, 29 (left-back)
One to watch: Jordan Shipley, 24 (central midfield)
Season ticket sales: 3,000
Ground capacity: 9,875
Visiting supporter capacity: 1,796 (all seated)
Pre-season:
P3 W0 D2 L1 F1 A3
12/7 AFC Telford United A 0-0
15/7 BURNLEY H 1-3 Shipley
19/7 CARDIFF CITY H 0-0
Commentary:
“First and foremost, the people at the club are brilliant, the chairman and CEO are incredibly supportive. They obviously know that in League One, especially with League One being how it is, it’s a tough old league. We certainly aren’t one of the bigger ones in there, but we’re very well run. When I went into the football club, there were 29 players, which is now only two outfield survivors and a No. 2 goalkeeper left. So there’s been a big transitional period at the club over the last two seasons.” – Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill correctly refers to two transitional seasons, disrupted in no small part by the long Covid that almost killed him. Playing in a town with a population of only 72,000, Shrewsbury continue to punch above their weight in English football. Whether Cotterill can build on current status and take them to a higher level will depend upon some clever transfer dealings and astute loans. Whilst they are one of the better-run clubs in the division, a cynic would suggest that it is not the better-run clubs that win promotion from League One.
Goals have been a perennial problem, with the Shrews averaging barely a goal per game across the last four seasons. A sparse pre-season schedule did nothing to suggest that is about to change, although to their credit the much-criticised friendly against Qatar was cancelled a day after it was announced. Shrewsbury’s three pre-season games produced only one goal, and former Sunderland ace Aiden O’Brien has been brought in to try to correct that return. The most notable departure saw Shaun Whalley leave after seven years at the club, while Josh Vela rejected a contract offer to join League One rivals Fleetwood. Interestingly, their first three summer signings all have a Coventry City background, with Jordan Shipley being the standout arrival. All six new arrivals to date have extensive Championship experience, and it will be interesting to see how they all fare in League One.
Above all, we send our best wishes to Ryan Bowman as he recovers from heart surgery in June.
At the bookies (Sky Bet): 25/1
WYCOMBE WANDERERS
Last season: 6th (lost in play-off final)
P46 W23 D14 L9 F75 A51 Pts83
Chairman/owner: Rob Couhig, 73 (appointed February 2020)
Manager: Gareth Ainsworth, 49 (appointed permanently November 2012)
Gareth Ainsworth’s managerial record:
League games only – play-offs and cup games not included.
Players out (9):
Goalkeepers (2):
David Stockdale, 36 (Sheffield Wednesday)
Adam Przybek, 22 (Walsall)
Defenders (3):
Anthony Stewart, 29 (Aberdeen)
Andre Burley, 22 (Oxford City)
Max Ram, 21 (Inverness Caledonian Thistle)
Midfielders (2):
Jean-Baptiste Fischer, 24 (Oxford City)
Olly Pendlebury, 20
Forwards (2):
Adebayo Akinfenwa, 40 (retired)
Malachi Linton, 21 (Yeovil Town)
Players in (4):
Goalkeepers (1):
Josh Blunkell, 19 (AFC Sudbury)
Defenders (0):
Midfielders (2):
Jasper Pattenden, 20 (Worthing)
Christie Ward, 18 (Brockenhurst)
Forwards (1):
D’Mani Mellor, 21 (Manchester United)
Average age of players out: 26
Average age of players in: 19
Player of the Season 2021-22: Josh Scowen, 29 (central midfield)
One to watch: Sullay Kaikai, 26 (winger)
Season ticket sales: 2,628
Ground capacity: 9,448
Visiting supporter capacity: 1,800
Pre-season:
P5 W3 D1 L1 F9 A5
9/7 FULHAM U23 H 3-0 Scowen, Vokes, Horgan
12/7 OXFORD CITY H 0-0
16/7 Watford A 1-4 Tafazolli
22/7 AFC Bournemouth U23 N 2-0 Hanlan, Al-Hamadi (pen) (at Brockenhurst FC)
23/7 Southampton B A 3-1 Jacobson (pen), McCleary, Tafazolli
Commentary:
“Gareth is the right man to lead this club forward. There has never been any question in my mind about that in my three years as chairman. Together, with the support of his staff at the training ground, and the off-field team at Adams Park, we are going to take this club to the next level.” – Wycombe Wanderers chairman Rob Couhig
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth is a real football rarity – a manager who has stayed in his job for longer than twenty minutes. Ainsworth celebrates ten years in the Adams Park hotseat this September and signed a one-year extension to his contract at the end of June. The Chairboys certainly have a vision, although the ambition of being an established Championship club will be hard to achieve for one of the smaller clubs in League One. Season ticket sales of only 2,600 will not make it easy to compete with ambitious former Premier Leaguers such as Ipswich (16,500), Derby (15,000), Bolton (13,000) and Portsmouth (13,000). In keeping with every club hoping to challenge League One’s illustrious elite, Wycombe will need plenty of outside investment if they are to stay at the right end of the table.
Summer departures include high-profile players David Stockdale and Adebayo Akinfenwa (retired at 40) while arrivals to date have come from four of the game’s greatest clubs – Manchester United, AFC Sudbury, Brockenhurst and Worthing. Ainsworth appears comfortable with his present squad, and only goalkeeper Stockdale and centre-half Anthony Stewart can be considered significant losses. Talisman Akinfenwa is no longer there, although he started just three league games last season. Expect Wycombe to strengthen once the season gets under way.
Pre-season delivered another undemanding schedule from Wycombe, almost designed to slip by unnoticed against largely inferior opposition. Although an unusual approach compared with many other League One sides, Wycombe’s success in recent years suggests that extensive preparations are unnecessary. The annual pre-season training camp took place in the exotic surroundings of St George’s Park, followed by those five low-key friendlies.
At the bookies (Sky Bet): 9/2
Acknowledgements
The information and quotations given in this article have been drawn from a multitude of sources, as follows: the websites and twitter accounts of all 24 League One clubs; 25 fan sites; BBC; EFL; The Price of Football; Sky Bet; Companies House; and a range of local newspapers including The Bolton News, Cambridge News, Derby Telegraph, Devon Live, East Anglian Daily Times, Gloucestershire Live, Lancs Live, Lincolnshire Live, Milton Keynes Citizen, Oxford Mail, Peterborough Telegraph, Plymouth Herald, Portsmouth News, Sheffield Star, Shropshire Star, South London Press, Stoke Sentinel.
Vital Lincoln City – League One Season Preview 2022-23 (Part Two):
Page Two of Part Two:https://t.co/RX3AzEInrD#PAFC #Pompey #SWFC
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) August 6, 2022
