League One Preview: Bolton host Sheffield United, whilst Millwall entertain Oldham

With many fans still enjoying their summer holidays, it’s unlikely there will be record attendances come three o’clock on the opening day of the League One season – but that doesn’t mean expectations won’t be high, up and down the length of the country.

Last season’s champions, plucky Wigan Athletic, set the bar high – not only winning the league and climbing back into the Championship (at the first time of asking), but somehow also ensuring that their leading scorer had his name sung by a bare-chested Eric Cantona across every home in Europe (via Eurosport). Most clubs would settle for that come May!

The pick of the games on match day one will probably be Bolton Wanderers facing Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United at the Macron Stadium.

Parkinson was appointed Trotters manager on June 10, 2016 – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

Bolton, rooted to the foot of the Championship for much of last season, will be scratching their heads how they are back in the third-tier of English football. With Neil Lennon departed, Trotter fans will be hoping that Phil Parkinson can transform fortunes – but was his decision in the summer to turn his back on all his good work at Valley Parade a wise move?

Bradford City will hope not, with fan favourite Stuart McCall taking over the reins. McCall’s years at Motherwell were modest, but impressive in their own way – he now has the weight of West Yorkshire on his shoulders, but don’t be surprised if the Bantams make the running in the 2016/17 season. Bradford begin at home to Port Vale and will know a strong start to the campaign will be necessary.

Boss Chris Wilder will be attempting to get Sheffield United challenging for honours, ably assisted by Billy Sharp’s prolific goalscoring pedigree, after a rather disappointing mid-table finish last time around for the Blades. Wilder’s former charges at Northampton Town will want to prove a point having been abandoned following an all-conquering season in League Two, their 99-point haul not enough to convince their erstwhile manager to stay for a challenge alongside the Cobblers. They’ll be fancying an opening day victory at home to Fleetwood Town, a side who were low on confidence last season and only narrowly avoided the drop.

Two of the big names looking to escape in the right direction will be Millwall and Charlton. The Lions will want to put their Wembley heartbreak behind them, with the 3-1 play-off final defeat to Barnsley still fresh in the memory – in manager Neil Harris they have one of the finest men-motivators in the lower divisions and he will be confident his strong looking squad will overcome Oldham Athletic at the New Den.

Charlton face Bury at Gigg Lane, a banana skin of a match, at one of the more testing grounds in League One. Whilst Bury’s form last season was unimpressive (finishing in 16th – one place above neighbours Oldham), the Addicks will be well aware that Blackpool followed relegation from the Championship with a back-to-back relegation to League Two – there will be a few nervous souls in red and white hoping to post three points on the board as soon as is possible to avoid unnecessary glances down to what happens in the basement division.

Appleton’s Oxford achieved automatic promotion from League Two last season – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

No doubt, many from the press corps will make the trek to the Kassam Stadium later today. Whilst they’d be forgiven for wanting to see how Oxford United will progress following automatic promotion last season, the likelihood is that the photographers won’t be there to capture the free-flowing passing football of Michael Appleton’s side, rather they’ll be focussing on the appearance of former Wales international Ched Evans.

Much has been written about Evans, but as he hasn’t kicked a ball in professional football since his enforced hiatus in 2012, it will be interesting to see if the risk Chesterfield have taken on him has been worthwhile.

Bristol Rovers also made it out of League Two last year and the Pirates have looked in buoyant mood in pre-season. They travel to Glanford Park to take on the Iron of Scunthorpe United – a side who were unlucky to miss out on the play-offs last time, finishing on the same tally of points as last year’s winners Barnsley.

One side who did make the end of season play-offs, but didn’t get the rub of the green, were Walsall. Only one point shy of automatic promotion, the Saddlers were taken apart over two legs by Barnsley – they may have finished 10 points clear of their opponents, but a 6-1 aggregate victory for the Terriers told the tale of the semi-final.

AFC Wimbledon by contrast were the masters of the unlikely play-off triumph somehow escaping League Two from a seventh placed finish at the end of the regular season. Whilst the London-based Dons have the respect and admiration of most footballing neutrals, they won’t be expecting any favours when they travel to the Bescot Stadium today.

AFC Wimbledon defeated Plymouth Argyle in last term’s League Two play-off final – Photo: Kieran Clarke / Offside.

The Dons who moved to Milton Keynes will also enter the fray away from home, following their slip out of the Championship. They will take on a Shrewsbury Town side who finished fourth bottom last time around, stumbling away from the trap door just in time – MK Dons will know that they’ll need to make their undoubted class show.

The remaining fixtures see the sides who safely secured mid-table berths in the 2015/2016 season lock horns. The result of Southend United at home to Gillingham could have ramifications come May time, but only if the Shrimpers and the Gills can find their feet early doors and put a little run together – whilst a draw wouldn’t be the worst result for either side, both will hope to seek an advantage and salvage all three points.

Likewise Swindon Town against Coventry City is a game that probably deserves a higher billing than it’s going to get on this occasion – but the Sky Blues flattered to deceive last season, and whilst I expect it will be an entertaining affair, it’s certainly not a banker for the Midlanders.

In the final encounter, Keith Hill’s Rochdale will take on Grant McCann’s Peterborough United at Spotland. Expect a tough and uncompromising clash – if Posh can get something there, then they could be dark horses for later skirmishes in what promises to be one of the tightest leagues in the whole of the UK.