There are plenty of fascinating storylines to follow in the English Football League as preparations ramp up for the 2023-24 season.
Welsh side Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, return to League Two with vast ambitions.
At the other end of the spectrum, Southamption, Leeds and Leicester will aim to bounce back from relegation and return immediately to the Premier League.
Veteran Neil Warnock is set to face a man half his age, Notts County will line up with a fearsome front two and the East Anglian derby returns in news that is sure to please owner Delia Smith.
And below, Mail Sport‘s James Sharpe runs you through 10 things to look out for in the EFL ahead of the new season.
There are plenty of fascinating storylines to follow in the English Football League this season
Mail Sport‘s James Sharpe runs you through 10 things to look out for in the EFL this campaign
1. Oldest vs youngest battle
Ipswich Town’s promotion to the Championship sets up a meeting of the League’s oldest and youngest managers on September 30.
Huddersfield boss Neil Warnock, 74, took Scarborough into the Football League in 1987, a year after Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, 37, was born.
2. League Two defenders quaking in their boots
Spare a thought for League Two defenders facing Notts County. Macaulay Langstaff bagged 42 goals for them last season and now he’ll partner David McGoldrick, who scored 24 goals for Derby.
Huddersfield’s Neil Warnock, 74, will face a man half his age in Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna
McKenna will hope to help his promoted Ipswich side avoid relegation back to League One
3. Time-wasters, watch out!
The EFL have introduced measures last seen at the World Cup to clamp down on players time-wasting. Expect stoppage times of 10 minutes and look out for balls on cones around the pitch to speed up play.
4. More changes available
Championship clubs can name nine subs this season, two more than last season, and can make up to five changes. League One and Two clubs can use five from seven.
Notts County’s Macaulay Langstaff bagged 42 goals for them last season and wants more now
5. Relegated clubs splashing out
Leicester, Southampton and Leeds are splashing the parachute payment cash.
Saints have made the biggest signing in Shea Charles from Manchester City for £15m while the Foxes have spent £10m on Harry Winks from Spurs and £7.5m on Wolves’ Conor Coady. Leeds paid £7m for Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu.
6. Attendances set to rise
Last season saw the highest average league attendances for 70 years, with nearly 20 million supporters passing through the turnstiles.
Championship clubs averaged 18,000 but with Leeds, Leicester and Southampton (all 30,000+) coming down and Luton (10,000-) going up, those numbers are set to rise.
League Two clubs averaged less than 5,000 but new League Two clubs Wrexham and Notts County boasted more than 8,000 each.
Southampton spent parachute payment cash on Shea Charles (above) from Manchester City
7. Familiar foes
One of the exciting things about promotion is seeing all those shiny new clubs you might face on opening day. Not so for Northampton Town and Stevenage, who were both promoted to League One and face each other on the opening day.
8. Let’s be ‘avin you!
This will be the first season with an East Anglian derby in four years. Ipswich and Norwich last faced each other in February 2019, with the Canaries winning 3-0 at Carrow Road. They meet again on December 16. Let’s be ‘avin you!
While the East Anglian derby returns in news that is sure to please owner Delia Smith (right)
9. Highlights show cut
ITV have cut their two-hour Saturday highlights show by 30 minutes and scrapped their regular pundits. Now, they’ll show goals plus interviews with players and managers. Blink and you’ll miss it!
10. More clubs in trouble
It wouldn’t be a Football League season without points deductions, dodgy finances and shady owners. Wigan start on -8 points, Peterborough were fined £50,000 plus a three-point deduction suspended until December for not declaring their former chief executive.
Barnsley could face similar over irregularities around their previous owners and directors. They won’t be the last.