League One 2019/20 thread - sponsored by Fridge Chutney

P-Ro

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The upcoming League One season is already shaping up to be a memorable one and I thought the league deserves a thread of its own.

Currently Bury are having some tough preseason fixtures away to HM Revenue & Customs in the High Court with Bolton suffering a similar defeat in May. It looks like both clubs will start the season with -12 points due to EFL rules on insolvency.

Sunderland continue to make Mike Ashley's Newcastle look comptetent by losing the EFL trophy on penalties and the play off final with the last kick of the game. The second season of Sunderland Till I Die should be essential viewing for all football fans and will hopefully shine a light on how competetive this league really is.

There are a fair few North Western teams in the league this season with Bury, Rochdale & Bolton being in Greater Manchester and Tranmere, Accrington, Blackpool and Fleetwood in the surrounding area.

The betting markets are saying that Sunderland, Ipswich and Portsmouth are favourites for promotion. Unsurpisingly the betting markets also have financially stricken Bury & Bolton to go down, along with Accrington and Wimbledon.

List of League One teams in full:

Accrington Stanley
AFC Wimbledon
Blackpool
Bolton Wanderers
Bristol Rovers
Burton Albion
Bury
Coventry City
Doncaster Rovers
Fleetwood Town
Gillingham
Ipswich Town
MK
Lincoln City
Oxford United
Peterborough United
Portsmouth
Rochdale
Rotherham United
Shrewsbury Town
Southend United
Sunderland
Tranmere Rovers
Wycombe Wanderers
 
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duffer

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@P-Ro My brother in law is a Womble and he won't even refer to them as "MK". They're "the Franchise" to him in every conversation I've had with him.

He and my two nephews have season tickets (they stand just behind the home dugout) and I usually go to a couple of games a season.
 

Lay

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I fear for my local team, Wycombe. I think we will go down this season.
 

P-Ro

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@P-Ro My brother in law is a Womble and he won't even refer to them as "MK". They're "the Franchise" to him in every conversation I've had with him.

He and my two nephews have season tickets (they stand just behind the home dugout) and I usually go to a couple of games a season.
Yea, I was being kind to them in the OP. I either occupy one of the two family season ticket seats in the Paul Strank (main stand) or I go and stand behind the dugout next to the opposition fans. I get to about 10 home games a season. Give me a PM when you next go because chances are that I'll be there too.
 

P-Ro

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I fear for my local team, Wycombe. I think we will go down this season.
I'm always pretty unimpressed when I see Wycombe play but you've done what you needed to do in the last few seasons. In our last game I suspect Akinfenwa didn't try as hard as he normally does because you were basically safe and we really needed those 3 points. He went up in my estimation following that game.
 

FootballHQ

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I fear for my local team, Wycombe. I think we will go down this season.
@Sandikan

Realistically there are only two relegation spots in play this year as Bury have come up in serious financial issues (seems to happen to them every few years and no manager appointed) and Bolton are already on -12 and barely have a first team squad. Guess that could changed quickly if this takeover finally goes through next week but uphill struggle for them.

Enjoyed my trip to Wycombe last season, nice ground in a very nice part of the World.

Sadly I can't contribute much to this thread as I part follow Walsall and they are now in the pit of league 2 after over a decade in league one. Can give tips on the best and worst grounds of this division though for anyone who fancies watching a game.
 

Sandikan

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I'm always pretty unimpressed when I see Wycombe play but you've done what you needed to do in the last few seasons. In our last game I suspect Akinfenwa didn't try as hard as he normally does because you were basically safe and we really needed those 3 points. He went up in my estimation following that game.
For throwing a game?
I was at that game and he certainly didn't throw anything.

Having said that it's such a shocking view as an away fan at your ground...
 

Sandikan

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@Sandikan

Realistically there are only two relegation spots in play this year as Bury have come up in serious financial issues (seems to happen to them every few years and no manager appointed) and Bolton are already on -12 and barely have a first team squad. Guess that could changed quickly if this takeover finally goes through next week but uphill struggle for them.

Enjoyed my trip to Wycombe last season, nice ground in a very nice part of the World.

Sadly I can't contribute much to this thread as I part follow Walsall and they are now in the pit of league 2 after over a decade in league one. Can give tips on the best and worst grounds of this division though for anyone who fancies watching a game.
No team in at least the last five years that has been promoted to league one has gone straight back down.
But the next season is the real test.

Wycombe have a bare squad at the moment.
We're relying on loanees that we'll pick up late doors to pad the squad out.
So it could go either way.

Akinfenwa the big man is still a bit too important to our style of play.

Bolton and bury might well start -12 which is a big blow but i wouldn't say it guarantees anything yet.
 

FootballHQ

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You've still got most of the defenders contracted for another year (Jombati, Jason McCarthy, Joe Jacobson etc) and Allsop isn't a bad keeper at this level. Don't think your defensive record was that bad last year, certainly not after xmas.

Just need to find a few younger forwards to do Adebayo's running, thought Scott kashket was going to be really good striker a few years back but his progress has stalled with injuries.
 

P-Ro

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@Sandikan Akinfenwa has to be the most frustrating footballer I've watched. Not because of anything he's done mind but because of the 'fouls' he gives away in the opposition box. The bloke just stands there still and defenders just flop about and go down like he's poleaxed them. I'd understand it if he was jossling and putting his weight about but its often just him standing his ground not even touching the players who go down. League One refs...
 

Sandikan

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@Sandikan Akinfenwa has to be the most frustrating footballer I've watched. Not because of anything he's done mind but because of the 'fouls' he gives away in the opposition box. The bloke just stands there still and defenders just flop about and go down like he's poleaxed them. I'd understand it if he was jossling and putting his weight about but its often just him standing his ground not even touching the players who go down. League One refs...
That's it. While he does do some shoving and gets away with a few, he's certainly massively more sinned against.
You'll have guys literally holding him and his short will be up by his shoulders and being pinned down and the ref allows it. As if like they feel sorry for the defender
 

Sandikan

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You've still got most of the defenders contracted for another year (Jombati, Jason McCarthy, Joe Jacobson etc) and Allsop isn't a bad keeper at this level. Don't think your defensive record was that bad last year, certainly not after xmas.

Just need to find a few younger forwards to do Adebayo's running, thought Scott kashket was going to be really good striker a few years back but his progress has stalled with injuries.
Mccarthy is a strong league one player. Jombati surprised us by playing so well as he is a right back really.
Jacobsen is a top guy but getting a bit exposed pace wise now.

Gape and Thompson in centre mid were our key axis. But gape is out of contract and we have no chance of keeping. Portsmouth is the rumour but we'll see.

Kortney hause going to villa was good as we'll have a sell on. Only 3m was a blow though. Young English defender moving from champ to prem for only 3m!
 

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The December takeover of Bury, who are in extreme financial distress under the owner Steve Dale, was completed without being approved by the EFL under its regulations, the league has said.

Dale took the club over for £1 from Stewart Day, who had taken out loans secured on its Gigg Lane ground and run the club at a loss, and whose property development companies were about to collapse into administration
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...football-league-approval-transfer-embargo-efl

:houllier:
 

P-Ro

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Bury's friendly today. Shouldn't laugh but... :lol::lol:
 

P-Ro

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First gameweek has been and gone. The two favourites for promotion didn't get off to the best start with Sunderland drawing at Oxford and Portsmouth losing at Shrewsbury. My outside pick to go up is Lincoln and they cruised to a 2-0 victory against Accrington (who are now one of the favourites for the drop). My team AFC Wimbledon conceded a scrappy goal at the end to lose at home against Rotherham - My Dad said it was probably the right result but we looked the better team for most of the second half which is a plus. The other most notable result is preseason relegation favourites Rochdale winning 3-2 away at Tranmere.

Bury's second game of the season has been called off. You've got to wonder what is going to happen if this continues for much longer. I'll be mightily pissed off if their match against MK is not replayed and they are simply awarded 3 points.
 

Cee90

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Now I wonder, as this is a thread specifically for League 1 discussion, will Fridge Chutney actually contribute to it knowing that he will not be actively annoying people as he was in the main Transfer Tweets thread? :smirk:
 

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@Sandikan you went to Wycombe-Bolton didn't you? Think Wycombe have done well signing Onyedinma once again. Did well in previous loans and surprised he never got more of a run at Millwall. Think Smyth is another good signing aswell, two pacey players either side of Adebayo so can do his running.

Josh Parker won't score many but he impressed me holding the ball up for Charlton in play off final so he can rotate upfront with AA.

Wycombe built up a nice little squad for mid table I think.
 

Sandikan

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@Sandikan you went to Wycombe-Bolton didn't you? Think Wycombe have done well signing Onyedinma once again. Did well in previous loans and surprised he never got more of a run at Millwall. Think Smyth is another good signing aswell, two pacey players either side of Adebayo so can do his running.

Josh Parker won't score many but he impressed me holding the ball up for Charlton in play off final so he can rotate upfront with AA.

Wycombe built up a nice little squad for mid table I think.
We look to have a fantastic squad.
Fred Onyedinma and Wheeler from QPR signed on 3 years deals - which at our level is a monumental show of faith in a player!
Smyth I think is on loan from QPR (an obvious link Ainsworth has built up) for 6 months, and he's looking a massive handful already.

9 signings all in, and Parker didn't even get on at the weekend. But it's clear the level of player we're getting in has stepped up a notch - a guy who helped a team get promoted to the championship, not even getting on as sub!

Strange game v Bolton. Literally men versus boys.
Kurt Zouma's brother made his debut at 21, and looked quality, and they were just about holding us out, after a very admirable 0-0 at half time.
No threat to our goal at all though.

We got 2-0 up, Zouma went off injured, and to be honest they did well to not take a huge battering, as the last 10-15mins was literally us running through them and missing chance after chance.
15 points clear of Bolton, 15 points clear of Bury - who may get more points bans for binning their first 2 games, and it's looking pretty rosy, after going into the summer with no owner, and no money!

Fingers crossed a great season for both Wycombe and United!!
 

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On my way to Fleetwood for my first Wimbledon away game of the season. On paper Fleetwood are far better than us and I don't expect anything from this game.

Apart from the Super Wombles, the most interesting game for me this gameweek is Rotherham vs Lincoln. Both are tipped to challenge for promotion and had contrasting seasons in the Championship and League Two last season respectively.
 

P-Ro

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Also for those who like a bet.. Coventry to beat Bolton away at 1/2 is a really good bet considering how Bolton have 6 full time players on their books and the players they've got are one's who are prepared to not get paid ie. they're pants.
 

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Would be pretty funny if Fridge Chutney had no involvement in this thread this season.
 

P-Ro

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Most games tonight will be on the ifollow service so I'll be able to watch Ipswich vs AFC Wimbledon from the comfort of my own home.

For those not in the know, most EFL clubs signed up to a service called ifollow which allows streaming of any game not on at 3pm Saturday for a fee of £10 per game. If you are abroad you can get a season pass and watch all 46 league games for £100 (I think..).
 

P-Ro

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As for our game, this a free hit. Ipswich are favourites for promotion and we have been shite so far this season. I predict 3-1 to Ipswich.
 

P-Ro

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One nil to the Dons at halftime. Great sponsor name too! I approve.
 

Sandikan

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Most games tonight will be on the ifollow service so I'll be able to watch Ipswich vs AFC Wimbledon from the comfort of my own home.

For those not in the know, most EFL clubs signed up to a service called ifollow which allows streaming of any game not on at 3pm Saturday for a fee of £10 per game. If you are abroad you can get a season pass and watch all 46 league games for £100 (I think..).
Am using it myself.
Certainly a lot easier putting Fleetwood v Wycombe on, then spending 6 hours on a coach up there!

It's not quite right that me watching it through Wycombe's ifollow means from my £10, Fleetwood get nothing though.

I think it was the Accrington chairman who said if a huge club like say Portsmouth have say 2k fans who decide not to bother going, Accy lose a tonneload of wad.
 

P-Ro

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Am using it myself.
Certainly a lot easier putting Fleetwood v Wycombe on, then spending 6 hours on a coach up there!

It's not quite right that me watching it through Wycombe's ifollow means from my £10, Fleetwood get nothing though.

I think it was the Accrington chairman who said if a huge club like say Portsmouth have say 2k fans who decide not to bother going, Accy lose a tonneload of wad.
For me its only a positive. If your club is playing away on a Tuesday night over 200 miles away, the people who are the types to go those games will go there regardless if its on ifollow so you'll get the same away attendance and over 1000 subs on the ifollow.
 

P-Ro

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We were winning until Ipswich equalised from a corner that the ref gave when he had no idea if it was out (it wasn't). They then get a winner from a punt up field in the 94th minute. For feck sake.
 

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Portsmouth-Coventry.

Coventry were 3-2 down and had only 9 men, still scored an equaliser to get the 3-3. Can see them going up tbh, ended last season very well. Would be incredible considering they're not even playing their games at the Ricoh again.
 

Sandikan

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For me its only a positive. If your club is playing away on a Tuesday night over 200 miles away, the people who are the types to go those games will go there regardless if its on ifollow so you'll get the same away attendance and over 1000 subs on the ifollow.
Yes but the subs are revenue that the home club don't get. And unlike proper tv games they don't get anywhere near the same level of compensation.

Agree a lot of fans will still go. But it's certain a number won't bother.
 

Sandikan

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@Sandikan



:drool:
An incredible comeback.

I have to say though, even though I was there, and not at Old Trafford, I had my phone out, and it didn't half take the joy off it!!!
Damm United!

Still - Wycombe look like we could be a decent force in this division this year.
If we hadn't conceded a 90th min away at Fleetwood on Tuesday, we'd have been top in our own right unthinkable!!

Still - the official line is 17th is the aim - ie better last year's finish :)
 

P-Ro

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Another disappointing result and performance from the Wombles. I thought we would lose but we just put up the white flag after Sunderland got their second. Our substitutions at the end were baffling - you bring on strikers when chasing goals..right? Ah well. The struggle goes on.
 

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An incredible comeback.

I have to say though, even though I was there, and not at Old Trafford, I had my phone out, and it didn't half take the joy off it!!!
Damm United!

Still - Wycombe look like we could be a decent force in this division this year.
If we hadn't conceded a 90th min away at Fleetwood on Tuesday, we'd have been top in our own right unthinkable!!

Still - the official line is 17th is the aim - ie better last year's finish :)
I was going to go to the game today but I'm a bit under the weather so decide to give it a miss and watch United instead, so yeah a pretty disappointing day.

Still amazing couple of results(although I'm expecting a completely a collapse anything minute now). Staying in league 1 at the moment is such a huge achievement but a good league run this season, anything near the play off would be lovely.