Latest news with #League1
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
League 1 predictions and best bets for 2025/26 season
League 1 tips: There might have been football played all summer, but for fans of League One, it's been nearly 13 weeks since the normal season ended back in May. But the wait is almost over, their season kicks off this weekend with Luton versus AFC Wimbledon opening proceedings on Friday night. Last season, these two sides were two leagues apart, but following Luton's second relegation in successive seasons and Wimbledon winning the League 2 play-offs, they will be battling it out to get the first points on the board. League One prediction: Luton to keep up their yo-yo form After playing in the Premier League just two seasons ago, it's no surprise to see Luton are the favourites to be celebrating promotion in May in the League One odds. But after winning just 19 of their last 84 league games, they will need to hope they can stop the rot and quickly if they are to move back up the leagues. Manager Matt Bloomfield will be buoyed by how they ended the season, though, when three wins from their last four almost saw them pull off a great escape. In the end, they went down on goal difference from Hull City, which, after going 12 games without a win between Boxing Day and 1 March, was quite an achievement. Bloomfield replaced Rob Edwards in January, and he will also be aware that he needs a good start to life this season after winning just six of his 20 games in charge, but he knows League One well and when he left Wycombe to take charge of Luton, they were second in the league and had enjoyed a 19-match unbeaten run. They have made eight signings so far, including striker Nahki Wells and defender Hakeem Odoffin, who was Rotherham's player of the season last season. They have some real quality in their squad, and on paper, you would expect them to be challenging for promotion from the off, but their mindset will have to be right as travelling to Burton and Exeter is a far cry from Old Trafford and Anfield. But in Bloomfield, they have a manager with lower league experience as a player and a manager who will demand that his players do the basics right. It is hard to see much further than them or Huddersfield Town, who the football betting sites have as second favourites to be crowned champions. There is no Birmingham type in the league this season, and the other two relegated sides, Cardiff and Plymouth, have probably found their level. League One betting: The other Hatters to enjoy success too If we're backing Luton to win the league, then it's worth looking at Huddersfield to be promoted. They finished 10th last season and lost eight of their last 10 matches under caretaker manager Jon Worthington. He replaced Michael Duff, who was sacked in March after they suffered their fourth defeat in five and dropped out of the play-off places with 10 games of the season to go. The club has been bold in their new direction, appointing Lee Grant as their new boss on a three-year deal. Although highly experienced as a coach, this is his first managerial appointment, but he did spend the last three years working under Kieran McKenna at Ipswich. He might have been a goalkeeper, but based on the signings he's made, he wants to play attacking football, and they have a real goal threat in their side. They have made 11 signings so far, but the real stand-out arrivals are USA international winger Lyndon Gooch, who arrives from Stoke City on a three-year contract and striker Alfie May, who joined for an undisclosed fee from Birmingham. The 32-year-old scored 16 goals for the Blues last season as they won the League One title, so we know what he is capable of at this level. Betting sites are offering 9/4 on them to achieve promotion, either automatically or via the play-offs. A dark horse for promotion could be Stockport County, who were beaten in the Play-Off semi-finals last season. Manager Dave Challinor took them from the National League up to League One and only finished five points behind Wrexham, who finished second last season. The club has held on to their highly rated manager, after he was linked with a lot of vacancies over the summer, and persuaded him to sign a new three-year deal. They have also smashed their transfer record to sign striker Malik Mothersille from Peterborough on a three-year deal. He scored 16 goals in 57 appearances for Posh last season and is believed to have cost more than the £800,000 the club paid for Ian Thomas-Moore in 1998. They were the joint second-highest scorers in the league last season, behind just Birmingham, so it's clear to see their attacking intent. League One tips: What a load of Cobblers I don't think anyone is underestimating the enormity of the job AFC Wimbledon have on their hands to stay in League One, but to be evens to be relegated seems harsh. They beat Walsall in the League 2 Play-Off final in May to return to the third tier after a three-year absence. They finished fifth in the table, just five points behind the third automatic promotion place, but they were 11 behind the champions, Doncaster Rovers. They kick off their campaign with a baptism of fire as they face highly fancied Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, and they will be hoping to catch them cold. One big concern for them is a lack of goals; they only scored 56 goals on their way to promotion, which was by far the lowest of the teams around them. They are not helped in their cause by the fact that forward Osman Foyo has been charged by the Football Association with breaching betting rules, so could be facing a lengthy ban. James Tilley, 27, is the only forward who has come into the club, and he has scored just 32 senior goals. Based on the research, it's clear to see why they are the favourites, and it could be a long season for Wombles fans. Another team who are expected to be down there next season are Northampton Town, who only narrowly avoided relegation in May, by five points. They won just two of their last 10 matches, and manager Kevin Nolan has won just seven of the 25 games he has been in charge of since replacing Jon Brady in December. A price of 11/8 on betting apps is not one to overlook here. League 1 relegation prediction: Northampton to be relegated - 11/8 Bet365 League One betting tips: May to be celebrating in May It's no surprise that new Huddersfield striker Alfie May is favourite to finish as top scorer at odds of 11/2, after all, he scored 16 goals in this league last season, from just 27 starts. But will he get the service he enjoyed at Birmingham? The Blues were the leading scorers in the league with 84 goals in their 46 games, but May did finish just three behind Jay Stansfield, who cost £15m. Two seasons ago, he netted 27 goals at this level for Charlton and 22 the season before and 26 in 2021/22, so we can expect 20+ if he is playing week in week out. We have also already mentioned Malik Mothersille, who also scored 16 goals last season, although only 12 were in the League, and the other four helped Peterborough win the EFL Trophy. We know Stockport will score goals, so expect his numbers to go up, and you can get 25/1 on him finishing top scorer, so he could be a good outside shout for a bet online. Please gamble responsibly When having a bet, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. Betting can be addictive and it's important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop. Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control. But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Rangers drawn against third-tier Alloa in League Cup
Rangers will host League 1 side Alloa Athletic in the second round of the League Alloa scored a late winner as they came from behind to win 3-2 and overtake Championship hosts Airdrieonians at the top of Group C on are due to be played on the weekend of 16th/17th August.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hamilton hit with 'season-long transfer embargo'
Hamilton Academical have been issued with a "season-long transfer embargo" by the SPFL after the League 1 club failed "to settle its tax obligations". Accies were already subject to a ban on registering new players "following remuneration and tax defaults which were determined or admitted during season 2024-25". A 15-point deduction last season led to John Rankin's side finishing bottom of the Championship and automatic relegation. "Hamilton Academical FC admitted to further breaches of SPFL rules by failing to settle its tax obligations to HMRC on three occasions, and for failing to notify the SPFL that it had been in default of its tax obligations to HMRC on each occasion," the SPFL said. The league body added that the embargo will be lifted at the end of the 2025-26 season and have also imposed a £7,500 fine, £5,000 of which is suspended. Hamilton have played three competitive fixtures so far this season, winning one and losing two of their Premier Sports Cup group fixtures. They conclude their Group E campaign at home to Dumbarton on Saturday. Accies open their League 1 programme the following Saturday at home to Montrose. The South Lanarkshire club are playing their home fixtures at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld this season after taking the decision to look for an alternative ground amid a row over stadium ownership and rental at New Douglas Park, where they had played for 24 years. Accies have stated their aim to return to playing in their home town.
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Is the 'Killie corpse' of last season still lingering?
We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's penalty shootout defeat to League 1 Kelty Hearts in the Premier Sports what some of you said:Gazza: Killie just couldn't break down a stubborn Kelty defence. However, some bizarre refereeing decisions may have played their part. Penalty shootouts and Killie tend not to go in our favour. We will need to start taking our We need a proper striker in pronto. Bruce Anderson keeps missing sitters and Marley Watkins looks uninterested. New boys need to settle in but none look like 10/15 goal strikers. Go and get Theo Bair on loan and give us a focal point. At least Tom Lowery is a A disappointing game. Kilmarnock struggled to make a real impact. Kelty, as expected, parked the bus but it's surprising that Killie couldn't find something to break their defence!William: How much longer do they require to "hone their skills" and "blend as a team"? It's still fundamentally the corpse left from last Disappointed, obviously, and the team must be concerned about goalscoring. Regardless of who is called a 'striker' in the team, it's everyone's responsibility to be able to score goals and get forward not always be thinking; 'I'm out of position'. A good team works hard for each other and is able to read Our defence seems to be taking shape nicely, especially the goalkeeper position. Midfield is gelling nicely with plenty of options. Up front is not fully coordinated. Generally promising.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pressley 'under no illusions' about Dundee task
Steven Pressley said he was "under no illusions this was going to be a difficult job" as he seeks a response from Dundee following defeat by Airdrieonians. The 51-year-old was a surprise appointment last month after the sacking of Tony Docherty in May. Advertisement Pressley's Scottish Premiership side lost 1-0 at home to second-tier Airdrieonians in their opening Premier Sports Cup group match on Saturday in Pressley's first competitive game in charge. "We believe in what we are doing," said Pressley. "But we are realistic about what we are doing. It was our first real game of any note. It was the first time we were really stress tested. "Setbacks often are the catalyst to move things forward." He added: "Do I think we are anywhere near resembling what I want us to be? Absolutely not, not even close, but I do believe in the process. I do believe in what we are trying to do. Advertisement "Along the way there are going to be bumps. I was under no illusions this was going to be a difficult job, a challenging job but I enjoy that challenge and also I enjoy working with this group of players. "As long as we believe within here what we are doing, I think we can be fine." With no midweek fixture, Dundee's next cup outing on Saturday is an awkward looking trip to League 1 Alloa Athletic, who have won both of their opening games. Pressley is nearing 350 games in the dugout but Dundee is his first managerial post in about six years. Asked if the job he as taken on is bigger than he first thought, he replied: "It was what I expected but I think also that I am well aware we are nowhere near where we want to be. Advertisement "You have got to understand the learnings are not just from the players, the learning's for me. "You have some preconceived ideas around the job - how you want the team to function and play. Then you work closely with the players and you start to see their attributes, their qualities, their deficiencies. My job is to be adaptable to that. "The weekend was a great learning - not the result, far from it but the stress testing and the things that it brought to my attention were brilliant. It has allowed us to one, focus on certain things on the grass that need improving, and two, make adjustments to the quality of player that we have."
