New EFL season gets under way... for four teams

• Published 9 hours ago

There are still two weeks until the first league game of the season but the 2026-27 EFL campaign gets under way in a quiet fashion this weekend.

Tranmere Rovers host Rochdale on Saturday to kick things off in a Carabao Cup preliminary tie.

Dale's fellow EFL returnees York City welcome Crawley Town on Monday in the other additional tie required because, for the second successive campaign, there are nine Premier League teams in Europe.

The two winners of the preliminaries will enter the first round proper next week alongside all the other teams in the Championship, League One and League Two.

York City v Crawley Town - Monday, 3 August (19:30 BST)

Monday's tie against the Red Devils will be York's first competitive match since the dramatic final day of the National League season.

The Minstermen visited title rivals Rochdale needing to avoid defeat to end their 10-year EFL hiatus.

However, in the 13th minute of time added on, Josh Stones scored to level and send Stuart Maynard's men up instead.

Maynard, though, will not be on the sidelines on Monday.

In a shock development, the former Notts County boss, who led the club to a 108-point season, was sacked earlier this week and replaced by ex-Crawley head coach Scott Lindsey.

• All the latest York City news

• All the latest Crawley Town news

"We recognise that, from the outside, this may look like a strange or difficult decision to understand," York's owners said in the announcement of Maynard's departure.

In the time since, Lindsey left Crawley and then returned, only to be unable to save them from relegation from the third tier and, then, last season he was sacked in March after a 10-match winless run.

Former Turkey international forward Colin Kazim-Richards was appointed until the end of the season and, after keeping Crawley up with a final-day point against Salford, was given a new deal in May.

The winner of this tie will face a trip to Championship side Watford in the southern section of the draw on Saturday, 8 August.

New faces in dugout but familiar ones on the pitch

Tranmere Rovers v Rochdale - Saturday, 1 August (15:00 BST)

Rochdale's return to the EFL after three seasons away proved to be every bit as gripping as York's.

After a goalless 30 additional minutes, Jimmy McNulty's men triumphed 3-1 on penalties, with 18-year-old on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff making two crucial shootout saves.

Like fellow promoted side York, Dale also made a change in the dugout over the summer - though admittedly in very different fashion.

McNulty left to take over at League One play-off finalists Stockport and South Shields boss Ian Watson was appointed in his place.

• All the latest Tranmere Rovers news

• All the latest Rochdale news

Their opponents on Saturday also have a new man at the helm.

Tranmere, who avoided relegation to non-league by two points last season, have turned to former Bristol Rovers, Walsall, Port Vale, Cheltenham and Barnsley gaffer Darrell Clarke to try to turn their ailing fortunes around.

To that end he has brought in vastly experienced winger Tom Ince for his first ever spell in League Two.

The 34-year-old is a relative rookie, though, compared to legendary Dale striker Ian Henderson.

The 41-year-old, the club's all-time top scorer, signed a new deal earlier this month that will see him stay with the club beyond his 42nd birthday.

The winner of this tie will travel to League One club Bradford in the northern section of the draw on Saturday, 8 August.

Related topics

• Football
• Rochdale
• York City
• EFL Cup
• Crawley Town
• Tranmere Rovers

• Published 8 June

• Published 8 June