Welcome to the newly-named League One Roundup which will keep you up to date with all of Gillingham’s rivals in League One and how they are progressing during the season.
The aim this time around is to give you an introduction to the teams in League One and assess their chances for promotion to the Championship.
Barnsley
Finished mid table last season which was ultimately seen as a bad season due to the high expectations that surround the club. They will be looking to make a good start to the season to ensure that they have every chance of reaching the playoffs. The bookies have Barnsley at 18/1 to win the division.
Verdict: They are an outside bet for an automatic promotion place due to the competition in the division but I expect them to be in or around the playoff shake up at the end of the season.
Blackpool
Another team that finished in mid table last season and judging by their redeveloped stadium and fan expectations they should have finished closer to the playoffs than they did. With Colin Hendry as their manager they will be a tough team to break down and will be fully organised and play to the best of their potential. The bookies have Blackpool at 40/1 to win the division next season.
Verdict: Blackpool can expect a tough season with the competition for places for promotion and the playoffs. I fully expect them to shock a few of the favourites for the division by picking up crucial results but I expect them to finish comfortably in mid table.
Bournemouth
Missed out on the playoffs last season and will surely next season be a hard team to beat as they look to go one better and achieve a playoff place. They will feel a little aggrieved that they have only been placed at 25/1 to win the division and are not really being regarded as being playoff contenders
Verdict: Bournemouth could well be in the playoff shake up at the end of next season as they will be aiming to prove the bookies and pundits wrong and gain a playoff place.
Bradford City
Bradford missed out on the playoffs last season by six points and will be aiming to put this right by going one better and achieving a playoff place and if not one better by gaining automatic promotion. The bookies have Bradford at 20/1 to win the League.
Verdict: Bradford will be a good bet for a playoff place next season but automatic promotion will be one step to far this season.
Brentford
Made the League One playoffs last season and will be looking to achieve the same again this time around however this will be dependent on whether Martin Allen stays or not. They have a good squad that can only be improved on and will provide a real threat to the three teams relegated from the Championship. The bookmakers have Brentford at 18/1 to win the League this will no doubt provide the whole club with confidence for the up coming season.
Verdict: Brentford will be one of the teams in the playoff places at the end of the season but as with Bournemouth they are probably not quite good enough for automatic promotion just yet.
Bristol City
Missed out on a playoff place like many clubs last season by the odd point showing how hard the division is and the competition for even a playoff place. They will no doubt be hoping to go one further this season and achieve automatic promotion. The bookies obviously agree after placing them at 8/1 joint second favourites with Tranmere.
Verdict: Bristol City are a good bet for automatic promotion but it is going to be a tussle between a few good teams for the two automatic playoff places and someone has to be disappointed. They will feel disappointed if they miss out on automatic promotion but the playoffs will be a step up from last season’s disappointment.
Chesterfield
Finished just above the relegation zone after struggling and looking out of depth in League One. They had one of the better defences in the relegation battle and will be hoping to survive in League One again this season. The bookies have Chesterfield at 66/1 to win the League title and therefore favourites for relegation next season.
Verdict: Chesterfield are likely to struggle in League One due to the competition that there is likely to be. I believe they may be one of the unlucky ones occupying the four relegation places at the end of the season.
Colchester United
Finished comfortably in mid table after flirting with relegation for most of the season and along with a lot of other clubs will be hoping to secure their League One status for a further season. The bookies have Colchester’s odds at 40/1 to win the League and fully expect Colchester to be relegated to League Two.
Verdict: Colchester are likely to be fighting relegation for most of the season however I expect them to fight bravely for the whole season and will probably finish just outside the relegation zone.
Doncaster Rovers
Were part of the playoff shake up until the last few weeks and will be hoping to improve on this next season and achieve the ultimate aim of a playoff place. The bookies have Doncaster’s odds at 20/1 to win the League and they expect them to just miss out on the playoffs.
Verdict: Doncaster will finish in a mid table position after just missing out on the playoffs for a second season in a row.
Gillingham
One of the newly relegated teams to join League One from the Championship on the last day of the season. The Gills will feel themselves unlucky to have dropped down a division after an end of season fight back under Stan Ternent. However the Gills are now under the guidance of Neale Cooper and Ronnie Jepson and are building a squad they believe capable of mounting a promotion challenge. The bookies have the Gills at 10/1 to win League One while they are not the favourites they are expected to be in amongst them.
Verdict: Anything less than a playoff place is likely to be viewed as a disappointment by the fans because they are expected to be challenging for automatic promotion.
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool are new Gills manager Neale Coopers former club and have for the last two seasons been involved in the playoff places culminating in last seasons playoff final defeat. Fans will be expecting no less this season due to the progress made by the club in the last few seasons. The bookies odds of 16/1 seem to reflect the fact that they are expected to be in the playoff shake up come the end of the season.
Verdict: Hartlepool are likely to be in or around the playoff places again this season, but the competition between many clubs for so few places will make for an interesting promotion chase.
Huddersfield Town
Finished outside the playoffs last season in a disappointing season after they expected to be in the automatic promotion places at the end of the season. The fans will be expecting the players to produce the goods this time around and achieve promotion back to the Championship. The bookies have Huddersfield at 9/1 to win League One and are therefore one of the favourites to achieve promotion.
Verdict: Huddersfield will have to maintain their form throughout the season if they want to achieve automatic promotion because of the competition between many good clubs for so few places.
Milton Keynes Dons
The former Championship club found the going tough in League One following their relegation the previous season. They have also found it hard to attract the crowds to the National Hockey Stadium following their move from Wimbledon to Milton Keynes. They will be under no illusions about how hard it is going to be next season to avoid the relegation battle they were involved in last time round. The bookies have the MK Dons at 40/1 to win the division and are third favourites to be relegated at the end of next season.
Verdict: MK Dons are likely to struggle in League One next season against the better quality teams in the division and are therefore likely to be relegated at the end of the season.
Nottingham Forest
Another of the teams relegated from the Championship at the end of last season, however their problems have been mounting over the last few seasons and last seasons relegation was the epitome of this. They will however be hoping for an instant return to the Championship as champions. The bookies echo the fans enthusiasm for the forthcoming season by making them the 4/1 favourites to win the division.
Verdict: Forest will be in the automatic promotion places at the end of the season as long as they significantly improve their squad before next season. If they fail to do this they could become one of the many clubs that get relegated and fail to get promoted the following season.
Oldham Athletic
Finished above the relegation places last season by one point and are hoping this season not to be involved in the same relegation battle this time around. They will be hoping to achieve a mid table place to build a solid foundation on for the following season. The bookies have Oldham at 28/1 to win the League One and this looks very much beyond them for another season.
Verdict: Oldham will battle bravely against relegation this season and will finish once against finish just above the relegation zone however it is likely to be by more than one point.
Port Vale
Finished in a marginally better position than Oldham last season just above the relegation zone in 16th place. They will be looking to finish slightly higher than this in the season to come. However the bookies do not share their optimism by making them 50/1 to win the League Title and therefore odds on for relegation to League Two.
Verdict: Whilst fighting bravely against relegation Port Vale are likely to be relegated to League Two at the end of the coming season.
Rotherham United
The third team relegated from the Championship due to the lack of depth in the squad and a poor run of results that lasted all season and saw them finish bottom of the League. However under the guidance of Mike Newell they will be hoping to bounce straight back to the Championship and they will be hoping to do this via the automatic promotion places. The bookies have odds of 16/1 for Rotherham to win the League but see them as in with a shout of a playoff place at the end of the season.
Verdict: Rotherham may well miss out on a playoff place next season unless their squad is significantly as they appear to be going through a period of transition.
Scunthorpe United
Promoted from League Two last season as runners up to Yeovil Town. This is their first season in League One and their main aim will be to maintain their League One status and build upon that for the following season. The bookies have priced Scunthorpe at 40/1 to win League One and are one of many teams expected to be relegated at the end of the season.
Verdict: Whilst Scunthorpe are expected to battle bravely next season they are fully expected to be one of the four teams relegated to League Two.
Southend United
Another of the teams promoted to League One via the playoffs in League Two. They will provide Gillingham with a sort of local derby and will be an interesting challenge to most teams in the division. Again like Scunthorpe survival will be their main aim for the coming season. The bookies have priced Southend at 40/1 to win the League title and again are one of the many favourites for relegation.
Verdict: Unless Southend strengthen their squad quite considerably they will unfortunately find themselves disappointed at the end of the season. As they cannot rely on keeping Freddie Eastwood at Southend nor can they rely on his goals as if he gets injured they will struggle even more than is expected.
Swansea City
Gained automatic promotion from League Two last season after an impressive run of form that finally allowed them to achieve their promotion of promotion to League One. They will be aiming to secure their League One status before pushing on up the league and finishing in mid table. The bookies have priced them at 25/1 to win the League that is better than Southend and Scunthorpe due to the fact they have the stronger squad of the three.
Verdict: Swansea City are likely to finish in a mid table position as they have a much stronger squad than most of the other teams that were promoted from League Two.
Swindon Town
Finished in a comfortable mid table position last season and will be hoping to improve on this next time around. They will be hoping to make a playoff place however it is unlikely that they will do this as League One is stronger than ever this season. The bookies have Swindon Town at 28/1 to win the League and suggest that they are more likely to finish in a comfortable mid table position and not trouble the playoff places.
Verdict: Anything above a mid table finish for Swindon will be viewed by both fans and players alike as a huge success.
Tranmere Rovers
Unlucky losers in the playoff semi finals last season and will be looking to build on this next season and gain automatic promotion to the Championship. They have a good squad with some quality players such as Iain Hume. The fans will accept nothing less than promotion next season and the bookies echo this sentiment by making Tranmere 8/1 second favourites to win League One.
Verdict: Tranmere are likely to be crowned champions at the end of the season as they are going to want to banish last seasons memories and start the season running.
Walsall
Finished last season in mid table following their relegation from the Championship and they will be hoping to build on this next season and try and gain a promotion place however it is highly unlikely. The bookies seem to echo this by giving Walsall 18/1 to win League One next season and suggest that they are likely to finish mid table.
Verdict: Walsall will once again finish in a comfortable mid table position once again but they will have to guarantee their league status before pushing on up the league.
Yeovil Town
Finished as League Two champions last season and will be hoping to secure back to back promotion next season. They have a good manager and squad of players and a lot depends on whether they can keep hold of their manager for next season. The bookies have Yeovil at 18/1 to win League One however this seems a little beyond them for next season.
Verdict: Yeovil are the team that are most likely to spring a surprise and be part of the playoff shake up at the end of the season.
The new season promises to be one full of twists and turns and there will be many twists and turns as League One unfolds. It is likely to be as tough at the bottom of the league as it will be at the top of the league.
