Summary

  • Luton drew with Middlesbrough in the first match of 2019-20 English Football League season

  • Ashley Fletcher headed an early Middlesbrough opener from six yards

  • Sonny Bradley's 25-yard screamer brought Luton level, Martin Cranie headed Hatters in front

  • Luton goalkeeper Simon Sluga fumbled Britt Assombalonga's tame shot into net for 2-2

  • Lewis Wing restored Boro's advantage with curling long-range effort

  • James Collins equalised again for home side with five minutes left

  1. Can Tranmere make it three in a row?published at 15:35 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Right, been as I'm looking at a photo of Danny Cowley waving, let's have another little look at League One shall we?

    From a club who have had their opening game postponed to one coming into the third tier after back-to-back promotions.

  2. Postpublished at 15:31 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    My work here is done.

    But fear not, for EFL hype man Ian Woodcock is back to take you through the next two-and-a-half hours as we eek closer and closer to the first whistle of the new season.

    Aren't you lucky.

    Danny CowleyImage source, Rex Features
  3. What can we expect from Swindon?published at 15:29 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Andrew Hawes
    BBC Wiltshire's Swindon Town commentator

    Keeping players fit and scoring goals - two pretty obvious things to do if you're going to have a good season.

    Richie Wellens has re-shaped the Swindon squad so it has plenty of midfielders who can create opportunities, but he’s still searching for a 20-goal-a-season forward to finish them off.

    The new signings look to have ability, but there are concerns about some of their recent injury records. If Swindon can manage them well and find that predator in front of goal they lacked last season, then a play-off place is in range.

    Richie WellensImage source, Rex Features
  4. Northampton hopeful of challenge after summer of changepublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Jake Sharpe
    BBC Radio Northampton sport

    With 12 summer signings at Northampton Town, there’s plenty of anticipation for Saturday's season-opener against Walsall.

    After relegation from League One in 2018, and a patchy mid table finish in last season's League Two, there is certainly a feeling that the Cobblers should feature at the top end of the division.

    Manager Keith Curle has purged the squad ahead of his first full season in charge - and expectations are high with supporters around Sixfields.

    Curle himself has recently been quoted as saying he needs "a promotion on his CV"... but with some big hitters in League Two this season, it’s easier said than done.

    Keith CurleImage source, Getty Images
  5. Can U's find goalscoring touch?published at 15:23 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Doug Shulman
    BBC Radio Cambridgeshire summariser

    Expectations amongst the more sceptical Cambridge supporters for the forthcoming season, are lower than they have been since the U’s return to League football in 2014.

    A lack of goals proved one of United’s key issues in 2018-19 and, with just three talented but inexperienced strikers having arrived this summer, there are fears those problems could be repeated.

    Nevertheless, Calderwood is upbeat heading into the new campaign, with the defensive solidity that underpinned their upturn in fortunes last season having being strengthened by the arrival of Kyle Knoyle; player of the season at Swindon last term.

    He has also been boosted by the capture of winger Luke Hannant from Port Vale and re-signing of attacking midfielder George Maris, whose goals could prove crucial.

    Colin CalderwoodImage source, Getty Images
  6. The Original Beast calls it a daypublished at 15:21 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Adebayo Akinfenwa may have taken on the title, but long-term EFL followers will know Jon Parkin was the original 'beast'.

    The 37-year-old former Preston, Hull and Forest Green striker has announced his retirement from professional football after a 21-year career.

    A tally of 172 league goals is not to be sniffed at!

    "It's come to that time in my career where no matter how hard I try I simply can't run the 100m in under 10 seconds anymore," Parkin said.

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  7. 'It will be a bittersweet day'published at 15:17 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Justin Edinburgh and Jobi McAnuffImage source, Reuters

    Jobi McAnuff, who helped Leyton Orient to the National League title last season, told BBC Sport: "It will be hugely emotional.

    "It will be a bittersweet day, just like a lot of the last five or six weeks have been - real ups and downs, smiles, tears - a real mix of emotions really.

    "Hopefully we can deal with those emotions as best we can and use some of them to spur us on to get a win."

  8. 'A day I don't think we'll ever forget'published at 15:14 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Leyton Orient's interim boss Ross Embleton, who was previously Justin Edinburgh's assistant, told BBC Sport: "There are going to be so many emotions. It sends a shiver down my spine already.

    "We have our ideas of how we are going to deal with it and our ideas of what we think is the best way to prepare ourselves and the players for what we are going to walk into, but I don't think any of us know or quite understand how it's going to be.

    "There are going to be bumps and hiccups from the moment we turn up on Saturday lunchtime until the end of the game and beyond that. There will be things that come along that we will have to deal with as it happens, and not be able to plan it.

    "It will be one of those days that I don't think that anyone here in the stadium is ever going to forget."

  9. Remembering Justinpublished at 15:11 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Justin EdinburghImage source, PA Media

    Leyton Orient's joy at returning to League Two should have continued throughout the summer, but the sudden death of their manager Justin Edinburgh in June put football into perspective for everyone at the club and in the sport.

    Saturday's opening home fixture against Cheltenham is sure to be an emotional game for all involved.

    Rivalries will be put aside for one day at least, with two Cheltenham supporters' groups raising money to produce a flag in honour of Edinburgh's achievements and several tributes planned by Orient.

  10. Postpublished at 15:06 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    They weren't the only deals to be completed at 15:00 BST.

    Burton have signed Everton forward Nathan Broadhead on a season-long loan, with Plymouth full-back Ashley Smith-Brown joining fellow League Two side Oldham on similar terms.

    Time is running out for teams to sign players for tomorrow's season-openers!

  11. Leeds keeper Peacock-Farrell joins Burnleypublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
    Breaking

    Bailey Peacock-FarrellImage source, Getty Images

    He was a mainstay in the Leeds side during the first half of last season, but fell out of favour after the signing of Kiko Casilla.

    Now Leeds keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell has joined Premier League side Burnley for £2.5m to replace Tom Heaton, who left for Aston Villa.

  12. This time tomorrow...published at 15:00 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Tranmere fansImage source, Rex Features

    How will you be feeling this time tomorrow?

    Thirty matches from the Championship to League Two will be kicking off, with fans still hanging on to every sinew of optimism.

    I suspect there'll be a few nerves about but it's pretty much the best day of the year, right?

  13. get involved

    Get Involved #bbceflpublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    How will your team get on? Who will be the EFL's star player?

    Grant McCannImage source, Rex Features

    Bazman: Hull City will have a 'transitional' season. Like the way McCann is trying to blood the young but realistically we need another 3 or 4 players to be fully competitive. I see us finishing in the bottom half. Hope GM given time!

    Liam Mason: As a Plymouth Argyle fan I'm in two minds. We've lost some key players, had an iffy pre-season and took about two weeks too long to hire a very good manager in Ryan Lowe. He's brought some good players so hopefully we'll have a stronger start than the last two seasons!

    Adam Robinson: Sammie Szmodics from Colchester has looked promising in pre-season, and we’ve strengthened the back line with both Tomas Kalas and Jay Dasilva from Chelsea.

  14. WATCH: Collymore on Forest's chancespublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    It's been an interesting summer at Nottingham Forest, with ex-France international Sabri Lamouchi replacing Martin O'Neill as boss at the City Ground.

    Former Forest striker Stan Collymore says it's important for Lamouchi to make a positive impact right from the start of his reign.

    He told the BBC: "Like every manager, you hope they come in and transmit what they want to do very quickly. It's all about hitting the ground running, and once we get to October we'll know what kind of progress has been made."

    Click on the play button to watch a longer interview with Collymore.

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  15. Southend sign left-back Blackmanpublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    The signings are still trickling in across the EFL, with Southend signing left-back Andre Blackman.

    But what on earth is a monthly multiplicity contract?

    Andre looks as confused as me about what that means!

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  16. The stories to followpublished at 14:41 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Is this Leeds' year? How will the 19 new EFL managers fare? And what on earth is happening at Bolton and Bury?

    Here are some stories to follow during the season ahead...

    The stories to follow when EFL season starts on Friday

    What are the main stories to look out for when the English Football League season begins on Friday?

    Read More
  17. Unfamiliar territory for Ipswich Townpublished at 14:38 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Brenner Woolley
    BBC Radio Suffolk

    For 17 successive Championship seasons, I’ve described Ipswich Town as the most unpredictable team in the most unpredictable division.

    This time around I have even less of an idea as to what the next nine months have in store - there are simply far too many unknowns to hazard an educated guess.

    How will the squad look come the closure of the transfer window? How will they react to the disappointment of relegation last season? How strong is League One? Also, the jury is still out on manager Paul Lambert, who - despite having 31 games in charge last season - failed to keep them up.

    Ipswich could end up anywhere in the top half - it really is that tough to call.

    Paul LambertImage source, Rex Features
  18. Rotherham to bounce back from relegation?published at 14:35 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Adam Oxley
    BBC Radio Sheffield

    It’s been a yo-yo few years for the Millers. After nearly inspiring a Championship survival miracle last season, manager Paul Warne has regrouped and reshaped his squad for a League One promotion bid.

    Four wingers have departed, without replacements, so a new 4-3-3 formation has been the order of pre-season with good attacking options recruited.

    Carlton Morris is back on a season-long loan from Norwich, while striker Freddie Ladapo has signed permanently from Plymouth. Look out, too, for goalkeeper Daniel Iversen, who is on loan from Leicester.

    Rotherham look good for a play-off push, and potentially more.

    Paul WarneImage source, Rex Features
  19. Gills have lofty ambitions despite limited budgetpublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Ben Watts
    Sports reporter, BBC Radio Kent

    Steve EvansImage source, Rex Features

    The Priestfield hierarchy hold high ambitions for the 2019/20 League One season despite Gillingham’s narrow escapes from relegation in recent seasons. There seems to be a gentle optimism on Medway that new manager Steve Evans can shift this team up the table and into the top half, perhaps even mounting a push for the top seven.

    That’s why, Evans says, he picked the Gills over other offers he had from the English Football League and Scotland – because the task ahead on a limited budget, coupled with chairman Paul Scally’s desire to put together a promotion push, presents him with the biggest challenge.

    The biggest threat to Gillingham’s lofty dreams for the coming campaign are goals, or in particular where they are going to come. The Gills will be without striker Tom Eaves, who has joined Championship side Hull City after scoring 40 times in his two seasons in Kent and Evans remains in the market for another centre forward.

    The Gills begin away at Darren Moore’s Doncaster Rovers, a match likely to be a telling yardstick of what the new-look team might be capable of achieving this season.

  20. The lowdown on Lincoln Citypublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 2 August 2019

    Michael Hortin
    Assistant Editor, BBC Radio Lincolnshire

    How do you follow three trophies in three years? That’s the problem facing Danny Cowley.

    Arguably the most successful Imps boss of the modern age, Danny and his brother Nicky still have work to do in the transfer market to get the squad they want.

    Judging by pre-season, the priority will be being hard to beat as things stand - the Imps look in need of a bit more firepower up front.

    Having sold out of season tickets, I expect a raucous Sincil Bank to help Lincoln to a mid-table finish, something that, pre-Cowleys, was well beyond fans’ dreams.

    Danny CowleyImage source, Rex Features