Unable to watch your team or listen to BBC local radio commentary this afternoon?

You can listen to BBC Squad Goals, a dedicated EFL show bringing you news of all the goals as they happen along with views from matchgoing fans.

Click the link at the top of this page to tune in, or find it on BBC Sounds, your BBC local radio website or via your smart speaker.

After finishing 21st in the Championship last season, it appears Derby County are further away than ever from a return to the Premier League.

With the club up for sale and subject to English Football League sanctions including a transfer embargo, it has been the toughest of managerial baptisms for Wayne Rooney.

England's record goalscorer has had to navigate the roughest of rough seas and has even had to resort to sleeping in his office in his efforts to strengthen his squad.

Neil Critchley's Blackpool are playing in their first Championship season since 2014-15 and will be looking to harness the momentum that any promotion brings as they return to the second tier.

Many of their summer additions have never played at this level so much will depend on those who have, including vastly-experienced centre-back Richard Keogh.

Bristol City, meanwhile, ended last season without a win in 10 games, while they only picked up one point out of a possible 30 at Ashton Gate.

Nigel Pearson starts his first full season in charge and fans will be hoping for a big improvement on last season's 19th-placed finish.

Two former Premier League clubs meet at the Stadium of Light as League One nearly men Sunderland host a Wigan side who have spent big, with former Black Cats striker Charlie Wyke among their summer additions.

Of the four sides to have come up from League Two Morecambe have the most eye-catching opener as they travel to much-fancied Ipswich while last season's beaten play-off finalists Lincoln visit Gillingham.

The late kick-off sees relegated Sheffield Wednesday start life in the third tier at Charlton. We'll be across that game from 17:30 BST.

The rest of the day's fixtures are here.

Image source, Rex Features

It's been a long eight years for Peterborough since they were relegated from the Championship with a record 54 points in 2013, thanks to an 89th-minute goal on the final day.

But last May’s promotion from League One was Darren Ferguson’s fourth as Posh manager - across three different spells in charge - with 33-goal striker Jonson Clarke-Harris likely to lead the line alongside the agile Sammie Szmodics and Siriki Dembele.

Luton will consider themselves an established side at this level after last season's 12th-placed finish, with the attacking flair of Admiral Muskwe, Fred Onyedinma and Carlos Mendes Gomes among those through the door.

Nathan Jones has lost key players James Collins and Matty Pearson but held onto enough of his side's spine to suggest another impressive season could be on the cards.

Breaking transfer news 30 minutes before kick-off on the opening day of the season....

Derby have completed the signing of much-travelled former Manchester United youngster Ravel Morrison.

Claim to know your stuff?

There's still time to have a go at our promotion predictor for the Championship, League One and League Two and compare notes with your friends.

Chris Lowe: Relegation fodder that. Before a ball is even kicked. #BarnsleyFC

Some positivity already from Barnsley fans after they came so close last season…

John Watson: Walking to the match currently and just heard a little boy with his dad... "Wow all these fans is amazing." Dad replies: "Wait till you get inside the SOL. Then you will be amazed."

James Hunter: Fans in red and white heading over the bridge, milling around outside the ground, queuing at the burger joints... proper football is back!

Image source, Getty Images

All 24 teams get their campaigns under way at 15:00 BST with the game of the day arguably coming at St James Park, where Exeter host Bradford in a meeting of two sides backed to go well this season.

Sutton go to Forest Green for their first-ever EFL match while fellow newly promoted side Hartlepool host Crawley.

There's no such thing as a relegation six-pointer in August but Scunthorpe and Swindon are both tipped to struggle and meet at Glanford Park.

Click here to see all the fixtures.

With the Euros and Olympics to distract us, we could all be forgiven for taking our eye off the EFL ball over the past couple of months.

So this handy piece by Ian Woodcock should bring you up to speed with how many clubs are shaping up for the new season.

Image source, Rex Features

Hull City bounced back to the Championship at the first time of asking, as League One champions under Grant McCann, and are looking at achieving more than just survival.

On top of some summer additions, young players Jacob Greaves, Greg Docherty, Mallik Wilks and Keane Lewis-Potter are all expected to step up.

There's not quite as much optimism at Deepdale, with Preston so far not adding much to a squad that finished in a disappointing 14th place last season.

However, Frankie McAvoy finished the campaign with a flurry and now has the reins full-time - can he carry on from Alex Neil by ensuring North End continue to punch above their budget?

Wayne Rooney's Derby survived by the skin of their teeth last season and this term has started with various hearings and EFL embargoes off the field.

Various takeover attempts have come and gone and the Rams have had to scramble to put a team together, with Curtis Davies, Richard Stearman and Ryan Allsop only signing deals on Friday.

Huddersfield might've been hoping to take advantage but their preparation has been disrupted by a positive coronavirus test for head coach Carlos Corberan, who is not at Pride Park, with players Lee Nicholls, Harry Toffolo, Josh Ruffels and Lewis O’Brien also testing positive and unavailable.

The Terriers also struggled last season but will hope summer signings Tom Lees, Danel Sinani and Jordan Rhodes will help bolster their squad.

Right, shall we start previewing some of this afternoon's games?

Image source, Rex Features

The overwhelming emotion of today will surely be how great it is to have hundreds of thousands of football supporters back in grounds watching their teams across the EFL.

For those of you lucky enough to be at a game, what's been the best part of your day so far? The smell of the freshly-cut grass? The chanting? Meeting up with friends?

Let us know using #bbcefl on social media, so we can bring a flavour of the atmosphere to those having to follow events from afar.

Last night we were treated to an absolute humdinger to start the English league season as two of the Championship's most fancied sides shared four goals at the Vitality Stadium.

Ged Scott followed all the action.

To mark the start of the EFL campaign, we've asked our network of BBC local radio commentators, reporters and sports editors for their thoughts on how the season might pan out for their sides.

All 72 clubs are covered in depth - you can take a look here to see how our experts think your team is shaping up for the new season.

These are the games we've all been looking forward to since the fixtures for this season were released back on 24 June.

We'll be across every goal and key incident in the Championship, with regular updates from across League One and League Two.

Championship

• Blackburn v Swansea
• Bristol City v Blackpool
• Cardiff v Barnsley
• Derby v Huddersfield
• Luton v Peterborough
• Preston v Hull
• QPR v Millwall
• Stoke City v Reading
• Sheffield United v Birmingham (20:00 BST)

Follow these links to find today's full League One and League Two fixtures.

Image source, Rex Features

The first Saturday of the football season is always highly-anticipated, but it's a whole new level this year.

You, the fans, are back in stadiums - with all the pre and post-match rituals that go with watching your team.

Allow yourself to get carried away by dreaming of a season of unparalleled success.

The EFL is back, good and proper.