The final batch of City’s divisional rivals
It’s less than three weeks until we get the fixtures for the 2015/16 season – and the 24 teams that will contest Sky Bet League 2 are all confirmed.So here is the final batch of sides that we’re taking a look at…
Manager – Michael Appleton
Stadium – Kassam Stadium (12,500)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 163 miles
2014/15 position – 13th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: D1-1; Away: D2-2
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 3/1
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 20/1
Michael Appleton’s men – including new recruit Liam Sercombe – are joint third favourites to be lining up in League 1 at the start of the 2016/17 season. When they visited St James Park in the seventh league fixture last season – with both teams still winless – it was being dubbed a ‘relegation six-pointer’ – it proved premature, with both sides finishing in mid-table.
Manager – John Sheridan
Stadium – Home Park (16,388)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 46 miles
2014/15 position – 7th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: L1-3; Away: L0-3
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 7/2
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 14/1
Always a passionate affair, the Grecians will aim to fare better in the next instalments of the Devon Derby after two defeats last year. Those points for the Pilgrims helped to land them a play-off position – but after all the hard work that it took to get there, it was thrown away with a 5-3 aggregate defeat to Wycombe. Manager John Sheridan has admitted his future is unclear.
Manager – Paul Cook
Stadium – Fratton Park (20,224)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 130 miles
2014/15 position – 16th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: D1-1; Away: L0-1
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – Evens
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 40/1
For the third straight season, Portsmouth are heavy favourites for the League 2 title – however two consecutive bottom-half finishes at this level suggest that reputation is a factor. Paul Cook won the division as manager of Chesterfield in the 2013/14 season, and this summer he became the fourth man in less than two years to take on the challenge of trying to get Pompey promoted.
Manager – Teddy Sheringham
Stadium – Broadhall Way (6,722)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 222 miles
2014/15 position – 6th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: D0-0; Away: L0-1
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 4/1
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 11/1
Play-off semi-final defeat to Southend prompted Graham Westley’s third exit from the Stevenage hotseat. In has stepped Teddy Sheringham for his maiden managerial role, with former Colchester midfielder Kevin Watson today being appointed as his assistance. Football League title sponsors Sky Bet fancy the Boro to have another strong season.
Manager – Gareth Ainsworth
Stadium – Adams Park (10,284)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 180 miles
2014/15 position – 4th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: W2-1; Away: L1-2
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 4/1
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 9/1
Wycombe were a case study in how not to get over the line. In the automatic promotion spots since mid-September – and leading the division for much of the year – the Chairboys finally dropped into the play-offs on the penultimate weekend. Even worse was throwing away a lead with seconds to spare in added time in extra-time in the play-off final with Southend, and losing on penalties.
Manager – Paul Sturrock
Stadium – Huish Park (9,565)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 47 miles
2014/15 position – 24th in League 1 (relegated)
Exeter City results 2014/15 – N/A
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 4/1
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 12/1
Two years ago, Jamie McAllister was lifting the League 1 play-off trophy aloft as Glovers captain, as a 2-1 win against Brentford at Wembley earned a place in the Championship. But after coming bottom of their division in consecutive seasons, Yeovil are now back in the fourth tier and the main focus will be on stopping the rot and building a firm base to go forward.
Manager – Russ Wilcox
Stadium – Bootham Crescent (7,872)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 296 miles
2014/15 position – 18th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: D1-1; Away: D0-0
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 11/2
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 10/1
The Minstermen tasted victory on just five occasions on home soil last season – a stat only matched by relegated duo Tranmere and Cheltenham. Indeed York won just 11 times in all competitions last year, but they secured 19 league draws – ending in parity more times than any other team in the top four tiers. Russ Wilcox, who got Scunthorpe promoted in 2014, took over in October.