Saturday 2 August - Leyton Orient (H) 3pm Snoots
Saturday 9 August - Reading (A) 12:30pm Snoots
Wedesday 13 August - Leicester City (H) Carabao Cup Round One 7.45pm Amelia
Saturday 16 August - Blackpool (A) 3pm Theo
Tuesday 19 August - Doncaster Rovers (H) 7.45pm Snoots
Saturday 23 August - Stevenage (H) 3pm Snoots
Tuesday 26 - Sunderland (A) Carabao Cup Round Two 7.45pm Amelia
Saturday 30 August - Barnsley (A) 3pm Amelia

Tuesday 2 September - Newcastle United u21s (H) Vertu Trophy Group stage 7.45pm
Saturday 6 September - Peterborough United (H) 3pm
Saturday 13 September - Bradford City (A) 12:30pm Snoots
Saturday 20 September - Burton Albion (H) 3pm Jjamez
Saturday 27 September - Exeter City (A) 3pm Theo
Tuedsay 30 September - Harrogate Town (A) Vertu Trophy Group stage 7.45pm

Saturday 4 October - Stockport County (H) 3pm
Saturday 11 October - Luton Town (A) 3pm Snoots
Thursday 16 October - Bolton Wanderers (H) 8pm Theo
Saturday 25 October - Wycombe Wanderers (A) 3pm

Saturday 1 November - Emirates FA Cup Round One (TBC) Jjamez
Tuesday 4 November - Mansfield Town (H) Vertu Trophy Group stage 7.45pm
Saturday 8 November - Plymouth Argyle (H) 3pm Theo
Saturday 15 November - Cardiff City (A) 3pm
Saturday 22 November - Mansfield Town (A) 3pm
Saturday 29 November - AFC Wimbledon (H) 3pm

Tuesday 9 December - Northampton Town (A) 7.45pm
Saturday 13 December - Wigan Athletic (H) 12:30pm
Saturday 20 December - Rotherham United (A) 3pm Theo
Friday 26 December - Port Vale (H) 3pm
Monday 29 December - Northampton Town (H) 3pm

Thursday 1 January - Lincoln City (A) 3pm
Sunday 4 January - Exeter City (H) 3pm
Saturday 10 January - Stockport County (A) 3pm
Saturday 17 January - Burton Albion (A) 3pm
Saturday 24 January - Bradford City (H) 3pm
Tuesday 27 January - Luton Town (H) 7.45pm
Saturday 31 January - Peterborough United (A) 3pm

Saturday 7 February - Blackpool (H) 3pm
Saturday 14 February - Stevenage (A) 3pm
Saturday 21 February - Barnsley (H) 3pm
Saturday 28 February - Wigan Athletic (A) 3pm

Saturday 7 March - Rotherham United (H) 3pm
Saturday 14 March - Port Vale (A) 3pm
Tuesday 17 March - Lincoln City (H) 7.45pm
Saturday 21 March - Plymouth Argyle (A) 3pm
Saturday 28 March - Cardiff City (H) 3pm

Friday 3 April - Reading (H) 3pm
Monday 6 April - Leyton Orient (A) 3pm
Saturday 11 April - Wycombe Wanderers (H) 3pm
Saturday 18 April - Bolton Wanderers (A) 3pm
Saturday 25 April - Mansfield Town (H) 3pm

Saturday 2 May - AFC Wimbledon (A) TBC

Barrow away

Another in the what could possibly go wrong category

Salisbury FC's new owner Ali Alhamad says there is "huge potential" at the club after agreeing a takeover deal.

The Kuwaiti businessman's company Proleague Ltd will become the National League South side's new owners subject to Football Association and National League approval.

The Wiltshire outfit confirmed on Saturday they planned to sell to "secure a future" that "unlocks new opportunities for growth and success".

Alahamad told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "There is huge potential with the club, all over. The city, the people that attend, it's a beautiful stadium, the people are wonderful.

"The main goal is creating a sustainable, well-run, community football club which serves Salisbury right."

Salisbury FC is a phoenix club set up in 2014 in the wake of Salisbury City being thrown out of the Football Conference and placed in administration.

The Whites returned to football in the Wessex League Premier a year later and went on to win two promotions in three seasons.

In 2024 they were promoted to the National League South - the sixth tier - and finished 20th last season. Attendances at their Raymond McEnhill Stadium averaged more than 800 fans per match.

Alhamad, who has worked in manufacturing, the oil and gas industry, real estate, hospitality and crypto-currency during his career, said he "loves football", having also played while at university in the United States.

The logistical links to London were part of the initial appeal of Salisbury, but Alhamad said after visiting he felt a "connection" with the city.

"I felt I can build on this. I'll be comfortable working with such a great community and it was the option for me," he said.


While promotion is the ultimate goal, Alhamad said the aim next season is for a "mid-table finish" to bring stability to the club.

The budget for manager Brian Dutton will increase in 2025-26, but the players will remain part-time for now.

"It's not smart long term to throw money lavishly," Alhamad added.

"In the future our eye is on promotion, but it is not something we have our eyes on now.

"I'm mostly focused on creating a sustainable club with several revenue streams that are not available now and also [making the club] resilient."

Queens Park Rangers have appointed Frenchman Julien Stephan as their new head coach.

The 44-year-old has replaced Marti Cifuentes, who was put on gardening leave in April and officially left the club on Tuesday night.

Stephan has had two spells in charge of his hometown club Rennes, who won the French Cup under him in 2019 - their first trophy for 48 years.

After 18 months at Strasbourg, who sacked him in 2023, he returned to Rennes but left last November after a run of poor results.

"I feel very proud and excited to join QPR," he told the club, external.

"QPR is a historic club with strong values and passionate fans, so I feel honoured.

"I wanted to come here because I know there's a lot of passion around the club and around the team, and I feel very lucky to discover that.

"There is something unique about English football. The intensity, the atmosphere, the passion of the fans also, the tempo of the game, the culture around the club all make it a very stimulating environment for a coach."

QPR finished 15th in the Championship table in 2024-25, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Who is Stephan?
As a player, Stephan was a defensive midfielder and centre-back with his career starting at Bordeaux.

He also played for Paris St-Germain's B team and later for RC Paris, Stade Briochin and FC Drouais, where he retired in 2007.

He was a youth coach at Drouais before taking on more senior management positions with Chateauroux and Lorient's under-19s team.

He then moved to Rennes, where he was born, and worked his way up through their youth teams before being named head coach for the first time in 2018.

In 2021 he resigned from his role before taking his next job at fellow Ligue 1 side, RC Strasbourg.

Stephan managed 58 games at Strasbourg in a spell that lasted until January 2023.

But in November of that year he returned to Rennes in what was his most recent job before taking the head coach role at QPR.

Stephan was sacked by Rennes after they won just three of their final 10 league games in that campaign.

'I expect players to give everything'
Stephan has built a positive reputation in France, having worked with some of the world's brightest and exciting young players.

The likes of Barcelona's Raphinha, Eduardo Camavinga from Real Madrid and Jeremy Doku, now of Manchester City, have all benefitted from his coaching.

Now coming into England's second tier, Stephan told the club he has high expectations and standards he will hold his players to.

"The main values are commitment, discipline and team spirit," he said.

"I expect my players to give everything on the pitch for the team, for the fans and to show the right attitude.

"The shirt deserves respect, total respect and it's non-negotiable for me.

"I see a group with talent, commitment and potential. I think for sure there's work to do but I think we have a great potential in the squad and there's a strong foundation to develop."

Stephan will find out how his schedule at QPR will look on Thursday lunchtime when the fixtures for the upcoming season are released.

Middlesbrough have appointed ex-Luton Town manager Rob Edwards as their new head coach.

Edwards, 42, moves to the Riverside Stadium on a three-year deal as the replacement for Michael Carrick, who was dismissed earlier this month.

He led Luton to the Premier League in 2023 but could not avoid relegation from the top flight 12 months later and was then dismissed by the Hatters in January when they were 20th in the Championship.

His job is now to improve a Boro team who ended last season in 10th place, four points outside the play-off spots.

"It's a real privilege to be given the opportunity to be head coach of this great football club," Edwards told the club website., external

"It's something that's not lost on me, how big this is, how important this is, and what it means to people. There is an amazing fanbase."

He added: "It felt instantly that this was right for me and it got me excited. If I was going to come back in, I wanted to come back in at a place where we had a chance, and we have a really good chance here.

"We have a brilliant owner who historically gives his coaches time, support, and the tools needed to try and be successful. I can't wait to get started now."

Edwards' managerial journey
After guiding Forest Green Rovers into League One for the first time in their history in his first EFL post, having managed AFC Telford United in National League North and worked at age-group level for Wolves and England, Edwards moved up to the Championship with Watford in the summer of 2022.

He did not last long at Vicarage Road - 11 games to be precise - but their loss was Luton's gain.

Pitching up at Kenilworth Road in November, six months later he had guided the Hatters to the Premier League by beating Coventry City in the play-off final at Wembley.

Returning to the top flight for the first time in 31 years was a huge step up for the whole club, but despite the challenge, Luton's relegation was only confirmed on the final day of the season.

Dropping back into the Championship proved a struggle, especially away from home, where they suffered 10 successive defeats and reluctantly the club and Edwards parted ways.

However, because of his success in taking Luton up, his stock has remained high.

Left behind in north east
It is now eight years since Middlesbrough were in the Premier League and they have become stuck in the second tier.

Last season was especially painful as they watched on as their north east rivals from up the A19 enjoyed seasons to remember, with Newcastle United winning the Carabao Cup, ending a 56-year wait for a major trophy, and Sunderland securing a dramatic promotion to the Premier League.

Edwards is now the eighth manager or head coach employed since 2017 and in only two of the eight seasons since then have they reached the play-offs.

They did finish fourth in Carrick's first season two years ago, but the direction of travel was down in the subsequent two campaigns as they ended eighth and then 10th.

Now the former Wales international is tasked with galvanising and re-energising a club and its support to try to compete at the top end of the division.

otts County have appointed former Burton Albion boss Martin Paterson as their new head coach.

The League Two club have been without a head coach for a month since Stuart Maynard was sacked following their play-off semi-final defeat by AFC Wimbledon.

Former Northern Ireland international forward Paterson, 38, had a brief spell in charge of Burton in the second half of the 2023-24 season, helping them narrowly avoid relegation from League One.

Notts director of football Roberto Gagliardi told the club website, external that he was "hugely excited" by Paterson's appointment.

"In our conversations with him it's been clear that he shares our vision of playing dynamic, progressive football and, as much as the club's DNA will remain the same in terms of our desire to dominate the ball, we believe he may bring more intensity and directness to our play," Gagliardi said.

"Martin wants his teams to be extremely hard-working, well-organised and difficult to play against – characteristics which were key to his success at Burton having become their manager in very challenging circumstances.

"We believe we can provide the environment for Martin to demonstrate his true capabilities as a head coach."

Burton were 17th in the table when Paterson took over, following which they won just five times in 20 games - enough to narrowly avoid relegation.

They ended up finishing 20th - one place and two points above the drop zone - although then Brewers owner and chairman Ben Robinson admitted Paterson had taken over "under very difficult circumstances".

After beginning his career with home town club Stoke City, former Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Blackpool, Port Vale and Tampa Bay Rowdies striker Paterson worked as a number two in England and the United States, including a stint alongside Phil Neville in Miami.

When appointed by Burton, Robinson said he saw the "same potential" in Paterson that he did in Neil Warnock, Nigel Clough and Gary Rowett - who were all appointed by Albion as up-and-coming managers.

Notts owners Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz said Paterson had "demonstrated immense passion, determination and ambition – underpinned by a fixation on winning" during talks over the job.

Andy Edwards will be Paterson's assistant head coach, with keeper Sam Slocombe extending his stay at Meadow Lane by becoming first-team coach.

Brackley Town have signed former Wolves midfielder Jack Price for the 2025-26 season.

Price had been a free agent for nearly a year after finishing a short-term contract at Shrewsbury last July, but is now set to return to professional football with the newly-promoted National League side.

The 32-year-old is the fifth arrival at St James Park this summer following Ryan Haynes, Danny Waldron, Kyle Morrison and Zak Brown.

During his career, Price played in the Championship with Wolves, for whom he made 115 appearances.

He also spent over five years in Major League Soccer at Colorado Rapids where he succeeded former United States and Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard as captain in 2020.

"Jack will bring a wealth of experience to the squad and is a real leader on and off the pitch," Brackley manager Gavin Cowan told the club website., external

"We're really pleased to have him on board at a time in his career where he is motivated and determined to make an impact."

Thursday dinner time the little rascals are announced

It looks like a fairly quiet start to Hibs' League campaign, but still tricky. Surely we'll get a better start than last season, but a lot will depend on who will be playing for the Hibees.

03.08.25 Dundee A
09.08.25 Kilmarnock H
23.08.25 Falkirk A
30.08.25 St Mirren H
13.09.25 Dundee United H
27.09.25 Celtic A
04.10.25 Hearts A
18.10.25 Livingston H
25.10.25 Aberdeen A
29.10.25 Rangers H - 19.45
01.11.25 Motherwell A
08.11.25 St Mirren A
22.11.25 Dundee H
29.11.25 Celtic H
03.12.25 Livingston A - 19.45
06.12.25 Falkirk H
13.12.25 Rangers A
20.12.25 Dundee United A
27.12.25 Hearts H - 12.30
30.12.25 Aberdeen H - 19.45
03.01.26 Kilmarnock A
10.01.26 Motherwell H
24.01.26 Falkirk A
31.01.26 Rangers H
04.02.26 Dundee United H - 19.45
11.02.26 Hearts A - 19.45
14.02.26 St Mirren H
21.02.26 Celtic A
28.02.26 Dundee A
14.03.26 Livingston H
21.03.26 Motherwell A
04.04.26 Kilmarnock H
11.04.26 Aberdeen A