Championship Championship Clubs 2025/26

[Steve Gilbert]

So now we know who will be in the league next season I have done a table of the distance and time to each club from the Kassam Stadium. All times and distances are 1 way.

Club​	Time​	Distance (miles)​
Birmingham City​	1 hour 32​	74.6​
Blackburn Rovers​	3 hours 13​	189.5​
Bristol City​	1 hour 39​	88.3​
Charlton Athletic​	2 hours 1​	65.7​
Coventry City​	1 hour 22​	67.2​
Derby County​	1 hour 59​	113.2​
Hull City​	3 hours 29​	182.9​
Ipswich Town​	2 hours 34​	137.1​
Leicester City​	1 hour 41​	86.6​
Middlesbrough​	4 hours 5​	237.1​
Millwall​	1 hour 51​	63.6​
Norwich City​	3 hours 4​	162.2​
Portsmouth​	1 hour 48​	89.5​
Preston North End​	3 hours 11​	188.4​
QPR​	1 hour 9​	51.2​
Sheffield United​	2 hours 41​	144.8​
Sheffield Wednesday​	2 hours 49​	153.9​
Southampton​	1 hour 40​	74.3​
Stoke City​	2 hours 9​	123​
Swansea City​	2 hours 40​	157.1​
Watford​	1 hour 4​	48.3​
West Bromwich Albion​	1 hour 30​	86.3​
Wrexham​	2 hours 52​	156.8​

Shortest journey: Watford (48.3 miles)
Longest journey: Middlesbrough (237.1 miles)
Total miles one way: 2741.6
Total miles return trip: 5483.2

Number of games less than 2 hours away: 11
Number of games less than 3 hours away: 7
Number of games less than 4 hours away: 4
Number of games less than 5 hours away: 1

2025/26 Season​

Fixture release day: Thursday, 26 June 2025 at 12pm
Sky Bet Championship start date: Weekend of 9/10 August 2025
Final games of the regular season: Weekend of 2/3 May 2026
Championship Play-Off Final: Saturday 23 May 2026

Summer transfer window:

• Open: Sunday 1 June to Tuesday 10 June (19:00)
• Close: Tuesday 10 June (19:00:01) to Monday 16 June (00:01)
• Re-open: Monday 16 June to Monday 1 September (19:00)

Carabao Cup

• Round One draw date: 26th June 2025
• Round One: w/c 11 August 2025
• Carabao Cup Final: Sunday 22 March 2026

 

[stokeu]

Can you do the same for all games from my house please?

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Can you do the same for all games from my house please?

I can certainly do one for you as if you lived in North Wales

 

[Foxy]

So now we know who will be in the league next season I have done a table of the distance and time to each club from the Kassam Stadium. All times and distances are 1 way.

Club​	Time​	Distance (miles)​
Birmingham City​	1 hour 32​	74.6​
Blackburn Rovers​	3 hours 13​	189.5​
Bristol City​	1 hour 39​	88.3​
Charlton Athletic​	1 hour 59​	95​
Coventry City​	1 hour 22​	67.2​
Derby County​	1 hour 59​	113.2​
Hull City​	3 hours 29​	182.9​
Ipswich Town​	2 hours 34​	137.1​
Leicester City​	1 hour 41​	86.6​
Middlesbrough​	4 hours 5​	237.1​
Millwall​	1 hour 51​	63.6​
Norwich City​	3 hours 4​	162.2​
Portsmouth​	1 hour 48​	89.5​
Preston North End​	3 hours 11​	188.4​
QPR​	1 hour 9​	51.2​
Sheffield United​	2 hours 41​	144.8​
Sheffield Wednesday​	2 hours 49​	153.9​
Southampton​	1 hour 40​	74.3​
Stoke City​	2 hours 9​	123​
Swansea City​	2 hours 40​	157.1​
Watford​	1 hour 4​	48.3​
West Bromwich Albion​	1 hour 30​	86.3​
Wrexham​	2 hours 52​	156.8​

Shortest journey: Watford (48.3 miles)
Longest journey: Middlesbrough (237.1 miles)
Total miles one way: 2770.9
Total miles return trip: 5541.8

Number of games less than 2 hours away: 12
Number of games less than 3 hours away: 6
Number of games less than 4 hours away: 4
Number of games less than 5 hours away: 1

Is Charlton 95 miles away ?

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Is Charlton 95 miles away ?

According to AA route finder, yes.

 

[SteMerritt]

Is Charlton 95 miles away ?

Well, no, not if you go for the shortest route, it is around 68 miles. The 95mls quoted is for the fastest route if you drive.

 

[tim lane]

So now we know who will be in the league next season I have done a table of the distance and time to each club from the Kassam Stadium. All times and distances are 1 way.

Club​	Time​	Distance (miles)​
Birmingham City​	1 hour 32​	74.6​
Blackburn Rovers​	3 hours 13​	189.5​
Bristol City​	1 hour 39​	88.3​
Charlton Athletic​	1 hour 59​	95​
Coventry City​	1 hour 22​	67.2​
Derby County​	1 hour 59​	113.2​
Hull City​	3 hours 29​	182.9​
Ipswich Town​	2 hours 34​	137.1​
Leicester City​	1 hour 41​	86.6​
Middlesbrough​	4 hours 5​	237.1​
Millwall​	1 hour 51​	63.6​
Norwich City​	3 hours 4​	162.2​
Portsmouth​	1 hour 48​	89.5​
Preston North End​	3 hours 11​	188.4​
QPR​	1 hour 9​	51.2​
Sheffield United​	2 hours 41​	144.8​
Sheffield Wednesday​	2 hours 49​	153.9​
Southampton​	1 hour 40​	74.3​
Stoke City​	2 hours 9​	123​
Swansea City​	2 hours 40​	157.1​
Watford​	1 hour 4​	48.3​
West Bromwich Albion​	1 hour 30​	86.3​
Wrexham​	2 hours 52​	156.8​

Shortest journey: Watford (48.3 miles)
Longest journey: Middlesbrough (237.1 miles)
Total miles one way: 2770.9
Total miles return trip: 5541.8

Number of games less than 2 hours away: 12
Number of games less than 3 hours away: 6
Number of games less than 4 hours away: 4
Number of games less than 5 hours away: 1

Many thanks for this, Steve. It's much appreciated. Re Charlton, I think The Valley is around 56 miles from Grenoble Road.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Many thanks for this, Steve. It's much appreciated. Re Charlton, I think The Valley is around 56 miles from Grenoble Road.

Edited. It is 65.7!

 

[vcool]

EFL fixture release and opening day dates for 2025/26 announced

The Official home of the English Football League

www.efl.com

Wish All the best OUFC for 2025/2026 season !!!

 

[Chris on a Bike]

Edited. It is 65.7!

Given that discrepancy of FoSB proportions I think it's only right that you check all the others too!

 

[Steve Gilbert]

2025/26 Season​

Fixture release day: Thursday, 26 June 2025 at 12pm

Sky Bet League One & League Two start date: Weekend of 2/3 August 2025

Sky Bet Championship start date: Weekend of 9/10 August 2025



Final games of the regular season: Weekend of 2/3 May 2026

Championship Play-Off Final: Saturday 23 May 2026

League One Play-Off Final: Sunday 24 May 2026

League Two Play-Off Final: Monday 25 May 2026

Summer transfer window:

• Open: Sunday 1 June to Tuesday 10 June (19:00)
• Close: Tuesday 10 June (19:00:01) to Monday 16 June (00:01)
• Re-open: Monday 16 June to Monday 1 September (19:00)

• Carabao Cup​

  Round One draw date: 26 June 2025
  
  Round One: w/c 11 August 2025
• 
  
• Carabao Cup Final: Sunday 22 March 2026
  

I have edited my post to include these dates so they don't get lost.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Looks tough but exciting nonetheless.

 

[Sutton Yellow]

Looks tough but exciting nonetheless.

It is indeed tough, but we have the experience of this season. That could be worth a lot.

Other clubs will be talking of a difficult trip to Oxford when they come to us.

 

[werthersoriginal]

It’s looks tough but not as daunting as it did last year. We know the likes of Preston, Hull, and Millwall aren’t all that.

 

[holdsteady]

It is indeed tough, but we have the experience of this season. That could be worth a lot.

Other clubs will be talking of a difficult trip to Oxford when they come to us.

Hopefully we get written off and underestimated again, although on a championship Facebook page only one fan had us as getting relegated out of about 5 which is worrying.

 

[Marked Ox]

Why is the Championship kicking off on a different week to L1/L2?

I have read about it but can't remember why.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

As we saw this season, there are no gimme games - but neither are there any that are impossible. We beat both the playoff contenders in the weeks leading up to the end of the season, for example. With a year's experience and Gary Rowett hopefully able to mould the squad (at least somewhat), it will be another exciting season, I am sure.

 

[Leysboy]

Nothing to fear amongst that lot. Yes it’s looking very competitive, but so was last season when looking at who we would be playing.

That’s why we as fans want to be here, we want to be playing these clubs, and stay at this level. We are a progressing football club. The brand of football at this level is great, and much better than what we became accustomed too in Lge 1.

Now we need to invest in certain areas of the starting eleven/squad, and continue where we left off, and other fans of football clubs at this level, will start to say “Oxford don’t fancy that - Tough game”

We belong at this level.

 

[Jster]

A vaguely interesting article about Southampton's possible player plans - https://www.attackingfootball.com/southampton-summer-transfer-dilemma/

 

[Steve Gilbert]

A vaguely interesting article about Southampton's possible player plans - https://www.attackingfootball.com/southampton-summer-transfer-dilemma/

If they sell all those players they would get £176million plus the £40+ million of parachute payments, I think we might be shopping in different waters to them

 

[Wallop]

Looking at the list, with the exception of Wrexham who I don’t plan to visit due to the hullabaloo, away allocations at the rest should be ok.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Looking at the list, with the exception of Wrexham who I don’t plan to visit due to the hullabaloo, away allocations at the rest should be ok.

Do you intend on going to Birmingham?

 

[Wallop]

Do you intend on going to Birmingham?

Yes, decent allocation or not?

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Yes, decent allocation or not?

It will be but I was just curious to your comment about not going to Wrexham due to the hallabaloo? Do mean with the Wrexham owners?

 

[Wallop]

It will be but I was just curious to your comment about not going to Wrexham due to the hallabaloo? Do mean with the Wrexham owners?

Yes - whilst I’m aware Birmingham also have rich US owners, it’s been less of a TV show style culture.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Yes - whilst I’m aware Birmingham also have rich US owners, it’s been less of a TV show style culture.

Birmingham have a documentary coming out in the coming months about the season they have just had...

I am not a big fan of the Wrexham TV show and it is quite cringe worthy at times but as far as going the games are concerned, it is a very good away day.

 

[NorthernExile]

Cardiff, Portsmouth and Plymouth (who were among the biggest travellers) made up three of the five worst away teams last season, along with us and Luton. The likes of Derby (shortest distance travelled) and Stoke (one of the shortest) held better form than us away from home despite finishing below us and Pompey. There's no doubt that travel has an impact. Happy to lose Leeds, Burnley, Plymouth and Sunderland while gaining Leicester, Birmingham, Southampton and Charlton.

Side note, Rowett hasn't gone a single full season achieving less than a point per game away from home, finishing in the top half of the away form table (comparable to overall form) in three of his four seasons at Millwall (in his full season with Derby, they were 6th on away form). I know the bookies have us as second favourites to go down, but that seems lazy; I'd hope we were closer to mid-table next season (but would take 21st of course).

 

[Wallop]

Cardiff, Portsmouth and Plymouth (who were among the biggest travellers) made up three of the five worst away teams last season, along with us and Luton. The likes of Derby (shortest distance travelled) and Stoke (one of the shortest) held better form than us away from home despite finishing below us and Pompey. There's no doubt that travel has an impact. Happy to lose Leeds, Burnley, Plymouth and Sunderland while gaining Leicester, Birmingham, Southampton and Charlton.

Side note, Rowett hasn't gone a single full season achieving less than a point per game away from home, finishing in the top half of the away form table (comparable to overall form) in three of his four seasons at Millwall (in his full season with Derby, they were 6th on away form). I know the bookies have us as second favourites to go down, but that seems lazy; I'd hope we were closer to mid-table next season (but would take 21st of course).

I wouldn’t take 21st next season. Our owners and manager talk about achieving much more. 14th for me would be par and show progress.

 

[holdsteady]

I wouldn’t take 21st next season. Our owners and manager talk about achieving much more. 14th for me would be par and show progress.

Why would 14th be par?

 

[NorthernExile]

I wouldn’t take 21st next season. Our owners and manager talk about achieving much more. 14th for me would be par and show progress.

I certainly hope and even expect better, but it'd be reckless not to take safety again.