#efl

#efl

Watford appointing a new head coach is not really new news. Watford having a third head coach in the same season is not really new news either, but Watford appointing Ed Still is definitely news. Having watched his brother Will succeed on the continent but then fail with Southampton in the Championship this season, it has not deterred the older sibling from stepping into the chaotic world of Vicarage Road.

Sunday's Championship game between Sheffield United and Oxford United is one of numerous EFL matches postponed because of frozen pitches. Seven fixtures have been called off in League Two and two more have fallen to the freezing weather in League One. In a statement, the Blades said a referee looked at the Bramall Lane pitch before the scheduled 12:00 GMT kick-off and found parts of the playing surface were frozen.

In the last two seasons we've seen quite a visibly massive increase, around the 100 per cent mark,

"Positive action is being taken, including issuing stadium bans to individuals who engage in discriminatory behaviour, referring cases of online abuse to the relevant authorities, and supporting the rehabilitation of offenders so they can understand the real-life consequences of their actions," EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said. "This is a multi-faceted approach - and crucially, the work does not stop here."

Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League this summer was impressive on a number of levels. A head coach in Regis Le Bris, in his first season in English football, laying waste to the theory of needing significant time to adapt working within the cut and thrust of the Championship. A club who had only returned to the second tier in 2022, without parachute payments to boost spending on transfer fees and wages. But all underpinned by an incredibly youthful squad - their average starting age of 23 years and 316 days was the youngest in the division - with academy graduates forming a consistent core.

In injury time of the penultimate game last season, Sharp charged through on goal to put Doncaster 2-0 up at home to Bradford and confirm their rise from League Two.

Fans' groups will welcome government backing against plans for Premier League and EFL to host competitive matches abroad, preserving football's traditions amid growing commercial interests.

The League Two play-offs will start on May 11, 2025, featuring semi-finals on specified dates, leading to a final on May 26 hosted at Wembley.