Leeds and Leicester are among the clubs expected to push for promotion from League One.
Leeds and Leicester the bookies' favourites for title
League One is a notoriously easy division to fall into and a difficult one to get out of and this season is no different as a host of clubs will be quietly confident this could be their year.
Roberto Martinez's stylish Swansea were deservedly crowned champions last season but while the bookies are confident division giants Leeds and Leicester will be at the forefront of the promotion pack, being the side everyone else would love to beat is a tough cross to bear.
Leeds are facing up to only their second season in the third tier of English football and the pressure is on Gary McAllister to deliver. After taking charge at Elland Road at the end of January - when Dennis Wise jumped ship for Newcastle - McAllister guided the fallen Yorkshire giants into the play-offs.
No mean feat given they began the season on minus 15 points; even if they failed to show up at Wembley for the final against Doncaster.
McAllister has signed the likes of Andy Robinson, Enoch Showunmi, Alan Sheehan and highly-rated Livingston striker Robert Snodgrass during the summer and his side begin the season as promotion favourites.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson lacks experience but has made a number of impressive signings, including Jack Hobbs, Aleksandar Tunchev, Kerrea Gilbert, Lloyd Dyer and Nicky Adams. Foxes supremo Milan Mandaric will expect promotion. Anything less and Pearson will be a candidate for the axe.
Promoted duo MK Dons and Peterborough lack nothing in ambition and could also have a major say in the promotion race. New Dons boss Roberto Di Matteo has no previous managerial experience but commands respect and he will hope to carry the momentum from last season's title success into the new campaign.
So too will Posh boss Darren Ferguson, who is armed with a chairman with deep pockets and a genuine desire to propel his club up the football pyramid as quickly as possible.
Stan Ternent has never been a manager afraid of making wholesale changes and he has done just that at new club Huddersfield. The Terriers are in their centenary year and have sold a staggering 16,000 season tickets, underlining the mood of optimism which has engulfed the Yorkshire club.
Brighton could push for the play-offs following Micky Adams' return as manager while Scunthorpe and Colchester should also be in contention as they seek an immediate return to the Championship.
Carlisle and Southend were defeated in the League One play-off semi-finals last season but are rated as promotion contenders once again. Although it could be that the former struggle to replace top goalscorer Joe Garner, who has moved to Nottingham Forest.
Scunthorpe are another side who need to cope without a star striker that has departed for pastures new, with Martin Paterson having quit Glanford Park for Burnley.
Tranmere have made solid signings in the shape of Gareth Edds, Edrissa Sonko, George O'Callaghan, Bas Savage, Luke Waterfall and Godwin Antwi but it's difficult to see Ronnie Moore's men improving on last season. Expect the Prenton Park outfit to again fall short of the play-offs.
Oldham boss John Sheridan has assembled a squad that has real competition for places in most positions and if Craig Davies and Lee Hughes stay fit, or new boy Chris O'Grady gets a run in the side, champagne could yet be sprayed at Boundary Park come May.
The likes of Hartlepool, Cheltenham, Hereford, Leyton Orient and Yeovil have all been tipped to struggle, while Crewe will hope to build on a disappointing past campaign - with new boy Calvin Zola having big boots to fill following Nicky Maynard's move to Bristol City.
Pools boss Danny Wilson has plenty of quality at his disposal but an unspectacular summer of recruitment has sated expectation levels at Victoria Park.
Orient arguably overachieved last season following their promotion from League Two and could experience a difficult second season, while Yeovil struggled last year and there is precious little to suggest they won't do so again.
Steven Gillespie's defection from Cheltenham to Colchester could see the Robins relegated as they now lack anything like a regular goalscorer.
New boys Hereford are an unknown quantity and could do with a solid start if they are to prosper, while Bristol Rovers could be an outside bet for the play-offs if their new boy Darryl Duffy beds in quickly.
Millwall boss Kenny Jackett steadied the ship last term upon his arrival at The Den and will be hoping to repeat the success he enjoyed at Swansea, having had a full pre-season to work with his players.
Swindon have been repeatedly frustrated in the transfer market and could pay the price for failing to add to their ranks, while Northampton are fancied as dark horses for a play-off place as Stuart Gray has quietly gone about assembling a decent squad at Sixfields.
New boys Stockport have some talented youngsters in their ranks and should be good enough to stay up, but finding a replacement for Liam Dickinson will be a tough task for Jim Gannon.
Michael Ricketts' return to the Banks's Stadium has encouraged the Saddlers faithful after an impressive loan spell last term but whether the one-time England cap will be able to propel his side any closer to the Championship remains a subject of conjecture.
Club by club guide
Brighton
Manager: Micky Adams
Position last season: 7th
In: Colin Hawkins (Coventry, free), Kevin McLeod (Colchester, free), Adam Virgo (Celtic, free), David Livermore (Hull, free), Matt Richards (Ipswich, loan)
Out: Kerry Mayo, Guy Butters, Gary Hart, Paul Reid, Sam Rents (Crawley, free), David Martot, Sonny Cobbs, Lloyd Skinner, Chris Winterton, Shane McFaul
Key man: Glenn Murray
Chances: Micky Adams has led Brighton to promotion before and few would back against him repeating that feat this season.
Bristol Rovers
Manager: Paul Trollope
Position last season: 16th
In: Jeff Hughes (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Darryl Duffy (Swansea, £100,000), Ben Hunt (West Ham, free)
Out: Sammy Igoe, Chris Carruthers, Richard Walker (Shrewsbury, loan)
Key man: Darryl Duffy
Chances: Rovers splashed the cash on striker Darryl Duffy this summer and their chances could hinge on how quickly he settles.
Carlisle
Manager: John Ward
Position last season: 4th
In: Josh Gowling (Bournemouth, free), Ben Williams (Crewe, free), Michael Bridges (Hull, loan),
Out: Zigor Aranalde, Paul Arnison (Bradford, free), Grant Carson, Keiren Westwood (Coventry, £500,000), Joe Garner (Nottingham Forest, £1.14m), Kevin Gall (Lincoln, loan)
Key man: Michael Bridges
Chances: Carlisle were League One's surprise package last season and it remains to be seen how they deal with the loss of key players this time around.
Cheltenham
Manager: Keith Downing
Position last season: 19th
In: Alex Russell (Bristol City, free)
Out: Steven Gillespie (Colchester, £400,000)
Key man: Paul Connor
Chances: The loss of star player Steven Gillespie and the failure to replace him could see the Robins struggle.
Colchester
Manager: Geraint Williams
Position last season: 24th (Championship)
In: Matt Heath (Leeds, free), Matt Lockwood (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Paul Reid (Barnsley, free), Steven Gillespie (Cheltenham, £400,000), David Perkins (Rochdale, undisclosed), Akanni-Sunday Wasiu (St Albans, free)
Out: Kevin Watson, Luke Guttridge, Tom Webb, Tom Devaux, Danny Granville (Leyton Orient, free), Aidan Davison, Kevin McLeod (Brighton, free), Karl Duguid (Plymouth, undisclosed), Jamie Guy (Oxford, loan), Kevin Lisbie (Ipswich, undisclosed),
Key man: Steven Gillespie
Chances: Boss Geraint Williams has bought well following last season's relegation and the Us should mount a promotion challenge.
Crewe
Manager: Steve Holland
Position last season: 20th
In: Adam Legzdins (Birmingham, free), Joel Grant (Aldershot, £130,000), Calvin Zola (Tranmere, £200,000), Steve Collis (Southend, free), Jake Livermore (Spurs, loan), Anthony Elding (Leeds, undisclosed)
Out: Matthew Bailey, Ryan Lynch, Junior Brown, Nick Farquharson, Ben Williams (Carlisle, free), Ryan Lowe (Chester, free), Owain fon Williams (Stockport, free), Nicky Maynard (Bristol City, £2.25million)
Key man: Calvin Zola
Chances: Crewe have not been afraid to splash the cash this summer as they look to avoid another season of struggle and they could surprise a few people.
Hartlepool
Manager: Danny Wilson
Position last season: 15th
In: Alan Power (Nottingham Forest, free), Ritchie Jones (Manchester United, free), Mark Cook (Newcastle, free)
Out: Scott Allison, Robbie Elliott, Ali Gibb, Tom Haigh, Michael Rae, Stephen Turnbull
Key man: James Brown
Chances: Danny Wilson has plenty of quality in his squad but may be lacking the firepower to seriously challenge.
Hereford
Manager: Graham Turner
Position last season: 3rd (League Two)
In: Matt Done (Wrexham, undisclosed), Garry Breen (Manchester City, undisclosed), Toumani Diagouraga (Watford, free), Darren Randolph (Charlton, loan), Robbie Threlfall (Liverpool, season-long loan), Bradley Hudson-Odoi (Fulham, free), Craig Samson (Dundee, free)
Out: Michael Ingham (York, free), John McCombe (Port Vale, free), Ryan Esson, Jordan Fitzpatrick, Marcus Palmer, Trevor Benjamin, Wayne Brown (Bury, undisclosed)
Key man: Simon Johnson
Chances: The Bulls relied heavily on loan strikers Theo Robinson and Sherjill MacDonald to secure promotion last season and they could struggle for goals.
Huddersfield
Manager: Stan Ternent
Position last season: 10th
In: Keigan Parker (Blackpool, free), Jim Goodwin (Scunthorpe, free), Andy Butler (Scunthorpe, free), Chris Lucketti (Sheffield United, free), Michael Flynn (Blackpool, free), Gary Roberts (Ipswich, undisclosed)
Out: Rob Page (Chesterfield, free), Danny Schofield (Yeovil, free), Chris Brandon (Bradford, free), Frank Sinclair (Lincoln, free), Matthew Young, Danny Racchi, Aaron Hardy, Lucas Akins (Hamilton, free), Mitchell Bailey, Luke Malcher
Key man: Phil Jevons
Chances: Stan Ternent has bought well this season and if they gel quickly, Town could be looking at a top-six finish.
Leeds
Manager: Gary McAllister
Position last season: 5th
In: Andy Robinson (Swansea, free), Alan Sheehan (Leicester, undisclosed), Enoch Showunmi (Bristol City, free), Robert Snodgrass (Livingston, undisclosed), Luciano Becchio (Merida, undisclosed)
Out: Matt Heath (Colchester, free), Leon Constantine (Northampton, free), Tomi Ameobi (Doncaster, undisclosed), Anthony Elding (Crewe, undisclosed)
Key man: Jermaine Beckford
Chances: Leeds start this season on a level footing and that could spell bad news for the rest of League One.
Leicester
Manager: Nigel Pearson
Position last season: 22nd (Championship)
In: Harry Worley (Chelsea, free), Michael Morrison (Cambridge, undisclosed), Lloyd Dyer (MK Dons, free), Nicky Adams (Bury, undisclosed), Aleksandar Tunchev (CSKA Sofia, undisclosed), Kerrea Gilbert (Arsenal, loan), Jack Hobbs (Liverpool, loan)
Out: Iain Hume (Barnsley, £1.2million), Richard Stearman (Wolves, undisclosed), Rab Douglas, Alan Maybury, Jamie Clapham, Elvis Hammond, Gabor Bori, Zsolt Laczko, Gareth McAuley (undisclosed), Alan Sheehan (Leeds, undisclosed), Louis Dodds (Port Vale, undisclosed)
Key man: Steve Howard
Chances: A mass exodus followed the Foxes' relegation last season but new boss Nigel Pearson has brought in some exciting replacements.
Leyton Orient
Manager: Martin Ling
Position last season: 14th
In: Danny Granville (Colchester, free), Ryan Jarvis (Norwich, free), Jamie Jones (Everton, free), Simon Dawkins (Tottenham, loan), Andrew Cave-Brown (Norwich, free)
Out: Jabo Ibehre (Walsall, free), Wayne Corden, Efe Echanomi, Raphael Sylvester, Clayton Fortune (Darlington, free), Sam Oji, Stuart Nelson, Justin Miller (Chelmsford, free)
Key man: Adam Boyd
Chances: Orient started last season like a train but faded badly. Could it be a sign for the new campaign?
Millwall
Manager: Kenny Jackett
Position last season: 17th
In: Ashley Grimes (Manchester City, undisclosed), David Forde (Cardiff, free), Nadjim Abdou (Plymouth, free), Tony Craig (Crystal Palace, undisclosed)
Out: Gavin Grant (Wycombe, free), Chris Zebroski (Wycombe, £20,000), Tom Brighton (St Mirren, free), Bas Savage (Tranmere, free)
Key man: Neil Harris
Chances: Kenny Jackett did enough to secure the Lions' safety last term but they have yet to add the quality needed to mount an assault on League One this time around.
MK Dons
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo
Position last season: Champions (League Two)
In: Peter Leven (Chesterfield, free), Florian Sturm (FC Vaduz, free)
Out: Drewe Broughton, Matt Carbon, Sam Collins, Gareth Edds (Tranmere, free), Kieran Murphy, Lloyd Dyer (Leicester, free), Mustapha Carayol (Torquay, free)
Key man: Keith Andrews
Chances: Di Matteo is an unknown quantity in management, and although he talks a good game it remains to be seen how Dons perform on the pitch.
Northampton
Manager: Stuart Gray
Position last season: 9th
In: Liam Davis (Coventry, free), Abdul Osman (unattached), Leon Constantine (Leeds, free)
Out: Mark Haines (Grays, free), Joe Burnell (Oxford, free)
Key man: Adebayo Akinfenwa
Chances: Stuart Gray had Northampton playing well towards the end of last season and the addition of Leon Constantine could see them challenge.
Team: Oldham
Manager: John Sheridan
Position last season: 8th
In: Kieran Lee (Manchester United, free), Greg Fleming (Gretna, free), Chris O'Grady (Rotherham, undisclosed), Dale Stephens (Bury, tribunal), Danny Whitaker (Port Vale, free), David Williams (Manchester United, free), Kevin Maher (Southend, free)
Out: Michael Ricketts (Walsall, free)
Key man: Craig Davies
Chances: Oldham were ravaged by injury last season and as a result failed to fulfil their potential. With a bit more luck the Latics could be up there this term.
Peterborough
Manager: Darren Ferguson
Position last season: 2nd (League Two)
In: Russell Martin (Wycombe, tribunal), Scott Rendell (Cambridge, undisclosed), Sergio Torres (Wycombe)
Out: Claude Gnakpa, Danny Crow, Josh Low, Adam Newton (Brentford, free), Rene Howe (Morecambe, loan)
Key man: Aaron McLean
Chances: Peterborough were promoted behind MK Dons but have strengthened well this summer and should enjoy another successful campaign.
Scunthorpe
Manager: Nigel Adkins
Position last season: 23rd (Championship)
In: Garry Thompson (Morecambe, free), Kenny Milne (Falkirk, free), Gary Hooper (Southend, undisclosed), Michael Lea (Manchester United, free)
Out: Jim Goodwin (Huddersfield, free), Alex Morfaw, Kevin Horlock, Martin Paterson (Burnley, £1m), Andy Butler (Huddersfield, free), Daniel McBreen (York, free)
Key man: Gary Hooper
Chances: It perhaps came as no surprise that Scunthorpe suffered relegation last season and after losing Martin Paterson to Burnley may find it hard to challenge.
Southend
Manager: Steve Tilson
Position last season: 6th
In: Steve Mildenhall (Yeovil, free), Paul Furlong (Luton, free), Osei Sankofa (Charlton, free), James Walker (Charlton, undisclosed), Ian Joyce (Watford, free)
Out: Kevin Maher (Oldham, free), Lewis Hunt (Wycombe, free), Che Wilson, Tommy Black, Steven Collis (Crewe, free), Zoltan Liptak (Ujpest FC, £60,000), Mark Gower (Swansea, free), Darryl Flahavan (Crystal Palace, free), Charlie MacDonald (Brentford, undisclosed), Gary Hooper (Scunthorpe, undisclosed)
Key man: James Walker
Chances: Southend will be keen to banish the memory of last season's play-off disaster but after losing a host of players in the close season may struggle to make it into the top six.
Stockport
Manager: Jim Gannon
Position last season: 4th (League Two)
In: Johnny Mullins (Mansfield, undisclosed), Owain fon Williams (Crewe, free), Carl Baker (Morecambe, £175,000), Peter Thompson (Linfield, undisclosed)
Out: Ashley Williams (Swansea, undisclosed), Adam Proudlock (Darlington, free), Rob Clare, Chris Adamson, Adam Griffin (Darlington, free), David Poole (Darlington, free), Dan Ellis, Chris Coward, Craig Flowers, Amari-Morgan Smith, Liam Dickinson (Derby, £750,000)
Key man: Peter Thompson
Chances: The Hatters secured promotion via the play-offs last season but have sold their best player in Liam Dickinson to Derby and could well face a long campaign.
Swindon
Manager: Maurice Malpas
Position last season: 13th
In: Kevin Amankwaah (Swansea, free), Lilian Nalis (Plymouth, free)
Out: Ady Williams, Chris Blackburn (Aldershot, free), Sofiene Zaaboub (Walsall, free)
Key man: Anthony McNamee
Chances: Malpas has been frustrated in the transfer market so far and it is a lack of strength in depth which could cost the Robins.
Tranmere
Manager: Ronnie Moore
Position last season: 11th
In: Gareth Edds (MK Dons, free), Edrissa Sonko (Walsall, free), George O'Callaghan (Cork, free), Bas Savage (Millwall, free), Luke Waterfall (Barnsley, free), Godwin Antwi (Liverpool, loan)
Out: Robbie Stockdale (Grimsby, free), Calvin Zola (Crewe, £200,000), Shane Sherriff (Shrewsbury, free), Paul McLaren (Bradford, free), Steve Davis (Derby, tribunal), John Mullin (Tranmere, free), Michael Jones (Bury, free)
Key man: Ian Moore
Chances: Rovers have lost some of their best players this summer and it remains to be seen whether their replacements are up to scratch.
Walsall
Manager: Jimmy Mullen
Position last season: 12th
In: Stephen Roberts (Doncaster, free), Jabo Ibehre (Leyton Orient, free), Dwayne Mattis (Barnsley, free), Sofiene Zaaboub (Swindon, free), Michael Ricketts (Oldham, free)
Out: Aaron Brown, Ian Roper, Darren Wrack, Tommy Mooney (UD Marbella, free), Bertrand Bossu (Aberdeen, free), Michael Dobson, David McDermott, Stefan Moore, Alassane N'Dour, Edrissa Sonko (Tranmere, free)
Key man: Michael Ricketts
Chances: The Saddlers have lost the ever-reliable Tommy Mooney and will field a new-look strike-force this season. Goals may be hard to come by.
Yeovil
Manager: Russell Slade
Position last season: 18th
In: Danny Schofield (Huddersfield, free), Aidan Downes (Everton, free), Kieran Murtagh (Fisher Athletic, free), Darren Way (Swansea, free), Gavin Tomlin (Fisher Athletic, free)
Out: Mark Lynch (Rotherham, free), Darryl Knights, Stephen Maher, Wilfried Domoraud, Ishmael Welsh (Grays, free), Jerahl Hughes, Steve Mildenhall (Southend, free), Anthony Barry (Chester, free), Marvin Williams (Brentford, undisclosed), Marcus Stewart (Exeter, free)
Key man: Terry Skiverton
Chances: The Glovers narrowly escaped relegation last season, and with few new notable additions this summer could be in for a long campaign.
