EVERY year six new teams enter Division One, for contrasting reasons. The three promoted teams enter the division on a high, whilst the three teams relegated from the Premier League have to pick their chins up from the floor and stake an early claim for promotion.
This year sees Wanderers fans get two extra derby games thanks to the promotion of Preston and Burnley from Division Two alongside Gillingham while long trips to Watford and Wimbledon are joined by another Roses battle with Sheffield Wednesday.
Preston and Burnley both look good bets for a decent season and will want to emulate Manchester City with back-to-back promotions while expectation is high in Kent as Gillingham fans have smashed the record for season ticket sales.
Applications have been doubled from last year as 7,000 supporters are all desperate to see if Gillingham can reach the promised land of the Premiership.
To compensate for this anticipated rise in season-ticket sales, Gillingham have demolished two stands (The Rainham End and Main Stand) and replaced them with state of the art all seater stands.
This is the sign of a club on the up and Bolton can be sure of a tough battle with the Gills and teams shouldn't expect anything other than this from a side coached by Andy Hessenthaler.
Watford are an outside bet for promotion and will, as ever, rely on a strong team ethos, instilled by Graham Taylor to mount another promotion challenge.
The same can be said for Wimbledon, who will need to arrest their alarming fall from grace.
Newly appointed manager Terry Burton has been left to pick up the pieces from the ill-fated reign of Egil Olsen and the departures of Carl Cort, Ben Thatcher and Neil Sullivan are a blow to a club as proud as Wimbledon.
Wimbledon could become just an average Nationwide League club for the next few years, unless they find more bargain buys from soccer's basement.
Sheffield Wednesday will be glad to be acquainted again with neighbours United, but disappointed it's in Division One and not the Premiership.
They have not signed anyone over the summer and lost several key men. The appointment of Paul Jewell has not been popular with the fans and Jewell will need a flying start to appease the success-starved fans at Hillsbrough.
The concern for Wednesday fans is their defence, a real thorn in their side last year. The Owls need an experienced campaigner to join Des Walker at the heart of the defence and the losses of Jon Newsome and Peter Atherton are a real blow to the club.
Of all the new teams in Division One, Preston may be the one to challenge most for promotion. The Premiership clubs, in particular, might just prove the pundits wrong...
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