Transfer window, Championship opening day - 9 key dates Portsmouth faithful can look forward to
Pompey secured their spot in next season’s Championship after an 18th-placed finish.
Next season’s Championship is slowly taking shape, with Pompey one of 19 teams to have already booked their spot in the second tier.
The Blues, of course, sealed an 18th-placed finish after a brilliant run-in saw them lose just one of their final eight games as they clawed away from the relegation battle.
Planning is already well underway behind the scenes at Fratton Park as John Mousinho’s troops look to progress away from a bottom of the table scrap next term.
A busy summer is expected on the south coast, with the futures of a number of key personnel under the spotlight amid interest elsewhere, while the Pompey boss will also be bidding to strengthen his ranks.
With all eyes on a busy summer and beyond, we’ve pinpointed some key dates the Fratton faithful will be keeping an eye on and will be looking forward to.
Here are some of the most important events to book in your diary.
June 15 - Transfer window opens
The transfer window will open its doors on Monday, June 15, which will kick-start business for the remainder of the summer. Unlike last season, which saw a 10-day exception period for Premier League clubs due to the Club World Cup, the market will open as normal this year. Adrian Segecic was the first arrival through the doors at Fratton Park 12-months ago, two days into the window.
June 25 - Fixture release
Just 10 days later, there’s another key date for fans to mark in their calendar. The EFL have confirmed Championship fixtures will be released at midday on Thursday, June 25. They’ll be a first trip to Wolves look forward to for the Fratton faithful, whose last visit to Molineux came in the Premier League in October 2009.
August 7-9 - Carabao Cup first round
There’s a change to the schedule next season, with the Carabao Cup set to take place ahead of the Championship opening weekend. After consultation with clubs, the EFL agreed to push the first round back, with those fixtures usually taking place in midweek. The decision was to allow further rest for players, who would typically play three games in quick succession after the close season.
August 14-16 - Opening weekend
As a consequence of the Carabao Cup first round being pushed back, the Championship opening weekend will now take place between Friday, August 14 and Sunday, August 16. Mousinho’s troops have started their previous two campaigns back in the second-tier on the road.
August 31 - Deadline day
Pompey will be a few weeks into the new season by the time the window slams shut on Monday, August 31. The Blues will be hoping to avoid too much deadline day drama unlike last summer, where four new faces arrived on the final day of the window.
September 19/20 - October 10/11 - Three week international break
There’ll be another huge change to the schedule next season for the Blues, with FIFA implementing a new extended international break. There are usually three international breaks during the first four months of the season, with respective two-week stoppages in September, October and November. Next term will see the introduction of one three-week stoppage between late September and early October, while the November break will remain on the calendar.
January 1 2027 - January transfer window opens
The January window will get underway at the usual time on New Year’s Day, meaning there’ll be no time for rest after the New Year’s celebrations. This means the market will open for business on Friday, January 1.
May 1-2 - Final day
Although the fixtures for next term have yet to be released, the final day usually takes place on the opening weekend of May. Like the previous two campaigns, Mousinho’s troops rounded off the respective campaigns on home soil, with their Championship safety already secured.
May 29-31 - Play-off final
Likewise, the EFL are yet to announce the play-off schedule for next term, with the confirmed dates expected to be released in due course. The play-off finals do, though, take place during the Spring Bank Holiday weekend in May, meaning next season’s Wembley showdowns are likely to take place between May 29 and May 31. The play-offs next term will also be expanded to six teams - the first major change to the end-of-season competition since its introduction 40 years ago.
Your next Pompey read: Reported Portsmouth and Luton Town transfer target is free agent as exit confirmed