Key events
It’s goalless at St Mary’s as we approach half-time. Russell Martin’s side have won their last three games by an aggregate score of 10-0 and are unbeaten in 16 games. They have knocked on Argyle’s door so far without success.
“A sea clam casserole” is Chris Taberner’s suggestion of the correct nickname for Southampton against Plymouth.
If I’m honest, I find this a little disturbing, Chris. Not sure why.
Wigan v Carlisle starts at 7pm And here are your obligatory team news graphics. 4/10 for the Latics; 6/10 for visitors, in my opinion. The squad numbers must be there.
Your final Tics lineup for 2023. ✊
All the way behind you guys! 💙#wafc 🔵⚪️
– Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 29, 2023
Valley Parade of the city of Bradford The pitch has passed an inspection by referee Lewis Smith and the Bantams’ clash with Stockport will go ahead as scheduled at 7.45pm. It looks a bit wet, but is definitely playable.
Southampton vs Plymouth is by no means a south coast derby and I won’t call it one. But what is the alternative? A maritime meeting? A seafaring battle? Please respond by postcard or email.
Whatever the case, the in-form Saints dominated the early stages, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis tipping the crossbar. You feel like managerless Plymouth would take a point here.
Some great EFL readings can be found hereas our own Ben Fisher makes some clearly accurate predictions about the stars of 2024 outside the top 20.
preamble
Good evening and season’s greetings to you. It’s that strange time between Christmas and New Year and that only means one thing: football never stops! There’s no Premier League action tonight, but for heaven’s sake there’s a hefty schedule of EFL action to keep you satisfied. All 24 Championship teams are in action, starting with Southampton against Plymouth, which has only just begun. Cardiff vs Leicester and West Brom vs Leeds are also very interesting fixtures to keep an eye on.
League One and League Two also have full schedules tonight, with all games – except Wigan v Carlisle (7pm) – starting at 7.45pm. Bradford v Stockport is something of a clash of titans given the size of both fan bases and the impressive form of both teams.
I’ll be here for now to keep you updated on the Southampton v Plymouth game, then I’ll bring you as much team news as I can muster before there are updates from around the country. Festive football for victory.
