Welcome to League 2: Cheltenham Town - Crewe Alexandra
- Luca Garofalo
- Jul 4
- 3 min read
Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town are first on our list and following their recent departure from League One have found themselves stuck in the midfield battles of League 2. Founded in 1887, the Robins have had little success throughout the last 138 years. The Robins have lacked quality throughout their squads since dropping a league and now with Head Coach Michael Flynn in charge they will look to go from strength to strength. Flynn has a 40% win rate at the Robins in his 55 games in charge so far however after a poor 24/25 campaign there is no choice for Cheltenham Town other then a top half finish. Their signings as of yet haven't excited me but there is a long way left in the window so it has to be taken with a pinch of salt. The U's will travel down to Whaddon Road on 6th April after hosting the Robbins on the opening day in a months time. With a lot of time in between now and the opening fixture, it is hard to give a clear prediction on how this game will fare out.
Chesterfield
Based in Derbyshire, Chesterfield FC have had a fantastic last few years from securing promotion into League 2 from losing in the playoff semi finals against Walsall. Paul Cook is a fantastic manager, who is most famous for changing accents mid interview, and will be able to get Chesterfield into the promise lands of League One. The Spireites will be a heavy favourites for promotion once again and will be a very tricky side to beat especially at the SMH Group Stadium. The U's will face Cook's men twice in December which will provide for a very nervous end of 2025.
Colchester United
Colchester United have earned a name for themselves for being a midtable side in League 2 in recent years since their 10th place Championship finish in 2007. Led by Danny Cowley in the dugout they enter the 2025-26 season dreaming of a playoff position. With former U Lyle Taylor up top, both games against our local rivals will have extra bragging rights. Colchester United have had a great rise through the pyramid since their creation in 1937. Only 4 games into the season we will travel to the Colchester Community Stadium and will host them in February. Following some good early signings Colchester United could be in for a good campaign and may sneak into the playoffs with a smidge of luck.
Crawley Town
The Red Devils joined the U's in the bottom 4 of League One and will aim to bounce straight back up. Crawley will start the season with Scott Lindsey picking the team. The Red Devils looked poor for the majority of the season but their last ditch efforts to try and salvage survival wasn't enough to keep them up. With a new season on the horizon it will be interesting to see how Crawley Town react to such a poor season. With a maximum attendance of just 6,134 at Broadfield Stadium their away form must improve ten folds as they have lacked a strong home threat in recent years. Crawley have made some solid signings but I think it won't be enough to get them up via autos. The U's host the Red Devils in October and will travel down south in early January.
Crewe Alexandra
Crewe are a side with multiple former U's including Jack Lankester and Shilow Tracey. I personally think Crewe are being overlooked and think they have the quality to make the playoffs. Bogle up front is fantastic and with wide players like Tracey who are direct, fast and tenacious they have all the pieces to make a promotion puzzle. If Lankester can stay fit then they will have a fantastic creator in midfield and could make the U's regret their decision to him go. Lee Bell will be the composer to the 10,153 fans at Gresty Road, which will face the U's on the final day of the season. A lot could be riding for both sides come early May so a very tasty finale of the 2025-26 season could be on our hands.
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