EFL Magazine
The Winter 2021 edition of the EFL Magazine focuses on EFL Clubs’ remarkable and ongoing response to the challenges posed by COVID and the collective effort to support communities in need, with Salford City’s Gary Neville also providing an insight into life as an EFL Club owner during the last 18 months.
The latest edition also includes an exclusive interview with Crystal Palace and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, whose senior career began in the EFL Trophy and developed via loans in the Sky Bet Championship, while Blackburn Rovers’ attacker Ben Brereton Diaz discusses, in his own words, his incredible rise to prominence both here in England and South America.
Following the publication of the Fan-Led Review, EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch also outlines the challenges and opportunities facing the League, and game as a whole, as we look towards 2022 and beyond.
The Winter 2021 edition of the EFL Magazine can be found here.
The Summer 2022 edition of the EFL Magazine includes a feature-length interview with EFL legend Adebayo Akinfenwa who, after 22 years and almost 800 appearances in professional football, has brought the curtain down on a career that blossomed against the odds. The 40-year-old discusses his outstanding EFL career and life after football.
Former Premier League winner Mark Hughes discusses his return to management after a three-year hiatus and taking the reins at League Two Club Bradford City.
We also spoke to Hull City’s rising stars, Jacob Greaves and Keane Lewis-Potter who, having graduated from the Tigers Academy, became the first homegrown pair to feature in all 46 League games for Hull since the 1965/66 season.
Off the pitch features, we focus on the growing concern of disorder at EFL matches, our work with charities Mind and new partner the British Red Cross, as well meeting the League’s new Chief Operating Officer, Nick Craig.
The Summer 2022 edition of the EFL Magazine can be found here.
The Winter 2022 edition includes a feature-length interview with four-time Premier League winner Vincent Kompany, who discusses his decision to take on the challenge of trying to get Burnley promoted from the Sky Bet Championship.
Steven Schumacher talks about his step up from being an assistant at high-flying Plymouth Argyle, while Connor Wickham opens up about his mental struggles during an injury-plagued few years and falling back in love with football at Forest Green Rovers.
There are also exclusive interviews with Alex Scott, who reflects on his rapid rise at Bristol City and international success with England Under-19s; Sutton United’s Tope Fadahunsi, reviewing his journey from university graduate to EFL striker; and Harrogate Town forward Jack Muldoon, who explains how he is still going strong at the age of 33 despite being a type 1 diabetic.
Off the pitch, we cover the potential future of broadcasting in the EFL, a Fan-Led Review update 12 months on from its release and a detailing of the League’s approach to addressing crowd behaviour issues, as well as highlighting the excellent work Clubs do off the pitch across multiple areas, such as community, fan experiences and the LFE Personal Development programme.
The Winter 2022 edition of the EFL Magazine can be found here.
EFL in the Community Newsletter
The EFL and the EFL Trust have launched the inaugural edition of the EFL in the Community Newsletter.
The newsletter aims to showcase a selection of the invaluable activities carried out by EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations (CCOs), with Issue One published in Autumn 2021.
Taking place every day across England and Wales, EFL Clubs and CCOs collectively continue to make a huge difference and positive impact on our communities whilst improving people’s lives.
In this first issue, we look back on a successful EFL Trust National Conference which took place at St George’s Park last month, along with an interview from the newly-appointed Chair of the EFL Trust, Liam Scully.
In addition, the newsletter also looks back on the 10-year anniversary of the EFL Trust partnership with the National Citizen Service and how EFL Clubs have provided over 400 young people with employment via the Government’s Kickstart scheme.
Issue One of the EFL in the Community Newsletter can be found here.
Issue Two of the EFL in the Community Newsletter aims to showcase a selection of the invaluable activities carried out by EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations (CCOs), published in October 2022.
In this second edition, we highlight the range of projects being delivered by Your Move Community Club of the Season AFC Wimbledon and look back on Burton Albion's award-winning response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the newsletter promotes the EFL Trust's work across its three core areas – Health & Wellbeing, Education & Employability, and Participation & Community Engagement – while Chief Executives Neil Hart and Phil Mason explain the close relationship between Club and Community Organisation at Bolton Wanderers.
Issue Two can be found here.
Issue Three of the EFL in the Community Newsletter aims to showcase a selection of the invaluable activities carried out by EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations (CCOs), published in April 2023.
In this third edition, we highlight Norwich City's new state-of-the-art community facility, The Nest, and the impact of Salford City's Foundation 92 in helping turn the life of Community Sports Coach Damian around.
In addition, the newsletter promotes several projects at Clubs like Burnley, Doncaster Rovers and Ipswich Town, as well as a focus on the EFL Trust's Headstart and FIT FANS campaigns.
Issue Three can be found here.
EFL Season Review
It was another excellent season in the Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two, with fans treated to some sublime team and individual performances, as well as witnessing the quality that is the hallmark of the EFL.
The EFL welcomed Sutton United into the League for the very first time in their history and they went all the way in the Papa Johns Trophy, losing narrowly to Rotherham United in a thrilling Final at Wembley.
Supporters of Reading and Northampton Town were able to celebrate their Clubs’ respective 150th and 125th anniversaries while, Harrogate Town’s Simon Weaver took charge of his 600th game as manager and Gareth Ainsworth reached his 500th match at the helm of Wycombe Wanderers.
Records were also broken as Billy Sharp scored his 122nd goal in the second tier and then Aleksandar Mitrović netted 43 goals for Fulham this season, surpassing Guy Whittingham’s achievement that had stood in place for almost 30 years; while we said goodbye to two EFL stalwarts, manager Neil Warnock and Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, who both called time on their careers.
The 2021/22 Season Review can be found here.
Measuring the impact of EFL Clubs in the Community
As part of the EFL's annual Week of Action, the League has launched a new report highlighting the significant role that its 72 Clubs play in supporting communities across England and Wales.
The report was launched at a roundtable in Parliament with representatives from the EFL, its Clubs and Club Community Organisations (CCOs), members of the community and the Sports Minister, the Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP.
The full report can be found here.