The stage is set, the new season is upon us. Months of preparation off the field and weeks of hard slog on the training pitches will be put to the test this weekend when the real action begins.
The main architects of all that planning - the managers and head coaches - will be putting their reputations on the line once again as their every decision for the next 10 months comes under scrutiny from all and sundry.A whopping 40% of the 72 managers in The Football League will be bracing themselves for their first full season in charge of their present club, having been appointed to their current role since August 2013.
Aptly, 14 of those appointments have been made in the calendar year of 2014 and just over half have occurred during the close-season.
Eight bosses will take charge of their new teams for the first time at the weekend, with two - Brighton and Hove Albion's Sami Hyypia and Charlton Athletic's Bob Peeters - making their competitive managerial debuts in English football after previously managing in Germany and Belgium respectively.
Along with former Finland coach Hyypia, Stuart Pearce is another who will be bringing his experience of the international set-up to The Football League for the first time as Nottingham Forest boss.
Recent recruits Neil Adams (Norwich City), Felix Magath (Fulham) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Cardiff City) will also manage for the first time in the Sky Bet Championship, having been appointed to the three sides relegated from the Premier League since the turn of the year.
Coming at it from the other end of the football pyramid is new Leeds United Head Coach Dave Hockaday who has moved up to The Football League for the first time after four years with Conference Premier outfit Forest Green Rovers between 2009 and 2013.
The eight close-season appointments are Hyypia, Peeters, Pearce and Hockaday plus Blackpool manager Jose Riga, Shrewsbury Town boss Micky Mellon, Oxford United gaffer Michael Appleton and one man who will take charge of his first ever professional match.
Rob Edwards, the former Carlisle United, Bristol City, Preston North End, Blackpool and Exeter City defender, hung his boots up at St James Park in 2011 after five years with the club and worked his way up the coaching ranks at the Grecians to the role of assistant, alongside the longest-serving manager in The Football League, Paul Tisdale. He quit that post in May and turned down other coaching opportunities in preference to taking the reins at Prenton Park.
| Rank | Manager | Club | Appointed | Division |
| 1 | Paul Tisdale | Exeter City | 06/06 | League 2 |
| 2 | Mark Yates | Cheltenham Town | 12/09 | League 2 |
| 3 | Russell Slade | Leyton Orient | 04/10 | League 1 |
| 4 | Karl Robinson | Milton Keynes Dons | 05/10 | League 1 |
| 5 | Dean Smith | Walsall | 01/11 | League 1 |
| 6 | Darren Ferguson | Peterborough United | 01/11 | League 1 |
| 7 | Micky Adams | Port Vale | 05/11 | League 1 |
| 8 | Jim Bentley | Morecambe | 05/11 | League 2 |
| 9 | Paul Cox | Mansfield Town | 05/11 | League 2 |
| 10 | Phil Parkinson | Bradford City | 08/11 | League 1 |
| 11 | Justin Edinburgh | Newport County | 10/11 | League 2 |
| 12 | Steve Davis | Crewe Alexandra | 11/11 | League 1 |
| 13 | Gary Johnson | Yeovil Town | 01/12 | League 1 |
| 14 | Gary Rowett | Burton Albion | 03/12 | League 2 |
| 15 | Steve Evans | Rotherham United | 04/12 | Championship |
| 16 | Lee Clark | Birmingham City | 06/12 | Championship |
| 17 | Gareth Ainsworth | Wycombe Wanderers | 09/12 | League 2 |
| 18 | Joe Dunne | Colchester United | 09/12 | League 1 |
| 19 | Richard Money | Cambridge United | 10/12 | League 2 |
| 20 | Neal Ardley | AFC Wimbledon | 10/12 | League 2 |
| 21 | Eddie Howe | Bournemouth | 10/12 | Championship |
| 22 | Dougie Freedman | Bolton Wanderers | 10/12 | Championship |
| 23 | Paul Cook | Chesterfield | 10/12 | League 1 |
| 24 | Mick McCarthy | Ipswich Town | 11/12 | Championship |
| 25 | Graham Alexander | Fleetwood Town | 12/12 | League 1 |
| 26 | John Sheridan | Plymouth Argyle | 01/13 | League 2 |
| 27 | Keith Hill | Rochdale | 01/13 | League 1 |
| 28 | Mark Robins | Huddersfield Town | 02/13 | Championship |
| 29 | Simon Grayson | Preston North End | 02/13 | League 1 |
| 30 | John Still | Luton Town | 02/13 | League 2 |
| 31 | Wayne Burnett | Dagenham & Redbridge | 02/13 | League 2 |
| 32 | Nigel Worthington | York City | 03/13 | League 2 |
| 33 | Steven Pressley | Coventry City | 03/13 | League 1 |
| 34 | Lee Johnson | Oldham Athletic | 03/13 | League 1 |
| 35 | Gary Bowyer | Blackburn Rovers | 03/13 | Championship |
| 36 | Phil Brown | Southend United | 03/13 | League 2 |
| 37 | Nigel Adkins | Reading | 03/13 | Championship |
| 38 | Graham Westley | Stevenage | 03/13 | League 2 |
| 39 | James Beattie | Accrington Stanley | 05/13 | League 2 |
| 40 | Paul Dickov | Doncaster Rovers | 05/13 | League 1 |
| 41 | Colin Cooper | Hartlepool United | 05/13 | League 2 |
| 42 | Kenny Jackett | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 05/13 | Championship |
| 43 | Mark Cooper | Swindon Town | 07/13 | League 1 |
| 44 | Graham Kavanagh | Carlisle United | 09/13 | League 2 |
| 45 | Steve McClaren | Derby County | 09/13 | Championship |
| 46 | Peter Taylor | Gillingham | 10/13 | League 1 |
| 47 | Nigel Clough | Sheffield United | 10/13 | League 1 |
| 48 | Shaun Derry | Notts County | 11/13 | League 1 |
| 49 | Aitor Karanka | Middlesbrough | 11/13 | Championship |
| 50 | Russ Wilcox | Scunthorpe United | 11/13 | League 1 |
| 51 | Stuart Gray | Sheffield Wednesday | 12/13 | Championship |
| 52 | Steve Cotterill | Bristol City | 12/13 | League 1 |
| 53 | John Gregory | Crawley Town | 12/13 | League 1 |
| 54 | Uwe Rosler | Wigan Athletic | 12/13 | Championship |
| 55 | David Flitcroft | Bury | 12/13 | League 2 |
| 56 | Mark Warburton | Brentford | 12/13 | Championship |
| 57 | Danny Wilson | Barnsley | 12/13 | League 1 |
| 58 | Giuseppe Sannino | Watford | 12/13 | Championship |
| 59 | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Cardiff City | 01/14 | Championship |
| 60 | Ian Holloway | Millwall | 01/14 | Championship |
| 61 | Chris Wilder | Northampton Town | 01/14 | League 2 |
| 62 | Felix Magath | Fulham | 02/14 | Championship |
| 63 | Andy Awford | Portsmouth | 03/14 | League 2 |
| 64 | Neil Adams | Norwich City | 04/14 | Championship |
| 65 | Micky Mellon | Shrewsbury Town | 05/14 | League 2 |
| 66 | Rob Edwards | Tranmere Rovers | 05/14 | League 2 |
| 67 | Bob Peeters | Charlton Athletic | 05/14 | Championship |
| 68 | Sami Hyypia | Brighton & Hove Albion | 06/14 | Championship |
| 69 | Jose Riga | Blackpool | 06/14 | Championship |
| 70 | Dave Hockaday | Leeds United | 06/14 | Championship |
| 71 | Stuart Pearce | Nottingham Forest | 07/14 | Championship |
| 72 | Michael Appleton | Oxford United | 07/14 | League 2 |
By division:
Championship
| Div Rank | Manager | Club | Appointed | FL Rank |
| 1 | Steve Evans | Rotherham United | 04/12 | 15 |
| 2 | Lee Clark | Birmingham City | 06/12 | 16 |
| 3 | Eddie Howe | Bournemouth | 10/12 | 21 |
| 4 | Dougie Freedman | Bolton Wanderers | 10/12 | 22 |
| 5 | Mick McCarthy | Ipswich Town | 11/12 | 24 |
| 6 | Mark Robins | Huddersfield Town | 02/13 | 28 |
| 7 | Gary Bowyer | Blackburn Rovers | 03/13 | 35 |
| 8 | Nigel Adkins | Reading | 03/13 | 37 |
| 9 | Kenny Jackett | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 05/13 | 42 |
| 10 | Steve McClaren | Derby County | 09/13 | 45 |
| 11 | Aitor Karanka | Middlesbrough | 11/13 | 49 |
| 12 | Stuart Gray | Sheffield Wednesday | 12/13 | 51 |
| 13 | Uwe Rosler | Wigan Athletic | 12/13 | 54 |
| 14 | Mark Warburton | Brentford | 12/13 | 56 |
| 15 | Giuseppe Sannino | Watford | 12/13 | 58 |
| 16 | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Cardiff City | 01/14 | 59 |
| 17 | Ian Holloway | Millwall | 01/14 | 60 |
| 18 | Felix Magath | Fulham | 02/14 | 62 |
| 19 | Neil Adams | Norwich City | 04/14 | 64 |
| 20 | Bob Peeters | Charlton Athletic | 05/14 | 67 |
| 21 | Sami Hyypia | Brighton & Hove Albion | 06/14 | 68 |
| 22 | Jose Riga | Blackpool | 06/14 | 69 |
| 23 | Dave Hockaday | Leeds United | 06/14 | 70 |
| 24 | Stuart Pearce | Nottingham Forest | 07/14 | 71 |
League 1
| Div Rank | Manager | Club | Appointed | FL Rank |
| 1 | Russell Slade | Leyton Orient | 04/10 | 3 |
| 2 | Karl Robinson | Milton Keynes Dons | 05/10 | 4 |
| 3 | Dean Smith | Walsall | 01/11 | 5 |
| 4 | Darren Ferguson | Peterborough United | 01/11 | 6 |
| 5 | Micky Adams | Port Vale | 05/11 | 7 |
| 6 | Phil Parkinson | Bradford City | 08/11 | 10 |
| 7 | Steve Davis | Crewe Alexandra | 11/11 | 12 |
| 8 | Gary Johnson | Yeovil Town | 01/12 | 13 |
| 9 | Joe Dunne | Colchester United | 09/12 | 18 |
| 10 | Paul Cook | Chesterfield | 10/12 | 23 |
| 11 | Graham Alexander | Fleetwood Town | 12/12 | 25 |
| 12 | Keith Hill | Rochdale | 01/13 | 27 |
| 13 | Simon Grayson | Preston North End | 02/13 | 29 |
| 14 | Steven Pressley | Coventry City | 03/13 | 33 |
| 15 | Lee Johnson | Oldham Athletic | 03/13 | 34 |
| 16 | Paul Dickov | Doncaster Rovers | 05/13 | 40 |
| 17 | Mark Cooper | Swindon Town | 07/13 | 43 |
| 18 | Peter Taylor | Gillingham | 10/13 | 46 |
| 19 | Nigel Clough | Sheffield United | 10/13 | 47 |
| 20 | Russ Wilcox | Scunthorpe United | 11/13 | 50 |
| 21 | Steve Cotterill | Bristol City | 12/13 | 52 |
| 22 | Danny Wilson | Barnsley | 12/13 | 57 |
| 23 | Shaun Derry | Notts County | 11/13 | 48 |
| 24 | John Gregory | Crawley Town | 12/13 | 53 |
League 2
| Div Rank | Manager | Club | Appointed | FL Rank |
| 1 | Paul Tisdale | Exeter City | 06/06 | 1 |
| 2 | Mark Yates | Cheltenham Town | 12/09 | 2 |
| 3 | Jim Bentley | Morecambe | 05/11 | 8 |
| 4 | Paul Cox | Mansfield Town | 05/11 | 9 |
| 5 | Justin Edinburgh | Newport County | 10/11 | 11 |
| 6 | Gary Rowett | Burton Albion | 03/12 | 14 |
| 7 | Gareth Ainsworth | Wycombe Wanderers | 09/12 | 17 |
| 8 | Richard Money | Cambridge United | 10/12 | 19 |
| 9 | Neal Ardley | AFC Wimbledon | 10/12 | 20 |
| 10 | John Sheridan | Plymouth Argyle | 01/13 | 26 |
| 11 | John Still | Luton Town | 02/13 | 30 |
| 12 | Wayne Burnett | Dagenham & Redbridge | 02/13 | 31 |
| 13 | Nigel Worthington | York City | 03/13 | 32 |
| 14 | Phil Brown | Southend United | 03/13 | 36 |
| 15 | Graham Westley | Stevenage | 03/13 | 38 |
| 16 | James Beattie | Accrington Stanley | 05/13 | 39 |
| 17 | Colin Cooper | Hartlepool United | 05/13 | 41 |
| 18 | Graham Kavanagh | Carlisle United | 09/13 | 44 |
| 19 | David Flitcroft | Bury | 12/13 | 55 |
| 20 | Chris Wilder | Northampton Town | 01/14 | 61 |
| 21 | Andy Awford | Portsmouth | 03/14 | 63 |
| 22 | Micky Mellon | Shrewsbury Town | 05/14 | 65 |
| 23 | Rob Edwards | Tranmere Rovers | 05/14 | 66 |
| 24 | Michael Appleton | Oxford United | 07/14 | 72 |
Please note this data has been compiled on the basis of when individuals first took charge of a match, so in some instances this is from the period when they were installed as caretaker boss.