MK Dons will face Bradford City in the 2024/25 season opener

MK Dons will face Bradford City at Stadium MK in the first game of the 2024/25 League Two season.

Today’s (26/06) fixtures announcement revealed that Mike Williamson’s side will kick off the campaign by playing the Bantams at home on Saturday 10 August 2024.

The Dons are looking to build on last season, when they finished fourth in League Two, only to suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of Crawley Town in the play-offs.

Opening day opponents Bradford finished 9th in League Two last season, but their owner has announced that he wants to see the team challenge for promotion and return to League One for the first time since the 2018/19 season.

Bradford are managed by Graham Alexander, making the game the Scot’s first return to Stadium MK since he was sacked by MK Dons in October 2023 after less than five months in charge.

The match will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK as the new season sees a new TV broadcast deal signed by the EFL and the broadcaster come into effect. Every game on the opening weekend of the season in the Championship, League One and League Two will be broadcast by Sky in the UK. But Dons v Bradford has been confirmed as a special game to be shown live on Sky Sports Football.

In August, the Dons’ first away game will be at Colchester United on August 17, before the opening month also sees fixtures against a home game against Carlisle and a trip to face Salford City.

Over the Christmas period, the Dons will face Notts County at home on Boxing Day, with their last game before Christmas being against Newport County in Wales on December 21. The Boxing Day game will be followed by a game against Crewe on December 29, before the Dons take on National League champions Chesterfield on New Year’s Day in their first game of 2025.

In the Easter doubleheader, MK Dons will play Newport at Stadium MK on Good Friday, which is April 18, 2025, before playing Crewe on Easter Monday, April 21.

The final game of the season will see the Dons play Swindon Town away on 3 May 2025, with the last home game being against Grimsby Town the week before.

One of the most anticipated games of the season for MK Dons will be the resumption of their rivalry with AFC Wimbledon, who are also in League 2 next season. The teams will meet for the first time on 14 September 2024 in London and the second leg will be played in Milton Keynes on 25 January 2025.

Under a new TV deal agreed between the EFL and Sky Sports to continue broadcasting games, all teams will see at least 20 matches per season chosen for live broadcast, with a new Sky Sports+ channel showing additional games.

Confirmation of the games to be selected and consequently moved for broadcast will be awaited in due course.