Peterborough owner name-drops League One teams to look out for this season - including Bristol Rovers, Reading and Wigan

Peterborough United co-owner Darragh MacAnthony has name dropped Bristol Rovers among the teams he believes will contend for promotion in the 2023/24 League One season.

Rovers finished 17th last season in their first season back in the third tier following their promotion, but Joey Barton does not want to stand still, and is keen to take the club to the Championship, having been starved of second tier football for 30 years. He has previously admitted that he has set himself the task of getting the club promoted in the next two years, or he may consider quitting his post at the Memorial Stadium.

MacAnthony - a League One rival owner however now believes the Gas, are one team to keep an eye out for, having done some impressive transfer business so far. James Wilson has joined from 2022/23 League One winners Plymouth Argyle, meanwhile Luke Thomas left losing play-off finalists Barnsley to pen a three-year deal, and then Jevani Brown with 21 goal contributions last year joined, along with George Friend, who has an abundance of Football League experience under his belt.

‘I see a typical League One this season,’ MacAnthony said in an interview with Peterborough United's media team on their Posh Plus web service.

‘There are teams that shouldn’t be in it as they should be playing higher, there are fallen giants wanting to rebuild and there are teams like Bolton doing great business.

‘There are teams like Wigan who will start on minus-eight points, but who will want to prove themselves in front of a new owner, and Joey Barton seems to have the bit between his teeth at Bristol Rovers as they are having a go wages-wise.

‘Portsmouth are re-tooling like us and have made some good signings, while Derby County are also like us as they have a triple promotion-winner from League One as their manager (Paul Warne).

‘And the teams coming up from League Two will be competitive and then there’s Reading who could be anything. It’s not the League One your grandparents knew and I can’t call it other than it will be fascinating and exciting.'

The Gas start their season with a trip to Fratton Park to face one of the favourites for promotion Portsmouth on Saturday, August 5. First-team manager Joey Barton will miss the trip after being given a three-man stadium ban by the English FA.