The Football League have annouced a number of key dates for the rest of this season and for the 2015 / 16 campaign.
This season will end on Saturday May 2nd in the Championship with all games kicking off at 12:15pm. So it's an early start for Cardiff fans planning to go to Nottingham Forest on the final day.
Before then the League will see the introduction of vanishing spray with referees arming themselves with the product from January.
The announcement reads:
The Football League has announced that all three divisions of the Sky Bet Football League will conclude at different times across the final weekend (2nd/3rd May 2015) of the 2014/15 season giving each competition its own share of the footballing spotlight.
The final weekend will begin with the climax of the Sky Bet Championship season at 12.15pm on Saturday 2nd May 2015 and is followed later that day by the end of the Sky Bet League 2 season at 3.00pm. The last day of the Sky Bet League 1 season will take place the following day, Sunday 3rd May 2015, with matches kicking off at 12.15pm.
The Football League's primary broadcast partner, Sky Sports, will follow the action in all three divisions every step of the way.
Final Weekend Fixtures:
- 2nd May 2015 (KO 12.15pm) - Sky Bet Championship
- 2nd May 2015 (KO 3.00pm) - Sky Bet League 2
- 3rd May 2015 (KO 12.15pm) - Sky Bet League 1
Looking ahead, the 2015/16 Sky Bet Football League season will kick-off on the weekend of 8th/9th August 2015 and conclude on the weekend of 7th/8th May 2016, with the Play-Off Finals taking place over the traditional May Bank Holiday weekend.
2015/16 Season Key Dates:
- 8th/9th August 2015 Sky Bet Football League season kicks-off
- w/c 10th August 2015 Capital One Cup Round 1
- w/c 31st August 2015 Football League Trophy Round 1
- 26th, 28th December 2015 and 2nd January 2016 Festive fixture programme
- 28th February 2016 Capital One Cup Final
- 3rd April 2016 Football League Trophy Final
- 7th/8th May 2016 Sky Bet Football League season concludes
- 28th May 2016 Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final
- 29th May 2016 Sky Bet League 1 Play-Off Final
- 30th May 2016 Sky Bet League 2 Play-Off Final
Additionally, The Football League is to introduce the use of 'Vanishing Spray' by referees into its competitions from 1st January 2015 following a successful trial in the early rounds of this season's Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Having received positive feedback from clubs, referees and supporters, The League has instructed the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to begin using the product in all matches played in the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy from the mid-point of the current campaign.