Founded | 2004
|
---|---|
Country | England |
Other club(s) from | Wales |
Number of teams | 24 |
Level on pyramid | 3 |
Promotion to | EFL Championship |
Relegation to | EFL League Two |
Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
League cup(s) | |
International cup(s) |
|
Current champions | Portsmouth 1st League One title 4th 3rd tier title (2023–24) |
Most championships | Plymouth Argyle (5 titles total) Wigan Athletic (3 League One titles) |
TV partners | List of broadcasters |
Website | efl |
Current: 2024–25 EFL League One |
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes or simply League One in England, is the second-highest division of the English Football League and the third-tier overall in the English football league system.
Introduced in the 2004–05 English football season as Football League One, it is a rebrand of the former Football League Second Division, which itself is a rebrand of the now-defunct Football League Third Division before the 1992 launch of the Premier League.
Shrewsbury Town currently hold the longest tenure in the division following promotion from League Two at the end of the 2014–15 season. There are eight former Premier League clubs currently competing in this division; Barnsley (1997–98), Birmingham City (2002–06, 2007–08 and 2009–11), Blackpool (2010–11), Bolton Wanderers (1995–96, 1997–98, and 2001–12), Charlton Athletic (1998–99 and 2000–07), Huddersfield Town (2017–19), Reading (2006–08 and 2012–13), and Wigan Athletic (2005–13). [1]
There are 24 clubs in this division. Each club plays each of the others twice. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. At the end of the season a table of the final League standings is determined, based on the following criteria in this order: points obtained, goal difference, goals scored, an aggregate of the results between two or more clubs (ranked using the previous three criteria), most matches won, most goals scored away from home, fewest "penalty points" based on yellow and red cards received, followed by fewest straight red cards for certain offenses. If two or more teams are still tied after examining all of these criteria, they will share the higher place between them. The only exception would be if the tied teams span the boundary between 2nd and 3rd, 6th and 7th, or 20th and 21st place, in which case one or more play-off matches would be arranged between the tied clubs.[ citation needed ]
At the end of each season the top two clubs, together with the winner of the play-offs between the clubs which finished in the third to sixth positions, are promoted to EFL Championship and are replaced by the three clubs that finished at the bottom of that division.
Similarly, the four clubs that finished at the bottom of EFL League One are relegated to EFL League Two and are replaced by the top three clubs and the club that won the fourth to seventh place play-offs in that division.
For past winners at this level before 2004, see List of winners of the EFL League One and predecessors.
a Expelled in August 2019 after financial breaches.
b In 35 games. Season truncated because of coronavirus.
EFL League One is the most-watched third-tier domestic sports league in the world, with an average of 10,613 spectators per game in the 2022–23 season, also making it one of the top ten most watched leagues in Europe. [2] The closest third-tier association football league in terms of average attendance is the Germany 3. Liga (8,219). [3]
The highest average attendance since the restructure into League One was the 2022–23 season, when over 5.3 million spectators watched games, with an average of 10,613 per game. The highest average attendance by a single club was Sunderland in the 2018–19 season with 32,157. They also set the League One attendance record for a single game in the same season, when 46,039 spectators attended the Boxing Day game against Bradford City. [4]
Season | League Average Attendance | Highest Average | Highest Attendance | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Club | Attendance | Game | Attendance | ||
2004–05 | 7,732 | Sheffield Wednesday | 23,100 [5] | Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City | 28,798 |
2005–06 | 7,578 | Nottingham Forest | 20,257 [6] | Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth | 26,847 |
2006–07 | 7,486 | Nottingham Forest | 20,627 [7] | Nottingham Forest v Rotherham United | 27,875 |
2007–08 | 7,985 | Leeds United | 26,546 [8] | Leeds United v Gillingham | 38,256 |
2008–09 | 7,551 | Leeds United | 23,639 [9] | ||
2009–10 | 9,136 | Leeds United | 24,818 [10] | Leeds United v Bristol Rovers | 38,234 |
2010–11 | 7,519 | Southampton | 22,161 [11] | Southampton v Walsall | 31,653 |
2011–12 | 7,358 | Sheffield Wednesday | 21,336 [12] | Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers | 38,082 |
2012–13 | 6,335 | Sheffield United | 18,612 [13] | Sheffield United v Brentford | 23,431 |
2013–14 | 7,476 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 20,879 [14] | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Rotherham United | 30,110 |
2014–15 | 7,037 | Sheffield United | 19,805 [15] | Coventry City v Gillingham | 27,306 |
2015–16 | 7,163 | Sheffield United | 19,803 [16] | Sheffield United v Bradford City | 24,777 |
2016–17 | 7,933 | Sheffield United | 21,892 [17] | Sheffield United v Chesterfield | 31,003 |
2017–18 | 7,805 | Bradford City | 19,787 [18] | Blackburn Rovers v Oxford United | 27,600 |
2018–19 | 8,741 | Sunderland | 32,157 [19] | Sunderland v Bradford City | 46,039 |
2019–20 | 8,802 | Sunderland | 30,118 [20] | Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers | 33,821 |
2020–21 | No attendances because of COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
2021–22 | 9,953 | Sunderland | 30,847 [21] | Sunderland v Doncaster Rovers | 38,395 |
2022–23 | 10,613 | Derby County | 27,259 | Sheffield Wednesday v Plymouth Argyle | 33,442 |
2023–24 | 9,711 | Derby County | 27,278 | Derby County v Bolton Wanderers | 32,538 |
Since the restructuring into League One in 2004, 78 teams have spent at least one season in the division, including 8 of the 20 teams in the 2024–25 Premier League. Milton Keynes Dons has spent 15 seasons in League One, the most of any team. Oldham Athletic's single 14-season consecutive spell was the longest of any team. The team with the current longest tenure is Shrewsbury Town, who will be in their tenth consecutive season in the division, having been in League One since the 2015–16 season. Rotherham United have had the highest number of separate spells in League One with six. There have been 17 different Champions of League One, with Wigan Athletic having won the division three times.
Key
Club | Total Seasons | Number of Spells | Longest Spell (Seasons) | Highest Position | Lowest Position | Season | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | ||||||
Accrington Stanley | 5 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 23 | ||||||||||||||||
AFC Bournemouth ‡ | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
AFC Wimbledon | 6 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 23 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 23 | |||||||||||||||
Barnsley † | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
Birmingham City † | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Blackpool † | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 3 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||||
Bolton Wanderers † | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Bradford City | 9 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 24 | ||||||||||||
Brentford ‡ | 8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||
Brighton & Hove Albion ‡ | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 7 | 16 | 13 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Bristol City | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Bristol Rovers † | 12 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 24 | 17 | 15 | ||||||||||
Burton Albion † | 8 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 20 | ||||||||||||||
Bury | 6 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 14 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 24 [lower-alpha 1] | |||||||||||||||
Cambridge United † | 4 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 20 | 14 | 20 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||
Carlisle United | 9 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 17 | 22 | 24 | ||||||||||||
Charlton Athletic † | 10 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 16 | |||||||||||
Cheltenham Town | 6 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 15 | 16 | 21 | |||||||||||||||
Chesterfield | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 6 | 18 | 24 | ||||||||||||||
Colchester United | 10 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 23 | 15 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 23 | |||||||||||
Coventry City | 7 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 23 | 8 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
Crawley Town † | 4 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||
Crewe Alexandra | 9 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 13 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 12 | 24 | ||||||||||||
Dagenham & Redbridge | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 21 | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Derby County | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
Doncaster Rovers | 12 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 22 | |||||||||
Exeter City † | 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 23 | 18 | 8 | 23 | 14 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
Fleetwood Town | 10 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 10 | 19 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 13 | 22 | |||||||||||
Forest Green Rovers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 24 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Gillingham | 13 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 22 | 14 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 21 | ||||||||
Hartlepool United | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 23 | 6 | 21 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 23 | |||||||||||||
Hereford United | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 24 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Huddersfield Town † | 9 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||
Hull City | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
Ipswich Town ‡ | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
Leeds United | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Leicester City ‡ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Leyton Orient † | 11 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 23 | 11 | |||||||||||
Lincoln City † | 6 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 11 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
Luton Town | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 24 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
Mansfield Town † | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
Millwall | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | |||||||||||||||
MK Dons | 15 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 3 | 21 | ||||||
Morecambe | 2 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
Northampton Town † | 8 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 14 | 9 | 21 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 14 | ||||||||||||||
Norwich City | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Nottingham Forest ‡ | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Notts County | 5 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 21 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 21 | ||||||||||||||||
Oldham Athletic | 14 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 21 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 21 | |||||||
Oxford United | 8 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 19 | 8 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 5 | |||||||||||||
Peterborough United † | 14 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||||||||
Plymouth Argyle | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 23 | 7 | 21 | 18 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
Port Vale | 10 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 23 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 23 | 9 | 18 | 12 | 21 | 18 | 23 | |||||||||||
Portsmouth | 8 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 24 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||
Preston North End | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
Reading † | 2 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Rochdale | 9 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 24 | 9 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 21 | ||||||||||||
Rotherham United † | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Scunthorpe United | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 23 | |||||||||||
Sheffield United | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
Sheffield Wednesday | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Shrewsbury Town † | 12 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 23 | 16 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 19 | ||||||||||
Southampton ‡ | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
Southend United | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 22 | ||||||||||||
Stevenage † | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||
Stockport County † | 4 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunderland | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
Swansea City | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
Swindon Town | 12 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 12 | 23 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 22 | 23 | |||||||||
Torquay United | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 21 | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tranmere Rovers | 11 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 21 | 21 | ||||||||||
Walsall | 14 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 24 | 14 | 24 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 20 | 19 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 19 | 22 | |||||||
Wigan Athletic † | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
Wolverhampton Wanderers ‡ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wrexham † | 2 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 22 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wycombe Wanderers † | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
Yeovil Town | 9 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 4 | 24 | ||||||||||||
Beginning with the 2012–13 season, a Financial Fair Play arrangement has been in place in all three divisions of the Football League, the intention being eventually to produce a league of financially self-sustaining clubs. In League One, this takes the form of a Salary Cost Management Protocol in which a maximum of 60% of a club's turnover may be spent on players' wages, with sanctions being applied in the form of transfer embargoes. [22] [23] [24] [25]
Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
The National League is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that semi-professional teams in the English football league system play. Notable former English Football League clubs that compete in the National League include: Oldham Athletic, Rochdale, York City, Yeovil Town, Hartlepool United and Southend United. The longest tenured team currently competing in the National League is Aldershot Town, who have been competing in the National League since 2013–14. The National League is the lowest division in the English football pyramid organised on a nationwide basis. Formerly the Conference National, the league was renamed the National League from the 2015–16 season.
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The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two in England and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet League Two, is the third and lowest division of the English Football League (EFL) and fourth-highest tier overall in the English football league system.
Donald Alistair Love is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League Two club Accrington Stanley. He began his professional career with Manchester United, but made just two senior appearances, and after a loan spell with Wigan Athletic in 2015, he was sold to Sunderland at the end of the 2015–16 season. Three years into a four-year contract, he was released by the club and joined Shrewsbury Town.
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Max McAuley Power is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Danish Superliga club AGF. He began his career with Tranmere Rovers and then spent time with Wigan Athletic and Sunderland, making more than 100 Football League appearances with each club, before rejoining Wigan in 2021.
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The history of Wigan Athletic Football Club starts in 1932, when the club were founded. They were elected to The Football League in 1978, and reached the Premier League for the first time in 2005, spending eight years in the top flight. Their first major honour was victory in the 2013 FA Cup Final, the same year they were relegated from the Premiership. Since then the club has bounced between the EFL Championship and League One, sometimes partly due to financial difficulties.
The 2016–17 EFL League One was the 13th season of the Football League One under its current title and the 24th season under its current league division format. The fixtures were announced on 22 June 2016.
Sam Benjamin Cosgrove is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL League One club Barnsley. He began his career with Wigan Athletic, and had loan spells in non-league football with Barrow, Chorley, Nantwich Town and North Ferriby United before making his Football League debut with Carlisle United. A successful three seasons with Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership preceded a return to English football with Birmingham City in 2021. After loans at Shrewsbury Town, AFC Wimbledon and Plymouth Argyle, he signed for Barnsley in 2023.
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The 2020–21 EFL League One was the 17th season of Football League One under its current title and the 29th season under its current league division format.
The 2020–21 season is the 122nd season of the English Football League (EFL) and the fifth season under that name after it was renamed from The Football League in 2016. For the eighth season running, the league was sponsored by Sky Betting & Gaming and therefore known as the Sky Bet EFL.
The 2020–21 EFL Trophy, known as the Leasing.com Trophy before 28 October 2020 and later the Papa John's Trophy for sponsorship reasons, was the 40th season in the history of the competition, a knock-out tournament for English football clubs in League One and League Two of the English football system, and also including 16 Premier League and Championship "Academy teams" with Category One status.
The 2021–22 EFL Cup was the 62nd season of the EFL Cup. The competition was open to all clubs participating in the Premier League and the English Football League.
The 2021–22 EFL Trophy, known as the Papa Johns Trophy for sponsorship reasons, the 41st season in the history of the competition, was a knock-out tournament for clubs in EFL League One and League Two, the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system, as well as the "Academy teams" of 16 Premier League clubs with Category One status.
The 2023–24 EFL League One was the 20th season of the EFL League One under its current title and the 32nd season under its current league division format. The season began on 5 August 2023 and ended on 27 April 2024.