EFL League One

The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football League and the third tier overall in the entire English football league system.

Not to be confused with Ligue 1.

EFL League One
Founded2004 (2004)
1992–2004 (as Division Two)
1958–1992 (as Division Three)
1921–1958 (as Division Three North/South)
1920–1921 (as Division Three)
CountryEngland
Number of teams24
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toChampionship
Relegation toLeague Two
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
League cup(s)EFL Cup
EFL Trophy
International cup(s)UEFA Europa League (via FA Cup)
UEFA Europa Conference League (via EFL Cup)
Current championsWigan Athletic
(2021–22)
Most championshipsWigan Athletic
(3 titles)
TV partnersList of broadcasters
Websiteefl.com/sky-bet-league-one/
Current: 2022–23 EFL League One

League One debuted for the 2004–05 season. It was previously known briefly as the Football League Second Division and for much longer, before the advent of the Premier League, as the Football League Third Division.

At present, Fleetwood Town hold the longest tenure in League One, last being out of the division in 2013-14 season when they were promoted from League Two. There are currently eight former Premier League clubs competing in League One, namely Barnsley (1997–98), Bolton Wanderers (1995–96, 1997–98 and 2001–12), Charlton Athletic (1998–99 and 2000–07), Derby County (1996–2002 and 2007–08) Ipswich Town (1992–95 and 2000–02), Milton Keynes Dons as Wimbledon (1992–2000), Portsmouth (2003–10), and Sheffield Wednesday (1992–2000).[1]

Structure

There are 24 clubs in League One. Each club plays each club twice (once at home and once away). Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero 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 offences. 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.

At the end of each season the top two clubs, together with the winner of the play-offs between the clubs which finished in 3rd–6th position, 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 4th–7th place play-offs in that division.

Current members
Locations of the confirmed 2022-23 EFL League One teams

The following 24 clubs are competing in League One during the 2022–23 season.

Club Finishing position last season Location Stadium Capacity[2]
Accrington Stanley 12th Accrington Crown Ground 5,057 (2,000 seated)
Barnsley 24th in Championship (relegated) Barnsley Oakwell 23,287
Bolton Wanderers 9th Horwich University of Bolton Stadium 28,723
Bristol Rovers 3rd in League Two (promoted) Bristol Memorial Stadium 12,300
Burton Albion 16th Burton upon Trent Pirelli Stadium 6,912 (2,034 seated)
Cambridge United 14th Cambridge Abbey Stadium 8,127
Charlton Athletic 13th London (Charlton) The Valley 27,111
Cheltenham Town 15th Cheltenham Whaddon Road 7,066
Derby County 23rd in Championship (relegated) Derby Pride Park Stadium 33,600
Exeter City 2nd in League Two (promoted) Exeter St. James Park 8,696
Fleetwood Town 20th Fleetwood Highbury Stadium 5,311 (2,701 seated)
Forest Green Rovers 1st in League Two (promoted) Nailsworth The New Lawn 5,147
Ipswich Town 11th Ipswich Portman Road 30,311
Lincoln City 17th Lincoln Sincil Bank 10,307
Milton Keynes Dons 3rd Milton Keynes Stadium MK 30,500
Morecambe 19th Morecambe Globe Arena 6,476
Oxford United 8th Oxford Kassam Stadium 12,500
Peterborough United 22nd in Championship (relegated) Peterborough London Road Stadium 15,314
Plymouth Argyle 7th Plymouth Home Park 18,600
Port Vale 5th in League Two (promoted via play-offs) Stoke-on-Trent (Burslem) Vale Park 15,036
Portsmouth 10th Portsmouth Fratton Park 21,100
Sheffield Wednesday 4th Sheffield Hillsborough Stadium 39,732
Shrewsbury Town 18th Shrewsbury New Meadow 9,875
Wycombe Wanderers 6th High Wycombe Adams Park 9,448

Teams promoted from League One
Season Winner Runner-up Promoted Play-off Winner (Position)
2004–05 Luton Town Hull City Sheffield Wednesday (5th)
2005–06 Southend United Colchester United Barnsley (5th)
2006–07 Scunthorpe United Bristol City Blackpool (3rd)
2007–08 Swansea City Nottingham Forest Doncaster Rovers (3rd)
2008–09 Leicester City Peterborough United Scunthorpe United (6th)
2009–10 Norwich City Leeds United Millwall (3rd)
2010–11 Brighton & Hove Albion Southampton Peterborough United (4th)
2011–12 Charlton Athletic Sheffield Wednesday Huddersfield Town (4th)
2012–13 Doncaster Rovers AFC Bournemouth Yeovil Town (4th)
2013–14 Wolverhampton Wanderers Brentford Rotherham United (4th)
2014–15 Bristol City Milton Keynes Dons Preston North End (3rd)
2015–16 Wigan Athletic Burton Albion Barnsley (6th)
2016–17 Sheffield United Bolton Wanderers Millwall (6th)
2017–18 Wigan Athletic Blackburn Rovers Rotherham United (4th)
2018–19 Luton Town Barnsley Charlton Athletic (3rd)
2019–20 Coventry City Rotherham United Wycombe Wanderers (3rd)
2020–21 Hull City Peterborough United Blackpool (3rd)
2021–22 Wigan Athletic Rotherham United Sunderland (5th)

For past winners at this level before 2004, see List of winners of the EFL League One and predecessors.

Play-off results
Season Semi-final (1st Leg) Semi-final (2nd Leg) Final
2004–05 Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Brentford
Hartlepool United 2–0 Tranmere Rovers		 Brentford 1–2 Sheffield Wednesday
Tranmere Rovers 2–0 Hartlepool United
(Hartlepool won 6–5 on penalties, a.e.t.)		 Sheffield Wednesday 4–2 Hartlepool United (a.e.t.)
2005–06 Barnsley 0–1 Huddersfield Town
Swansea City 1–1 Brentford		 Huddersfield Town 1–3 Barnsley
Brentford 0–2 Swansea City		 Barnsley 2–2 Swansea City
(Barnsley won 4–3 on penalties, a.e.t.)
2006–07 Yeovil Town 0–2 Nottingham Forest
Oldham Athletic 1–2 Blackpool		 Nottingham Forest 2–5 Yeovil Town (a.e.t.)
Blackpool 3–1 Oldham Athletic		 Blackpool 2–0 Yeovil Town
2007–08 Southend United 0–0 Doncaster Rovers
Leeds United 1–2 Carlisle United		 Doncaster Rovers 5–1 Southend United
Carlisle United 0–2 Leeds United		 Leeds United 0–1 Doncaster Rovers
2008–09 Scunthorpe United 1–1 Milton Keynes Dons
Millwall 1–0 Leeds United		 Milton Keynes Dons 0–0 Scunthorpe United
(Scunthorpe won 7–6 on penalties, a.e.t.)
Leeds United 1–1 Millwall		 Scunthorpe United 3–2 Millwall
2009–10 Swindon Town 2–1 Charlton Athletic
Huddersfield Town 0–0 Millwall		 Charlton Athletic 2–1 Swindon Town
(Swindon won 5–4 on penalties, a.e.t.)
Millwall 2–0 Huddersfield Town		 Millwall 1–0 Swindon Town
2010–11 AFC Bournemouth 1–1 Huddersfield Town
Milton Keynes Dons 3–2 Peterborough United		 Huddersfield Town 3–3 AFC Bournemouth
(Huddersfield won 4–2 on penalties, a.e.t.)
Peterborough United 2–0 Milton Keynes Dons		 Huddersfield Town 0–3 Peterborough United
2011–12 Stevenage 0–0 Sheffield United
Milton Keynes Dons 0–2 Huddersfield Town		 Sheffield United 1–0 Stevenage
Huddersfield Town 1–2 Milton Keynes Dons		 Huddersfield Town 0–0 Sheffield United
(Huddersfield won 8–7 on penalties, a.e.t.)
2012–13 Sheffield United 1–0 Yeovil Town
Swindon Town 1–1 Brentford		 Yeovil Town 2–0 Sheffield United
Brentford 3–3 Swindon Town
(Brentford won 5–4 on penalties, a.e.t.)		 Brentford 1–2 Yeovil Town
2013–14 Peterborough United 1–1 Leyton Orient
Preston North End 1–1 Rotherham United		 Leyton Orient 2–1 Peterborough United
Rotherham United 3–1 Preston North End		 Leyton Orient 2–2 Rotherham United
(Rotherham won 4–3 on penalties, a.e.t.)
2014–15 Chesterfield 0–1 Preston North End
Sheffield United 1–2 Swindon Town		 Preston North End 3–0 Chesterfield
Swindon Town 5–5 Sheffield United		 Preston North End 4–0 Swindon Town
2015–16 Barnsley 3–0 Walsall
Bradford City 1–3 Millwall		 Walsall 1–3 Barnsley
Millwall 1–1 Bradford City		 Barnsley 3–1 Millwall
2016–17 Millwall 0–0 Scunthorpe United

Bradford City 1–0 Fleetwood Town

 Scunthorpe United 2–3 Millwall

Fleetwood Town 0–0 Bradford City

 Bradford City 0–1 Millwall
2017–18 Charlton Athletic 0–1 Shrewsbury Town

Scunthorpe United 2–2 Rotherham United

 Shrewsbury Town 1–0 Charlton Athletic

Rotherham United 2–0 Scunthorpe United

 Rotherham United 2–1 Shrewsbury Town (a.e.t.)
2018–19 Doncaster Rovers 1–2 Charlton Athletic

Sunderland 1–0 Portsmouth

 Charlton Athletic 2–3 Doncaster Rovers
(Charlton Athletic won 4–3 on penalties, a.e.t.)

Portsmouth 0–0 Sunderland

 Charlton Athletic 2–1 Sunderland
2019–20 Portsmouth 1–1

Oxford United Fleetwood Town

1–4 Wycombe Wanderers

 Oxford United 1–1 Portsmouth
(Oxford United won 5–4 on penalties, a.e.t.)

Wycombe Wanderers 2–2 Fleetwood Town

 Oxford United 1–2 Wycombe Wanderers
2020–21 Oxford United 0–3 Blackpool

Lincoln City 2–0 Sunderland

 Blackpool 3-3 Oxford United

Sunderland 2–1 Lincoln City

 Blackpool 2–1 Lincoln City
2021–22 Wycombe Wanderers 2–0 Milton Keynes Dons

Sunderland 1–0 Sheffield Wednesday

 Milton Keynes Dons 1–0 Wycombe Wanderers

Sheffield Wednesday 1–1 Sunderland

 Sunderland 2–0 Wycombe Wanderers

Relegated teams
Season Clubs
2004–05 Torquay United (51), Wrexham (43), Peterborough United (39), Stockport County (26)
2005–06 Hartlepool United (50), Milton Keynes Dons (50), Swindon Town (48), Walsall (47)
2006–07 Chesterfield (47), Bradford City (47), Rotherham United (38), Brentford (37)
2007–08 AFC Bournemouth (48), Gillingham (46), Port Vale (38), Luton Town (33)
2008–09 Northampton Town (49), Crewe Alexandra (46), Cheltenham Town (39), Hereford United (34)
2009–10 Gillingham (50), Wycombe Wanderers (45), Southend United (43), Stockport County (25)
2010–11 Dagenham & Redbridge (47), Bristol Rovers (45), Plymouth Argyle (42), Swindon Town (41)
2011–12 Wycombe Wanderers (43), Chesterfield (42), Exeter City (42), Rochdale (38)
2012–13 Scunthorpe United (48), Bury (41), Hartlepool United (41), Portsmouth (32)
2013–14 Stevenage (47), Shrewsbury Town (45), Carlisle United (42), Tranmere Rovers (42)
2014–15 Notts County (50), Crawley Town (50), Leyton Orient (49), Yeovil Town (40)
2015–16 Doncaster Rovers (46), Blackpool (46), Colchester United (40), Crewe Alexandra (34)
2016–17 Port Vale (49), Swindon Town (44), Coventry City (39), Chesterfield (37)
2017–18 Oldham Athletic (50), Northampton Town (47), Milton Keynes Dons (45), Bury (36)
2018–19 Plymouth Argyle (50), Walsall (47), Scunthorpe United (46), Bradford City (41)
2019–20 Tranmere Rovers (0.94), Southend United (0.54), Bolton Wanderers (0.41), Bury[a]
2020–21 Rochdale (47), Northampton Town (45), Swindon Town (43), Bristol Rovers (38)
2021–22 Gillingham (40), Doncaster Rovers (38), AFC Wimbledon (37), Crewe Alexandra (29)

a Expelled in August 2019 after financial breaches.

Top scorers
Season Top scorer(s) Club(s) Goals
2004–05 Stuart Elliott Hull City 27
Dean Windass Bradford City
2005–06 Freddy Eastwood Southend United 23
Billy Sharp Scunthorpe United
2006–07 Billy Sharp Scunthorpe United 30
2007–08 Jason Scotland Swansea City 24
2008–09 Simon Cox Swindon Town 29
Rickie Lambert Bristol Rovers
2009–10 Rickie Lambert Southampton 30
2010–11 Craig Mackail-Smith Peterborough United 27
2011–12 Jordan Rhodes Huddersfield Town 36
2012–13 Paddy Madden Yeovil Town 24
2013–14 Sam Baldock Bristol City 24
2014–15 Joe Garner Preston North End 26
2015–16 Will Grigg Wigan Athletic 25
2016–17 Billy Sharp Sheffield United 30
2017–18 Jack Marriott Peterborough United 27
2018–19 James Collins Luton Town 25
2019–20 Ivan Toney Peterborough United 24[b]
2020–21 Jonson Clarke-Harris Peterborough United 31
2021–22 Will Keane Wigan Athletic 26

b In 35 games. Season truncated due to coronavirus

Attendances

EFL League One is the most-watched third-tier domestic sports league in the world, with an average of 8,802 spectators per game in the 2019–20 season.[3] The closest third tier association football league in terms of average attendance is the Germany 3. Liga (6,185).[4] The highest average attendance since the restructure into League One was the 2021–22 season, with an average of 9,953. 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.[5]

SeasonLeague Average AttendanceHighest AverageHighest Attendance
ClubAttendanceGameAttendance
2004-057,732Sheffield Wednesday23,100 [6]Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City28,798
2005-067,578Nottingham Forest20,257 [7]Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth26,847
2006-077,486Nottingham Forest20,627 [8]Nottingham Forest v Rotherham United27,875
2007-087,985Leeds United26,546 [9]Leeds United v Ipswich Town31,269
2008-097,551Leeds United23,639 [10]Leeds United v Gillingham38,256
2009-109,136Leeds United24,818 [11]Leeds United v Bristol Rovers38,234
2010-117,519Southampton22,161 [12]Southampton v Walsall31,653
2011-127,358Sheffield Wednesday21,336 [13]Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers38,082
2012-136,335Sheffield United18,612 [14]Sheffield United v Brentford23,431
2013-147,476Wolverhampton Wanderers20,879 [15]Wolverhampton Wanderers v Rotherham United30,110
2014-157,037Sheffield United19,805 [16]Coventry City v Gillingham27,306
2015-167,163Sheffield United19,803 [17]Sheffield United v Bradford City24,777
2016-177,933Sheffield United21,892 [18]Sheffield United v Chesterfield31,003
2017-187,805Bradford City19,787 [19]Blackburn Rovers v Oxford United27,600
2018-198,741Sunderland32,157 [20]Sunderland v Bradford City46,039
2019-208,802Sunderland30,118 [21]Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers33,821
2020-21No attendances due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-229,953Sunderland30,847 [22]Sunderland v Doncaster Rovers38,395

Historic performance

Since the restructuring into League One in 2004, 75 teams have spent at least one season in the division, including 8 of the 20 teams in the 2022-23 Premier League. MK Dons has spent 15 seasons in League One, the most of any team. Oldham's single 14-season consecutive spell was the longest of any team. The team with the current longest tenure is Fleetwood, who have been in League One continuously since the 2014-15 season. Rotherham and Peterborough have had the highest number of separate spells in League One with five each. There have been 15 different Champions of League One, with Wigan Athletic having won the division three times.

Key
  •    Teams with this background and symbol in the "Club" column will be competing in the 2022–23 EFL League One
  •    Team will be competing in the 2022-23 Premier League
  •    The club competed in League One during that season (the number is the club's final league position)
ClubTotal SeasonsNumber of SpellsLongest Spell (Seasons)Highest PositionLowest PositionSeason
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
Accrington Stanley 515111714171112-
AFC Wimbledon6161523151820201923
Barnsley 6422131351162-
Blackburn Rovers111222
Blackpool83432216193221210133
Bolton Wanderers 4322232239-
AFC Bournemouth 72422181719216112
Bradford City926524111122117551124
Brentford 8252244324911932
Brighton & Hove Albion 51511818716131
Bristol City523112792121
Bristol Rovers 10351024161111221013151424-
Burton Albion 62521629121616-
Bury6331424142216192424 [lower-alpha 1]
Cambridge United 212141414-
Carlisle United8184228420141281722
Charlton Athletic 93311341311363713-
Cheltenham Town 523152317192315-
Chesterfield7336241716212261824
Colchester United1028223152128101020161923
Coventry City72512315181782381
Crawley Town3131022101422
Crewe Alexandra9341224132022131920241224
Dagenham & Redbridge112212121
Derby County 111-
Doncaster Rovers12451221081131132115691422
Exeter City 42382318823-
Fleetwood Town 91942010194141161520-
Forest Green Rovers 111-
Gillingham13399221416222117129201713101021
Hartlepool United826623621151920161323
Hereford United111242424
Huddersfield Town8183159415109634
Hull City2211221
Ipswich Town 41491111911-
Leeds United 31325542
Leicester City 111111
Leyton Orient919323201414177207323
Lincoln City 41451716517-
Luton Town3311241241
Millwall62431710175346
MK Dons 15472232022312558102122319133-
Morecambe 212191919-
Northampton Town63392214921162222
Norwich City111111
Nottingham Forest 31327742
Notts County515721197122021
Oldham Athletic1411462119106810161716191515171721
Oxford United 71741681612468-
Peterborough United 125822323246913119772-
Plymouth Argyle 63372323721187-
Port Vale 934923181312239181221-
Portsmouth 72642424845810-
Preston North End414315151453
Rochdale927824924810920161821
Rotherham United65222320234422
Scunthorpe United1045123121618211673523
Sheffield United6161113575111
Sheffield Wednesday 53221551524-
Shrewsbury Town 102832316232018318151718-
Southampton 2122772
Southend United93512316823147101922
Stevenage31362461824
Stockport County3221824241824
Sunderland414485845
Swansea City31317671
Swindon Town124542412231315524684152223
Torquay United111212121
Tranmere Rovers112103213189117191812112121
Walsall1421232414241213102019913143141922
Wigan Athletic43212011201
Wolverhampton Wanderers 111111
Wrexham111222222
Wycombe Wanderers 64232222211736-
Yeovil Town9284241551817151417424

Financial Fair Play

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.[23][24][25][26]

See also
  • 1920–21 (as Football League Division Three)
  • 1921–22 & 1957–58 (as Football League Division Three North/South)
  • 1958–59 & 1992–93 (as Football League Division Three)
  • 1992–93 & 2003–04 (as Football League Division Two)
  • 2016–17 & 2019–20 (as EFL League One)
  • List of professional sports teams in the United Kingdom

Footnotes
  1. Bury did not compete in the 2019-20 season as they were expelled from the league due to financial difficulties.

References
  1. "What year did the Premier League start & which teams have played in it over the years?". Sam France. Goal. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  2. "Football Ground Guide". Football Ground Guide. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  3. "League One 2019/2020 - Attendance". worldfootball.net.
  4. "3. Liga 2019/2020 - Attendance". worldfootball.net.
  5. "League One Record 46,039 crowd as Sunderland AFC triumph over Bradford City on Boxing Day". www.sunderlandecho.com.
  6. "League One 2004/2005 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  7. "League One 2005/2006 - Attendance". worldfootball.net.
  8. "League One 2006/2007 - Attendance". worldfootball.net.
  9. "League One 2007/2008 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. "League One 2008/2009 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  11. "League One 2009/2010 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  12. "League One 2010/2011 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  13. "League One 2011/2012 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  14. "League One 2012/2013 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  15. "League One 2013/2014 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  16. "League One 2014/2015 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  17. "League One 2015/2016 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  18. "League One 2016/2017 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  19. "League One 2017/2018 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  20. "League One 2018/2019 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  21. "League One 2019/2020 - Attendance". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  22. "Sky Bet League One | Average Attendances | Home Matches | Football Web Pages". www.footballwebpages.co.uk.
  23. "The Football League – About Us – FAQs – FL Explained – FL Explained – Financial Fair Play in The Football League". Archived from the original on 10 May 2012.
  24. Vittles, Jack (6 December 2017). "Financial Fair play: Does it apply in League One and League Two?". bristolpost. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  25. McCartney, Aidan (2 February 2015). "Financial Fair Play in League One: Separating fact from fiction". coventrytelegraph. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  26. "Review into Bury's demise offers painful reminder of the need for FFP | Financial fair play". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
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