EFL League One

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EFL League One

The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes or simply League One is a professional football league in England. EFL One is the second-highest division of the English Football League and the third-tier overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League and the EFL Championship and is contested by 24 clubs.

Quick Facts Founded, Country ...
EFL League One
Thumb
Founded2004; 21 years ago (2004)
  • 1992–2004 (as Division Two)
  • 1958–1992 (as Division Three)
  • 1921–1958 (as Division Three North/South)
  • 1920–1921 (as Division Three)
CountryEngland
Other club(s) fromWales
Number of clubs24
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toEFL Championship
Relegation toEFL League Two
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
League cup(s)
International cup(s)
Current championsPortsmouth
1st League One title
4th 3rd tier title
(2023–24)
Most championshipsPlymouth Argyle (5 titles total)
Wigan Athletic (3 League One titles)
TV partnersList of broadcasters
Websiteefl.com/competitions/efl-league-one
Current: 2024–25 EFL League One
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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]

Structure

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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.

Current members

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

    Teams promoted from League One

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

    Play-off results

    More information Season, Semi-final (1st Leg) ...
    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
    2022–23 Peterborough United 4–0 Sheffield Wednesday
    Bolton Wanderers 1–1 Barnsley
    Sheffield Wednesday 5–1 Peterborough United
    (Sheffield Wednesday won 5–3 on penalties, a.e.t.)
    Barnsley 1–0 Bolton Wanderers
    Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Barnsley (a.e.t.)
    2023–24 Barnsley 1–3 Bolton Wanderers
    Oxford United 1–0 Peterborough United
    Bolton Wanderers 2–3 Barnsley
    Peterborough United 1–1 Oxford United
    Bolton Wanderers 0–2 Oxford United
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    Relegated teams

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    More information Season, Clubs ...
    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 (42), Shrewsbury Town (42), Carlisle United (45), Tranmere Rovers (47)
    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 (32), Southend United (19), Bolton Wanderers (14), 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)
    2022–23 Milton Keynes Dons (45), Morecambe (44), Accrington Stanley (44), Forest Green Rovers (27)
    2023–24 Cheltenham Town (44), Fleetwood Town (43), Port Vale (41), Carlisle United (30)
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    a Expelled in August 2019 after financial breaches.

    Top scorers

    b In 35 games. Season truncated because of coronavirus.

    Attendances

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    Thumb

    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]

    More information Season, League Average Attendance ...
    SeasonLeague Average AttendanceHighest AverageHighest Attendance
    ClubAttendanceGameAttendance
    2004–057,732Sheffield Wednesday23,100 [5]Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City28,798
    2005–067,578Nottingham Forest20,257 [6]Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth26,847
    2006–077,486Nottingham Forest20,627 [7]Nottingham Forest v Rotherham United27,875
    2007–087,985Leeds United26,546 [8]Leeds United v Gillingham38,256
    2008–097,551Leeds United23,639 [9]
    2009–109,136Leeds United24,818 [10]Leeds United v Bristol Rovers38,234
    2010–117,519Southampton22,161 [11]Southampton v Walsall31,653
    2011–127,358Sheffield Wednesday21,336 [12]Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers38,082
    2012–136,335Sheffield United18,612 [13]Sheffield United v Brentford23,431
    2013–147,476Wolverhampton Wanderers20,879 [14]Wolverhampton Wanderers v Rotherham United30,110
    2014–157,037Sheffield United19,805 [15]Coventry City v Gillingham27,306
    2015–167,163Sheffield United19,803 [16]Sheffield United v Bradford City24,777
    2016–177,933Sheffield United21,892 [17]Sheffield United v Chesterfield31,003
    2017–187,805Bradford City19,787 [18]Blackburn Rovers v Oxford United27,600
    2018–198,741Sunderland32,157 [19]Sunderland v Bradford City46,039
    2019–208,802Sunderland30,118 [20]Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers33,821
    2020–21No attendances because of COVID-19 pandemic
    2021–229,953Sunderland30,847 [21]Sunderland v Doncaster Rovers38,395
    2022–2310,613Derby County27,259Sheffield Wednesday v Plymouth Argyle33,442
    2023–249,711Derby County27,278Derby County v Bolton Wanderers32,538
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    Historic performance

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    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

    •    Teams with this background and symbol in the "Club" column will be competing in the 2024–25 EFL League One
    •    Team will be competing in the 2024–25 Premier League
    •    The club competed in League One during that season (the number is the club's final league position)
    More information Club, Total Seasons ...
    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
    2023–24
    2024–25
    Accrington Stanley51511231417111223
    AFC Bournemouth 72422181719216112
    AFC Wimbledon6161523151820201923
    Barnsley 843213135116246
    Birmingham City 111
    Blackburn Rovers111222
    Blackpool 1044322161932212101338
    Bolton Wanderers 634223223953
    Bradford City926524111122117551124
    Brentford 8252244324911932
    Brighton & Hove Albion 51511818716131
    Bristol City523112792121
    Bristol Rovers 123510241611112210131514241715
    Burton Albion 827220291216161520
    Bury6331424142216192424 [a]
    Cambridge United 4141420142018
    Carlisle United928424842014128172224
    Charlton Athletic 1035116413113637131016
    Cheltenham Town6231523171923151621
    Chesterfield7336241716212261824
    Colchester United1028223152128101020161923
    Coventry City72512315181782381
    Crawley Town 4231022101422
    Crewe Alexandra9341224132022131920241224
    Dagenham & Redbridge112212121
    Derby County2122772
    Doncaster Rovers12451221081131132115691422
    Exeter City 523823188231413
    Fleetwood Town10110422101941411615201322
    Forest Green Rovers111242424
    Gillingham13399221416222117129201713101021
    Hartlepool United826623621151920161323
    Hereford United111242424
    Huddersfield Town 9283159415109634
    Hull City2211221
    Ipswich Town 414211119112
    Leeds United31325542
    Leicester City 111111
    Leyton Orient 112932320141417720732311
    Lincoln City 61651716517117
    Luton Town3311241241
    Mansfield Town 111
    Millwall62431710175346
    MK Dons1547223202231255810212231913321
    Morecambe21219221922
    Northampton Town 8339221492116222214
    Norwich City111111
    Nottingham Forest 31327742
    Notts County515721197122021
    Oldham Athletic1411462119106810161716191515171721
    Oxford United81841981612468195
    Peterborough United 14582232324691311977264
    Plymouth Argyle633123237211871
    Port Vale10349231813122391812211823
    Portsmouth8271242484581081
    Preston North End414315151453
    Reading 212171717
    Rochdale927824924810920161821
    Rotherham United 76222320234422
    Scunthorpe United1045123121618211673523
    Sheffield United6161113575111
    Sheffield Wednesday532215515243
    Shrewsbury Town 12210323162320183181517181219
    Southampton 2122772
    Southend United93512316823147101922
    Stevenage 523624618249
    Stockport County 4321824241824
    Sunderland414485845
    Swansea City31317671
    Swindon Town124542412231315524684152223
    Torquay United111212121
    Tranmere Rovers112103213189117191812112121
    Walsall1421232414241213102019913143141922
    Wigan Athletic 6421201120112
    Wolverhampton Wanderers 111111
    Wrexham 221222222
    Wycombe Wanderers 84432222211736910
    Yeovil Town9284241551817151417424
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    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.[22][23][24][25]

    See also

    Footnotes

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

    References

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