EFL League One

EFL League One

Founded	2004; 17 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)
Country	England
Number of teams	24
Level on pyramid	3
Promotion to	Championship
Relegation to	League 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 champions	Hull City (2020–21)
Most championships	Luton Town Wigan Athletic (2 titles each)
TV partners	List of broadcasters
Website	efl.com/sky-bet-league-one/
Current: 2021–22 EFL League One

The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, 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.

League One was introduced 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, Gillingham hold the longest tenure in League One, last being out of the division in the 2012–13 season. There are currently seven former Premier League clubs competing in League One, namely Sheffield Wednesday (1992–2000), Ipswich Town (1992–95 and 2000–02), Charlton Athletic (1998–99 and 2000–07), Bolton Wanderers (1995–96, 1997–98 and 2001–12), Portsmouth (2003–10), Wigan Athletic (2005–13) and Sunderland (1996–97, 1999–2003, 2005–06 and 2007–17).^[1]

Structure[]

There are 24 clubs in League One. Each club plays every other 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) and, finally, a series of one or more play-off matches.

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[]

Accrington
Stanley

AFC Wimbledon

Burton Albion

Bolton Wanderers

Cambridge United

Charlton Athletic

Cheltenham Town

Crewe Alexandra

Doncaster Rovers

Fleetwood Town

Gillingham

Ipswich Town

Lincoln City

Milton Keynes Dons

Morecambe

Oxford United

Plymouth Argyle

Portsmouth

Rotherham United

Sheffield Wednesday

Shrewsbury Town

Sunderland

Wigan Athletic

Wycombe Wanderers

Locations of the confirmed 2020–21 EFL League One teams

The following 24 clubs will compete in League One during the 2021–22 season.

Teams promoted from League One[]

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

Play-off results[]

Relegated teams[]

^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

^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 German 3. Liga (6,185).^[4] The highest average attendance since the restructure into League One was the 2009–10 season, with an average of 9,136.^[5] 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.^[6]

Historic Performance[]

Since the restructuring into League One in 2004, 73 teams have spent at least one season in the division, including 7 of the 20 teams in the 2021-22 Premier League. Oldham Athletic, Walsall and MK Dons have all spent 14 seasons in League One, Oldham's tenure was in a single 14-season consecutive spell - the longest spell of any team. The team with the current longest tenure is Gillingham, who have been in League One continuously since the 2013-14 season. Rotherham has had the highest number of separate spells in League One with five. There have been 15 different Champions of League One, with both Wigan Athletic and Luton Town having won the division twice.

Key[]

•    Teams with this background and symbol in the "Club" column are competing in the 2021–22 EFL League One
•    Team is competing in the 2021-22 Premier League
•    The club competed in League One during that season (the number is the club's final league position)

Club	Total Seasons	Number of Spells	Longest Spell (Seasons}	Highest Position	Lowest Position	Season
						2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-20	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Accrington Stanley	4	1	4	11	17																																	14	17	11	-
AFC Wimbledon	6	1	6	15	20													15	18	20	20	19	-
Barnsley	5	3	2	2	13	13	5									11	6			2
Blackburn Rovers	1	1	1	2	2														2
Blackpool	8	3	4	3	22	16	19	3									22		12	10	13	3
Bolton Wanderers	3	3	1	2	23													2			23		-
AFC Bournemouth	7	2	4	2	21	8	17	19	21			6	11	2
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	9	2	5	10	24				16	11	11	22						10	13	15	14	24
Burton Albion	5	2	4	2	16												2			9	12	16	-
Bury	6	3	3	14	24								14	22			16	19	24		24 [a]
Cambridge United	1	1	1																				-
Carlisle United	8	1	8	4	22			8	4	20	14	12	8	17	22
Charlton Athletic	8	3	3	1	13						4	13	1					13	6	3		7	-
Cheltenham Town	4	2	3	17	23			17	19	23													-
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	3	1	3	10	22									10	14	22
Crewe Alexandra	9	3	4	12	24			13	20	22				13	19	20	24					12	-
Dagenham & Redbridge	1	1	2	21	21							21
Doncaster Rovers	12	4	5	1	21	10	8	11	3					1		13	21		15	6	9	14	-
Exeter City	3	1	3	8	23						18	8	23
Fleetwood Town	8	1	8	4	19											10	19	4	14	11	6	15	-
Gillingham	13	3	9	9	22		14	16	22		21				17	12	9	20	17	13	10	10	-
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	8	1	8	3	15	9	4	15	10	9	6	3	4
Hull City	2	2	1	1	2	2																1
Ipswich Town	3	1	3	9	11																11	9	-
Leeds United	3	1	3	2	5				5	4	2
Leicester City	1	1	1	1	1					1
Leyton Orient	9	1	9	3	23			20	14	14	17	7	20	7	3	23
Lincoln City	3	1	3	5	16																16	5	-
Luton Town	3	3	1	1	24	1			24											1
Millwall	6	2	4	3	17			10	17	5	3						4	6
MK Dons	14	4	7	2	23	20	22			3	12	5	5	8	10	2		12	23		19	13	-
Morecambe	1	1	1																				-
Northampton Town	6	3	3	9	22			14	9	21								16	22			22
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	6	1	6	4	16													8	16	12	4	6	-
Peterborough United	11	4	8	2	23	23				2		4			6	9	13	11	9	7	7	2
Plymouth Argyle	5	3	2	7	23							23							7	21		18	-
Port Vale	8	2	4	9	23	18	13	12	23						9	18	12	21
Portsmouth	6	2	5	4	24									24					8	4	5	8	-
Preston North End	4	1	4	3	15								15	14	5	3
Rochdale	9	2	7	8	24							9	24			8	10	9	20	16	18	21
Rotherham United	6	5	2	2	23		20	23							4				4		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	4	3	2	2	15	5						15	2										-
Shrewsbury Town	9	2	7	3	23									16	23		20	18	3	18	15	17	-
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	3	1	3	6	24								6	18	24
Stockport County	3	2	2	18	24	24				18	24
Sunderland	4	1	4	4	8															5	8	4	-
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	4	3	2	1	20												1		1			20	-
Wolverhampton Wanderers	1	1	1	1	1										1
Wrexham	1	1	1	22	22	22
Wycombe Wanderers	5	4	2	3	22						22		21							17	3		-
Yeovil Town	9	2	8	4	24		15	5	18	17	15	14	17	4		24

Financial Fair Play[]

Starting from 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[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Football League One.

• EFL League One official site
• EFL League One clubs' locations
• England League One – Predictions, Tips, Statistics