EFL League Two

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EFL League Two
File:EFL League Two Logo.png
Founded2004
1992–2004 (as Division Three)
1958–1992 (as Division Four)
CountryEngland (23 teams)
Other club(s) fromWales (1 team)
Number of teams24
Level on pyramid4
Promotion toLeague One
Relegation toNational League
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
League cup(s)EFL Cup
EFL Trophy
International cup(s)Europa League
(via FA Cup or EFL Cup)
Current championsLincoln City
(2018–19)
TV partnersSky Sports
Quest (highlights only)
WebsiteLeague Two
Current: 2019–20 EFL League Two

The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet EFL League Two for sponsorship reasons) is the third and lowest division of the English Football League (EFL) and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system.

Football League Two was introduced for the 2004–05 season. It was previously known as the Football League Third Division.[1] Before the advent of the Premier League in 1992, the fourth-highest division was known as the Football League Fourth Division.

At present (2018–19 season), Morecambe hold the longest tenure in League Two, last being outside the division in the 2006–07 season when they were promoted from the league then known as the Conference National (now the National League). There are currently three former Premier League clubs competing in League Two: Bradford City, Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town.

Structure

There are 24 clubs in League Two. Each club plays each of the other clubs twice (once at home, once away) and is awarded three points for a win, one for a draw and no points for a loss. From these points a league table is constructed.

At the end of each season the top three teams, together with the winner of the play-offs between the teams which finished in the fourth to seventh positions, are promoted to EFL League One and are replaced by the four teams that finished at the bottom of that division.

Similarly, the two teams that finished at the bottom of League Two are relegated to the National League and are replaced by the team that finished first and the team that won the second through seventh place play-off in that division. Technically a team can be reprieved from relegation if the team replacing them does not have a ground suitable for League football, but in practice this is a non-factor because every team currently in the National League has a ground that meets the League criteria (and even if they did not, a ground-sharing arrangement with another team could be made until their stadium was upgraded). The other way that a team can be spared relegation is if another team either resigns or is expelled from the EFL.

Final league position is determined, in order, by points obtained, goal difference, goals scored, a mini-league of the results between two or more teams ranked using the previous three criteria, and finally a series of one or more play-off matches.

There is a mandatory wage cap in this division that limits spending on players' wages to 100% of club turnover.

Current members

The following 24 clubs are competing in League Two during the 2019–20 season. [2]

Club Finishing position last season Location Stadium Capacity
Bradford City 24th in League One (relegated) Bradford Valley Parade 25,136
Cambridge United 21st Cambridge Abbey Stadium 8,127
Carlisle United 11th Carlisle Brunton Park 18,202
Cheltenham Town 16th Cheltenham Whaddon Road 7,066
Colchester United 8th Colchester Colchester Community Stadium 10,105
Crawley Town 19th Crawley Broadfield Stadium 5,996
Crewe Alexandra 12th Crewe Gresty Road 10,180
Exeter City 9th Exeter St. James Park 8,696
Forest Green Rovers 5th Nailsworth The New Lawn 5,147
Grimsby Town 17th Cleethorpes Blundell Park 9,052
Leyton Orient 1st in National League (promoted) London (Leyton) Brisbane Road 9,271
Macclesfield Town 22nd Macclesfield Moss Rose 6,355
Mansfield Town 4th Mansfield Field Mill 10,000
Morecambe 18th Morecambe Globe Arena 6,476
Newport County 7th Newport Rodney Parade 7,850
Northampton Town 15th Northampton Sixfields Stadium 7,653
Oldham Athletic 14th Oldham Boundary Park 13,512
Plymouth Argyle 21st in League One (relegated) Plymouth Home Park 17,500
Port Vale 20th Burslem Vale Park 19,052
Salford City 3rd in National League (promoted via play-offs) Salford Moor Lane 5,108
Scunthorpe United 23rd in League One (relegated) Scunthorpe Glanford Park 9,088
Stevenage 10th Stevenage Broadhall Way 6,722
Swindon Town 13th Swindon County Ground 15,728
Walsall 22nd in League One (relegated) Walsall Bescot Stadium 11,300

Teams promoted from League Two

Season Winner Points Runner-up Points 3rd Place Points Promoted via play-off League position Points
2004–05 Yeovil Town 83 Scunthorpe United 80 Swansea City 80 Southend United 4th 78
2005–06 Carlisle United 86 Northampton Town 83 Leyton Orient 81 Cheltenham Town 5th 72
2006–07 Walsall 89 Hartlepool United 88 Swindon Town 85 Bristol Rovers 6th 72
2007–08 Milton Keynes Dons 97 Peterborough United 92 Hereford United 88 Stockport County 4th 82
2008–09 Brentford 85 Exeter City 79 Wycombe Wanderers 78 Gillingham 5th 75
2009–10 Notts County 93 Bournemouth 83 Rochdale 82 Dagenham & Redbridge 7th 72
2010–11 Chesterfield 86 Bury 81 Wycombe Wanderers 81 Stevenage 6th 69
2011–12 Swindon Town 93 Shrewsbury Town 88 Crawley Town 84 Crewe Alexandra 7th 72
2012–13 Gillingham 83 Rotherham United 79 Port Vale 78 Bradford City 7th 69
2013–14 Chesterfield 84 Scunthorpe United 81 Rochdale 81 Fleetwood Town 4th 76
2014–15 Burton Albion 94 Shrewsbury Town 89 Bury 85 Southend United 5th 84
2015–16 Northampton Town 99 Oxford United 86 Bristol Rovers 85 AFC Wimbledon 7th 75
2016–17 Portsmouth 87 Plymouth Argyle 87 Doncaster Rovers 85 Blackpool 7th 70
2017–18 Accrington Stanley 93 Luton Town 88 Wycombe Wanderers 84 Coventry City 6th 75
2018–19 Lincoln City 85 Bury 79 Milton Keynes Dons 79 Tranmere Rovers 6th 73

Play-off results

Season Semi-final (1st leg) Semi-final (2nd leg) Final
2004–05 Lincoln City 1–0 Macclesfield Town

Northampton Town 0–0 Southend United

Macclesfield Town 1–1 Lincoln City

Southend United 1–0 Northampton Town

Lincoln City 0–2 Southend United
2005–06 Lincoln City 0–1 Grimsby Town

Wycombe Wanderers 1–2 Cheltenham Town

Grimsby Town 2–1 Lincoln City

Cheltenham Town 0–0 Wycombe Wanderers

Grimsby Town 0–1 Cheltenham Town
2006–07 Bristol Rovers 2–1 Lincoln City

Shrewsbury Town 0–0 Milton Keynes Dons

Lincoln City 3–5 Bristol Rovers

Milton Keynes Dons 1–2 Shrewsbury Town

Bristol Rovers 3–1 Shrewsbury Town
2007–08 Darlington 2–1 Rochdale
Wycombe Wanderers 1–1 Stockport County
Rochdale 2–1 Darlington
(Rochdale won 5–4 on penalties, AET)
Stockport County 1–0 Wycombe Wanderers
Rochdale 2–3 Stockport County
2008–09 Shrewsbury Town 0–1 Bury
Rochdale 0–0 Gillingham
Bury 0–1 Shrewsbury Town
(Shrewsbury won 4–3 on penalties, AET)
Gillingham 2–1 Rochdale
Gillingham 1–0 Shrewsbury Town
2009–10 Dagenham & Redbridge 6–0 Morecambe
Aldershot Town 0–1 Rotherham United
Morecambe 2–1 Dagenham & Redbridge
Rotherham United 2–0 Aldershot Town
Dagenham & Redbridge 3–2 Rotherham United
2010–11 Torquay United 2–0 Shrewsbury Town
Stevenage 2–0 Accrington Stanley
Shrewsbury Town 0–0 Torquay United
Accrington Stanley 0–1 Stevenage
Stevenage 1–0 Torquay United
2011–12 Crewe Alexandra 1–0 Southend United
Cheltenham Town 2–0 Torquay United
Southend United 2–2 Crewe Alexandra
Torquay United 1–2 Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town 0–2 Crewe Alexandra
2012–13 Bradford City 2–3 Burton Albion
Northampton Town 1–0 Cheltenham Town
Burton Albion 1–3 Bradford City
Cheltenham Town 0–1 Northampton Town
Bradford City 3–0 Northampton Town
2013–14 Burton Albion 1–0 Southend United
York City 0–1 Fleetwood Town
Southend United 2–2 Burton Albion
Fleetwood Town 0–0 York City
Burton Albion 0–1 Fleetwood Town
2014–15 Stevenage 1–1 Southend United
Plymouth Argyle 2–3 Wycombe Wanderers
Southend United 3–1 Stevenage
(AET)
Wycombe Wanderers 2–1 Plymouth Argyle
Southend United 1–1 Wycombe Wanderers
(Southend won 7–6 on penalties)
2015–16 Portsmouth 2–2 Plymouth Argyle
AFC Wimbledon 1–0 Accrington Stanley
Plymouth Argyle 1–0 Portsmouth
Accrington Stanley 2–2 AFC Wimbledon
(AET)
AFC Wimbledon 2–0 Plymouth Argyle
2016–17 Blackpool 3–2 Luton Town
Carlisle United 3–3 Exeter City
Luton Town 3–3 Blackpool
Exeter City 3–2 Carlisle United
Blackpool 2–1 Exeter City
2017–18 Lincoln City 0–0 Exeter City
Coventry City 1–1 Notts County
Exeter City 3–1 Lincoln City
Notts County 1–4 Coventry City
Coventry City 3–1 Exeter City
2018–19 Newport County 1–1 Mansfield Town
Tranmere Rovers 1–0 Forest Green Rovers
Mansfield Town 0–0 Newport County
(Newport won 5–3 on penalties, AET)
Forest Green Rovers 1–1 Tranmere Rovers
Newport County 0-1 Tranmere Rovers

(AET)

Relegated teams

Season Clubs
2004–05 Kidderminster Harriers, Cambridge United
2005–06 Oxford United, Rushden & Diamonds
2006–07 Boston United, Torquay United
2007–08 Mansfield Town, Wrexham
2008–09 Chester City, Luton Town[3]
2009–10 Darlington, Grimsby Town
2010–11 Lincoln City, Stockport County
2011–12 Macclesfield Town, Hereford United
2012–13 Aldershot Town, Barnet
2013–14 Bristol Rovers, Torquay United
2014–15 Cheltenham Town, Tranmere Rovers
2015–16 York City, Dagenham & Redbridge
2016-17 Hartlepool United, Leyton Orient
2017-18 Barnet, Chesterfield
2018-19 Notts County, Yeovil Town

Top scorers

Season Top scorer Club Goals
2004–05 England Phil Jevons Yeovil Town 27
2005–06 England Karl Hawley Carlisle United 23
2006–07 England Richard Barker Hartlepool United 21
England Izale McLeod Milton Keynes Dons
2007–08 England Aaron McLean Peterborough United 29
2008–09 England Grant Holt Shrewsbury Town 20
England Jack Lester Chesterfield
2009–10 England Lee Hughes Notts County 30
2010–11 Jamaica Clayton Donaldson Crewe Alexandra 28
2011–12 England Izale McLeod Barnet 18
England Jack Midson AFC Wimbledon
2012–13 England Tom Pope Port Vale 31
2013–14 England Sam Winnall Scunthorpe United 23
2014–15 England Matt Tubbs Portsmouth 21
2015–16 England Matty Taylor Bristol Rovers 27
2016–17 England John Marquis Doncaster Rovers 26
2017–18 Scotland Marc McNulty Coventry City 25
England Billy Kee Accrington Stanley
2018-19 England James Norwood Tranmere Rovers 29

Broadcasting rights

Sky have broadcasting rights for EFL football league including League Two, Quest will show highlights in 2018–19.[4] In Spain, DAZN broadcasts live matches from League Two.

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ "The Football League - About Us - History - Timeline - TIMELINE". Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "Sky Bet League Two Clubs". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ Luton were deducted 30 points for financial irregularities
  4. ^ "Sky to stream midweek English Football League games after new £600m TV deal". BBC Sport. 12 September 2017.

External links