It’s a funny old league is League One. If you’re a club that can manage its resources and stay in control of its spending, it is entirely achievable to consistently finish comfortably in mid-table.
Sure, you will probably lose your best players to clubs with more resources, but that’s just how it goes. It’s likely that you then cherry-pick the best players from non-league or even League Two.
Sometimes, there are clubs that yo-yo between each division. They are too good for League Two and not good enough to stay in League One. In football, that’s just how it goes.
Teams relegated from the League One / Third Tier since 1992
| Season | Relegated Clubs (to fourth tier) |
|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Chester City#, Mansfield Town, Preston North End, Wigan Athletic |
| 1993–94 | Barnet#, Exeter City, Fulham, Hartlepool United |
| 1994–95 | Cambridge United, Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City, Chester City |
| 1995–96 | Swansea City, Brentford, Hull City, Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 1996–97 | Shrewsbury Town, Rotherham United, York City, Peterborough United |
| 1997–98 | Brentford, Plymouth Argyle, Carlisle United#, Southend United |
| 1998–99 | York City, Lincoln City#, Macclesfield Town#, Notts County |
| 1999–2000 | Scunthorpe United#, Bristol Rovers, Wrexham, Cardiff City |
| 2000–01 | Oxford United, Swansea City, Luton Town, Bristol Rovers |
| 2001–02 | Wrexham, Bury, Northampton Town, Cambridge United |
| 2002–03 | Huddersfield Town, Mansfield Town, Cheltenham Town#, Brentford |
| 2003–04 | Notts County, Wycombe Wanderers, Grimsby Town, Rushden & Diamonds# |
| 2004–05^ | Peterborough United, Stockport County, Wrexham, Torquay United# |
| 2005–06 | Milton Keynes Dons, Rotherham United, Swindon Town, Walsall |
| 2006–07 | Chesterfield, Bradford City, Rotherham United, Brentford |
| 2007–08 | Luton Town, Bournemouth#, Gillingham, Port Vale |
| 2008–09 | Northampton Town, Crewe Alexandra, Cheltenham Town, Hereford United# |
| 2009–10 | Gillingham#, Wycombe Wanderers#, Southend United, Stockport County |
| 2010–11 | Bristol Rovers, Dagenham & Redbridge#, Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town |
| 2011–12 | Wycombe Wanderers#, Chesterfield#, Exeter City, Rochdale |
| 2012–13 | Scunthorpe United, Bury, Hartlepool United, Portsmouth |
| 2013–14 | Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United, Shrewsbury Town, Stevenage |
| 2014–15 | Notts County, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient, Yeovil Town |
| 2015–16 | Doncaster Rovers, Blackpool, Colchester United, Crewe Alexandra |
| 2016–17 | Port Vale, Swindon Town, Coventry City, Chesterfield |
| 2017–18 | Oldham Athletic, Northampton Town, Bury, Milton Keynes Dons |
| 2018–19 | Plymouth Argyle, Scunthorpe United, Walsall, Bradford City |
| 2019–20 | Tranmere Rovers#, Southend United, Bolton Wanderers |
| 2020–21 | Rochdale, Northampton Town#, Swindon Town#, Bristol Rovers |
| 2021–22 | AFC Wimbledon, Doncaster Rovers, Crewe Alexandra, Gillingham |
| 2022–23 | Morecambe, Accrington Stanley, Milton Keynes Dons, Forest Green Rovers# |
| 2023–24 | Cheltenham Town, Fleetwood Town, Port Vale, Carlisle United# |
| 2024–25 | Charlton Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers, Shrewsbury Town, Crawley Town# |
Teams marked with # were relegated in the season immediately after promotion.
^ Denotes the start of the League One era, formerly the third division.
There have, as you can see, a number of iconic clubs that have been relegated to the third tier of English football since 1992, while some have even dropped further and spent years in non-league football, such as York City.
Of course, there are also clubs that have appeared in the Premier League, such as Swindon Town, Oldham Athletic and Chartlon Athletic, that have then dropped into the third tier.
Meanwhile, clubs such as Swansea City, Cardiff City, Brighton and Huddersfield Town have gone the other way – first being relegated and then enjoying a rise into the top flight over a number of years.
Certainly, one club in this list jumps out that if you are of a certain age, you would probably remember watching Final Score, hearing their result being read out – that is of course, Rushden & Diamonds. A club that was since relegated and then even expelled from the Conference in June 2011.
Clubs Relegated More Than Once (1992-93 to 2024–25)
| Club | Times Relegated | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Argyle | 4 | 1994–95, 1997–98, 2010–11, 2018–19 |
| Northampton Town | 4 | 2001–02, 2008–09, 2017–18, 2020–21# |
| Bristol Rovers | 4 | 2000–01, 2010–11, 2020–21, 2024–25 |
| Scunthorpe United | 3 | 1999–2000#, 2012–13, 2018–19 |
| Wycombe Wanderers | 3 | 2003–04, 2009–10#, 2011–12# |
| Brentford | 3 | 1992–93, 1997–98, 2006–07 |
| Carlisle United | 3 | 1997–98#, 2013–14, 2023–24# |
| Rotherham United | 3 | 1996–97, 2005–06, 2006–07 |
| Swindon Town | 3 | 2005–06, 2010–11, 2020–21# |
| Chesterfield | 3 | 2006–07, 2011–12#, 2016–17 |
| Gillingham | 3 | 2007–08, 2009–10#, 2021–22 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 3 | 2005–06, 2015–16, 2021–22 |
| Hartlepool United | 2 | 1993–94, 2012–13 |
| Notts County | 2 | 1997–98, 2003–04 |
| York City | 2 | 1998–99, 2003–04 |
| Southend United | 2 | 1997–98, 2009–10 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 2 | 1996–97, 2013–14 |
| Cheltenham Town | 2 | 2002–03#, 2023–24 |
| Oldham Athletic | 2 | 1996–97, 2017–18 |
| Stockport County | 2 | 2004–05, 2009–10 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 2 | 2015–16, 2021–22 |
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2 | 2017–18, 2022–23 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 2 | 2013–14, 2019–20# |
| Port Vale | 2 | 2016–17, 2023–24 |
| Crawley Town | 2 | 2014–15, 2024–25# |
There have been a number of clubs relegated from League One on more than one occasion since 1992. Tied on four times are Plymouth Argyle, Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers, while, tied on two are South Yorkshire duo, Scunthorpe United and Rotherham United; three clubs that, over the years earned a reputation for bouncing between the divisions.
Of course, others have been relegated on three occasions over the decades; notably Brentford, who then made it all the way up to the Premier League where they became an established top-flight side. Notts County, York CIty and Doncaster Rovers are among those who have been relegated twice.
Longest Continuous Stays in the Third Tier (1992–93 to 2024–25)
| Club | Seasons | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walsall | 12 | 2007–08 to 2018–19 | Relegated in 2019 after more than a decade at this level. |
| Colchester United | 8 | 1998–99 to 2005–06 | Finally promoted in 2006 after eight steady years. |
| Milton Keynes Dons | 8 | 2008–09 to 2015–16 | Eight straight years in League One before promotion in 2015. |
| Port Vale | 6 | 1994–95 to 1999–2000 | A strong mid-90s run at this level, ended in 2000. |
| Gillingham | 5 | 2013–14 to 2017–18 | Consistent League One side for five years before relegation. |
| Rochdale | 7 | 2014–15 to 2020–21 | Seven consecutive League One campaigns before relegation. |
| Shrewsbury Town | 9 (ongoing) | 2016–17 to 2024–25 | Currently the longest active League One stay (9 seasons). |
| Bristol Rovers | 6 | 1995–96 to 2000–01 | Long mid-90s spell in the third tier before relegation. |
As we alluded to, League One can become somewhat of a ‘comfort zone’ for many clubs and this has certainly been the case. Between 2007/08 and 2018/19, Walsall spent 12 seasons playing League One football; on occasion, threatening to get promoted and having the odd struggle, though, more often than not, being perennial mid-table finishers. However, a lack of progress then saw them relegated.
Colchester United were promoted to the Championship in 2006 after eight years at this level, while Rochdale were relegated in 2021 after seven years in the third tier.
League One Relegation Records & Trivia
There are some interesting bits of trivia about League One relegation. Perhaps, most notably, is clubs that have made immediate returns. These include Torquay United (2004/05), Gillingham (2009/10) and Chesterfield (2011/12), among others.
- Most relegations in the period: Bristol Rovers, Northampton Town & Bristol Rovers – 4 each.
- Highest points while still relegated (League One era): Example season-highs include 50+ pts drops (e.g., Gillingham 50 in 2009–10; Hartlepool 50 in 2005–06).
- Immediate return down after promotion (#): Notable one-season stays include Torquay United (2004–05), Hereford United (2008–09), Gillingham (2009–10), Wycombe Wanderers (2009–10 & 2011–12), Dagenham & Redbridge (2010–11), Chesterfield (2011–12), Forest Green Rovers (2022–23), Carlisle United (2023–24), Crawley Town (2024–25).
- Points deductions affecting relegation: Several seasons featured administration-related deductions among strugglers (e.g., 2008–09 Luton at −30; 2009–10 Stockport −10), often shaping the bottom four.