A league whereby if you attend certain grounds, depending on where you are in the country you’re bound to hear the odd proclamation of “ah, now that’s proppa football”, from some ‘old-timer’ – maybe after a particularly rough tackle, gone unnoticed due to lack of technology, or a flick-on from a long ball to an older ‘target man’ up front for his younger strike-partner to run onto.
This is League Two and for many fans around the country, it is what they are used to week-in, week-out. Occasionally, they might land that elusive ‘glamour tie’ in the FA Cup against a top Premier League side at home. An opportunity for crowds to see superstars, a potential giant killing and more importantly, enough money to keep the club running for some time or pay off any creditors.
League Two has even had a couple of clubs who have gone on to more or less establish themselves as a notable Premier League club, indeed, Fulham being one of those having been promoted way back in 1996/97 as a runner-up.
League Two Promotions By Year
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Third place (also promoted) | Play-off winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Cardiff City | Wrexham | Barnet | York City |
| 1993–94 | Shrewsbury Town | Chester City | Crewe Alexandra | Wycombe Wanderers |
| 1994–95 | Carlisle United | Walsall | — | Chesterfield |
| 1995–96 | Preston North End | Gillingham | Bury | Plymouth Argyle# |
| 1996–97 | Wigan Athletic | Fulham# | Carlisle United# | Northampton Town |
| 1997–98 | Notts County | Macclesfield Town# | Lincoln City | Colchester United# |
| 1998–99 | Brentford | Cambridge United | Cardiff City# | Scunthorpe United |
| 1999–2000 | Swansea City | Rotherham United | Northampton Town# | Peterborough United |
| 2000–01 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Cardiff City | Chesterfield# | Blackpool# |
| 2001–02 | Plymouth Argyle | Luton Town# | Mansfield Town | Cheltenham Town |
| 2002–03 | Rushden & Diamonds | Hartlepool United | Wrexham | AFC Bournemouth# |
| 2003–04 | Doncaster Rovers# | Hull City | Torquay United | Huddersfield Town# |
| 2004–05 | Yeovil Town | Scunthorpe United | Swansea City | Southend United |
| 2005–06 | Carlisle United# | Northampton Town | Leyton Orient | Cheltenham Town |
| 2006–07 | Walsall# | Hartlepool United# | Swindon Town# | Bristol Rovers |
| 2007–08 | Milton Keynes Dons | Peterborough United | Hereford United | Stockport County |
| 2008–09 | Brentford | Exeter City | Wycombe Wanderers | Gillingham# |
| 2009–10 | Notts County | Bournemouth# | Rochdale | Dagenham & Redbridge |
| 2010–11 | Chesterfield | Bury | Wycombe Wanderers# | Stevenage |
| 2011–12 | Swindon Town# | Shrewsbury Town | Crawley Town | Crewe Alexandra# |
| 2012–13 | Gillingham | Rotherham United# | Port Vale | Bradford City |
| 2013–14 | Chesterfield | Scunthorpe United# | Rochdale | Fleetwood Town |
| 2014–15 | Burton Albion | Shrewsbury Town# | Bury | Southend United |
| 2015–16 | Northampton Town | Oxford United | Bristol Rovers# | AFC Wimbledon |
| 2016–17 | Portsmouth | Plymouth Argyle# | Doncaster Rovers# | Blackpool# |
| 2017–18 | Accrington Stanley | Luton Town | Wycombe Wanderers | Coventry City# |
| 2018–19 | Lincoln City | Bury | Milton Keynes Dons# | Tranmere Rovers# |
| 2019–20 | Swindon Town | Crewe Alexandra | Plymouth Argyle | Northampton Town# |
| 2020–21 | Cheltenham Town | Cambridge United | Bolton Wanderers# | Morecambe |
| 2021–22 | Forest Green Rovers | Exeter City# | Bristol Rovers | Port Vale |
| 2022–23 | Leyton Orient | Stevenage# | Northampton Town | Carlisle United |
| 2023–24 | Stockport County | Wrexham | Mansfield Town | Crawley Town |
| 2024–25 | Doncaster Rovers | Port Vale# | Bradford City | AFC Wimbledon# |
# Denotes a club that returned to the Championship immediately after relegation.
Over the years, there have been multiple teams that have been promoted from League Two on more than one occasion, notably, Wycombe Wanderers, Carlisle United, Northampton Town and Plymouth Argyle – all of whom have four promotions to their name.
There are a handful of clubs who have been promoted on three occasions, including Doncaster Rovers, Chesterfield, Swindon Town (one of the inaugural Premier League sides) and Bristol Rovers, who have seen rivals Bristol City perform at least one league higher than them for years.
Quite a few clubs have been promoted twice, including Bradford City, Scunthorpe United appear to go up and down through the divisions, while Colchester United and Port Vale (who play in Stoke City’s shadow) are two others.
Clubs Promoted to League One More Than Once (1992–93 to 2024–25)
| Club | Number of Promotions | Seasons Promoted |
|---|---|---|
| Wycombe Wanderers | 4 | 1993–94, 2008–09, 2010–11#, 2017–18 |
| Carlisle United | 4 | 1994–95, 1996–97#, 2005–06#, 2022–23 |
| Northampton Town | 4 | 1999–2000#, 2005–06, 2015–16, 2019–20# |
| Plymouth Argyle | 4 | 1995–96#, 2001–02, 2016–17#, 2019–20 |
| Chesterfield | 3 | 1994–95, 2000–01#, 2013–14 |
| Swindon Town | 3 | 2006–07#, 2011–12#, 2019–20 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 3 | 2003–04#, 2016–17#, 2024–25 |
| Bristol Rovers | 3 | 2006–07, 2015–16#, 2021–22 |
| Exeter City | 3 | 2008–09, 2021–22#, 2022–23 |
| Gillingham | 3 | 1995–96, 2008–09#, 2012–13 |
| Blackpool | 2 | 2000–01#, 2016–17# |
| Luton Town | 2 | 2001–02#, 2017–18 |
| Colchester United | 2 | 1997–98#, 2005–06 |
| Scunthorpe United | 2 | 1998–99, 2013–14# |
| Crawley Town | 2 | 2011–12, 2023–24 |
| Port Vale | 2 | 2021–22, 2024–25# |
| AFC Wimbledon | 2 | 2015–16, 2024–25# |
| Huddersfield Town | 2 | 2003–04#, 2011–12 (League One→Champ, not counted here) |
| Crewe Alexandra | 2 | 1993–94, 2011–12# |
| Bradford City | 2 | 2012–13, 2024–25 |
Promotion Records & Trivia (League Two to League One, 1992–93 to 2024–25)
There has been some interesting trivia about League Two and quite a few statistics that stand out. As such, 25 clubs have achieved an immediate return back to League One over the years, most notably Blackpool (once of the Premier League) in 2016/17 and Port Vale in 2024/25. Meanwhile, the stat that seemingly sticks out the most is the longest time spent in the division.
Bradford City essentially became an established League Two side for 11 years – between 2012/13 and 2024/25 – quite a period for a club that was once a notable Premier League side.
- Most Promotions: Wycombe Wanderers, Carlisle United, Northampton Town, and Plymouth Argyle (4 each).
- Immediate Returns: 25 clubs achieved promotion straight back to League One the season after relegation, including Fulham (1996–97), Walsall (2006–07), Blackpool (2016–17), and Port Vale (2024–25).
- Back-to-back promotions: Doncaster Rovers (2003–04 and 2004–05 to Championship), Exeter City (2008–09 and 2009–10 to League One, then to Championship later), Wycombe Wanderers (1993–94 to League One then stabilised).
- Longest gap between promotions: Bradford City (11 years – 2012–13 to 2024–25).
- Notable debut promotions: Forest Green Rovers won League Two in 2021–22, their first ever promotion to League One.
- Fastest rise: AFC Wimbledon (non-league 2002 → League One by 2016, promoted again 2024–25).