The English Football League Two is the third and lowest division of the English Football League (EFL) and the fourth-highest tier in the English football league system, after the Premier League, EFL Championship and the EFL League One, and above the English National League. It is contested by 24 professional clubs.
Introduced for the 2004–05 English football season as Football League Two, it is a rebrand of the former Football League Third Division.
As of the 2025–26 season, Newport County hold the longest tenure in this division following their promotion in the 2012–13 season. There are currently two former Premier League clubs competing in this division: Oldham Athletic (1992–94) and Swindon Town (1993–94).
The current League Two champions are Bromley.
Structure There are 24 clubs in the division. Each club plays each of the other clubs twice (once at home and once away) for a total of 46 matches per season 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.
The two teams that finish 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. 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 55% of club turnover.
Current members
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium Capacity Accrington Stanley Accrington Crown Ground 5,450 Barnet London The Hive Stadium 6,500 Bristol Rovers Bristol Memorial Stadium 12,500 Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Whaddon Road 7,066 Chesterfield Chesterfield SMH Group Stadium 10,504 Colchester United Colchester Colchester Community Stadium 10,105 Crawley Town Crawley Broadfield Stadium 5,996 Crewe Alexandra Crewe Gresty Road 10,153 Exeter City Exeter St James Park 8,219 Fleetwood Town Fleetwood Highbury Stadium 5,327 Gillingham Gillingham Priestfield Stadium 11,582 Grimsby Town Cleethorpes Blundell Park9,052 Newport County Newport Rodney Parade 7,850 Northampton Town Northampton Sixfields Stadium 8,203 Oldham Athletic Oldham Boundary Park 13,513 Port Vale Stoke-on-Trent Vale Park 16,800 Rochdale Rochdale Spotland Stadium 10,249 Rotherham United Rotherham New York Stadium 12,021 Salford City Salford Moor Lane5,108 Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury New Meadow 9,875 Swindon Town Swindon County Ground 15,728 Tranmere Rovers Birkenhead Prenton Park 16,789 Walsall Walsall Bescot Stadium 11,300 York City York York Community Stadium 8,500
Teams promoted from League Two
Season Champions Points Runners-up Points Third place Points Promoted via play-off League position Points2004–05Yeovil Town83Scunthorpe United80Swansea City80Southend United4th782005–06Carlisle United86Northampton Town83Leyton Orient81Cheltenham Town5th722006–07Walsall89Hartlepool United88Swindon Town85Bristol Rovers6th722007–08Milton Keynes Dons97Peterborough United92Hereford United88Stockport County4th822008–09Brentford85Exeter City79Wycombe Wanderers78Gillingham5th752009–10Notts County93Bournemouth83Rochdale82Dagenham & Redbridge7th722010–11Chesterfield86Bury81Wycombe Wanderers81Stevenage6th692011–12Swindon Town93Shrewsbury Town88Crawley Town84Crewe Alexandra7th722012–13Gillingham83Rotherham United79Port Vale78Bradford City7th692013–14Chesterfield 84Scunthorpe United81Rochdale81Fleetwood Town4th762014–15Burton Albion94Shrewsbury Town89Bury85Southend United5th842015–16Northampton Town99Oxford United86Bristol Rovers85AFC Wimbledon7th752016–17Portsmouth87Plymouth Argyle87Doncaster Rovers85Blackpool7th702017–18Accrington Stanley93Luton Town88Wycombe Wanderers84Coventry City6th752018–19Lincoln City85Bury79Milton Keynes Dons79Tranmere Rovers6th732019–20Swindon Town 88.32Crewe Alexandra85.56Plymouth Argyle84.64Northampton Town7th72.222020–21Cheltenham Town82Cambridge United80Bolton Wanderers79Morecambe4th782021–22Forest Green Rovers84Exeter City84Bristol Rovers80Port Vale5th782022–23Leyton Orient91Stevenage85Northampton Town83Carlisle United5th762023–24Stockport County92Wrexham88Mansfield Town86Crawley Town7th702024–25Doncaster Rovers84Port Vale80Bradford City78AFC Wimbledon5th732025–26Bromley87Milton Keynes Dons86Cambridge United82Notts County 5th80
Play-off results
SeasonSemi-final (1st leg)Semi-final (2nd leg)Final2004–05Lincoln City 1–0 Macclesfield TownNorthampton Town 0–0 Southend UnitedMacclesfield Town 1–1 Lincoln CitySouthend United 1–0 Northampton TownLincoln City 0–2 Southend United2005–06Lincoln City 0–1 Grimsby TownWycombe Wanderers 1–2 Cheltenham TownGrimsby Town 2–1 Lincoln CityCheltenham Town 0–0 Wycombe WanderersGrimsby Town 0–1 Cheltenham Town2006–07Bristol Rovers 2–1 Lincoln CityShrewsbury Town 0–0 Milton Keynes DonsLincoln City 3–5 Bristol RoversMilton Keynes Dons 1–2 Shrewsbury TownBristol Rovers 3–1 Shrewsbury Town2007–08Darlington 2–1 RochdaleWycombe Wanderers 1–1 Stockport CountyRochdale 2–1 DarlingtonStockport County 1–0 Wycombe WanderersRochdale 2–3 Stockport County2008–09Shrewsbury Town 0–1 BuryRochdale 0–0 GillinghamBury 0–1 Shrewsbury TownGillingham 2–1 RochdaleGillingham 1–0 Shrewsbury Town2009–10Dagenham & Redbridge 6–0 MorecambeAldershot Town 0–1 Rotherham UnitedMorecambe 2–1 Dagenham & RedbridgeRotherham United 2–0 Aldershot TownDagenham & Redbridge 3–2 Rotherham United2010–11Torquay United 2–0 Shrewsbury TownStevenage 2–0 Accrington StanleyShrewsbury Town 0–0 Torquay UnitedAccrington Stanley 0–1 StevenageStevenage 1–0 Torquay United2011–12Crewe Alexandra 1–0 Southend UnitedCheltenham Town 2–0 Torquay UnitedSouthend United 2–2 Crewe AlexandraTorquay United 1–2 Cheltenham TownCheltenham Town 0–2 Crewe Alexandra2012–13Bradford City 2–3 Burton AlbionNorthampton Town 1–0 Cheltenham TownBurton Albion 1–3 Bradford CityCheltenham Town 0–1 Northampton TownBradford City 3–0 Northampton Town2013–14Burton Albion 1–0 Southend UnitedYork City 0–1 Fleetwood TownSouthend United 2–2 Burton AlbionFleetwood Town 0–0 York CityBurton Albion 0–1 Fleetwood Town2014–15Stevenage 1–1 Southend UnitedPlymouth Argyle 2–3 Wycombe WanderersSouthend United 3–1 StevenageWycombe Wanderers 2–1 Plymouth ArgyleSouthend United 1–1 Wycombe Wanderers2015–16Portsmouth 2–2 Plymouth ArgyleAFC Wimbledon 1–0 Accrington StanleyPlymouth Argyle 1–0 PortsmouthAccrington Stanley 2–2 AFC WimbledonAFC Wimbledon 2–0 Plymouth Argyle2016–17Blackpool 3–2 Luton TownCarlisle United 3–3 Exeter CityLuton Town 3–3 BlackpoolExeter City 3–2 Carlisle UnitedBlackpool 2–1 Exeter City2017–18Lincoln City 0–0 Exeter CityCoventry City 1–1 Notts CountyExeter City 3–1 Lincoln CityNotts County 1–4 Coventry CityCoventry City 3–1 Exeter City2018–19Newport County 1–1 Mansfield TownTranmere Rovers 1–0 Forest Green RoversMansfield Town 0–0 Newport CountyForest Green Rovers 1–1 Tranmere RoversNewport County 0–1 Tranmere Rovers2019–20Colchester United 1–0 Exeter CityNorthampton Town 0–2 Cheltenham TownExeter City 3–1 Colchester UnitedCheltenham Town 0–3 Northampton Town Exeter City 0–4 Northampton Town2020–21Newport County 2–0 Forest Green RoversTranmere Rovers 1–2 MorecambeForest Green Rovers 4–3 Newport County Morecambe 1–1 Tranmere RoversMorecambe 1–0 Newport County2021–22Mansfield Town 2–1 Northampton TownSwindon Town 2–1 Port ValeNorthampton Town 0–1 Mansfield TownPort Vale 1–1 Swindon TownMansfield Town 0–3 Port Vale2022–23Salford City 1–0 Stockport CountyBradford City 1–0 Carlisle UnitedStockport County 2–1 Salford CityCarlisle United 3–1 Bradford CityStockport County 1–1 Carlisle United2023–24Crawley Town 3–0 Milton Keynes Dons Crewe Alexandra 0–2 Doncaster RoversMilton Keynes Dons 1–5 Crawley TownDoncaster Rovers 0–2 Crewe AlexandraCrawley Town 2–0 Crewe Alexandra2024–25Notts County 0–1 AFC WimbledonChesterfield 0–2 WalsallAFC Wimbledon 1–0 Notts CountyWalsall 2–1 ChesterfieldAFC Wimbledon 1–0 Walsall2025–26Grimsby Town 1–2 Salford CityChesterfield 0–1 Notts CountySalford City 2–2 Grimsby TownNotts County 0–0 ChesterfieldNotts County 3–0 Salford City
Relegated teams SeasonClubs2004–05Kidderminster Harriers, Cambridge United2005–06Oxford United, Rushden & Diamonds2006–07Boston United, Torquay United2007–08Mansfield Town, Wrexham2008–09Chester City, Luton TownLuton were deducted 30 points for financial irregularities2009–10Darlington, Grimsby Town2010–11Lincoln City, Stockport County2011–12Macclesfield Town, Hereford United2012–13Aldershot Town, Barnet2013–14Bristol Rovers, Torquay United2014–15Cheltenham Town, Tranmere Rovers2015–16York City, Dagenham & Redbridge2016–17Hartlepool United, Leyton Orient2017–18Barnet, Chesterfield2018–19Notts County, Yeovil Town, Bury2019–20Macclesfield Town, Bury2020–21Southend United, Grimsby Town2021–22Oldham Athletic, Scunthorpe United2022–23Hartlepool United, Rochdale2023–24Sutton United, Forest Green Rovers2024–25Carlisle United, Morecambe2025–26Harrogate Town, Barrow
Top scorers SeasonTop scorer(s)Club(s)Goals2004–05 Phil JevonsYeovil Town272005–06 Karl HawleyCarlisle United222006–07 Richie BarkerHartlepool United 21 Izale McLeodMilton Keynes Dons2007–08 Aaron McLeanPeterborough United292008–09 Grant HoltShrewsbury Town 20 Jack LesterChesterfield2009–10 Lee HughesNotts County302010–11 Clayton DonaldsonCrewe Alexandra282011–12 Adebayo Akinfenwa Northampton Town 18 Jack Midson AFC Wimbledon Izale McLeodBarnet Lewis GrabbanRotherham United2012–13 Tom PopePort Vale312013–14 Sam WinnallScunthorpe United232014–15 Matt Tubbs Portsmouth212015–16 Matty TaylorBristol Rovers272016–17 John AkindeBarnet 26 John MarquisDoncaster Rovers2017–18 Billy KeeAccrington Stanley252018–19 James NorwoodTranmere Rovers292019–20 Eoin DoyleBradford City, Swindon Town252020–21 Paul MullinCambridge United322021–22 Dom TelfordNewport County252022–23 Andy Cook Bradford City282023–24 Macaulay LangstaffNotts County282024–25 Michael CheekBromley252025–26 Aaron DrinanSwindon Town22
Attendances
As of June 2023, League Two is the most watched fourth-tier domestic sports league in the world, and the 14th most watched football league in Europe of any tier. The total number of spectators who watched a League Two game in the 2023–24 season was 3,458,968.
Since the restructuring into League Two in 2004, the average attendance across all seasons is 4,602. The highest average attendance was 6,274 in the 2023–24 season. The highest average attendance for an individual club was achieved in the 2022–23; 17,967 for Bradford City. The lowest average attendance was 3,856 in the 2009–10 season.