Football League One
| Country |
 England |
|---|---|
| Founded |
2004 1992–2004 (as Division Two) 1958–1992 (as Division Three) 1921–1958 (as Division Three North/South) 1920–1921 (as Division Three) |
| Number of teams | 24 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Championship |
| Relegation to | League Two |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
| League cup(s) |
Football League Cup Football League Trophy |
| International cup(s) | Europa League (via domestic cups or league cups) |
| Current champions |
Bristol City (2014–15 Football League One) |
| TV partners |
Sky Sports Channel 5 (Highlights Only) |
| Website |
football-league |
 2015–16 Football League One | |
League One (sometimes referred to as Sky Bet League 1 for sponsorship reasons) is the second-highest division of The Football League and the third tier in the English football league system.
League One was introduced for the 2004–05 season. It was previously known as the Football League Second Division and prior to the advent of the Premier League, the Football League Third Division.
At present (2015–16 season), Oldham Athletic hold the longest tenure in League One, last being out of the division in the 1996–97 season when they were relegated from the Championship. There are currently eight former Premier League clubs competing in the League One, namely Barnsley, Blackpool, Bradford City, Coventry City, Oldham Athletic, Sheffield United, Swindon Town, Wigan Athletic, and as of the 2016/2017 season, Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic following their 2016 relegation.
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 Football League 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 Football League One are relegated to Football League Two and are replaced by the top three clubs and the club that won the 4th–7th place play-offs in that division.
Media coverage
Sky Sports currently show live League One matches with highlights shown on Channel 5 on their programme called Football League Tonight, which also broadcasts highlights of Football League Championship and Football League Two matches. The show is available on the red button the following Sunday until midday and is available on iPlayer all the following week. Highlights of all games in the Football League are also available to view separately on the Sky Sports website. In Sweden, TV4 Sport has the rights of broadcasting from the league. A couple of league matches during the season of 09/10 including play-off matches and the play-off final to the Championship were shown. In Australia, Setanta Sports Australia broadcasts live Championship matches. In the USA and surrounding countries including Cuba, some Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two games are shown on beIN Sport.
Clubs 2015–16
The following 24 clubs are competing in League One during the 2015–16 season.
| Club | Finishing position last season |
|---|---|
| Barnsley | 11th |
| Blackpool | 24th (relegated from Championship) |
| Bradford City | 7th |
| Burton Albion | 1st (promoted from League Two) |
| Bury | 3rd (promoted from League Two) |
| Chesterfield | 6th |
| Colchester United | 19th |
| Coventry City | 17th |
| Crewe Alexandra | 20th |
| Doncaster Rovers | 13th |
| Fleetwood Town | 10th |
| Gillingham | 12th |
| Millwall | 22nd (relegated from Championship) |
| Oldham Athletic | 15th |
| Peterborough United | 9th |
| Port Vale | 18th |
| Rochdale | 8th |
| Scunthorpe United | 16th |
| Sheffield United | 5th |
| Shrewsbury Town | 2nd (promoted from League Two) |
| Southend United | 5th (promoted via League Two Play-offs) |
| Swindon Town | 4th |
| Walsall | 14th |
| Wigan Athletic | 23rd (relegated from Championship) |
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
Top scorers
Stadiums 2015–16
| Home Club | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield United | Bramall Lane | 32,702 |
| Coventry City | Ricoh Arena | 32,609 |
| Wigan Athletic | DW Stadium | 25,138 |
| Bradford City | Coral Windows Stadium | 25,136 |
| Barnsley | Oakwell | 23,009 |
| Millwall | The New Den | 20,146 |
| Port Vale | Vale Park | 19,052 |
| Blackpool | Bloomfield Road | 17,338 |
| Swindon Town | County Ground | 15,730 |
| Doncaster Rovers | Keepmoat Stadium | 15,231 |
| Peterborough United | ABAX Stadium1 | 14,989 |
| Southend United | Roots Hall | 12,392 |
| Bury | JD Stadium | 11,840 |
| Gillingham | Priestfield Stadium | 11,588 |
| Walsall | Bescot Stadium | 11,300 |
| Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | 13,500 |
| Chesterfield | Proact Stadium | 10,504 |
| Rochdale | Spotland1 | 10,249 |
| Crewe Alexandra | Alexandra Stadium | 10,153 |
| Colchester United | Colchester Community Stadium | 10,105 |
| Shrewsbury Town | New Meadow | 9,875 |
| Scunthorpe United | Glanford Park1 | 9,088 |
| Burton Albion | Pirelli Stadium1 | 6,912 |
| Fleetwood Town | Highbury Stadium1 | 5,327 |
1This ground contains terracing
Financial Fair Play
Starting from the 2012–13 season, a Financial Fair Play arrangement has been in place in all 3 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. [1]
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)
References
External links
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