Football League One

Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons) is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.

Football League One was introduced for the 2004–2005 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.

Structure

There are 24 clubs in Football League One. Each club plays every other club twice (once at home & 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 Coca-Cola League One matches with highlights on ITV1 in every region except the STV region in their programme called The Championship which also broadcast highlights of Coca-Cola Championship and Coca-Cola League Two.

The Virgin Media website streams League One highlights on the Sunday following the day's football.

Football League One clubs 2008–09

The following 24 clubs will compete in League One during the 2008–09 season.

Club	Finishing position last season
Brighton & Hove Albion	7th
Bristol Rovers	16th
Carlisle United	4th
Cheltenham Town	19th
Colchester United	24th in the Championship
Crewe Alexandra	20th
Hartlepool United	15th
Hereford United	3rd in League Two
Huddersfield Town	10th
Leeds United	5th
Leicester City	22nd in the Championship
Leyton Orient	14th
Millwall	17th
MK Dons	1st in League Two
Northampton Town	9th
Oldham Athletic	8th
Peterborough United	2nd in League Two
Scunthorpe United	23rd in the Championship
Southend United	6th
Stockport County	4th in League Two (play-off winner)
Swindon Town	13th
Tranmere Rovers	11th
Walsall	12th
Yeovil Town	18th

Winners of Football League One

Season	Winner	Runner-Up	Promoted Play-Off Winner
2004–05	Luton Town	Hull City	Sheffield Wednesday
2005–06	Southend United	Colchester United	Barnsley
2006–07	Scunthorpe United	Bristol City	Blackpool
2007–08	Swansea City	Nottingham Forest	Doncaster Rovers

For past winners at this level before 2004, see List of winners of English Football League One and predecessors.

Play-off results

Season	Semifinal (1st Leg)	Semifinal (2nd Leg)	Final
2004–05	Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Brentford Hartlepool United 2–0 Tranmere Rovers	Brentford 1–2 Sheffield Wednesday Tranmere Rovers 2–0 Hartlepool United (Hartlepool won 6–5 on penalties, AET)	Sheffield Wednesday 4–2 Hartlepool United AET
2005–06	Barnsley 0–1 Huddersfield Town Swansea City 1–1 Brentford	Huddersfield Town 1–3 Barnsley Brentford 0–2 Swansea City	Barnsley 2–2 Swansea City (Barnsley won 4–3 on penalties, AET)
2006–07	Yeovil Town 0–2 Nottingham Forest Oldham Athletic 1–2 Blackpool	Nottingham Forest 2–5 Yeovil Town AET Blackpool 3–1 Oldham Athletic	Blackpool 2–0 Yeovil Town
2007–08	Southend United 0-0 Doncaster Rovers Leeds United 1-2 Carlisle United	Doncaster Rovers 5-1 Southend United Carlisle United 0-2 Leeds United	Leeds United 0-1 Doncaster Rovers

Relegated teams

Season	Clubs
2004–05	Torquay United, Wrexham, Peterborough United, Stockport County
2005–06	Hartlepool United, Milton Keynes Dons, Swindon Town, Walsall
2006–07	Chesterfield, Bradford City, Rotherham United, Brentford
2007–08	Bournemouth, Gillingham, Port Vale, Luton Town

Top Scorers

Season	Top scorer	Club	Goals
2004–05	Stuart Elliott	Hull City	27
	Dean Windass	Bradford City
2005–06	Freddy Eastwood	Southend United	23
	Billy Sharp	Scunthorpe United
2006–07	Billy Sharp	Scunthorpe United	30
2007–08	Jason Scotland	Swansea City	24

Football League One stadia 2008–09

Home Club	Stadium Name	Capacity
Leeds United	Elland Road	40,242
Leicester City	Walkers Stadium	32,500
Huddersfield Town	Galpharm Stadium	24,500
MK Dons		22,000
Millwall	The New Den	20,146
Tranmere Rovers	Prenton Park	16,789
Carlisle United	Brunton Park1	16,651
Swindon Town	County Ground	15,728
Peterborough United	London Road Stadium1	15,314
Oldham Athletic	Boundary Park	13,624
Southend United	Roots Hall	12,392
Bristol Rovers	Memorial Stadium1	11,916
Walsall	Bescot Stadium	11,300
Stockport County	Edgeley Park	10,651
Crewe Alexandra	Alexandra Stadium	10,118
Colchester United	Colchester Community Stadium	10,000
Yeovil Town	Huish Park1	9,600
Leyton Orient	Brisbane Road	9,271
Scunthorpe United	Glanford Park1	9,088
Brighton & Hove Albion	Withdean Stadium2	8,850
Hartlepool United	Victoria Park1	7,691
Northampton Town	Sixfields Stadium	7,653
Hereford United	Edgar Street1	7,100
Cheltenham Town	Whaddon Road1	7,066

¹This ground contains terracing

²Not a football-specific ground

Notes and references

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)

External links

• Football League One official site
• Football League One clubs' locations