| English League (3rd tier) | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| England | |
| Founded | |
| 1920 | |
| Number of teams | |
| 24 (2021–22 season) | |
| Current champions | |
| Portsmouth (2023-24) | |
| Most successful club | |
| Plymouth Argyle (5 championships) |
A national third tier of English league football was established in 1958–59, as the Third Division. This followed on from the regional third tier that had been established in the south in 1920 and the north in 1921. In 1992, with the departure of the First Division clubs to become the Premier League, the third tier became known as the Second Division. Since 2004 it has been known as Football League One.
| Season | North | South | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Runner-up (not promoted) | Winner | Runner-up (not promoted) | ||
| 1921–22 | Stockport County | Darlington | Southampton | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 1922–23 | Nelson | Bradford Park Avenue | Bristol City | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 1923–24 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Rochdale | Portsmouth | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 1924–25 | Darlington | Nelson | Swansea City | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 1925–26 | Grimsby Town | Bradford Park Avenue | Reading | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 1926–27 | Stoke City | Rochdale | Bristol City (2) | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 1927–28 | Bradford Park Avenue | Lincoln City | Millwall | Northampton Town | |
| 1928–29 | Bradford City | Stockport County | Charlton Athletic | Crystal Palace | |
| 1929–30 | Port Vale | Stockport County | Plymouth Argyle | Brentford | |
| 1930–31 | Chesterfield | Lincoln City | Notts County | Crystal Palace | |
| 1931–32 | Lincoln City | Gateshead | Fulham | Reading | |
| 1932–33 | Hull City | Wrexham | Brentford | Exeter City | |
| 1933–34 | Barnsley | Norwich City | Coventry City | ||
| 1934–35 | Doncaster Rovers | Halifax Town | Charlton Athletic (2) | Reading | |
| 1935–36 | Chesterfield (2) | Chester City | Coventry City | Luton Town | |
| 1936–37 | Stockport County (2) | Lincoln City | Luton Town | Notts County | |
| 1937–38 | Tranmere Rovers | Doncaster Rovers | Millwall (2) | Bristol City | |
| 1938–39 | Barnsley (2) | Doncaster Rovers | Newport County | Crystal Palace | |
| 1939–40 to 1945–46 | League suspended due to World War II | ||||
| 1946–47 | Doncaster Rovers (2) | Rotherham United | Cardiff City | Queens Park Rangers | |
| 1947–48 | Lincoln City (2) | Rotherham United | Queens Park Rangers | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | |
| 1948–49 | Hull City (2) | Rotherham United | Swansea City (2) | Reading | |
| 1949–50 | Doncaster Rovers (3) | Gateshead | Notts County (2) | Northampton Town | |
| 1950–51 | Rotherham United | Mansfield Town | Nottingham Forest | Norwich City | |
| 1951–52 | Lincoln City (3) | Grimsby Town | Plymouth Argyle (2) | Reading | |
| 1952–53 | Oldham Athletic | Port Vale | Bristol Rovers | Millwall | |
| 1953–54 | Port Vale (2) | Barnsley | Ipswich Town | Brighton & Hove Albion | |
| 1954–55 | Barnsley (3) | Accrington Stanley | Bristol City (3) | Leyton Orient | |
| 1955–56 | Grimsby Town (2) | Derby County | Leyton Orient | Brighton Hove & Albion | |
| 1956–57 | Derby County | Hartlepool United | Ipswich Town (2) | Torquay United | |
| 1957–58 | Scunthorpe United | Accrington Stanley | Brighton & Hove Albion | Brentford | |
| Season | Winner | Runner Up | Playoff Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Stoke City (2) | Bolton Wanderers | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 1993–94 | Reading (3) | Port Vale | Burnley | |
| 1994–95 | Birmingham City | Brentford (not promoted) | Huddersfield Town | |
| 1995–96 | Swindon Town | Oxford United | Bradford City | |
| 1996–97 | Bury (2) | Stockport County | Crewe Alexandra | |
| 1997–98 | Watford (2) | Bristol City | Grimsby Town | |
| 1998–99 | Fulham (2) | Walsall | Manchester City | |
| 1999–2000 | Preston North End (2) | Burnley | Gillingham | |
| 2000–01 | Millwall (3) | Rotherham United | Walsall | |
| 2001–02 | Brighton & Hove Albion (2) | Reading | Stoke City | |
| 2002–03 | Wigan Athletic | Crewe Alexandra | Cardiff City | |
| 2003–04 | Plymouth Argyle (4) | Queens Park Rangers | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Clubs in bold are competing in the 2023–24 EFL League One.
| Rank | Club | Winners | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth Argyle | 5 | 1929–30 South, 1951–52 South, 1958–59, 2003–04, 2022–23 |
| 2 | Bristol City | 4 | 1922–23 South, 1926–27 South, 1954–55 South, 2014–15 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 4 | 1934–35 North, 1946–47 North, 1949–50 North, 2012–13 | |
| Hull City | 4 | 1932–33 North, 1948–49 North, 1965–66, 2020–21 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 4 | 2002–03, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2021–22 | |
| Portsmouth | 4 | 1923–24 South, 1961–62, 1982–83, 2023-24 | |
| 6 | Barnsley | 3 | 1933–34 North, 1938–39 North, 1954–55 North |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 | 1957–58 South, 2001–02, 2010–11 | |
| Charlton Athletic | 3 | 1928–29 South, 1934–35 South, 2011–12 | |
| Coventry City | 3 | 1935–36 South, 1963–64, 2019–20 | |
| Grimsby Town | 3 | 1925–26 North, 1955–56 North, 1979–80 | |
| Lincoln City | 3 | 1931–32 North, 1947–48 North, 1951–52 North | |
| Luton Town | 3 | 1936–37 South, 2004–05, 2018–19 | |
| Millwall | 3 | 1927–28 South, 1937–38 South, 2000–01 | |
| Reading | 3 | 1925–26 South, 1985–86, 1993–94 | |
| Swansea City | 3 | 1924–25 South, 1948–49 South, 2007–08 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3 | 1923–24 North, 1988–89, 2013–14 | |
| 18 | Bradford City | 2 | 1928–29 North, 1984–85 |
| Brentford | 2 | 1932–33 South, 1991–92 | |
| Bristol Rovers | 2 | 1952–53 South, 1989–90 | |
| Bury | 2 | 1960–61, 1996–97 | |
| Chesterfield | 2 | 1930–31 North, 1935–36 North | |
| Fulham | 2 | 1931–32 South, 1998–99 | |
| Ipswich Town | 2 | 1953–54 South, 1956–57 South | |
| Leyton Orient | 2 | 1955–56 South, 1969–70 | |
| Norwich City | 2 | 1933–34 South, 2009–10 | |
| Notts County | 2 | 1930–31 South, 1949–50 South | |
| Oldham Athletic | 2 | 1952–53 North, 1973–74 | |
| Oxford United | 2 | 1967–68, 1983–84 | |
| Port Vale | 2 | 1929–30 North, 1953–54 North | |
| Preston North End | 2 | 1970–71, 1999–2000 | |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2 | 1947–48 South, 1966–67 | |
| Rotherham United | 2 | 1950–51 North, 1980–81 | |
| Scunthorpe United | 2 | 1957–58 North, 2006–07 | |
| Southampton | 2 | 1921–22 South, 1959–60 | |
| Stockport County | 2 | 1921–22 North, 1936–37 North | |
| Stoke City | 2 | 1926–27 North, 1992–93 | |
| Watford | 2 | 1968–69, 1997–98 | |
| 39 | AFC Bournemouth | 1 | 1986–87 |
| Aston Villa | 1 | 1971–72 | |
| Birmingham City | 1 | 1994–95 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1974–75 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1 | 1972–73 | |
| Bradford Park Avenue | 1 | 1927–28 North | |
| Burnley | 1 | 1981–82 | |
| Cambridge United | 1 | 1990–91 | |
| Cardiff City | 1 | 1946–47 South | |
| Carlisle United | 1 | 1964–65 | |
| Crystal Palace | 1 | 1920–21 | |
| Darlington | 1 | 1924–25 North | |
| Derby County | 1 | 1956–57 North | |
| Hereford United | 1 | 1975–76 | |
| Leicester City | 1 | 2008–09 | |
| Mansfield Town | 1 | 1976–77 | |
| Nelson | 1 | 1922–23 North | |
| Newport County | 1 | 1938–39 South | |
| Northampton Town | 1 | 1962–63 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 1 | 1950–51 South | |
| Sheffield United | 1 | 2016–17 | |
| Shrewsbury Town | 1 | 1978–79 | |
| Southend United | 1 | 2005–06 | |
| Sunderland | 1 | 1987–88 | |
| Swindon Town | 1 | 1995–96 | |
| Tranmere Rovers | 1 | 1937–38 North | |
| Wrexham | 1 | 1977–78 |