English League (4th tier)
Football League Fourth Division (1958–1992)
Football League Third Division (1992–2004)
Football League Two (2004–2016)
EFL League Two (2016–present)
Country
England
England
Founded
1958
Number of teams
24 (2022–23 season)
Current champions
Leyton Orient (2022–23)
Most successful club
Chesterfield
(4 championships)

A national fourth tier of English league football was established in 1958–59, as the Fourth Division. It was formed from the merger of the Third Division North and the Third Division South. In 1992, with the departure of the First Division clubs to become the Premier League, the fourth tier became known as the Third Division. Since 2004 it has been known as Football League Two.

Football League Fourth Division (1958–1992)

Season Winner Runner-up Also promoted Play-off winner
1958–59 Port Vale Coventry City York City, Shrewsbury Town
1959–60 Walsall Notts County Torquay United, Watford
1960–61 Peterborough United Crystal Palace Northampton Town, Bradford
1961–62 Millwall Colchester United Wrexham, Carlisle United
1962–63 Brentford Oldham Athletic Crewe Alexandra, Mansfield Town
1963–64 Gillingham Carlisle United Workington, Exeter City
1964–65 Brighton & Hove Albion Millwall York City, Oxford United
1965–66 Doncaster Rovers Darlington Torquay United, Colchester United
1966–67 Stockport County Southport Barrow, Tranmere Rovers
1967–68 Luton Town Barnsley Hartlepools United, Crewe Alexandra
1968–69 Doncaster Rovers (2) Halifax Town Rochdale, Bradford City
1969–70 Chesterfield Wrexham Swansea City, Port Vale
1970–71 Notts County Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic Oldham Athletic, York City
1971–72 Grimsby Town Southend United Brentford, Scunthorpe United
1972–73 Southport Hereford United Cambridge United, Aldershot
1973–74 Peterborough United (2) Gillingham Colchester United, Bury
1974–75 Mansfield Town Shrewsbury Town Rotherham United, Chester City
1975–76 Lincoln City Northampton Town Reading, Tranmere Rovers
1976–77 Cambridge United Exeter City Colchester United, Bradford City
1977–78 Watford Southend United Swansea City, Brentford
1978–79 Reading Grimsby Town Wimbledon, Barnsley
1979–80 Huddersfield Town Walsall Newport County, Portsmouth
1980–81 Southend United Lincoln City Doncaster Rovers, Wimbledon
1981–82 Sheffield United Bradford City Wigan Athletic, AFC Bournemouth
1982–83 Wimbledon Hull City Port Vale, Scunthorpe United
1983–84 York City Doncaster Rovers Reading, Bristol City
1984–85 Chesterfield (2) Blackpool Darlington, Bury
1985–86 Swindon Town Chester City Mansfield Town, Port Vale
1986–87 Northampton Town Preston North End Southend United Aldershot
1987–88 Wolverhampton Wanderers Cardiff City Bolton Wanderers Swansea City
1988–89 Rotherham United Tranmere Rovers Crewe Alexandra Leyton Orient
1989–90 Exeter City Grimsby Town Southend United Cambridge United
1990–91 Darlington Stockport County Hartlepool United, Peterborough United Torquay United
1991–92 Burnley Rotherham United Mansfield Town Blackpool

Football League Third Division (1992–2004)

Season Winner Runner-up 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 (2) Macclesfield Town Lincoln City Colchester United
1998–99 Brentford (2) Cambridge United Cardiff City Scunthorpe United
1999–2000 Swansea City Rotherham United Northampton Town Peterborough United
2000–01 Brighton & Hove Albion (2) 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 (3) Hull City Torquay United Huddersfield Town

Football League Two/EFL League Two (2004 onwards)

Season Winner Runner-up Also promoted Play-off winner
2004–05 Yeovil Town Scunthorpe United Swansea City Southend United
2005–06 Carlisle United (2) Northampton Town Leyton Orient Cheltenham Town
2006–07 Walsall (2) Hartlepool United Swindon Town Bristol Rovers
2007–08 Milton Keynes Dons Peterborough United Hereford United Stockport County
2008–09 Brentford (3) Exeter City Wycombe Wanderers Gillingham
2009–10 Notts County (3) Bournemouth Rochdale Dagenham & Redbridge
2010–11 Chesterfield (3) Bury Wycombe Wanderers Stevenage
2011–12 Swindon Town (2) Shrewsbury Town Crawley Town Crewe Alexandra
2012–13 Gillingham (2) Rotherham United Port Vale Bradford City
2013–14 Chesterfield (4) Scunthorpe United Rochdale Fleetwood Town
2014–15 Burton Albion Shrewsbury Town Bury Southend United
2015–16 Northampton Town (2) 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 (2) Bury Milton Keynes Dons Tranmere Rovers
2019–20 Swindon Town (3) 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

Number of titles overall

Clubs in bold are competing in the 2023–24 EFL League Two.

Rank Club Winners Winning seasons
1 Chesterfield 4 1969–70, 1984–85, 2010–11, 2013–14
2 Brentford 3 1962–63, 1998–99, 2008–09
Doncaster Rovers 3 1965–66, 1968–69, 2003–04
Notts County 3 1970–71, 1997–98, 2009–10
Swindon Town 3 1985–86, 2011–12, 2019–20
6 Brighton & Hove Albion 2 1964–65, 2000–01
Carlisle United 2 1994–95, 2005–06
Gillingham 2 1963–64, 2012–13
Lincoln City 2 1975–76, 2018–19
Northampton Town 2 1986–87, 2015–16
Peterborough United 2 1960–61, 1973–74
Walsall 2 1959–60, 2006–07
13 Accrington Stanley 1 2017–18
Burnley 1 1991–92
Burton Albion 1 2014–15
Cambridge United 1 1976–77
Cardiff City 1 1992–93
Cheltenham Town 1 2020–21
Darlington 1 1990–91
Exeter City 1 1989–90
Forest Green Rovers 1 2021–22
Grimsby Town 1 1971–72
Huddersfield Town 1 1979–80
Leyton Orient 1 2022–23
Luton Town 1 1967–68
Mansfield Town 1 1974–75
Millwall 1 1961–62
Milton Keynes Dons 1 2007–08
Plymouth Argyle 1 2001–02
Port Vale 1 1958–59
Portsmouth 1 2016–17
Preston North End 1 1995–96
Reading 1 1978–79
Rotherham United 1 1988–89
Rushden & Diamonds 1 2002–03
Sheffield United 1 1981–82
Shrewsbury Town 1 1993–94
Southend United 1 1980–81
Southport 1 1972–73
Stockport County 1 1966–67
Swansea City 1 1999–2000
Watford 1 1977–78
Wigan Athletic 1 1996–97
Wimbledon 1 1982–83
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 1987–88
Yeovil Town 1 2004–05
York City 1 1983–84

References

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