AUTHOR: Star Sports Content
STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW: League One 2025/26 – 1-24 Predictions
ALL KICKING OFF: The 2025/26 campaign is nearly upon us and sure to be another brilliant season!
As part of our ‘ALL KICKING OFF’ campaign ahead of the new season, our EFL expert JOE CITRONE has put together his in-depth preview for the new League One campaign, complete with 1-24 predictions and ante-post betting tips to help you get ahead before the opening weekend.
1st-2nd place – 🏆 Automatic promotion to the Championship
3rd-6th place – 🔁 Qualification for the Play-Offs
21st-24th place – ⬇️ Relegation to League Two
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1. Huddersfield Town
In recent years, many exciting, young coaches have been able to achieve success in League One with John Mousinho guiding Portsmouth to the title a little over a year ago, and Chris Davies leading Birmingham City to the same feat last season, both in their first managerial roles.
In Lee Grant, I think Huddersfield may have unearthed the next rookie coach to make a big splash in the third-tier next season, and that’s why I have Huddersfield going up as champions.
Owner Kevin Nagle, whose ambition has never been in doubt since taking over the club, even if his decision-making has left a little to be desired at times, has thrown plenty of cash at a squad rebuild this summer with the Terries making a number of eye-catching signings like Alfie May, Marcus Harness, Sean Roughan, Ryan Ledson, Marcus McGuane and many, many more.
Those who spend the most don’t always yield the most success, but in the case of Huddersfield this season, I think they’ll be too strong for most.
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2. Luton Town
Luton Town did the unthinkable by suffering their second successive relegation last season, and now will be looking to get moving in the right direction again under the stewardship of Matt Bloomfield.
Although a few of their bigger-name players have departed as expected following relegation, with Theo Aasgard moving to Rangers and Carlton Morris joining Derby County for example, the core of their squad still looks a cut above League One level.
On top of that, they have made some smart additions to their squad, with Nakhi Wells likely to be a threat in front of goal at this level, Gideon Kodua an exciting loan signing, and Josh Keeley adding some stability between the sticks.
I have Luton in second-place.
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3. Stockport County
Stockport County were so close to another promotion under Dave Challinor last season, but fell short in the play-offs; coming unstuck to Leyton Orient in the semi-finals on penalty kicks.
With that experience of last season under their belt, and a couple of key additions coming through the door this summer, I strongly suspect that Challinor’s side will be a serious promotion contender once more.
Malik Mothersille, who comes in for an undisclosed fee from Peterborough United, is their most eye-catching arrival, with many assuming the talented young forward would be Championship-bound.
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4. Blackpool
The appointment of Steve Bruce last season raised a few eyebrows, but he silenced the doubters by turning Blackpool from mid-table no-hopers into play-off contenders.
Unfortunately for the Seasiders, they fell short of a top-six position last term, but with a pre-season and a transfer window to shape his squad into the way he wants, I am backing Bruce to lead them into the play-offs this time around.
Although the loss of Rob Apter to Charlton Athletic will have come as an unexpected blow, they still have some strong options, with Niall Ennis – who enjoyed a prolific loan spell in Lancashire last season – coming back on a permanent deal is a welcome boost.
Whether they can go all the way and return to the Championship, I am not sure yet, but I’d certainly back them for a top-six finish.
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5. Reading
The agony of the Dai Yongge era has finally now come to an end for Reading, who are now under the ownership of former Wycombe Wanderers chief Rob Couhig, and can finally look forward to a season where the focus is just on the football rather than off-field matters.
Considering they were able to compete last season, only narrowly missing out on a play-off spot, with all their ownership issues still rumbling on, they should go very well now that those shackles have finally been released.
The signings of Paudie O’Connor, Matty Jacob, Finley Burns and Mark O’Mahony look like solid additions to an already strong, young core. I think they could have a really strong push towards promotion this season.
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6. Leyton Orient
It was heartbreaking end to a brilliant season for Leyton Orient as they fell at the final hurdle in the play-offs to Charlton Athletic at Wembley Stadium.
Despite the disappointing end, it represented an enormous season of progress for the O’s, who were not really in the conversation for promotion at the start of the season, but ended up just one game away from the Championship.
And, although the loss of Ethan Galbraith to Swansea and the return of top goalscorer Charlie Kelman to QPR will have been frustrating, I’ve been impressed with their replacements and think they could push for promotion again.
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7. Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe’s promotion push rather fell apart last season after manager Matt Bloomfield left for Luton and was replaced by Mike Dodds, but they should have enough to be amongst the chasing pack again this season.
The addition of Taylor Allen, a versatile player who can slot into either defence or midfield and was superb last season for Walsall, is a very smart piece of business, and Armando Quitirna should inject some pace and trickery into the final-third.
Also, as things stand, star striker Richard Kone is still at the club despite reported interest from higher league clubs in England and elsewhere in Europe.
The one lingering doubt I have is over the manager Dodds, who failed to impress after taking over from Bloomfield last term, which is why I have them just missing out on the play-offs.
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8. Wigan Athletic
With ex-Plymouth and Preston boss Ryan Lowe at the helm at the DW Stadium, I am backing Wigan Athletic to kick on massively from a very disappointing 2024/25 season, where the Latics finished 15th in League One.
Wigan are clearly going in a different direction with the appointment of Lowe after the inexperienced Shaun Maloney failed to deliver the goods as boss, and was ultimately sacked March after a run of just one win in seven games.
In Lowe, they have someone who has far more experience under his belt than Maloney, and knows exactly what is required to win a promotion and get a team competing towards the top-end of League One; knowledge acquired from experiences with Bury and Plymouth Argyle.
He has taken a good amount of time away from football after his departure from Championship side Preston North End, but is coming back into the fold hungry for success and to get himself – and Wigan – back into the second-tier.
Such is the competition in League One this season, I have them missing out on the top-six by a couple of places, but I still expect the Latics to be a force.
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9. Bolton Wanderers
Honestly, I expected to have Bolton Wanderers higher than this when they drafted in Steven Schumacher as their new coach in late January.
However, as an outsider, I have been pretty frustrated by the lack of activity that Bolton have been able to do this summer in comparison to their competitors, and therefore can’t see them building on what was a pretty flat 2024/25 season for the Wanderers.
Don’t get me wrong, they still have some good players and still have a good manager, but their signings so far, coupled with the significant departures of Aaron Collins and George Thomason, aren’t making me massively optimistic about their prospects of getting back into the Championship.
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10. Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle have made a smart, exciting move to appoint Tom Cleverley as their new manager, replacing the departing Miron Muslic, who left the club to join 2. Bundesliga side Schalke, but I am not yet convinced they have enough to forge a promotion push.
The Pilgrims have acted quickly to bring in some fresh faces in the transfer window, with the likes of Jamie Paterson, Caleb Watts and Brendan Wiredu coming in, but the losses of Maksym Taloverov, Ryan Hardie, Mustapha Bundu and Adam Randell are sure to be felt.
Under Cleverley, I think Plymouth could have some bright years in front of them, but this feels like a club in transition, and it might be too soon in the rebuild for them to sneak into play-off contention.
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11. Lincoln City
Lincoln City have flirted with the League One play-offs and promotion over the last few years, but never quite been able to get over the line, and unfortunately for Michael Skubala’s Imps, I can see them falling short in a push for the top-six once more.
The Imps finished in 11th-place last season, finishing on 61 points, and with the talented Michael Skubala at the helm, I still expect Lincoln City to be a threat in the third-tier next season.
But I am expecting a super open and competitive League One, and although I expect them to be up there, I don’t see the two signings they’ve made so far – centre-backs Ryley Towler and Sonny Bradley – as enough to get them pushing higher than 11th-place again.
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12. Cardiff City
It’s been a tough time for Cardiff City, with relegation from the Championship last season confirming their place in the third-tier for the first time in over 20 years, and I don’t think it will get much easier for them next season.
The appointment of Brian Barry-Murphy is an interesting one, although he lacks experience of managing clubs of this size and with that weight of expectation on his shoulders. Also, at the time of writing, the Bluebirds are yet to make a single summer signing.
The quality they have leftover from the Championship, the likes of Yousef Salech, Alex Robertson and Joel Colwill, should prevent them from being dragged too far down the league, but I don’t think it will be enough to get them challenging for an immediate return to the Championship.
The sooner a takeover of the Welsh outfit happens, which would see divisive owner Vincent Tan depart the club, the better for all concerned.
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13. Barnsley
Following the departure of the experienced Darrell Clarke towards the back end of last season, Barnsley have taken a gamble this summer by hiring Conor Hourihane as their new boss in the 34-year-old’s first ever managerial role, only 12 months after retiring from playing.
As I have spoken about already in this piece, I am not willing to write managers off *just* because it’s their first role – some of the best managers in this division in recent years have been rookie coaches – but this is a big job for Hourihane, and I do worry that he’s taken it on with just a year of coaching under his belt.
They have some excellent players, namely Davis Keillor-Dunn and Adam Phillips, but I am just not sure on it all coming together for them this season with their boss still learning the ropes of the brutal game of football management.
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14. Rotherham United
There was a lot of expectation surrounding Rotherham United this time last year, with many believing that club icon Steve Evans would be the man to lead them back into the Championship.
That didn’t even come close to materialising, though, with the Millers never really getting started in their bid for promotion; ultimately finishing in mid-table mediocrity with Evans losing his job in March.
Rotherham-born Matt Hamshaw took over and steadied the ship, and was rewarded with the job on a full-time basis as a result, but his lack of experience concerns me a little as the Millers look to charge up the table under his stewardship.
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15. Doncaster Rovers
In his second season back as Doncaster Rovers manager, Grant McCann led the club back into League One after achieving a romping home to the League Two title, and I don’t have any immediate concerns about him being able to solidify them in the third tier.
McCann is a manager who knows this level very well. In fact, he reached the League One play-offs in his first stint with Doncaster, before winning the title whilst in charge of Hull City.
In Luke Molyneux, who as of yet has not moved clubs, Donny have a creative midfielder who can create chances out of nothing – a valuable asset to them last season, and will be again this season.
Some have tipped Rovers to push a little higher than where I have them, but I think a season of consolidation is a little likelier for them. No chance of relegation, though, for me.
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16. Port Vale
Another team coming up from League Two is Port Vale, who were pipped to the League Two title last term by Doncaster Rovers, but who also have a manager with excellent pedrigree at this level.
They have made some solid additions to their squad, but the main reason I have faith in Vale to survive is Darren Moore, who is both a great manager and a relatable, likeable character, and has done a stellar job in rebuilding this team following their relegation to the fourth-tier in the 2023-24 season.
Ronan Curtis is a player that has done it at this level previously with Portsmouth, and looks to have put the serious injury worries he’s had behind him, and striker Lorent Tolaj is a player I am excited to see make the step up.
It’s always going to be tough making that step up, but I back Vale – under the guidance of former West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday boss Moore – to stave off any relegation fears.
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17. Stevenage
It was a very impressive first season back in charge of Stevenage for Alex Revell, who guided the Boro to a solid mid-table finish.
Although I have them dropping off slightly here, I still think Stevenage have the structure in place to stave off any threat of being dragged into a dogfight at the wrong end of the League One table.
This summer, they have added two players from Plymouth Argyle – Saxon Early and Jordan Houghton – and also two attacking additions in Bez Lubala and Chem Campbell, who both have had hit-and-miss spells at a few clubs over the last few years.
On top of what they have, which of course includes their gem in the crown Dan Kemp, they should be absolutely fine, but I do have them dipping a few places in a competitive league.
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18. Mansfield Town
In Nigel Clough (son of Brian), Mansfield Town have the most experienced manager in the division, and I think that will continue to be a huge asset for them as they look to solidify their place in League One in their second season back in the third-tier.
Whilst the Stags’ squad doesn’t blow me away, it’s set up in exactly the way that Clough wants it, and whilst that’s the case, I back him to be able to grind out the results necessary to keep Mansfield clear of the relegation-zone.
I have them in 18th.
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19. Bradford City
After six long years, Bradford City finally returned to League One after Antoni Sarcevic’s stoppage-time strike on the last day of last season sealed automatic promotion for the Bantams.
Now, the question is whether they can stay here and solidify their place back in League One. Although I think it could be a close call, I think they should just about have enough to survive.
Momentum is a massive thing in football and I suspect they’ll be riding the crest of the wave of that dramatic final day promotion for some time, and when that begins to run out, the nous and experience of manager Graham Alexander should carry them through.
I’d like to see them do a bit more eye-catching transfer business to really kick on, and worry a little about how many of their existing players’ ceiling is the top of League Two, but I am backing them to survive.
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20. Peterborough United
Honestly, I am worried about Peterborough United…
Bar last season’s struggles, the Posh have always been towards the top-end of League One in recent years, competing to get into the Championship, or in the Championship, but things feel like their regressing quickly at the Weston Homes Stadium
.
This side was side was propped up largely by the output of forward Kwame Poku last season, who left the club for QPR this summer, as has Malik Mothersille who has joined Stockport County as previously discussed, and I am yet to see the quality come through the door this summer that suggests to me that they’ve been replaced well.
If those players, for as good as they are, couldn’t get Posh competing at the top end of the table, I seriously fear for how they might fare without them.
In fairness, I am sure owner Darragh McAnthony is aware of the need to invest in those attacking positions, and further recruits are likely, but I am not feeling good about Peterborough United as things stand.
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21. Northampton Town
Six years after leaving Notts County, Premier League icon Kevin Nolan ended his managerial hiatus last season when he joined Northampton Town as their new boss.
Nolan did a good job of steadying the ship after the departure of Jon Brady, but now faces a tough task keeping the Cobblers in League One in his first full season at the helm at Sixfields.
Defensively, Northampton looked pretty solid from when Nolan took charge, but I have doubts of their attacking quality with Sam Hoskins not getting any younger, but the additions of Elliot List and Michael Jacobs don’t fill me with a ton of confidence.
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22. Burton Albion
Last season certainly didn’t pan out the way Burton Albion’s owners thought their first campaign would, with the Brewers spending the majority of it in the relegation zone before a late surge under Gary Bowyer lifted them out of the bottom-four.
Bowyer deserves credit for keeping Burton up, but I can’t help but feel that Bristol Rovers’ failings played just as big a part in Burton’s survival as anything the Brewers necessarily did.
Maybe that’s harsh, but it did feel like a fair bit of luck was at play, and I am not sure that they’ll be dealt the same fortune again in what is going to be a very competitive League One.
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23. Exeter City
In 23rd-place, I have Exeter City.
Under the stewardship of Gary Caldwell, things have always felt very up and down at St James’ Park, but this is the season where I think the luck runs out and Exeter City slip into the relegation zone.
To be honest, Caldwell probably deserves more praise for the job he’s done on a very limited resources, but although the fan-owned model is something to be admired and applauded, it does always feel that there’s only so long success at this level of the pyramid can be sustained without investment (I should know, I wrote my whole university dissertation on it!).
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24. AFC Wimbledon
I fear a tough season could be on the horizon for AFC Wimbledon, who after play-off success last season, I have going straight back down in bottom-place in League One this season.
I take no pleasure in predicting a side to come straight back down. When looking back at the jubilant faces on players and fans when the Dons defeated Walsall in the play-off final, I want to believe they can go and kick on and sustain themselves back in the third-tier.
But, at the moment, I must admit, I am struggling to make a good case for their survival, and just don’t think they have sufficient quality to deal with the step up in quality they are going to face this coming season.
Johnnie Jackson is a good manager, but he has his flaws, I am sure even Wimbledon fans will admit that, and I don’t think the losses of James Tilley, Josh Neufville and Owen Goodman have been adequately replaced.
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