WLB 2015/16 Preview | League One | Stats To Follow

WE asked Mark O'Haire (@MarkOHaire) to enter his bulging stats bible to deliver us the best ante-post stats and trends ahead of the new League One season. Take a look at these beauts…

League One | Stats To Follow

League Winners

• Average price in the past 10 years – 19/1 (this falls to 9/1 when looking at the past eight years).
• Average position finished year previously – 11th (plus four relegated clubs and one promoted team).
• Four of the past six league winners were priced up at single-figure odds.

Favourites

• Average finishing position in the past 10 years – 4th.
• Wolves (2013/14) are the only winning favourite in the past 20 seasons.
• The pre-season favourite has finished in the top-six in 14 of the past 16 seasons with eight winning promotion (six automatically).

Relegated Clubs

• Relegated clubs have won League One in four of the past seven seasons.
• Only six clubs (20%) have won promotion straight back to the Championship in the past 10 years though 11 (37%)  finished in the top-six and 16 (53%) finished in the top half.
• Average finishing position of a relegated club in the past 10 years – 11th.
• Relegated sides have suffered a second relegation in four of the past eight seasons.

Promoted Clubs

• Average finishing position of a promoted club in the past 10 years – 13th – that increases to 10th in the past three seasons.
• Only six (15%) promoted clubs have suffered immediate relegation in the past 10 seasons.
• All four promoted clubs have survived in the past three seasons.
• Promoted sides have won successive promotions on three occasions (7.5%), nine (22.5%) have made the top-six with 19 (47.5%) finishing in the top-half across the past 10 years.
• League Two champions have finished in the top-six in three of the last seven seasons and averaged a 12th-palced finish.
• League Two runners-up have finished in the top-six in three of the last seven and averaged a 12th-placed finish.
• League Two third place have finished in the top-10 in four of the past five seasons and averaged a 14th-placed finish over the past 10 years.
• League Two play-off winners have finished in the top-half in four of the past 10 seasons and averaged an 14th-placed finish.

Any Other Business

• The average price of all three promoted clubs in the past 10 years is 17/1 with 6/30 (20%) of sides being priced up at 20/1 or bigger.
• The average finish of a losing play-off finalist is 11th across the past 10 years – three won promotion (zero champions) and three were relegated.
• The average finishing position of a side involved in an unsuccessful play-off campaign across the past 10 years is 10th.
• In nine of the last 10 years a team involved in an unsuccessful play-off campaign has finished in the top-six the season after.
• The top scoring side has won the league in four of the past 10 years and been promoted on seven occasions (average finish 2nd).
• The side with the best defence has been crowned champions in five of the past 10 years, winning promotion on nine occasions (average finish 2nd.
• The worst defence has been relegated in six of the last 10 seasons, finishing bottom on two occasions (average finish 21st).
• The lowest scoring side has been relegated in six of the last 10 seasons, finishing bottom on three occasions (average finish 21st).

2014/15 Stats