League Two 2013-14 Ante-Post Stats
Our Football League expert Mark O’Haire (@SportingbetMark) spent the summer number-crunching and stat-busting ahead of the new season.
Below he has shared his best ante-post stats on the League Two season…
Favourites
Favourites have won the League 2 title only once (Notts County 2009-10) in 12 seasons but seven of the last 12 League Two favourites have won promotion. All seven promotions came via league placing as opposed to winning the play-offs.
In the last 10 seasons, Gillingham (2010-11) were the only favourites to finish outside of the play-off positions.
Price
Gillingham (22/1) last season were the biggest-priced League 2 winners in the past seven years.
The average price of the League 2 winner in the past seven seasons is 16/1 but only two title winners have been priced up bigger during that time – Gillingham at 22/1 (2012-13) and Brentford at 20/1 (2008-09).
Conference Clubs
A promoted Conference club has won successive promotions in three of the past five seasons but none of those clubs have won the League Two title.
Five promoted Conference clubs have won promotion in League Two in the past 11 seasons – two have won title but none since 205-06.
Only three Conference clubs have won promotion in their second season back in League 2, in past 13 seasons.
The average position of a promoted Conference club finishing in their first season after promotion is 13th.
No promoted Conference club has been relegated in their first season back in league football in past 16 seasons.
21 Conference clubs have won promotion in past 11 seasons – eight finished in the top-half in their first League Two season. Only four finished 20th or worse.
Relegated Clubs
Only three relegated League One sides have won promotion from League Two in the past six seasons – and only one won the title in those six seasons – Swindon.
Nine relegated League One clubs have won promotion from League Two in the past 11 seasons – only two as champions.
Only three relegated clubs have made the play-offs in League Two during the past six seasons.
Nine relegated clubs have finished 20th or worse in League Two, in past 12 seasons.
Successive Relegations
Only Stockport (2010-11) and Luton (2008-09) have suffered back-to-back relegations from League One to the Conference in the past 12 seasons although Bristol Rovers finished 23rd in 2001-02.
