WLB 2015/16 Preview | League Two | 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 Two season. Take a look at these beauts…

League Two | Stats To Follow

League Winners

• Average price in the past 10 years – 14/1.
• Four of the last five champions finished in the top-eight the previous season.
• Only twice in the past 10 years have the champions been bigger than 20/1 – 22/1 Gillingham in 2012/13 and 25/1 Carlisle (2005/06).

Favourites

• Average finishing position in the past 10 years – 6th.
• Favourites have won automatic promotion in seven of the past 12 years.
• Favourites have finished in the play-off places in seven of the past 12 years.
• Notts County in 2009/10 are the only favourites to win the league this millennium.

Relegated Clubs

• Relegated clubs have won League Two just twice in 10 seasons.
• Only eight clubs (20%) have won promotion straight back to League One in the past 10 years with just 10 (25%)  finishing in the top-seven and just 20 (50%) finished in the top half.
• Average finishing position of a relegated club in the past 10 years – 12th.
• In six of the past 10 seasons a relegated club has bounced straight back to League One although a relegated club has finished in the bottom-six of League Two in seven of the past eight seasons.

Promoted Clubs

• Average finishing position of a promoted club in the past 10 years – 13th.
• No promoted side has suffered immediate relegation from League Two this millennium,
• Promoted sides have won successive promotions five (20%) times this millennium but only two (8%) were champions. Six (24%) clubs have made the top-seven with 11 (44%) finishing in the top-half.
• Conference champions have finished in the top-seven once in the last 12 years and averaged a 13th-palced finish.
• Conference play-off winners have finished in the top-seven in four of the past 12 seasons and averaged a 12th-placed finish.

Any Other Business

• The average price of all four promoted clubs in the past 10 years is 17/1 with 11/40 (27.5%) of sides being priced up at 20/1 or bigger.
• The average finish of a losing play-off finalist is 10th across the past 10 years – Burton in 2014/15 the only promoted side but five (50%) finished in the top-seven.
• The average finishing position of a side involved in an unsuccessful play-off campaign across the past 10 years is 10th – two were crowned champions with six finishing in the top-three.
• The top scoring side has won the league in four of the past 10 years and been promoted on six occasions (average finish 4th).
• 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 four of the last 10 seasons, finishing bottom on three occasions (average finish 20th).
• The lowest scoring side has been relegated in six of the last 10 seasons, finishing bottom on five occasions (average finish 22nd).

2014/15 Stats