The start of the 2025-26 EFL League Two season is rapidly approaching with six new sides lining up alongside 18 sides who were present in the division last season. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the new season.
The New EFL League Two Lineup
There are 24 teams that will play in the English fourth tier next season. These are:
- Accrington Stanley
- Barnet
- Barrow
- Bristol Rovers
- Bromley
- Cambridge United
- Cheltenham Town
- Chesterfield
- Colchester United
- Crawley Town
- Crewe Alexandra
- Fleetwood Town
- Gillingham
- Grimsby Town
- Harrogate Town
- Milton Keynes Dons
- Newport County
- Notts County
- Oldham Athletic
- Salford City
- Shrewsbury Town
- Swindon Town
- Tranmere Rovers
- Walsall
Promoted From The National League
There are two sides who come into the 2025-26 EFL League Two season following promotion from the National League: Oldham Athletic and Barnet.
Oldham are returning to the EFL for the first time since the 2021-22 season where they finished 23rd. Meanwhile, Barnet are returning to the EFL for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Both sides will be looking to consolidate next season.
Relegated From EFL League One
There are also four sides who were relegated from EFL League One last season to the basement division of English football. These are Bristol Rovers, Crawley Town, Cambridge Untied and Shrewsbury Town.
Bristol Rovers return to EFL League Two following a three season spell in the third tier whilst Crawley Town weren’t able to stay up following promotion in the 2023-24 season to EFL League One.
Cambridge were relegated following a four season stay which saw them flirt with relegation on several occasions. In contrast, Shrewsbury Town will return to EFL League One for the first time since the 2014-15 season with their spell in the third tier filled with highs and lows.
The Managers
24 teams. 24 managers. Simple, right? Well, it can be hard to remember all of the managers in EFL League Two so here’s the list of each one:
| Club | Manager |
|---|---|
| Accrington Stanley | John Doolan |
| Barnet | Dean Brennan |
| Barrow | Andy Whing |
| Bristol Rovers | Darrell Clarke |
| Bromley | Andy Woodman |
| Cambridge United | Neil Harris |
| Cheltenham Town | Michael Flynn |
| Chesterfield | Paul Cook |
| Colchester United | Danny Cowley |
| Crawley Town | Scott Lindsey |
| Crewe Alexandra | Lee Bell |
| Fleetwood Town | Pete Wild |
| Gillingham | Gareth Ainsworth |
| Grimsby Town | David Artell |
| Harrogate Town | Simon Weaver |
| Milton Keynes Dons | Paul Warne |
| Newport County | David Hughes |
| Notts County | Martin Paterson |
| Oldham Athletic | Micky Mellon |
| Salford City | Karl Robinson |
| Shrewsbury Town | Michael Appleton |
| Swindon Town | Ian Holloway |
| Tranmere Rovers | Andy Crosby |
| Walsall | Mat Sadler |
The Stadiums And Their Capacities
A stadium is a representation of a club and can be close to the hearts of fans and players alike. Each team in EFL League Two next season has their own unique stadium with high capacities and low capacities too.
The 24 stadiums and their capacities are:
| Club | Stadium Name | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Accrington Stanley | Wham Stadium | 5,450 |
| Barnet | The Hive Stadium | 6,418 |
| Barrow | Holker Street | 6,500 |
| Bristol Rovers | Memorial Stadium | 9,832 |
| Bromley | Hayes Lane | 5,300 |
| Cambridge United | Abbey Stadium | 8,127 |
| Cheltenham Town | Whaddon Road | 7,066 |
| Chesterfield | SMH Group Stadium | 10,504 |
| Colchester United | Colchester Community Stadium | 10,105 |
| Crawley Town | Broadfield Stadium | 5,996 |
| Crewe Alexandra | Gresty Road | 10,153 |
| Fleetwood Town | Highbury Stadium | 5,327 |
| Gillingham | Priestfield Stadium | 11,582 |
| Grimsby Town | Blundell Park | 9,052 |
| Harrogate Town | Wetherby Road | 5,000 |
| Milton Keynes Dons | Stadium MK | 30,500 |
| Newport County | Rodney Parade | 7,850 |
| Notts County | Meadow Lane | 19,841 |
| Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | 13,513 |
| Salford City | Peninsula Stadium | 5,108 |
| Shrewsbury Town | New Meadow | 9,875 |
| Swindon Town | County Ground | 15,728 |
| Tranmere Rovers | Prenton Park | 16,789 |
| Walsall | Bescot Stadium | 11,300 |
Key Dates
There are several key dates to put in your diaries ahead of the new season. For the purposes of this section, we are including cup dates alongside other important dates.
- Opening Days: 1st – 3rd August 2025
- Carabao Cup First Round: w/c 11th August 2025
- Vertu Trophy Matchday One: w/c 1st September 2025
- FA Cup First Round: Saturday 1st November 2025
- FA Cup Second Round: Saturday 6th December 2025
- FA Third Round: Saturday 10th January 2026
- FA Cup Fourth Round: Saturday 14th February 2026
- FA Cup Fifth Round: Saturday 7th March 2026
- Carabao Cup Final: Sunday 22 March 2026
- FA Cup Quarter Finals: Saturday 4th April 2026
- Vertu Trophy Final: Sunday 12 April 2026
- FA Cup Semi-Finals: Saturday 25th April 2026
- Final Games Of Regular Season: 2nd and 3rd May 2026
- FA Cup Final: Saturday 16th May 2026
- League Two Play-Off Final: Monday 25th May 2026
Game Week One Fixtures
With the first game-week set to kick off on the 2nd of August – only a few weeks away -, let’s go through the fixtures from the opening game-week:
- Accrington Stanley vs Gillingham
- Barnet vs Fleetwood Town
- Bristol Rovers vs Harrogate Town
- Cambridge United vs Cheltenham Town
- Chesterfield vs Barrow
- Colchester United vs Tranmere Rovers
- Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town
- Milton Keynes Dons vs Oldham Athletic
- Newport County vs Notts County
- Salford City vs Crewe Alexandra
- Shrewsbury Town vs Bromley
- Walsall vs Swindon Town
All of these games are also set to be broadcast on Sky Sports +.
How To Keep Up With The New EFL League Two Season
To keep up with all the news, reaction and more from EFL League Two, follow The Lower Tiers on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Alternatively, you can keep an eye out for our writers who post on a regular basis.
