2022/23 League One: Final table, play-off dates and relegated teams
By Dan Hepburn
After what's been a tumultuous season, the final fixtures of League One have been played out and the winners, play-off contenders and those facing relegation have been finalised.
The top two teams can get excited for what lays ahead of them in the Championship while four relegated side can spend their summer reflecting on their subpar seasons. Four clubs, meanwhile, remain in the hunt for the upcoming play-offs.
Here's a quick re-cap of what the last-day drama of the League One season means at the top and bottom of the table.
Who won the 2022/23 League One title?
Plymouth Argyle won the league, achieving their first divisional title since the 2003/04 season and surpasing 100 points mark in the process. Their 101-point campaign is the best tally since current Premier League outfit Wolves won it nine years ago.
They concluded their winning campaign on a solid six-match win streak, conceding just three in that sequence. Plymouth topped off their season with a comfortable 3-1 triumph away at Port Vale.
Joining them in the Championship next season will be Ipswich Town, who took second place after drawing their final game of the season to mid-table Fleetwood. The two sides had secured automatic promotion before the final round of fixtures, but their positioning in the table was still up in the air.
- Plymouth Argyle (C)
- Ipswich Town
League One 2022/23 final table
Position | Team | Played | Won | Draw | Loss | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 31 | 8 | 7 | 35 | 101 |
2 | Ipswich | 46 | 28 | 14 | 4 | 66 | 98 |
3 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 28 | 12 | 6 | 44 | 96 |
4 | Barnsley | 46 | 26 | 8 | 12 | 33 | 86 |
5 | Bolton | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 26 | 81 |
6 | Peterborough | 46 | 24 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 77 |
7 | Derby | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 76 |
8 | Portsmouth | 46 | 17 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 70 |
9 | Wycombe | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 69 |
10 | Charlton | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 62 |
11 | Lincoln | 46 | 14 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 62 |
12 | Shrewsbury | 46 | 17 | 8 | 21 | -9 | 59 |
13 | Fleetwood | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 58 |
14 | Exeter | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | -4 | 56 |
15 | Burton | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | -22 | 56 |
16 | Cheltenham | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | -16 | 54 |
17 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | -15 | 53 |
18 | Port Vale | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | -23 | 49 |
19 | Oxford United | 46 | 11 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 47 |
20 | Cambridge | 46 | 13 | 7 | 26 | -27 | 46 |
21 | MK Dons | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | -22 | 45 |
22 | Morecambe | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | -31 | 44 |
23 | Accrington Stanley | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | -37 | 44 |
24 | Forest Green Rovers | 46 | 6 | 9 | 31 | -58 | 27 |
Who reached the 2022/23 League One play-offs?
The English Football League (EFL) offer four play-off spots for those placed between third and sixth to decide the third promotion spot. Only the two top teams get automatic promotion.
Sheffield Wednesday hit a rich vein of form to end the season and their four-game winning streak saw them end on a high in third place. Fourth-placed Barnsley lost to Peterborough 2-0, but had already secured a place in the play-offs, which meant the result had no affect on how their season ended.
Finishing in fifth place was Bolton, who - like Barnsley - had already secured themselves a spot in the play-off semi-finals. A five-goal thriller with Bristol Rovers ensured they came fifth rather than sixth.
Unfortunately for Derby, their 1-0 loss on the final day saw them leapfrogged by Peterborough, who beat Barnsley. Derby entered the final round of fixtures in sixth but defeat saw them consigned to another season of League One football.
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Barnsley
- Bolton
- Peterborough
2022/23 League One play-off semi finals
Date / Kick-off Time | Fixture | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|---|
12/05/23 - 20:00 | Peterborough vs Sheffield Wednesday | BT Sport |
13/05/23 - 15:00 | Bolton vs Barnsley | BT Sport |
18/05/23 - 20:00 | Sheffield Wednesday vs Peterborough | BT Sport |
19/05/23 - 20:00 | Barnsley vs Bolton | BT Sport |
The two winners of the two-legged semi-finals will go head-to-head for that final promotion spot at Wembley. It will take place on Monday 29 May 2023 at 15:00 BST.
Who got relegated from 2022/23 League One?
Four teams out of the 24 got relegated from England's third division and will spend the 2023/24 campaign in League Two.
Forest Green Rovers finished at the bottom of the pack by a 17-point margin. They lost their concluding game to ninth-placed Wycombe Wanderers but their relegation fate was decided a while back. However, the trio of other teams also relegated were more unfortunate.
MK Dons, Morecambe and Accrington Stanley finished with 45, 44 and 44 points respectively and were each just one win from staying afloat.
A 2-0 win for Cambridge over the already-relegated Forest Green Rovers saw them stay up. Accrington managed victory in their game with 19th-placed Oxford United but it wasn't enough to see them stay up.
MK Dons crumbled under the last-game pressure and played out a goalless draw with Burton, despite having a mouth-watering 31 shots across the game. Only a win would have secured them their League One status.
Morecambe's fate was sealed by a five-goal thriller in Exexter. Home striker Jay Stansfield helped himself to a hat-trick, with a strike from the visitors in the 104th minute not enough to save their season.
- MK Dons
- Morecambe
- Accrington Stanley
- Forest Green Rovers