Skubala’s Centurions Reign Supreme: The Story Of The 2025/26 League One Season

The 2025/26 EFL League One campaign will be long remembered as the year of the Imps. In a division famously known for its gruelling schedule and brutal unpredictability, Lincoln City produced a campaign of breathtaking consistency to secure the title, breaking the illustrious 100-point barrier in the process.

From Lincoln’s historic march to the title to Bolton’s Wembley redemption, here is the comprehensive review of an action-packed League One season.

The Champions: Lincoln City’s Historic Centurions

Under the masterful guidance of Michael Skubala, Lincoln City were simply a class above the rest of the third tier. The Imps wrapped up their first-ever League One title with a staggering 103 points.

Their success was built on an astonishing 29-game unbeaten run that broke the spirit of the chasing pack. Defensively resolute, spearheaded by centre-back Sonny Bradley and goalkeeper George Wickens, and devastating on the attack, Lincoln secured 31 victories from their 46 matches. Skubala was the undeniable choice for Manager of the Season, having orchestrated one of the most dominant campaigns in recent EFL history.

Joining them automatically in the Championship next season are Cardiff City. Relegated the previous year, the Bluebirds bounced back at the first time of asking. Managed by former Manchester City academy coach Brian Barry-Murphy, Cardiff amassed an impressive 91 points, finishing as the division’s top scorers with 90 goals to secure second place.

The Play-Offs: Bolton’s Wembley Glory

The race for the final promotion spot saw Stockport County, Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers, and Stevenage battle it out in the play-offs.

After a tense set of semi-finals, where Stockport dispatched Stevenage (3-0 on aggregate) and Bolton edged past Bradford City (2-0 on aggregate), the final at Wembley proved to be a spectacular affair.

Under the management of Steven Schumacher, Bolton Wanderers saved their best performance of the season for the grandest stage. They dismantled Stockport County 4-1 under the arch, fuelled by an early brace from Rúben Rodrigues and a late strike from Sam Dalby. The victory exorcised past play-off demons and secured Bolton’s return to the Championship.

The Relegation Scrap: Four Fall to League Two

At the bottom of the table, the fight for survival went down to the wire, but ultimately, four clubs failed to beat the drop.

• Northampton Town (24th): Endured a miserable campaign, sacking manager Kevin Nolan in March but failing to arrest a slide that included an eight-game losing run. They finished bottom on 35 points.
• Rotherham United (23rd): The Millers suffered consecutive relegations. After dropping out of the Championship last season, they could not stabilize in League One, finishing on 41 points.
• Port Vale (22nd): Despite sacking Darren Moore in December and bringing in Jon Brady, the Valiants fell short of safety by seven points.
• Exeter City (21st): The Grecians suffered the heartbreak of finishing just beneath the dotted line. A 13-game winless run severely damaged their survival hopes, and despite a managerial change bringing in Matt Taylor late in the season, they finished on 49 points, three points adrift of Leyton Orient in safety.

Standout Stars and Statistical Leaders

While Lincoln dominated the team accolades, Leyton Orient’s Dom Ballard took home the individual honours. The prolific striker netted 23 goals, claiming the Golden Boot and the League One Player of the Season award despite his team finishing 20th.

Notable Season Statistics:

• Highest Scoring Match: Mansfield Town 5–4 Cardiff City
• Biggest Away Wins (0-4 / 1-5): Plymouth Argyle, Leyton Orient, Rotherham United, Bolton Wanderers, Cardiff City, and Huddersfield Town all registered four-goal margin victories on the road.
• Most Yellow Cards (Team): Plymouth Argyle – 119
• Most Red Cards (Team): Wigan Athletic – 9