We take a look into each of the 23 Sky Bet League One teams we’ll be coming up against in the 2022/23 season.
Derby County
History
The Club was founded in 1884 and was one of the founder members of the Football League four years later. Under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, the Rams won the First Division and reached the Semi-Final of the European Cup, losing out to Juventus. The Club won the First Division title for the second time in the 1974-75 season.
Stadium
Pride Park has been the home of the Rams since 1997. The all-seater stadium holds 33,597 and has hosted one full England international match - a friendly vs Mexico in 2001.
Manager
Following the departure of Wayne Rooney, Liam Rosenior was appointed as interim manager in the summer. The 37-year-old has no prior managerial experience, though was Rooney's Assistant Manager at Pride Park for 18 months. As a player, Rosenior represented a number of Club's, including Fulham, Reading, Hull City and Brighton and Hove Albion as well as representing England at youth level.
One to watch
Fan favourite and last season's Player of the Year Curtis Davies delighted supporters by signing a new contract earlier this month. The 37-year-old joined the Rams in the summer of 2017 after a spell at Hull City. Since arriving at Pride Park, Davies has played 150 games, netting five times and providing six assists.
The experienced defender boasts a wealth of Premier League experience, having played a total of 173 top flight games for Hull City, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and West Brom respectively.
Last season
Derby County were inevitably relegated to League One after they were deducted 12 points for entering administration and nine points for financial irregularities. They finished 23rd in the Championship with 34 points.
Exeter City
History
The Club was founded in 1901 and, in 1920, they were founder members of the Third Division. City dropped out of the Football League in 2003 and it took them five years to return. The following season, they were promoted to League One. After relegation in 2012, the Grecians sealed their return to English football’s third tier with a second-place finish last season.
Stadium
St James Park can currently house 8,219 fans. The stadium consists of two all-seater stands and two terraces. In 1931, a record attendance of 20,984 was set when the Grecians faced Sunderland in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals.
Manager
Former Grecians skipper Matt Taylor made over 150 appearances for the Club as a player and returned to St James Park in June 2018, this time in the dugout. The 40-year-old has been in charge for 213 games and has a win percentage of 44.1%.
One to watch
Midfielder Tim Dieng was named Player of the Season last year for City. He arrived at the Devon-club from Southend United in July 2021. The 30-year-old scored 14 goals for the Club last season.
Last season
City finished last season in second place, but came close to pinching the title from Forest Green Rovers. Both Clubs finished the campaign on 84 points, but Rovers boasted the superior goal difference. Matt Taylor’s men won 23 games, drew 15 and lost eight. They scored 65 goals and conceded 41.
Fleetwood Town
History
The current incarnation of the Club was formed in 1997. Since Andy Pilley took over as owner in 2004, they’ve gone from strength to strength following significant investment. In 2012, the Cod Army won the Conference to win promotion to the Football League for the first time. Two years later, the Club won its sixth promotion in ten years by beating Burton Albion in the Play-Off Final to reach League One.
Stadium
Highbury Stadium was opened in 1939 and has been used by Fleetwood Town ever since. It has a capacity of 5,327. Between 1948 and 1952, the stadium was used for speedway and was the home of Fleetwood Flyers.
Manager
Celtic legend Scott Brown made the transition to management in May 2022 when he was appointed Head Coach at the Club . The 36-year-old spent last season at Aberdeen as a player/coach. Before hanging up his boots, the Scotsman won the Scottish Premiership 10 times with Celtic along with the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup six times respectively. He was also capped 55 times by his native Scotland.
One to watch
Midfielder Paddy Lane was named last season’s Supporters' Player of the Year. The 21-year-old was also announced Sky Bet League One Young Player of the Season. Lane was handed his senior international debut for Northern Ireland in March 2022.
Last season
Last season, Fleetwood Town retained their League One status on goal difference. They finished the season on 40 points, winning eight games, drawing 16 and losing 22. They scored 62 goals and conceded 82.
Forest Green Rovers
History
The Nailworth-based Club were founded in 1889. They won the FA Vase in 1982 and reached the Final of the FA Trophy in both 1999 and 2001. Dale Vince became chairman of the club in 2010 and, in 2015, they became the world’s first vegan football club. Rovers were promoted to the Football League in 2017 via the Play-Offs and, last season, they won promotion to the third tier for the first time ever by winning League Two.
Stadium
The Fully Charged New Lawn has been the home of Forest Green Rovers since 2006. Their original home was The Lawn Ground where they played their home games since 1890. The stadium’s capacity is 5,147, including 2,000 seats.
Manager
Ian Burchnall was appointed Rovers boss in May 2022 after previous manager Rob Edwards was appointed Watford manager. Burchnall spent time in Norway and succeeded Graham Potter as Östersund boss. He returned to England in 2020 and was appointed Notts County Head Coach in March 2021. The 39-year-old lead the Magpies to the National League Play-Offs in back-to-back seasons.
One to watch
Rovers’ top scorer Matty Stevens will be one to watch again this campaign. The 24-year-old scored 23 league goals for the Club last season. Before turning professional as a footballer, Stevens spent time as an amateur boxer.
Last season
Rovers were flying at one point, but in the end the title ended up being decided on the final day. They finished up level on points with Exeter City, however Forest Green had the superior goal difference therefore they were crowned Champions. In the 21/22 campaign, Rovers secured 23 wins, 15 draws and eight defeats. They scored 75 goals, the second most in the league, and conceded 44.