League Two 2025-26 preview: Promotion contenders, relegation candidates and dark horses

The 2025-26 League Two season is set to get underway this weekend with all 24 teams harbouring hopes of making it one to remember.

There will be three automatic promotion places up for grabs, while those that finish from fourth to seventh will compete in the playoffs next May.

Meanwhile, every team will be looking to secure safety at the earliest opportunity, but for two teams, the campaign will result in relegation to the National League.

Here, Sports Mole offers a detailed preview of the new League Two campaign, including potential promotion contenders, dark horses and the candidates for the drop.

Who are the main contenders for the League Two title?

MK Dons

Having put their 19th-placed finish behind them, MK Dons are set to begin a new era under former Derby County manager Paul Warne.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has followed Warne from Pride Park, while Callum Paterson, Will Collar and Aaron Collins have also arrived in the sign of the club’s ambitions for the season.

MK Dons will view the top seven as a minimum objective, but their overriding goal will be to secure a place in the top three.

Chesterfield

After winning promotion from the National League in 2023-24, Chesterfield went on to collect 70 points from 46 matches to achieve a playoff spot in their first season back in the EFL.

Their playoff campaign ultimately ended in a semi-final defeat to Walsall, but they will now look to use that disappointment as fuel for the new season.

Chesterfield have an experienced operator at the helm in Paul Cook, who has previously won promotion from League Two on two occasions, including with his current employers in 2013-14.

Swindon Town

Like Chesterfield, Swindon have a wily manager in their dugout, with Ian Holloway set to begin his first full season in charge of the Robins.

After being appointed in October, Holloway led Swindon to 13 victories and 11 draws in 32 matches (L8) to clinch a top-half finish.

The 62-year-old will now be looking to push on, having had a summer to recruit his own players and work with the squad on the training pitch.

Bristol Rovers

After suffering relegation last term, Bristol Rovers are set to compete in League Two for the first time since 2021-22.

Darrell Clarke is back at the Memorial Stadium for a second spell after being named as Inigo Calderon’s replacement in May.

The 47-year-old will have fond memories of his first stint with the club when he secured back-to-back promotions to take the club from the National League to League One.

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Who else could feature in the League Two promotion race?

Notts County are another team that will enter the season with a new manager after replacing Stuart Maynard with Martin Paterson.

The 38-year-old is only in his second managerial job, so there may be some concern about whether he can lead Notts County’s charge for promotion.

With that said, the club will undoubtedly be targeting a top-seven finish after falling short in the playoff semi-finals last season.

Walsall also experienced disappointment in the 2024-25 playoffs, slipping to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Wimbledon in May’s final at Wembley.

That result ultimately piled the misery on Walsall, who went from runaway leaders settling for a fourth-placed finish after a late Bradford City goal denied them promotion on the final day of the season.

Walsall have kept faith in Mat Sadler, but the head coach will surely be under pressure to start positively following the dismal end to last term.

Meanwhile, Salford City will be looking towards the top of the table in their first season since being acquired by the new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville.

Karl Robinson’s side finished just a point shy of the playoffs last term, so a top-seven placing seems a realistic objective for 2025-26.

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Who are League Two's dark horses?

Gillingham may have high hopes for the new season despite disappointing with a 17th-placed finish last term.

Gareth Ainsworth made the Gills a tough team to beat in the final stages of the campaign, overseeing three wins and six draws following his appointment in March.

The former Wycombe Wanderers boss will be hoping to build upon that resoluteness in the next nine months, as he looks to draw upon his experience of winning two promotions during his time at Adams Park.

Cambridge United could be another team to keep an eye on, even though the U's may be focused on consolidating following their relegation from League One.

Neil Harris could not prevent Cambridge from finishing in the bottom four after returning to the club in February, but the former Millwall boss is surely one of the best managers in the fourth tier this season, and he could work his magic to get the club near the top seven.

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Who are the two newly-promoted teams in League Two?

Barnet are set to feature in the EFL for the first time since 2017-18 after breaking the 100-point barrier to win the National League title last term.

The Bees have been joined in the fourth-tier by Oldham Athletic, who successfully navigated their way through the playoffs after achieving a fifth-placed finish.

Oldham fought back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 in June's dramatic final with Southend, ensuring that they can look forward to EFL football for the first time in three years.

Barnet and Oldham will both be hoping to continue to build the momentum created from their respective promotions, although their first goal will be to avoid an immediate return to the fifth tier.

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Which teams are at risk of relegation to the National League?

Newport County

Newport’s league position have gradually got worse in recent seasons. Since reaching the playoffs in 2020-21, the Exiles have gone on to finish in 11th, 15th and 18th, before they ended the 2024-25 campaign in 22nd spot.

They finished last term with the division’s worst defensive record, representing a key area for improvement in the upcoming campaign.

David Hughes has taken over the reins at Rodney Parade after spending the past few years working in Manchester United’s academy setup.

The 47-year-old is inexperienced as a senior manager, and he will have to quickly get used to being in the hot seat if his team are to steer clear of the bottom two.

Accrington Stanley

Accrington finished a point above Newport and eight points clear of the relegation zone in the 2024-25 League Two season.

They ended the campaign with the league’s third-worst home record after mustering just 26 points from their 23 outings at the Crown Ground.

Stanley could be in for another difficult season if they are unable to produce a better return of results on their home patch, with survival likely to be the first priority for manager John Doolan.

Cheltenham Town

Cheltenham finished comfortably clear of the drop last term, collecting 60 points from 46 matches to settle for 15th spot in the fourth tier.

However, they still ended the campaign with the fourth-worst defensive record, which is an area that needs addressing if they are to avoid a relegation fight this term.

The Robins have experienced an underwhelming transfer window, recruiting four free transfers and two loan signings ahead of the new campaign.

Michael Flynn will be keen for more additions in the coming weeks as he looks to preserve the club’s nine-year stay in the EFL.

Harrogate Town

Harrogate are preparing for their sixth League Two campaign since winning promotion from the National League in 2019-20.

They have finished higher than 17th in just one of their previous five campaigns, and it will be another battle for survival in the 2025-26 season.

Long-serving boss Simon Weaver ultimately knows how to keep the club in the EFL, but that does not mean that the task gets any easier as every season passes by.

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Who are the other teams battling for League Two survival?

There has been a recent trend of teams struggling in the fourth tier in their first season since dropping down from League One.

Shrewsbury Town could be another relegated side that may find it difficult to preserve their EFL status, especially as their confidence will be low following a dismal League One campaign, where they collected just 33 points in 46 matches.

Michael Appleton boarded the sinking ship in March, and he now faces an almighty challenge to spark an upturn in fortunes in his first full season in charge.

While the dream may be an immediate return to League One, Shrewsbury should look to secure safety at the earliest opportunity, before they start setting their goals a little higher.

Meanwhile, Tranmere are still competing in League Two after enjoying a significant upturn in fortunes under Andy Crosby’s guidance in the final few months of the 2024-25 season.

Crosby oversaw five wins, three draws and just two defeats to successfully steer his team away from the danger zone.

After initially being named caretaker manager, the 52-year-old has now been rewarded with the job on a permanent basis, although that privilege comes with its own challenges.

Crosby will be fully aware that picking up consistent results over a full season is a completely different beast from making an impact over a short run of fixtures.

Barrow experienced a significant drop-off last season, finishing in 16th place following back-to-back top-half finishes in the fourth tier.

Andy Whing will have to halt the slide in the upcoming campaign; otherwise, it could be a long season for everyone associated with the Bluebirds.