Ahead of fixture release day on Thursday, we delved into the new teams competing in League Two for the 2025-26 campaign.
National League Champions Barnet were the first to confirm their return to the Football League, after seven years out, racking up 102 at the top of the table. The North-West London Club are coached by Dean Brennan, who joined the Bees in February 2022 following a spell as interim boss.
Barnet play their home games at the Hive, their home since 2013, with the Mariners’ most recent trip there ending in a 2-2 draw in the season that ended in triumph at the Olympic Stadium to send us back into the Football League.
Barnet have so far added six new names to their books, with their most recent addition coming fresh from promotion out of League Two. Defender Romoney Crichlow joins seasoned EFL player Oli Hawkins and more as Barnet bolster their options for the season ahead.
Oldham Athletic were the other successful side to climb up into the fourth tier, following a fifth-place finish in the National League, which saw them go on to beat Southend United 3-2 in the play-off final at Wembley.
Boundary Park has been the home of the Latics since 1899, but the club had to wait over 50 years to win their first league title in 1952 and before going on to establish themselves as a founding member of the Premier League in the 1992-93 season. Since then, the club has suffered four relegations but have regained their football league status after three campaigns in non-league.
53-year-old Micky Mellon took charge of the club early on in the 2023-24 campaign and successfully lead them to promotion in his first full season. Grimsby’s most recent encounter with the Latics saw the Mariners emerge 2-1 winners at Boundary Park in 2021, with goals from Matt Green and Jay Matete.
The first team to confirm their relegation to the fourth tier was Shrewsbury Town, who ended a 10-year spell in League One. Only managing to win eight games throughout the course of the season, Salop’s relegation was confirmed with four games to spare in League One.
Michael Appleton was confirmed as Shrewsbury’s boss in May after a spell as interim and he will be hoping to lead the side right back to the third tier. Former Lincoln City midfielder, Sam Clucas, has been added to the side’s ranks, after racking up over 60 Premier League and 200 Championship appearances across his career.
Cambridge United finished second from bottom, after earning promotion to the third tier in 2021 and being a member of the football league since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.
Neil Harris joined the Us for his second spell as Head Coach in February, with the club already bottom of the table and eight points from safety.
Eleven players were released following the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign, but the Us have extended the contracts of some key players, while also bringing in a couple of players with plenty of experience in the EFL.
Town’s most recent match-up with Cambridge came early on in the club’s historic FA Cup run in the 2022-23 season, with an Otis Khan double at the Cledara Abbey Stadium sending the Mariners through to the third round.
Bristol Rovers’ three-year spell in League One was ended following a 1-1 draw between Burton Albion and Wigan Athletic. Against the odds, the Gas won automatic promotion to League One three years ago after beating Scunthorpe United 7-0 under Joey Barton.
The club were nine points clear of the bottom four in March, but six consecutive defeats plummeted them towards danger, with the returning Darrell Clarke succeeding Inigo Calderon for their journey in League Two.
It was heartbreak for the Mariners the last time the two sides met, as Bristol Rovers edged Town on penalties in the 2016 National League play-off final.
The Pirates have so far added former Peterborough United full-back Jack Sparkes to their ranks, who knows a thing or two about EFL promotions, following spells with Portsmouth and Exeter City.
Crawley Town’s drop was also confirmed when Burton drew one a piece with Wigan, after only one season in the third tier following their promotion the previous season via the League Two play-offs.
Despite winning four out of eight games since the return of Manager Scott Lindsey in March, the Red Devils couldn’t avoid a return to the fourth tier.
Playing their home games at the Broadfield Stadium, the West Sussex side have seen three departures but also three incomings since the transfer window opened, with forward Harry McKirdy hoping to contribute plenty of goals as Lindsey’s side look to sit at the right end of the table throughout the course of the season.
The six new additions make up the table of 24 who all kick-off their 2025-26 campaign over the weekend of the 1st-3rd August.
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