League One 1-24 prediction comp 2025-26

[northstandexile]

It might be a bit early to start this thread but we now know the 24 runners and riders so I thought I would start it.

This type of fun competition that was won last season by a Exeter supporter. The idea is to list in order (1 to 24) the final order of teams in League One for season 25-26. Points are awarded for how many places are different to your prediction, the poster with the lowest score wins. For instance if you predict Burton to win the league but finish bottom then you score 23 points, but if you predict Burton to finish bottom and they do, you score nil points.
By adding the twenty four teams points together gives you winner.

So lads and lasses put your predictions on this thread.

 

[Muzzle]

I'll wait for Denzel then just move a couple around and pretend it was all my thoughts

 

[masi51]

Normally decent at this, but i would not know where to start this year. Teams coming down are usually there or there about....but i think all three will be weaker in August than they are now. Teams that played in the play-offs i think have had their chance. Huddersfield, Bolton, will be expected to do better but thats not a given...Reading i doubt will have money to spend....Same with Wigan, Blackpool and Barnsley.
Teams that have come up will need to improve.......I will re-visit come July

 

[SF_]

I fancy Cardiff to do well but I thought the same about Huddersfield. Bolton will be better under Schumacher, and Luton should be able to buy their way out of the league. Plymouth should go well if they don't lose this manager part-way through the season. Stockport will be up there again.

 

[denzel ecfc]

I'll wait for Denzel then just move a couple around and pretend it was all my thoughts

The cheek of it!

 

[denzel ecfc]

1. Luton
2. Bolton
3. Cardiff
4. Huddersfield
5. Plymouth
6. Rotherham
7. Stockport
8. Peterborough
9. Reading
10. Blackpool
11. Leyton
12. Bradford
13. Lincoln
14. Wimbledon
15. Wycombe
16. Doncaster
17. Barnsley
18. Wigan
19. Exeter
20. Northampton
21. Stevenage
22. Vale
23. Mansfield
24. Burton

There you go, no chance of winning again

 

[kieran_vale]

Will have a go at this once pre-season underway and most squads should take shape by then. At the moment I think the three relegated clubs should be right up the top. Bolton have a great manager in Schumacher so expect them to be in top six and Reading too. Everything else haven’t got a clue.

 

[masi51]

Will have a go at this once pre-season underway and most squads should take shape by then. At the moment I think the three relegated clubs should be right up the top. Bolton have a great manager in Schumacher so expect them to be in top six and Reading too. Everything else haven’t got a clue.

We have a even better Director of Football in Fergal Harkin who we head hunted from Standard Liege

 

[leedsvaliant]

1. Luton
2. Bolton
3. Cardiff
4. Huddersfield
5. Plymouth
6. Rotherham
7. Stockport
8. Peterborough
9. Reading
10. Blackpool
11. Leyton
12. Bradford
13. Lincoln
14. Wimbledon
15. Wycombe
16. Doncaster
17. Barnsley
18. Wigan
19. Exeter
20. Northampton
21. Stevenage
22. Vale
23. Mansfield
24. Burton

There you go, no chance of winning again

I'm hoping we don't finish that low! We're better prepared this time, with a better squad and Moore should be able to attract some half decent signings. I'd hope for about 14th.

 

[SF_]

I fancy Cardiff to do well but I thought the same about Huddersfield. Bolton will be better under Schumacher, and Luton should be able to buy their way out of the league. Plymouth should go well if they don't lose this manager part-way through the season. Stockport will be up there again.

Oh..

 

[denzel ecfc]

I'm hoping we don't finish that low! We're better prepared this time, with a better squad and Moore should be able to attract some half decent signings. I'd hope for about 14th.

Thing is though, there are a lot of above average sides this season, there are probably about 18 sides who realistically will be targeting promotion or the playoffs. There are only about 7 or 8 who I see as definite relegation possibilities. Including us, but I just couldn't do it.

 

[masi51]

That is how i am seeing it, but i can see a couple of surprise teams bottom end
Interesting to see if teams make big cut-backs

 

[Muzzle]

1. Luton
2. Bolton
3. Plymouth
4. Huddersfield
5. Cardiff
6. Rotherham
7. Stockport
8. Peterborough
9. Reading
10. Blackpool
11. Leyton
12. Bradford
13. Lincoln
14. Port Vale
15. Wycombe
16. Doncaster
17. Barnsley
18. Wigan
19. Exeter
20. Northampton
21. Stevenage
22. Wimbledon
23. Mansfield
24. Burton


All my own thoughts and i haven't just moved two around to be different from Denzel....fact

 

[leedsvaliant]

Thing is though, there are a lot of above average sides this season, there are probably about 18 sides who realistically will be targeting promotion or the playoffs. There are only about 7 or 8 who I see as definite relegation possibilities. Including us, but I just couldn't do it.

I agree but we survived our 1st season back in league 1 last time with a really shit squad. We just got worse in the 2nd season. This squad is better than both. What any of us 7 or 8 'smaller ' teams need to do is to get results from those around us...and I feel Moore is equipped for that better. He will also bloody the noses of a couple of the bigger teams by nicking a goal and shithousing a 1-0.

Our owners recently sold their business for £200 million, on top of the wealth they already had. It's not mega bucks but they're all in on the club now. We're also already 1k up on season tickets from last year, our boxes are always full, sponsorship is well taken and the club is making money 7 days a week. Financially, we're in the best shape we have ever been. We'll also hopefully be pushing 5 figure attendance (which will be genuine people in the ground) , which would put us above midtable in terms of support.

I can't imagine Moore will have signed up for a long contract just so he can circle the league 1 relegation pool every year. I think we'll make a couple of signings that will surprise people, as we did with Byers in league 2.

Having said that, any amount of money doesn't guarantee success and there's still at least a dozen sides that will have bigger budgets than us, so it's going to be tough.

I'd be flabbergasted if we hadn't learnt the lessons from before and came straight back down. The long term aim is certainly to be challenging for the Championship in the next 3 or 4 years but we all know that's easier said than done.

 

[valefan16]

I agree but we survived our 1st season back in league 1 last time with a really shit squad. We just got worse in the 2nd season. This squad is better than both. What any of us 7 or 8 'smaller ' teams need to do is to get results from those around us...and I feel Moore is equipped for that better. He will also bloody the noses of a couple of the bigger teams by nicking a goal and shithousing a 1-0.

Our owners recently sold their business for £200 million, on top of the wealth they already had. It's not mega bucks but they're all in on the club now. We're also already 1k up on season tickets from last year, our boxes are always full, sponsorship is well taken and the club is making money 7 days a week. Financially, we're in the best shape we have ever been. We'll also hopefully be pushing 5 figure attendance (which will be genuine people in the ground) , which would put us above midtable in terms of support.

I can't imagine Moore will have signed up for a long contract just so he can circle the league 1 relegation pool every year. I think we'll make a couple of signings that will surprise people, as we did with Byers in league 2.

Having said that, any amount of money doesn't guarantee success and there's still at least a dozen sides that will have bigger budgets than us, so it's going to be tough.

I'd be flabbergasted if we hadn't learnt the lessons from before and came straight back down. The long term aim is certainly to be challenging for the Championship in the next 3 or 4 years but we all know that's easier said than done.

We are in the best shape as a club we've possibly ever been in, certainly since those halcyon days of the mid 90's having a sniff around the Play Offs in the second tier and dreaming of the Premier League with Guppy and McCarthy tearing teams apart, great owners after 20 years of not having the best, financially actually having cash to spend and crowds on the up and the highest they've been since then (and then was boosted by larger away followings than now) Vale Park being a total sell out earlier in the month for the first time in decades so we certainly have reasons to be positive. The Youth system churning our real talent and the success of the ladies too add to that so we have to try and keep the momentum and buzz going.

The relegation probably helped in the end as gave us chance to have a real re-set and learn lessons but now the hard work begins of implementing them, won't be easy and I someone question Moore tactically but we will see... lets see who comes in, I expect us to make some decent signings like last year but I would be extremely disappointed if we are in a relegation scrap and would consider that a huge failure considering where we are as a club at the moment.

 

[gary]

1. Luton
2. Bolton
3. Plymouth
4. Huddersfield
5. Cardiff
6. Rotherham
7. Stockport
8. Peterborough
9. Reading
10. Blackpool
11. Leyton
12. Bradford
13. Lincoln
14. Port Vale
15. Wycombe
16. Doncaster
17. Barnsley
18. Wigan
19. Exeter
20. Northampton
21. Stevenage
22. Wimbledon
23. Mansfield
24. Burton


All my own thoughts and i haven't just moved two around to be different from Denzel....fact

Yep probably about right for us in 22nd with our budget. Our recruitment has been good for the last couple of seasons and it will have to be again if we are to stay up.

 

[EricSabin]

Anyone know if the Vale owners have recently sold their business for a bit of cash?

 

[leedsvaliant]

Anyone know if the Vale owners have recently sold their business for a bit of cash?

Yep, nearly £200 million mate...didn't you read?

 

[EricSabin]

Yep, nearly £200 million mate...didn't you read?

The amount of times I’ve read it I’m expecting an Abramovich style spending spree

 

[masi51]

We have wealthy owners but i doubt any want to spend 5% of their personal wealth in a football team in the North of the country.
Port Vale fans give your head a wobble, you are not rich.....Far from it your OWNER is loaded not Port Vale
Huddersfield, Wycombe and Wigan are owned by Billionaires........Doubt any will be breaking the bank to steam-roller football teams