The best L2 team ever?

[Carver]

As it is coming up to 20 years now since League Two became known as League Two in the 04/05 season, who do you think have been the best teams to have got promoted since then and why?

For me I think the Northampton Town team in 15/16 were definitely up there among the best when they won the league and were completely unstoppable. They had quality players all round and Chris Wilder was manager.

Another outstanding team were Peterborough in 07/08 with the deadly strikeforce of Boyd, McLean and Mackail Smith.

Also our team who won the title were pretty good in 05/06.

 

[F!RTHY]

MK Dons 07/08 - must be up there. Once they found themselves in 1st place in Sept, they stayed there all season - dispite a very talented Peterborough side being hot on their heels all season long.

Willet Gueret, Dean Lewington, Keith Andrew’s, Lloyd Dyer, Leon Knight, Jake Livvermore and Aaron Willbraham (to name a few) were all far too good for League Two.

They won the JPT that year, too.

 

[F!RTHY]

Special mentions to our 12/13 side, too. Finished 7th and were promoted through the play-offs. However, had it not have been for our League Cup success, which ultimately resulted in playing at Wembley twice that season, I think we would’ve gone up automatically with relative ease. 64 competitive games we played that season - it was ridiculous.

GK: Jon McLaughlan/Matt Duke

RB: Stephen Darby
CB: Rory McArdle
CB: Andrew Davies
LB: James Meredith

RW: Garry Thompson
CM: Gary Jones (c)
CM: Nathan Doyle
LW: Kyel Reid

ST: Nahki Wells
ST: James Hanson

Oh, to build a team as good as that for next season.

 

[kieran_vale]

Can only comment on the seasons we were also down here but the best were either the Swindon team under Di Canio (they absolutely wiped the floor with us back end of that season) or the Notts team that had the likes of Kasper Schmeichel in it even if the owners were very dodgy.

 

[JJ1990]

Our 19-20 team was pretty stacked.

GK: Will Jaaskelainen - Average that season, didn't kick on
RB: Perry Ng - Now a consistent Championship performer for Cardiff
CB: Eddie Nolan - Rock solid when he arrived, had lots of experience from the higher leagues.
CB: Luke Offord - Bit of a cheat as he only broke through late on in that season, but he'll be playing in L1 next season regardless of if we go up.
LB: Harry Pickering - Consistent Championship performer with Blackburn
CM: Ryan Wintle - Another consistent performer with Cardiff
CM: Paul Green - In the last stages of his playing career, but still had a lot of experience
CM: Tommy Lowery - Just promoted to the Championship with Portsmouth
LW: Charlie Kirk - L1 player on his day, just struggled to find his feet after leaving us
ST: Chris Porter - Another player with loads of higher level experience, even if like Green he was in his final effective years
RW: Owen Dale - He also didn't play often, but you could see his talent. Now starting in the L1 play-offs with Oxford.

So, from that team, we have 3 players in the Championship 4 years later, 1 about to move up there next season and another who could be joining them if his side win in the play-off final on Saturday. Add in 3 experienced veterans with loads of top 2 tier games down the spine and it's easy to see why we were fighting for the title that season. Damn Covid.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Pound for pound I genuinely believe the best team was the 17-18 Accrington league winners. They finished ahead of Wycombe, Luton and Coventry who were altogether in the Championship in 20-21.

Honourable mentions to Carlisle under Simpson going back to back in the mid 2000s, Chesterfield under John Sheridan, Gillingham under Martin Allen, Northampton under Chris Wilder and our COVID team who were cruelly denied a shot at the first ever league title in club history by a once in a lifetime pandemic.

Tried to avoid choosing heavily bankrolled teams and went for sides that weren't fancied at the start of the season instead.

 

[spireite]

Pound for pound I genuinely believe the best team was the 17-18 Accrington league winners. They finished ahead of Wycombe, Luton and Coventry who were altogether in the Championship in 20-21.

Honourable mentions to Carlisle under Simpson going back to back in the mid 2000s, Chesterfield under John Sheridan, Gillingham under Martin Allen, Northampton under Chris Wilder and our COVID team who were cruelly denied a shot at the first ever league title in club history by a once in a lifetime pandemic.

Tried to avoid choosing heavily bankrolled teams and went for sides that weren't fancied at the start of the season instead.

Interesting you mention Sheridans team because I thought our L2 title team under Cook was stronger. There was some serious talent in that group. Sam Morsy, Jimmy Ryan, Liam Cooper, Tendayi Darikwa, Sam Clucas, Gary Roberts, Eoin Doyle, more. Some team, that.

 

[Si Robin]

Just to put in a shout for my own team - as a group of individuals, our 20/21 team wouldn't stand out, most wouldn't get in many other teams, even Alfie May only scored 9 League goals. But as a team they were fantastic. They'd failed embarrassingly in the playoffs the year before and come back with a hunger that I don't think I've seen from any other Cheltenham team in my 30 years supporting the club. Probably not the best ever - but certainly deserved champions in that year.

Overall though, the Carlisle team under Simpson in the 00s was class. the Munto Notts team were outstanding as well - but you have to take into account their spending.

 

[DippyDon]

Since League Two became known as League Two in the 04/05 season who do you think have been the best teams to have got promoted since then and why?

For me I think the Northampton Town team in 15/16 were definitely up there among the best when they won the league and were completely unstoppable. They had quality players all round and Chris Wilder was manager.

Another outstanding team were Peterborough in 07/08 with the deadly strikeforce of Boyd, McLean and Mackail Smith.

Also our team who won the title were pretty good in 05/06.

Include Peterborough who came second and not the team that won the league that year... I think we still have the best away record too? That might have gone though, I didn't pay much attention to League 2 for a number of years.

The 07/08 top 2 is definitely up there though, we went on to finish 2nd and 3rd in League 1 the next year too.

 

[Y Ddraig Goch]

MK Dons 07/08 - must be up there. Once they found themselves in 1st place in Sept, they stayed there all season - dispite a very talented Peterborough side being hot on their heels all season long.

Willet Gueret, Dean Lewington, Keith Andrew’s, Lloyd Dyer, Leon Knight, Jake Livvermore and Aaron Willbraham (to name a few) were all far too good for League Two.

They won the JPT that year, too.

That was the season that we went down, pretty surreal to think that Lewington played against us, we got relegated, stayed down for 15 years, came back up, played them again and he was still playing.

We actually beat them at the Racecourse, I still remember Neil Roberts' lobbed goal.

Mate of mine gave Gueret stick at the end and he told him to " F*ck off and enjoy the conference"

They spanked us at their place.

 

[Carver]

Include Peterborough who came second and not the team that won the league that year... I think we still have the best away record too? That might have gone though, I didn't pay much attention to League 2 for a number of years.

The 07/08 top 2 is definitely up there though, we went on to finish 2nd and 3rd in League 1 the next year too.

I apologise, I'd just forgotten about you and yes you were one of the best doing the tinpot double that season.

 

[valefan16]

Hard to say as since 2008 when we first came down to this level for the first time since the mid 80's we've had 6-7 seasons in L1.

Notts County were decent but under money (and we beat them at home fairly comfortably) but Hughesy was unplayable at their place.

Chesterfield have had a couple of decent sides but Posh was before our time at this level.

The Brentford side that went up when we first came down IIRC were pretty efficient from what I recall.

Our side in 2012/13 considering it started in Administration was very good from an attacking point of view, we scored bucket loads (most in the top 5 leagues), Pope got 33 and we hammered some of our promotion rivals, Rotherham 6-2, Fleetwood Away 5-2, Burton 7-1 but had a drop off February which cost us the title but in the first half of the season it was great to watch. Gills of course were decent that season.

 

[Andy Butler]

It's certainly not any Grimsby side. They go into the worst team category with Darlington in 2010. Absolute shite they both were

 

[hellogregory]

Haven’t seen them all as we’ve spent a good part of the past 20 years in League 1.

That Northampton team were good, a proper team. Nicky Adams and Ricky Holmes were quality.

Our 2006 team was good. It seemed to smash teams 4, 5 and 6 on what seemed like a regular basis. If Michael Bridges was playing it was like a cheat code at times.

Hard to say how it would stack up to other title winning teams though.

 

[Crewelad87]

Our 19-20 team was pretty stacked.

GK: Will Jaaskelainen - Average that season, didn't kick on
RB: Perry Ng - Now a consistent Championship performer for Cardiff
CB: Eddie Nolan - Rock solid when he arrived, had lots of experience from the higher leagues.
CB: Luke Offord - Bit of a cheat as he only broke through late on in that season, but he'll be playing in L1 next season regardless of if we go up.
LB: Harry Pickering - Consistent Championship performer with Blackburn
CM: Ryan Wintle - Another consistent performer with Cardiff
CM: Paul Green - In the last stages of his playing career, but still had a lot of experience
CM: Tommy Lowery - Just promoted to the Championship with Portsmouth
LW: Charlie Kirk - L1 player on his day, just struggled to find his feet after leaving us
ST: Chris Porter - Another player with loads of higher level experience, even if like Green he was in his final effective years
RW: Owen Dale - He also didn't play often, but you could see his talent. Now starting in the L1 play-offs with Oxford.

So, from that team, we have 3 players in the Championship 4 years later, 1 about to move up there next season and another who could be joining them if his side win in the play-off final on Saturday. Add in 3 experienced veterans with loads of top 2 tier games down the spine and it's easy to see why we were fighting for the title that season. Damn Covid.

See I think our 2013 team were better. They just had a horrid start to the season, once they realised they were good and could play football we were by far the beat side in the league from Christmas onwards. Steve Phillips was quality in goal. Harry Davis and Dave Artell a great partnership at the back. Then I'm not sure there has been a better midfield 4 in this league than Nick Powell, Ashley Wetwood, Luke Murphy and Byron Moore. The only thing missing was a 20+ a season goal scorer.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Hard to say as since 2008 when we first came down to this level for the first time since the mid 80's we've had 6-7 seasons in L1.

Notts County were decent but under money (and we beat them at home fairly comfortably) but Hughesy was unplayable at their place.

Chesterfield have had a couple of decent sides but Posh was before our time at this level.

The Brentford side that went up when we first came down IIRC were pretty efficient from what I recall.

Our side in 2012/13 considering it started in Administration was very good from an attacking point of view, we scored bucket loads (most in the top 5 leagues), Pope got 33 and we hammered some of our promotion rivals, Rotherham 6-2, Fleetwood Away 5-2, Burton 7-1 but had a drop off February which cost us the title but in the first half of the season it was great to watch. Gills of course were decent that season.

If we weren't already there we had one eye on the beach when we visited Vale Park.

Hughes was indeed simply unplayable all season long (especially at home) I've never seen a more clinical and effective forward during my years watching Notts.

We obviously had a great side with a few stunning individuals for this level that season (as do all champions) but we were playing with pretend made up money so in effect cheating the division.

I'm going back a bit but if it's the XI im thinking of Yeovil were superb against us whenever they won it. Also you will do well to better the MK Dons side of 2007/08.

 

[PaulHaddock]

It's certainly not any Grimsby side. They go into the worst team category with Darlington in 2010. Absolute shite they both were

Short memory mate - you finished on 26 points two years ago! And somehow managed to get even worse.

Rogue one but the Cov team of 17/18, though they finished 7th(?), I thought were brilliant, had a team of real good players.

 

[Andy Butler]

If we weren't already there we had one eye on the beach when we visited Vale Park.

Hughes was indeed simply unplayable all season long (especially at home) I've never seen a more clinical and effective forward during my years watching Notts.

We obviously had a great side with a few stunning individuals for this level that season (as do all champions) but we were playing with pretend made up money so in effect cheating the division.

I'm going back a bit but if it's the XI im thinking of Yeovil were superb against us whenever they won it. Also you will do well to better the MK Dons side of 2007/08.

Yeah that Yeovil side were quality. We finished second to them. Darren Way and Lee Johnson were ballers at this level.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Interesting you mention Sheridans team because I thought our L2 title team under Cook was stronger. There was some serious talent in that group. Sam Morsy, Jimmy Ryan, Liam Cooper, Tendayi Darikwa, Sam Clucas, Gary Roberts, Eoin Doyle, more. Some team, that.

Oh the talent in Cook's team was insane and I obviously remember you doing well in League One the season after with most of those players. Perfect balance of experience and up and coming stars in your side back then and was one of the best in the lower leagues for sure. You're probably right then in that sense but you've got to remember we were a league above you when you won it in 2014 whereas in 2011 you ran away with the league whilst we were still in it, even if you dropped off in the last month or so of the season you were top for the majority of it. So that probably explains me favouring Sheridan's team, which was also excellent!

Seem to remember Scunthorpe blowing a ton of leads and still going up in 2014 with you. I think they were so bad at keeping leads that they dropped something like 25 points from winning positions. They really should've run away with the league that season themselves!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

See I think our 2013 team were better. They just had a horrid start to the season, once they realised they were good and could play football we were by far the beat side in the league from Christmas onwards. Steve Phillips was quality in goal. Harry Davis and Dave Artell a great partnership at the back. Then I'm not sure there has been a better midfield 4 in this league than Nick Powell, Ashley Wetwood, Luke Murphy and Byron Moore. The only thing missing was a 20+ a season goal scorer.

Dugdale played far more games at centre half in 2011-12 than Harry Davis who was shoe horned into RB for most the season then put into CB during the run in when we either went 3 at the back or played Tootle in midfield (bizarrely, but it worked!).

The strange thing is, at the start of that season we thought we did have a 20 goal striker. Shaun Miller had scored 19 the season before and started the season like a train. He then failed to score for us for the rest of his first spell here after a goal in early September vs Barnet.

 

[valefan16]

Oh the talent in Cook's team was insane and I obviously remember you doing well in League One the season after with most of those players. Perfect balance of experience and up and coming stars in your side back then and was one of the best in the lower leagues for sure. You're probably right then in that sense but you've got to remember we were a league above you when you won it in 2014 whereas in 2011 you ran away with the league whilst we were still in it, even if you dropped off in the last month or so of the season you were top for the majority of it. So that probably explains me favouring Sheridan's team, which was also excellent!

Seem to remember Scunthorpe blowing a ton of leads and still going up in 2014 with you. I think they were so bad at keeping leads that they dropped something like 25 points from winning positions. They really should've run away with the league that season themselves!

2011 we'd have probably won the league had Adams not jumped ship in fairness, we were cruising, lost 2 in the first 18 games then the Blades came knocking... they seem to have a habit of de-railing our season after recalling Blaster this Christmas!

Jim Gannon, bus gate, what a mess that second half of 2010/11 was! Still remember him playing some of the youth kids at your place in his first league game in charge! Don't think any of them ever played again or made it.

 

[valefan16]

If we weren't already there we had one eye on the beach when we visited Vale Park.

Hughes was indeed simply unplayable all season long (especially at home) I've never seen a more clinical and effective forward during my years watching Notts.

We obviously had a great side with a few stunning individuals for this level that season (as do all champions) but we were playing with pretend made up money so in effect cheating the division.

I'm going back a bit but if it's the XI im thinking of Yeovil were superb against us whenever they won it. Also you will do well to better the MK Dons side of 2007/08.

Hughsey was quality in fairness, just recall our fans giving him absolute pelters all game... 2 years later he helps get us over the line and our fans are all over him, fickle game!

Sure the game he got the hatrick was the one Micky Adams put the entire squad on the transfer list publically after! Seemed harsh considering the squad you'd signed but it worked as sure we went unbeaten for a while after!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

2011 we'd have probably won the league had Adams not jumped ship in fairness, we were cruising, lost 2 in the first 18 games then the Blades came knocking... they seem to have a habit of de-railing our season after recalling Blaster this Christmas!

Jim Gannon, bus gate, what a mess that second half of 2010/11 was! Still remember him playing some of the youth kids at your place in his first league game in charge! Don't think any of them ever played again or made it.

You know soon as I posted I was thinking was that the season Vale were Top 2 for half of it then imploded massively and it was! Always remember winning against you in January and Gannon having beers with Crewe fans in the Lounge and having pictures with our fans which rattled some of your fanbase. The only one of your kids I certainly remember and who definitely did make it eventually was Sam Morsy who made his pro debut that day! He didn't do too badly tbf! I couldn't even name any of the other kids but I could certainly remember the infamous Exodus Geohaghon in on loan.

Busgate was absolutely hilarious. Was that on the way to Aldershot? Seem to remember listening to Praise and Grumble that night and it was that mental they didn't even bother talking about Stoke or Crewe that evening for the whole hour!

 

[valefan16]

You know soon as I posted I was thinking was that the season Vale were Top 2 for half of it then imploded massively and it was! Always remember winning against you in January and Gannon having beers with Crewe fans in the Lounge and having pictures with our fans which rattled some of your fanbase. The only one of your kids I certainly remember and who definitely did make it eventually was Sam Morsy who made his pro debut that day! He didn't do too badly tbf! I couldn't even name any of the other kids but I could certainly remember the infamous Exodus Geohaghon in on loan.

Busgate was absolutely hilarious. Was that on the way to Aldershot? Seem to remember listening to Praise and Grumble that night and it was that mental they didn't even bother talking about Stoke or Crewe that evening for the whole hour!

I couldn't name the other kids either as none of them went on to do anything! Was mental, he was my choice to take over but it just didn't work, Adams had his direct, organised side and proper lads like Pope, Gary Roberts, Richards, Dodds and Gannon I think was more technical.

Yeah Busgate was, Horsfield and Gannon, Gannon got off at the services, sure the lads were not very sympathetic to him as he got off either! We actually won the game as well!

Morsy was quality, just fell out of favour after a red card in the promotion season, probably Adams biggest mistake for me.

 

[Luke Imp]

2006/07 was a strong year at the top of L2 with us, MK, Walsall, Hartlepool and Swindon.

Bury had that Ajose season where they very good - in the same seasons as Chesterfield won the league I think (and also the year Herford went up under Turner with about 22 loan players?).

In terms of our best in L2, we breezed our way to the title in 2018/19 really and seemed to be going through the motions for most of it.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

I couldn't name the other kids either as none of them went on to do anything! Was mental, he was my choice to take over but it just didn't work, Adams had his direct, organised side and proper lads like Pope, Gary Roberts, Richards, Dodds and Gannon I think was more technical.

Yeah Busgate was, Horsfield and Gannon, Gannon got off at the services, sure the lads were not very sympathetic to him as he got off either! We actually won the game as well!

Morsy was quality, just fell out of favour after a red card in the promotion season, probably Adams biggest mistake for me.

Ive seen Horsfield chatting about that on Under the Cosh. We all love Gannon here and he loves us....not! Accused us of cheating to get the game called off as we played Bristol City in the Semi of the JPT in midweek.

Gannon lodged a complaint with The Football Association against Bristol Rovers when a fixture was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, as he felt not enough was done to ready the pitch, and also a complaint with regard to the referee's handling of the situation.

Gannon fumed: "Bristol Rovers probably feel vindicated now in doing what they did that day because they beat Bristol City [on February 27] and got to the Millennium Stadium. They've also now got this result too.

"But as a professional football club they should be ashamed of themselves.

"They have been thoroughly unprofessional and I hope the Football League take severe action against them.

"If that doesn't happen, I'm going to ask my club to take civil action against the Football League. There has been a clear breach of the rules.
"If they don't come down heavily enough on Bristol Rovers, it's about time some club challenged the Football League and its regulations.

"The breach of the rules has been quite clear. A club is guilty of misconduct if they don't do everything in their power to fulfil a fixture.
"The conduct of Bristol Rovers that day was so unprofessional and it's down to the Football League to take a hard stance on clubs that don't want to fulfil fixtures. In fact the whole game has got to have a serious look at itself because it's being brought into disrepute every week by refereeing standards and the way it's being run generally."

Gannon was also furious that original referee Dean Whitestone was placed in charge again for Tuesday's game.

He added: "The Football League need to look at themselves when they still appoint a referee who we've already made an official complaint about following the original postponement.

 

[Andy Butler]

That Burton Albion side has to be up there as they were promoted on consecutive seasons.

 

[Carver]

Yeah that Yeovil side were quality. We finished second to them. Darren Way and Lee Johnson were ballers at this level.

The best baller that season in L2 for a quality Swansea team that went up was the legendary Lee Trundle.

Them lot were such a menace to play against while he was there and they got promoted to the Championship just a couple of years later.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

The best baller that season in L2 for a quality Swansea team that went up was the legendary Lee Trundle.

Them lot were such a menace to play against while he was there and they got promoted to the Championship just a couple of years later.

Trundle was good, but Andy Robinson was different class for Swansea on their march up the leagues

 

[Casey]

I wish I could put my team in the equation.

Closest would be when we were promoted behind Swindon and Crewe but we sold Tubbs(£800k) Barnett (£1.5m) and Wesley Thomas in January and didn't replace them.

Odd we didn't score many after that

Swindon under DiCanio.

Casey