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YouTubers rank all 24 EFL League One clubs from smallest

Cameron has written for Football League World since May 2025.  Originally from Staffordshire and now living in Germany, he has previously worked with the Express & Star, Walsall FC and Breaking Media.  Now, his work centres around the EFL, Wolves and the Bundesliga.

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The size of a football club is a topic that always sparks plenty of debate among fans across the country, and the English third tier is no different.

League One is home to a fantastic mixture of clubs in the 2026/27 season, with former Premier League champions playing their football in the division alongside sides who have only recently established themselves in the EFL.

Considering this, Tom Garratt and Callum Fowler, hosts of The Pyramid podcast, have ranked all 24 League One clubs from smallest to biggest.

Naturally, the rankings have produced some interesting selections, with several clubs finding themselves surprisingly low down the list, while the club deemed the biggest may spark some controversy.

With this in mind, Football League World takes a look at how the pair ranked every club, starting with the smallest.

24th-19th: Cambridge United named League One's smallest club

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  • 24th - Cambridge United
  • 23rd - Burton Albion
  • 22nd - Bromley
  • 21st - Stevenage
  • 20th - Wycombe Wanderers
  • 19th - MK Dons

Sitting at the bottom of the size list in League One are Cambridge United, after sealing their return to the third tier at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Burton Albion are placed just above them, while Bromley, who only made their EFL debut in 2024, are ranked 22nd - potentially a surprising ranking given their recent status as a non-league club.

Stevenage and Wycombe Wanderers follow, with the latter spending a season in the Championship as recently as 2020/21, whilst MK Dons complete the bottom six, sitting 19th in the rankings.

18th-13th: Stockport County and Peterborough United among lower-ranked clubs

Peterborough United players
  • 18th - Stockport County
  • 17th - Mansfield Town
  • 16th - Doncaster Rovers
  • 15th - AFC Wimbledon
  • 14th - Leyton Orient
  • 13th - Peterborough United

Given their history in the second tier and impressive resurgence in recent years, Stockport County are a potentially surprising selection in the bottom half, while Mansfield Town and Doncaster Rovers sit just ahead.

AFC Wimbledon sit 15th, a place below fellow Londoners Leyton Orient, with both clubs being recognisable names in the English pyramid.

Peterborough are ranked the biggest club in this group, with Posh's recent promotion credibility giving them a stronger argument when compared to their third-tier rivals.

12th-7th: Wigan and Barnsley feature in the top half

Barnsley fans
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  • 12th - Plymouth Argyle
  • 11th - Reading
  • 10th - Notts County
  • 9th - Oxford United
  • 8th - Wigan Athletic
  • 7th - Barnsley

Plymouth are the side to narrowly miss out on a spot in the top half, sitting just behind Reading, who are known by fans across the nation for their Premier League spells in the 2000s and 2012/13.

Notts County, the world's oldest professional football club, complete the top ten by finishing a place below Oxford United, who were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Wigan Athletic sit eighth, with the Latics boasting eight consecutive seasons in the Premier League between 2005 and 2013, alongside their famous FA Cup win at the end of their top-flight spell in 2013.

Fowler's side Barnsley sit seventh, with the Tykes last seeing the Premier League in the 1997/98 campaign.

6th-4th: Blackpool, Bradford and Luton narrowly miss out on top three

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  • 6th - Blackpool
  • 5th - Bradford City
  • 4th - Luton Town

Blackpool complete the top six, with the Seasiders enjoying a stint in the Premier League during the 2010/11 season, while they are narrowly edged out by Bradford City.

Bradford themselves experienced the Premier League at the turn of the century, but have spent the years since in the lower leagues - even dropping as low as League Two.

Luton Town are ranked fourth, having competed in the top flight as recently as 2024.

The Hatters' remarkable rise from non-league football to the Premier League has been well documented in recent years, with Luton becoming a stable Championship side before their ascent through the playoffs.

They have since suffered a dramatic decline, but remain one of the clubs expected to be there or thereabouts in the race for promotion.

3rd: Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town stadium

Huddersfield sit third, with the Terriers boasting one of the most impressive histories of any club currently playing in League One.

The West Yorkshire club won three successive league titles between 1924 and 1926, earning the three stars seen on their badge.

Alongside this, they also spent two seasons in the Premier League between 2017 and 2019, after David Wagner took the club up through the playoffs.

They have struggled to sustain a promotion charge since their relegation to the third tier, but they are one of those expected to find themselves in contention when the odds are discussed each summer.

2nd: Sheffield Wednesday

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Sheffield Wednesday narrowly miss out on top spot, with Garratt and Fowler ranking the Owls as the second-biggest club in England's third tier.

The South Yorkshire outfit have won four titles and three FA Cups, while their fanbase remains one of the most impressive in the country.

Wednesday spent much of the 1990s competing in the Premier League, but have not returned to the top flight since suffering relegation in 2000.

In recent years, Wednesday have faced their fair share of financial struggles under Dejphon Chansiri, culminating in their relegation from the Championship in 2026, but they are looking to rebuild and finally work their way back towards Premier League contention.

1st: Leicester City

Jamie Vardy wins the Premier League at Leicester City

Edging out Sheffield Wednesday to claim top spot, Leicester have been named the biggest club currently playing in the third tier.

The Foxes' achievements in recent years are unmatched by any of their current league rivals, with Claudio Ranieri famously leading them to the Premier League title in 2016.

The East Midlanders then added the FA Cup to their cabinet in 2021, while their stint at the top end of the division saw them compete in all three European competitions.

However, their decline has been a sharp one, with Leicester falling to League One just over 12 months after Premier League relegation, leaving an extremely sour taste in the mouths of supporters.

Nevertheless, their achievements this century and extended top-flight stint see Leicester come out on top in the rankings.

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