As we come towards the final two months of the League Two season, supporters of clubs in and around the bottom two find themselves frantically checking their current points total, wondering how many they'll need come May to ensure survival, thus avoiding the unthinkable outcome of dropping out of the EFL. Only the bottom two teams in the fourth tier of English football are relegated to the National League, which can prove notoriously difficult to escape from once there.
We've examined the numbers from previous League Two campaigns, with a specific eye on the points total of the highest-placed club to be relegated
The points tally for the 2019/20 season has not been taken into account as a full season was not played
Note that Torquay were not relegated in 1995/96 despite coming last in the table
When considering the above points tallies, the average number of points a club needs to survive in League Two is 41.8. Although, it's important to note that an inferior goal difference adds an additional point to that average total, making it 42.8. However, this average seems skewed by a couple of meagre totals back in the 90s, mainly Doncaster Rovers, who were relegated with just 20 points in the 1997/98 season. In more recent times, a total within the mid 40s has not proved enough to stay in League Two. Both Hartlepool United and Barnet were relegated in 2017 and 2018 respective with 46 points to their name. Meanwhile, Southend United dropped out of the EFL in 2021, despite recording 45 points across the season.
