EFL Lg 1 squad sizes

[1985CTFC]

Pinched this from Charlton forum. Hell of a variation between teams. We have the lowest!

There seem to be some differences of opinion regarding what size of squad Nathan Jones has in mind for next season. With that in mind (and since I don't think anyone has posted this here previously) I thought I'd do a chart comparing the squad size of all clubs in League One.

For this I'll be using the official squad lists that clubs have to submit to the EFL when the transfer window closes. The EFL publishes all these lists on their website. Here are the figures from the post January transfer window lists as published on Feb 8th:

OVERAGE OUTFIELD SQUAD LIST
(Teams can have a maximum of 22 overage players. Goalkeepers aren't included in these lists.)
11 Reading
16 Wycombe
17 Burton, Lincoln, Port Vale, Wigan
18 Blackpool, Bristol R, Orient
19 Fleetwood, CHARLTON
20 Exeter, Northampton, Oxford, Peterboro, Stevenage
21 Bolton, Carlisle, Cheltenham, Derby, Portsmouth, Shrewsbury
22 Barnsley, Cambridge

> You'll see that we are midtable in terms of squad size.
> This list doesn't include free agents signed after the window closed.
> Connor Wickham means we're now at 20. I don't know if other clubs have added players.
> We have space for two more. The fact that LuaLua and Fosu are training with us suggests NJ is looking to utilise the full 22 overage outfielders, which is hardly 'streamlining the squad'!
> You need EFL permission to add a free agent to your list post-window closure, which is what NJ is referring to when he says we're "waiting for clearance" re one (presumably LuaLua).
> Nothing much to comment on re the rest of the division, other than the fire sale and transfer embargoes have left Reading largely reliant on being allowed to sign U21 players (see the next list).

UNDER 21s ON PRO CONTRACT LIST
(Teams must also submit a separate list of 'Under 21' players, ie those born after 1st Jan 2002, who they have signed to professional contracts. This list DOES include goalkeepers.)
2 Cheltenham
3 Shrewsbury
6 Port Vale, Stevenage
7 Carlisle
8 Burton, Northampton
9 Lincoln
10 Orient
11 Cambridge, Oxford, Portsmouth
12 Bristol R
14 Exeter
15 Wycombe
18 Barnsley
21 Derby
22 Blackpool
23 Peterboro, Wigan
24 Bolton
30 Fleetwood
33 CHARLTON
37 Reading

> I'm amazed at how wide the divergence here is (2-37) and how it doesn't necessarily translate to how 'big' a club is.
> Obviously Reading are a special case due to their overage transfer embargoes.
> It's pretty clear that our U21s contingent is bloated rather than our overage one.
> 34 young pros (adding in Small who joined post window) is way above average. Our famously strong academy is obviously a factor, but there are other L1 clubs with decent academies too.
> The fact we win L1 Apprentice of the Year so often (eg the past two seasons) makes a lot more sense now.

COMBINED TOTAL OF BOTH LISTS
(Just for the hell of it I've added the numbers for both lists together.)
23 Cheltenham, Port Vale
24 Shrewsbury
25 Burton
26 Stevenage, Lincoln
28 Carlisle, Northampton, Orient
30 Bristol R
31 Oxford, Wycombe
32 Portsmouth
33 Cambridge
34 Exeter
40 Barnsley, Blackpool, Wigan
42 Derby
43 Peterboro
45 Bolton
48 Reading
49 Fleetwood
52 CHARLTON

> Add in Wickham, Small and three overage goalies and we're actually at 57 pro players. LuaLua and/or Fosu will increase that further.
> Please bear the above numbers of players (as registered with the EFL) in mind when NJ talks about 'streamlining the squad'!

[Robin]

Smallest squad in the league and carrying injuries to several key players is our biggest problem right now. That said the clubs with the larger squads will undoubtedly include their U-23 squads which only the bigger clubs will operate at this level. The clear outlier their is Fleetwood who invested heavilly in this area under their now inprisoned owner but will almost certainly have to scrap the idea next season just as Accrington did.

[Jerry St Clair]

I didn't know there was a limit on numbers of over-21 outfield players. Interesting.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Smallest squad in the league and carrying injuries to several key players is our biggest problem right now. That said the clubs with the larger squads will undoubtedly include their U-23 squads which only the bigger clubs will operate at this level. The clear outlier their is Fleetwood who invested heavilly in this area under their now inprisoned owner but will almost certainly have to scrap the idea next season just as Accrington did.

No ‘undoubtedly’ about it: it’s clearly outlined in the OP.

[Broadway Brian]

Smallest squad in the league and carrying injuries to several key players is our biggest problem right now. That said the clubs with the larger squads will undoubtedly include their U-23 squads which only the bigger clubs will operate at this level. The clear outlier their is Fleetwood who invested heavilly in this area under their now inprisoned owner but will almost certainly have to scrap the idea next season just as Accrington did.

No ‘undoubtedly’ about it: it’s clearly outlined in the OP.

Thereby, surely without doubt??

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Smallest squad in the league and carrying injuries to several key players is our biggest problem right now. That said the clubs with the larger squads will undoubtedly include their U-23 squads which only the bigger clubs will operate at this level. The clear outlier their is Fleetwood who invested heavilly in this area under their now inprisoned owner but will almost certainly have to scrap the idea next season just as Accrington did.

No ‘undoubtedly’ about it: it’s clearly outlined in the OP.

Thereby, surely without doubt??

Indeed, but he said it as if he’d just thought of it and was informing us all of this new knowledge he had.