The statistics which confirm Portsmouth blew it this season with Doncaster Rovers, Hull City were worthy champions, Shrewsbury Town endured a humdrum 2020-21 existence and Burton Albion came back from brink

No team in the third tier spent more time in the play-off places than the Blues over the 2020-21 campaign.

Yet despite showing their top-six credentials, they could only finish eighth in a frustrating finale to their fourth season in League One.

Now the number crunchers at Experimental 3-6-1 have shown how a season under Kenny Jackett and Danny Cowley saw their side fall short of their natural standing in the hierarchy of clubs.

Experimental 3-6-1 have compiled a chart featuring every League One club and the days they spent in every position in the table.

Pompey accumulated a whopping 139 days in the play-off positions - a number unsurpassed by any of their rivals.

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Sunderland came closest with the Black Cats ending up with 137 days spent between second and sixth.

Doncaster’s collapse was even worse than the Blues’, as they spent 124 days in the play-off berths before winding up in 14th spot.

Pompey’s breakdown shows a total of 44 days spent in fourth, 24 in third, 39 fifth and 32 in sixth place.

The Blues, of course, were top at Christmas before things fell away dramatically in 2021 which covered eight days in first place with 10 days spent second.

The stats show 61 days were spent between seventh and 12th, 15 in between 13th and 20th with a week in the bottom four places in 22nd.

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Hull, of course, took the League One title and the numbers showed how deserved that success was - the Tigers were top of the pile for a total of 109 days.

But spare a thought for Shrewsbury fans after their side’s humdrum campaign. No club accommodated a single position longer than their 122 days sat in 17th - the spot they finished the season in.

Burton Albion’s resurrection under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was confirmed by the fact they occupied bottom spot in League One for 112 days - before they rose to finish 16th.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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