Each week, we rank the most compelling underdog clubs in English football — the teams overachieving, collapsing, or creating chaos across the pitch and in the stands. From the Premier League to League Two, these are the clubs with the biggest stories, the sharpest swings, and the strongest vibes.
The scores you see is their Minnow Rank — a number out of 100 based on four weighted metrics:
- Underdog Status (squad value and league level)
- Overperformance (vs preseason expectations)
- Momentum (recent form)
- Fan Mood (subjective supporter sentiment)
100 = a fanbase in ecstasy. 1 = …not so much.
Rankings updated on August 14, 2025.
Absolute Scenes (85 – 100)
| Club | Minnows Rank |
| Charlton Athletic | 88 |
| Bradford City | 88 |
| Bromley | 85 |
Giant Killers (70 – 84)
| Wrexham | 84 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 84 |
| AFC Wimbledon | 82 |
| Port Vale | 82 |
| Bristol City | 81 |
| Birmingham City | 80 |
| Chesterfield | 75 |
| Swindon Town | 75 |
| Derby County | 73 |
| Stevenage | 72 |
| Barnet | 72 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 71 |
| Leyton Orient | 71 |
| Portsmouth | 70 |
| Mansfield Town | 70 |
On the Rise (55 – 69)
| Millwall | 69 |
| Oxford United | 69 |
| Huddersfield Town | 69 |
| Harrogate Town | 69 |
| Coventry City | 68 |
| Preston North End | 68 |
| Swansea City | 68 |
| Wycombe Wanderers | 68 |
| Grimsby Town | 68 |
| Stockport County | 65 |
| Barrow | 65 |
| Walsall | 65 |
| Stoke City | 63 |
| Burton Albion | 63 |
| Exeter City | 63 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 62 |
| Lincoln City | 62 |
| Cheltenham Town | 61 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 61 |
| Newport County | 60 |
| Salford City | 59 |
| Fleetwood Town | 58 |
| Gillingham | 58 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 56 |
| Rotherham United | 56 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 56 |
Midtable (40 – 54)
| Watford | 54 |
| Middlesbrough | 53 |
| Northampton Town | 53 |
| Colchester United | 53 |
| Oldham Athletic | 53 |
| Ipswich Town | 52 |
| Norwich City | 52 |
| Peterborough United | 52 |
| Wigan Athletic | 52 |
| Blackpool | 50 |
| Leicester City | 48 |
| Bristol Rovers | 48 |
| Reading | 47 |
| Cardiff City | 45 |
| Barnsley | 43 |
| Milton Keynes Dons | 43 |
| Crawley Town | 42 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 41 |
| Hull City | 41 |
| Sheffield United | 41 |
| Luton Town | 40 |
The Brink (20 – 39)
| Southampton | 39 |
| Accrington Stanley | 38 |
| Cambridge United | 36 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 35 |
| Notts County | 34 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 30 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 28 |
Call the Priest: Full Blown Crisis (0 – 19)
No one has had to call the priest yet.
Minnows Football 