Football League Third Division 1985/86
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Reading | 46 | 29 | 7 | 10 | 67 | 51 | +16 | 94 | ▲Champions |
| 2nd | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 88 | 53 | +35 | 87 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Derby County | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 80 | 41 | +39 | 84 | ▲Promoted |
| 4th | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 82 | 48 | +34 | 83 | - |
| 5th | Gillingham | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 81 | 54 | +27 | 79 | - |
| 6th | Walsall | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 90 | 64 | +26 | 75 | - |
| 7th | York City | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 77 | 58 | +19 | 71 | - |
| 8th | Notts County | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 71 | 60 | +11 | 71 | - |
| 9th | Bristol City | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 69 | 60 | +9 | 68 | - |
| 10th | Brentford | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 58 | 61 | -3 | 66 | - |
| 11th | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 45 | 52 | -7 | 64 | - |
| 12th | Blackpool | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 63 | - |
| 13th | Darlington | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 61 | 78 | -17 | 58 | - |
| 14th | Rotherham United | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 57 | - |
| 15th | AFC Bournemouth | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 65 | 72 | -7 | 54 | - |
| 16th | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 51 | 75 | -24 | 54 | - |
| 17th | Chesterfield | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 61 | 64 | -3 | 53 | - |
| 18th | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 15 | 8 | 23 | 54 | 68 | -14 | 53 | - |
| 19th | Newport County | 46 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 52 | 65 | -13 | 51 | - |
| 20th | Bury | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 63 | 67 | -4 | 49 | - |
| 21st | Lincoln City | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 55 | 77 | -22 | 46 | ▼Relegated |
| 22nd | Cardiff City | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 53 | 83 | -30 | 45 | ▼Relegated |
| 23rd | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 57 | 98 | -41 | 43 | ▼Relegated |
| 24th | Swansea City | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 43 | 87 | -44 | 43 | ▼Relegated |
|
End of Season Notes |
| ▼Carlisle United were Relegated from the Second Division |
| ▼Middlesbrough were Relegated from the Second Division |
| ▼Fulham were Relegated from the Second Division |
| ▲Reading were Promoted to the Second Division |
| ▲Plymouth Argyle were Promoted to the Second Division |
| ▲Derby County were Promoted to the Second Division |
| ▼Lincoln City were Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| ▼Cardiff City were Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| ▼Wolverhampton Wanderers were Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| ▼Swansea City Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| ▲Swindon Town were Promoted from the Fourth Division |
| ▲Chester City were Promoted from the Fourth Division |
| ▲Mansfield Town were Promoted from the Fourth Division |
| ▲Port Vale were Promoted from the Fourth Division |