League One has always attracted its share of contradictions, but this season offers one of the starkest contrasts the third tier has ever produced. Bromley, a club who were playing in the National League South fewer than a decade ago, line up in the same division as Leicester City, who were Premier League champions just nine years ago.

The Ravens soar

Andy Woodman's Bromley have already opened their League One account with a win at Barnsley, and their presence in the third tier is the product of relentless, incremental progress. In 2015-16, the Ravens were finishing 14th in the National League. That same season, Leicester were lifting the Premier League title at the King Power Stadium.

The symbolism is not lost on supporters at Hayes Lane. What Woodman has built is a genuine football club climbing under its own steam: promoted from the National League, settled, then pushed further up. Signing the likes of Tobias Brenan from Wigan and keeper Owen Mason from Mansfield in the summer signals that they intend to be competitive, not just grateful to be there.

Woodman himself has set play-off qualification as a target for the season, a statement of intent that would have seemed fanciful at almost any earlier point in the club's history. Early results suggest it is not an empty ambition.

The Foxes dig out

Leicester's situation could hardly be more different in its origins, even if the destination is the same division. Relegated from the Premier League with a squad and a wage bill built for the top flight, the Foxes arrived in League One carrying bruised expectations and a difficult summer of squad-trimming. Manager Lee Johnson has been open about the need to move players on, and the club's owners have put the club up for sale, adding further uncertainty off the pitch.

On it, results have been mixed. A draw on the opening day against Notts County, a second draw against Hull, and a narrow loss to Luton in a midweek thriller have left Leicester short of the commanding start their resources might suggest. Will Alves showed bright moments in the League One opener, but consistency has not yet followed.

The gap between what Leicester were and what League One demands of any club, regardless of pedigree, is proving instructive. The third tier rewards organisation, energy and adaptability. It does not defer to reputation.

What the contrast tells us

Both clubs arrive at League One week two facing different kinds of pressure. Bromley carry the freedom of the overachiever: expectations are modest from the outside, which allows Woodman to work with clarity. Leicester carry the weight of a fanbase that has seen the summit and finds the view from the third tier genuinely painful.

That pressure is not necessarily a disadvantage. Lee Johnson pointed to the challenge ahead of the season, and a squad that retains quality even after a difficult summer should, in theory, be capable of pushing for automatic promotion. The market, for what it is worth, places Leicester among the division's favourites. Whether the squad's mentality matches that billing is the question that the coming weeks will answer.

For Bromley, every point in League One is a new landmark. For Leicester, every dropped point is a reminder of just how far things have fallen. The same scoreboard, two entirely different stories behind it. That, more than almost anything else on the fixture list right now, is what makes this League One season worth watching.

Frequently asked

How did Bromley get into League One?
Bromley earned promotion through the National League, completing a long climb from the National League South. Andy Woodman has managed them throughout much of that rise, building the club step by step into the third tier.
Why are Leicester City in League One?
Leicester were relegated from the Premier League and dropped through the Championship before landing in League One. Financial difficulties and a difficult period on the pitch have seen the club fall significantly from their 2015-16 Premier League title-winning peak.
Can Bromley survive in League One this season?
Bromley have started with a win at Barnsley and manager Andy Woodman has spoken openly about targeting the play-offs. They have strengthened in the summer with new signings, suggesting the club believes it can be more than just a mid-table side.