English Football League
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English Football League |
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The Football League was the first league to be formed in the world. From small beginnings of 12 clubs in 1888 (all based around the North of England and the Midlands), expansion saw the league cater for 92 clubs by 1950. The breakaway of the top clubs to form the F.A. Premier League in 1992 degraded the quality of the first division, but "League status" is still the ultimate aim of a large number of semi-professional clubs across the country.
Preston North End were the inaugural champions, not losing a game in 1888-89. Over the first decade, clubs came and went with the epicentre still very much in the North of England. Woolwich Arsenal became the first club from South of Birmingham to join in 1893, a season after the league expanded to two divisions. After the turn of the century, the league became more and more representative of England as a whole. Aston Villa had become the second club to compete the League/F.A. Cup double in 1897, but Tottenham Hotspur, of the Southern League became the only club from below the Football League to take the F.A. Cup in 1901.
The league ceased operations for the duration of the Great War, but upon resumption in 1919, expansion again was on the agenda. A Third Division (South) was formed by the inclusion of the entire Southern League First Division, with, a year later a Northern Section also formed.
Until the 1920s, no club had won three successive Championships, but that changed with Huddersfield Town doing so, followed a decade later by Arsenal, as the league celebrated its golden jubilee.
After another break for the Second World War, the pre-eminent position among English football was resumed. Huge crowds flocked to see entertaining matches, with many of the founder members enjoying a resurgence.
European competition came during the 1950s, and Football League clubs were soon amongst the honours. Tottenham Hotspur, who in 1961 had become only the third club to perform the "double", won the 1963 Cup Winners Cup, a feat equalled by West Ham United two years later. But the really big one, the European Cup, eluded English clubs until 1968 when Manchester United beat Benfica of Portugal 4-1 at Wembley.
Into the 1970s, and a new force began to emerge on to the scene. Liverpool took the 1972-3 title, which was to be the first of 11 titles in 16 years. Four European Cups also found their way to Anfield. Other English clubs, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa also claimed Europe's biggest prize during this time.
Since then, the big have got bigger and the small have got smaller. TV revenues, which used to be split fairly evenly across all clubs, were re-directed towards the biggest. The concentration of finance and talent in a minority of clubs saw those clubs demand more and more influence over the way things were run, and in 1992 the First Division clubs broke away to form the F.A. Premier League, leaving the remainder to re-form Divisions One, Two and Three. The league has carried on it that form since, automatic promotion to the Premier League being available for the top two sides of the First Division plus a play-off winner.
The play-offs were a child of the 1980s, originally formed to ease the reduction in size of Division One from 22 to 20 clubs. Then, they consisted of one club which had just avoided automatic relegation, plus three who had just missed out on automatic promotion. Now, still hugely popular in some quarters and anathema in others, four clubs fighting for promotion compete in semi-finals and a Wembley Stadium final.
Currently the league consists of 3 divisions of 24 clubs each, confusingly renamed in 2004 to be "Championship", "League One" and "League Two"
After over 100 years as the "Football League", the league adopted the name "English Football League", commonly abbreviated to EFL, in 2016.
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1888-89 | Preston North End |
| 1889-90 | Preston North End |
| 1890-91 | Everton |
| 1891-92 | Sunderland |
Division Two was added in 1892
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1892-93 | Sunderland | Small Heath |
| 1893-94 | Aston Villa | Liverpool |
| 1894-95 | Sunderland | Bury |
| 1895-96 | Aston Villa | Liverpool |
| 1896-97 | Aston Villa | Notts County |
| 1897-98 | Sheffield United | Burnley |
| 1898-99 | Aston Villa | Manchester City |
| 1899-00 | Aston Villa | Sheffield Wednesday |
| 1900-01 | Liverpool | Grimsby Town |
| 1901-02 | Sunderland | West Bromwich Albion |
| 1902-03 | Sheffield Wednesday | Manchester City |
| 1903-04 | Sheffield Wednesday | Preston North End |
| 1904-05 | Newcastle United | Liverpool |
| 1905-06 | Liverpool | Bristol City |
| 1906-07 | Newcastle United | Nottingham Forest |
| 1907-08 | Manchester United | Bradford City |
| 1908-09 | Newcastle United | Bolton Wanderers |
| 1909-10 | Aston Villa | Manchester City |
| 1910-11 | Manchester United | West Bromwich Albion |
| 1911-12 | Blackburn Rovers | Derby County |
| 1912-13 | Sunderland | Preston North End |
| 1913-14 | Blackburn Rovers | Notts County |
| 1914-15 | Everton | Derby County |
| 1915-19 | Comeptition suspended during World War I | |
| 1919-20 | West Bromwich Albion | Tottenham Hotspur |
In 1920, a Third Division South was added, mainly of clubs from the Southern League.
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-21 | Burnley | Birmingham | Crystal Palace |
One year later, Division Three North was added
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three North | Division Three South |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-22 | Liverpool | Nottingham Forest | Stockport County | Southampton |
| 1922-23 | Liverpool | Notts County | Nelson | Bristol City |
| 1923-24 | Huddersfield Town | Leeds United | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Portsmouth |
| 1924-25 | Huddersfield Town | Leicester City | Darlington | Swansea Town |
| 1925-26 | Huddersfield Town | Sheffield Wednesday | Grimsby Town | Reading |
| 1926-27 | Newcastle United | Middlesbrough | Stoke City | Bristol City |
| 1927-28 | Everton | Manchester City | Bradford Park Avenue | Millwall |
| 1928-29 | Sheffield Wednesday | Middlesbrough | Bradford City | Charlton Athletic |
| 1929-30 | Sheffield Wednesday | Blackpool | Port Vale | Plymouth Argyle |
| 1930-31 | Arsenal | Everton | Chesterfield | Notts County |
| 1931-32 | Everton | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Lincoln City | Fulham |
| 1932-33 | Arsenal | Stoke City | Hull City | Brentford |
| 1933-34 | Arsenal | Grimsby Town | Barnsley | Norwich City |
| 1934-35 | Arsenal | Brentford | Doncaster Rovers | Charlton Athletic |
| 1935-36 | Sunderland | Manchester United | Chesterfield | Coventry City |
| 1936-37 | Manchester City | Leicester City | Stockport County | Luton Town |
| 1937-38 | Arsenal | Aston Villa | Tranmere Rovers | Walsall |
| 1938-39 | Everton | Blackburn Rovers | Barnsley | Newport County |
| 1939-40 | Competition abandoned on outbreak of World War II | |||
| 1940-45 | Competition suspended during World War II | |||
| 1946-47 | Liverpool | Manchester City | Doncaster Rovers | Cardiff City |
| 1947-48 | Arsenal | Birmingham City | Lincoln City | Queens Park Rangers |
| 1948-49 | Portsmouth | Fulham | Hull City | Swansea Town |
| 1949-50 | Portsmouth | Tottenham Hotspur | Doncaster Rovers | Notts County |
| 1950-51 | Tottenham Hotpur | Preston North End | Rotherham United | Nottingham Forest |
| 1951-52 | Manchester United | Sheffield Wednesday | Lincoln City | Plymouth Argyle |
| 1952-53 | Arsenal | Sheffield United | Oldham Athletic | Bristol Rovers |
| 1953-54 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Leicester City | Port Vale | Ipswich Town |
| 1954-55 | Chelsea | Birmingham City | Barnsley | Bristol City |
| 1955-56 | Manchester United | Sheffield Wednesday | Grimsby Town | Leyton Orient |
| 1956-57 | Manchester United | Leicester City | Derby County | Ipswich Town |
| 1957-58 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | West Ham United | Scunthorpe & Lindsey United | Brighton & Hove Albion |
In 1958, the lower divisions were re-organised. The geographical split was abandoned, and Divisions Three North and South became Divisions Three and Four
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three | Division Four |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-59 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Sheffield Wednesday | Plymouth Argyle | Port Vale |
| 1959-60 | Burnley | Aston Villa | Southampton | Walsall |
| 1960-61 | Tottenham Hotspur | Ipswich Town | Bury | Peterborough United |
| 1961-62 | Ipswich Town | Liverpool | Portsmouth | Everton |
| 1962-63 | Everton | Stoke City | Northampton Town | Brentford |
| 1963-64 | Liverpool | Leeds United | Coventry City | Gillingham |
| 1964-65 | Manchester United | Newcastle United | Carlisle United | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 1965-66 | Liverpool | Manchester City | Hull City | Doncaster Rovers |
| 1966-67 | Manchester United | Coventry City | Queens Park Rangers | Stockport County |
| 1967-68 | Manchester City | Ipswich Town | Oxford United | Luton Town |
| 1968-69 | Leeds United | Derby County | Watford | Doncaster Rovers |
| 1969-70 | Everton | Orient | Huddersfield Town | Chesterfield |
| 1970-71 | Arsenal | Leicester City | Preston North End | Notts County |
| 1971-72 | Derby County | Norwich City | Aston Villa | Grimsby Town |
| 1972-73 | Liverpool | Burnley | Bolton Wanderers | Southport |
| 1973-74 | Leeds United | Middlesbrough | Oldham Athletic | Peterborough United |
| 1974-75 | Derby County | Manchester United | Blackburn Rovers | Mansfield Town |
| 1975-76 | Liverpool | Sunderland | Hereford United | Lincoln City |
| 1976-77 | Liverpool | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Mansfield Town | Cambridge United |
| 1977-78 | Nottingham Forest | Bolton Wanderers | Wrexham | Watford |
| 1978-79 | Liverpool | Crystal Palace | Shrewsbury Town | Reading |
| 1979-80 | Liverpool | Leicester City | Grimsby Town | Huddersfield Town |
| 1980-81 | Aston Villa | West Ham United | Rotherham United | Southend United |
| 1981-82 | Liverpool | Luton Town | Burnley | Sheffield United |
| 1982-83 | Liverpool | Queens Park Rangers | Portsmouth | Wimbledon |
| 1983-84 | Liverpool | Chelsea | Oxford United | York City |
| 1984-85 | Everton | Oxford United | Bradford City | Chesterfield |
| 1985-86 | Liverpool | Norwich City | Reading | Swindon Town |
| 1986-87 | Everton | Derby County | A F C Bournemouth | Northampton Town |
| 1987-88 | Liverpool | Millwall | Sunderland | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| 1988-89 | Arsenal | Chelsea | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Rotherham United |
| 1989-90 | Liverpool | Leeds United | Bristol Rovers | Exeter City |
| 1990-91 | Arsenal | Oldham Athletic | Cambridge United | Darlington |
| 1991-92 | Leeds United | Ipswich Town | Brentford | Burnley |
In 1992, the FA Premier League was formed taking the 22 clubs that would have formed Division One for 1992-93. The remaining three divisions were still named Division One, Two and Three with the name "Division Four" disappearing
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Newcastle United | Stoke City | Cardiff City |
| 1993-94 | Crystal Palace | Reading | Shrewsbury Town |
| 1994-95 | Middlesbrough | Birmingham City | Carlisle United |
| 1995-96 | Sunderland | Swindon Town | Preston North End |
| 1996-97 | Bolton Wanderers | Bury | Wigan Athletic |
| 1997-98 | Nottingham Forest | Watford | Notts County |
| 1998-99 | Sunderland | Fulham | Brentford |
| 1999-00 | Charlton Athletic | Preston North End | Swansea City |
| 2000-01 | Fulham | Millwall | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 2001-02 | Manchester City | Brighton & Hove Albion | Plymouth Argyle |
| 2002-03 | Portsmouth | Wigan Athletic | Rushden & Diamonds |
| 2003-04 | Norwich City | Plymouth Argyle | Doncaster Rovers |
In 2004, the divisions were re-named
| Season | Championship | League One | League Two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | Sunderland | Luton Town | Yeovil Town |
| 2005-06 | Reading | Southend United | Carlisle United |
| 2006-07 | Sunderland | Scunthorpe United | Walsall |
| 2007-08 | West Bromwich Albion | Swansea City | Milton Keynes Dons |
| 2008-09 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Leicester City | Brentford |
| 2009-10 | Newcastle United | Norwich City | Notts County |
| 2010-11 | Queens Park Rangers | Brighton & Hove Albion | Chesterfield |
| 2011-12 | Reading | Charlton Athletic | Swindon Town |
| 2012-13 | Cardiff City | Doncaster Rovers | Gillingham |
| 2013-14 | Leicester City | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Chesterfield |
| 2014-15 | A F C Bournemouth | Bristol City | Burton Albion |
| 2015-16 | Burnley | Wigan Athletic | Northampton Town |
| 2016-17 | Newcastle United | Sheffield United | Portsmouth |
| 2017-18 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Wigan Athletic | Accrington Stanley |
| 2018-19 | Norwich City | Luton Town | Lincoln City |
| 2019-20 | Leeds United | Coventry City | Swindon Town |
| 2020-21 | Norwich City | Hull City | Cheltenham Town |
The F.C.H.D. has the complete final table information for this league, the tables have been published in numerous books over recent years.
Please acknowledge the F.C.H.D. when using this information elsewhere