Monkey

Quiz Monkey
What do you want to know?

You are here:

On this page:

Sport Football League History
1888 1890 1892 1893 1894 1895 1898 1899 1905 1906
1919 1920 1921 1922 1950 1958 1987 1992 2004 Notes

If you like my website, and/or if you've found it useful, please consider making a small donation to my Just Giving page, which I've set up just for this purpose. To begin with I'm collecting for a charity whose work I have benefitted from myself (and continue to do so): the British Heart Foundation. It would be great to raise £100 in the first month.

If you have already donated ... Thank You!

Football: League History

Where a club's name is in bold type (on entry to the League) this means that the club has stayed in the League ever since.

1888: the original twelve

The Football League was founded in 1888 on the initiative of William McGregor, a director of Aston Villa FC. The FA had legalised professionalism three years earlier, and as costs escalated McGregor felt that clubs needed regular fixtures in order to generate income. (Previously, each club had arranged its own fixtures and there was no guaranteed income.)

    Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1893 Folded 1896       1
Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership 7 7 5 19  
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship 3 6 1 10  
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship 4   4  
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship 2 1   3  
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship 2 1   3  
Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership 9 5   14  
Click to show or hide the answer   League Two 1   1  
Click to show or hide the answer   League One 2 2   4  
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1890
Re–elected 1891
Premiership 1 1 2
Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership 1 5 1 7  
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship 3 4 2 9  

1890–1

In 1890 Stoke were not re–elected, having finished bottom of the league in both of its first two seasons.  They were replaced by Sunderland (who went on to win the League title in their second, third and fifth seasons).  Stoke were accepted by the Football Alliance, which had been founded in 1889 as a rival to the League.  In 1890–1 Stoke won the Alliance and were subsequently re–elected to the League; Darwen (another Alliance club) were also elected in 1891, bringing the number of clubs in the League to 14.

    Year   Replaced Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer 1890 Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership 6 2   8  
Click to show or hide the answer 1891   (None – expansion to 14 teams) Not re–elected 1899 NW Counties League (Level 9)        
Click to show or hide the answer 1891   (None – expansion to 14 teams) Resigned 1908 Premiership         2

1892: Two Divisions

In 1892 the Football League formed a Second Division of 12 clubs, and expanded the First Division to 16 clubs.  Eleven of the new members came from the Alliance, which was effectively absorbed into the League.

Darwen, having finished 14th and bottom of the League in 1891–2, suffered the ignominy of being the first club to be relegated.  With the expansion of the First Division, this left three vacancies, and these were taken by:

    From Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance See Note 3 Championship4 3 1 8 3
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance   Championship2 2 4 8  
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance See note 4 Premiership19 11 3 33 4

Admitted to Division Two:

    Joined from Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance See Note 5 Premiership2 4 2 8 5
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance Resigned Aug 1893 See Note 6     6
Click to show or hide the answer Midland League Not re–elected 1896
Re–elected 1898
League Two      7
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance Not re–elected 1907 See Note 8     8
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance Not re–elected 1896
Rejoined Div 1 (N) 1921
League One      
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance Not re–elected 1910
Re–elected 1911
Conference Premier      
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance Not re–elected 1908
Rejoined 1909
Conference Premier      
Click to show or hide the answer Combination Resigned 1894 Northern Premier      
Click to show or hide the answer Northern League   League One 1 4   5  
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance See Note 9 Championship   2 2 9
Click to show or hide the answer Football Alliance Not re–elected 1895
Re–elected 1906
League One      10

1893

In 1893, Accrington and Bootle resigned, and five new clubs were admitted to the Second Division – bringing the total up to 16 clubs in the First Division and 15 in the Second.  One of the five new clubs, Woolwich Arsenal, became the first club from the south of England to compete in the League.

Also in 1893, Notts County became the second club, and the first of the original twelve members of the League, to suffer relegation to the Second Division.

    Joined from Subsequently Current status Notes
Click to show or hide the answer Midland League Not re–elected 1896 Dissolved 1896 11
Click to show or hide the answer Northern League   Premiership  
Click to show or hide the answer (No league)   Premiership 12
Click to show or hide the answer Lancashire League   Premiership  
Click to show or hide the answer Northern League Resigned 1894  Dissolved 1894  

1894

In 1894 Northwich Victoria and Middlesbrough Ironopolis resigned from the League, and three new clubs were admitted – bringing both divisions up to 16 clubs.

  Joined from Subsequently Current status Notes
Click to show or hide the answer Midland League See Note 13 Championship 13
Click to show or hide the answer Midland League Not re–elected 1897 See Note 8 8
Click to show or hide the answer Lancashire League   League Two  

1895–7

In 1897, Luton Town became only the second club from the south of England (after Woolwich Arsenal) to play in the Football League. They lasted only three years before failing re–election in 1900 – but they rejoined in 1920 to become founder members of the Third Division.

  In Year   Replaced Subsequently Current status
Click to show or hide the answer 1895 Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1900 Dissolved 1900
Click to show or hide the answer 1896 Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1899
Re–elected 1900
Championship
Click to show or hide the answer 1896 Not re–elected 1912 Conference North
Click to show or hide the answer 1896 Failed re–election 1901 League One
Click to show or hide the answer 1897 Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1900
Rejoined Division 3 1920
Conference National

1898

In 1898, both divisions were expanded to 18 teams.  At the same time, automatic promotion and relegation was introduced for the first time after Stoke and Burnley were held to have colluded to ensure that they both played in the First Division in the 1898–9 season.

    Joined from Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer Midland League See Note 7 League Two        7
Click to show or hide the answer Lancashire League Resigned 1901 Dissolved 1901       
Click to show or hide the answer Midland League Not re–elected 1915 North West Counties League        
Click to show or hide the answer Midland League   Championship       

1899–1904

In 1901, Bristol City became the third club from the south of England (after Woolwich Arsenal and Luton Town) to play in the Football League.  Luton having failed re–election in 1900, the Robins remained the only southern club from outside London until 1920, when virtually the entire top division of the Southern League joined to form the Third Division of the Football League. They were runners–up in 1906–7, and losing finalists in the FA Cup in 1909.

    Year   Replaced Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer 1899 Click to show or hide the answer Failed re–election 1909 Dissolved 1915        14
Click to show or hide the answer 1899 Click to show or hide the answer   Championship    1    
Click to show or hide the answer 1900 Click to show or hide the answer           
Click to show or hide the answer 1900 Not re–elected 1904
Re–elected 1905
Conference National       
Click to show or hide the answer 1901 Click to show or hide the answer   Championship          
Click to show or hide the answer 1901 Not re–elected 1903
Re–elected 1904
Championship          
Click to show or hide the answer 1903 Click to show or hide the answer   League Two   1   1  
Click to show or hide the answer 1904 Click to show or hide the answer Failed re–election 1905
Re–elected 1923
          

1905

In 1905 both divisions were expanded to 20 teams (from 18). Doncaster Rovers failed re–election, and five new teams (including Stockport County, who had failed re–election in 1904) were elected to Division Two:

    Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership4 6 4 14  
Click to show or hide the answer   League One         15
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship        
Click to show or hide the answer Expelled 1919 Dissolved 1919         
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2011 Conference National         

1906–15

In the four years from 1907 to 1910, one club failed re–election each year: Burton United, Lincoln City, Chesterfield Town and Grimsby Town.  In addition, Burslem Port Vale and Stoke resigned for financial reasons in 1907 and 1908 respectively.  Five new teams joined the League in this period: Fulham, Oldham Athletic, Bradford (Park Avenue), Tottenham Hotspur, and Huddersfield Town.

Lincoln City were re–elected in 1909 after only one year out, but in 1911 they failed re–election again.  Once again they were out for only one year, and in 1912 they were re–elected to replace Gainsborough Trinity.

Similarly, Grimsby Town failed re–election in 1910 but were re–elected after only one year out, when they replaced Lincoln.

    Year   Replaced Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotal
Click to show or hide the answer 1907 Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership       
Click to show or hide the answer 1907   League One        
Click to show or hide the answer 1908 Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1970        
Click to show or hide the answer 1908   Premiership2 8 4 14
Click to show or hide the answer 1909 Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1911         
Click to show or hide the answer 1910 Click to show or hide the answer   League One 3 1   4
Click to show or hide the answer 1911 Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1920         
Click to show or hide the answer 1912 Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1920         

1919

Glossop North End failed re–election in 1915, but the League was then suspended for the duration of World War I. On the resumption in 1919, Leeds City were compulsorily wound up by the League after making illegal payments to players during the war.  The two Potteries clubs, Stoke and Port Vale, were elected to replace Glossop and Leeds, and four new clubs were admitted, as both divisions were expanded to 22 teams.

      Replaced Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotalNotes
Click to show or hide the answer       Championship  1   1  
Click to show or hide the answer       Championship 3   3  
Click to show or hide the answer       League Two     11
Click to show or hide the answer     Not re–elected 1960 Conference National      16
Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer           
Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership       

1920: three divisions

In 1920 the Football League formed a Third Division, by effectively absorbing the First Division of the Southern League (as it had the Football Alliance 28 years earlier).

Grimsby Town and Lincoln City, who had finished in the bottom two places of the Second Division in 1919–20, failed re–election; but Grimsby were granted a reprieve by being elected to the new Third Division.  The vacant places in the Second Division were taken by Cardiff City, who had finished fourth in the Southern League in 1919–20, and Leeds United, who had been formed just one year earlier following the compulsory winding up of Leeds City.

The Third Division was thus made up of Grimsby Town and the remaining 21 of the 22 clubs from the Southern League's First Division.  Grimsby's nearest neighbours in the new division were Norwich (87 miles by road in 2011, using the M1 – which obviously wasn't possible in 1920) and Northampton (93 miles by the same reckoning).

The 22 clubs from the Southern League included the League's first four Welsh clubs: Merthyr Town, Newport County and Swansea Town, as well as Cardiff.  They also included just one that had previously competed in the Football League: Luton Town.

Admitted to the Second Division:

      Replaced Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotal
Click to show or hide the answer       Championship  1   1
Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer   Championship3 1 1 5

Founder members of the Third Division:

    Subsequently Current status
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2014
Promoted 2015
League One
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2003
Promoted 2008
 
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1938
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2010  
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2009  
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1930  
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1931  
Click to show or hide the answer   League Two
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship
Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer   Championship

1921: two Third divisions

In 1921, the Football League decided that its new Third Division gave the League as a whole too much of a southern bias, so it created a Third Division (North) and the one–year–old Third Division was renamed the Third Division (South).  Stockport County, who had finished bottom of the Second Division in 1920–1, and Grimsby Town, who (as we have seen) had been somewhat isolated amongst all the southern sides of the Third Division, joined a further 18 teams taken from various northern leagues.  Crystal Palace, who had topped the Third Division in its first season, were promoted to the Second; the places in the Third Division (South) vacated by Grimsby and Palace were taken by two Athletics: Aberdare and Charlton.

Aberdare became the first of the League's 86 clubs alphabetically, an honour which had been held by Arsenal since 1913 when they dropped the word "Woolwich" from their name.  (They were officially known as "The Arsenal" until 1927, so it's debatable whether the honour actually fell to them or Aston Villa. In 1921 The Arsenal – or Villa – slipped to third, as Accrington Stanley also joined the new division.  Their predecessors, Accrington FC, were the original holders until they failed to get re–elected in 1893, when it passed to Villa.)

At the same time, Wrexham replaced Wolverhampton Wanderers as the League's last club alphabetically – an honour that Wolves had held since the League's foundation in 1888.

Founder members of the the Third Division (North):

    Subsequently Current status
Click to show or hide the answer Resigned March 1962  
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1929  
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1972  
Click to show or hide the answer   League Two
Click to show or hide the answer   League Two
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 1989
Promoted 1990
Relegated 2010
 
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1928  
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 1993
Promoted 1998
Relegated 2002
Dissolved 2008
 
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1931  
Click to show or hide the answer   League Two
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1978  
Click to show or hide the answer Resigned 1923  
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer   League One
Click to show or hide the answer Resigned 1932  
Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2008  

Admitted to the Third Division (South):

  Subsequently Current status
Click to show or hide the answer Not re–elected 1927  
Click to show or hide the answer   League One

1922–39

In 1923, Wolverhampton Wanderers finished bottom of the Second Division and thus became the first of the original twelve members of the Football League to play in either of the Third Divisions.  Rotherham County, who had finished one place above Wolves, were also relegated to the Third Division (North).

Also in 1923, Stalybridge Celtic resigned from the League.  With Nelson being promoted to the Second Division as champions of the division, this left 20 teams in the Third Division North.  Doncaster Rovers and New Brighton were elected to the League to bring the division up to 22 clubs, the same as the other three, and the total number of League clubs to 88.  (Doncaster had had two brief spells in the League from 1901 to 1905; New Brighton were no relation to New Brighton Tower, who had been dissolved in 1901 after resigning from the League).

Bristol City were promoted as champions of Division Three (South); their place was taken by Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic (who changed their name from Boscombe FC at the same time).

In the 1926–7 season, Coventry City became the first club to play in the Third Division North and South. Relegated to the Third Division (North) in 1925, they moved to the Third Division (South) a year later as Stoke City and Stockport County were relegated. The following season, two more Northern clubs (Darlington and Bradford City) were relegated, and Walsall made the move South.

From 1927, the League began exacting retribution on its bottom–placed teams. In successive years, Aberdare Athletic, Durham City, Ashington and Merthyr Town failed to get re–elected; their respective places were taken by Torquay United, Carlisle United, York City, and Thames.

Of these four changes, two were in the Third Division North and two in the South. The former lost two clubs from the far North East of England (and gained two from the North West) and the latter lost two Welsh clubs. The League also lost the first club in alphabetical order that had ever competed in it (or has to the present day) and gained the last – Aberdare and York respectively.

In 1931, two teams were voted out: Nelson, who finished bottom of the Third Division (North), and Newport County who finished last but one in the southern division. Why Newport were ejected rather than Norwich City, who finished rock bottom, is not clear. Newport's exile was short however, as they were re–elected the following year (1932) to replace Wigan Borough who'd gone out of business a couple of months into the 1931–2 season. As this was a club from the South replacing one from the North, Walsall moved back to the Third Division (North) to even up the numbers.

Also in 1932, after two years in the League during which they'd finished 20th and 22nd in the Third Division South, Thames chose not to apply for re–election and the club was wound up.  Their place was taken by Aldershot.

In the next 18 years, which included the seven–year break for World War II, there was only one change: in 1938, Gillingham failed to get re–elected and were replaced by Ipswich Town.

In 1936, Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers were both relegated for the first time. They were the last two of the original twelve member clubs that had never been relegated.

    Year   Replaced Subsequently Current status ChampsFA Cup Lge CupTotal
Click to show or hide the answer 1923 Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 1998
Promoted 2003
League One        
Click to show or hide the answer 1923 Not re–elected 1951        
Click to show or hide the answer 1923   Premier League       
Click to show or hide the answer 1927 Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2007
Promoted 2009
Relegated 2015
Conference Premier       
Click to show or hide the answer 1928 Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2004
Promoted 2005
        
Click to show or hide the answer 1929 Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2004         
Click to show or hide the answer 1930 Click to show or hide the answer Resigned 1932         
Click to show or hide the answer 1931 Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2000
Promoted 2003
Relegated 2009
        
Click to show or hide the answer 1931 Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2008         
Click to show or hide the answer 1932 Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 1988         
Click to show or hide the answer 1932 Click to show or hide the answer Resigned 1992         
Click to show or hide the answer 1938 Click to show or hide the answer   Championship1 1   2

1950–1

In 1950, the League expanded for the last time to date when two extra clubs were admitted to each of the two Third Divisions: Scunthorpe United and Shewsbury Town in the North, and Colchester United and Gillingham (the latter having been replaced by Ipswich in the previous change, in 1938) in the South.

One year later, New Brighton failed to get re–elected and were replaced by Workington.

    Year   Replaced Subsequently Current status
Click to show or hide the answer 1950     Relegated 2003
Promoted 2004
Click to show or hide the answer 1950     Championship
Click to show or hide the answer 1950     League One
Click to show or hide the answer 1950     Relegated 1990
Promoted 1992
Click to show or hide the answer 1951 Click to show or hide the answer   Not re–elected 1977

1958–86

1958 saw the first major change in the League's format for 36 years, when the Third Divisions (North) and (South) were re–organised into the Third and Fourth Divisions.  The twelve teams that finished in the top half of each Third Division went into the new Third Division, and the remainder went into the Fourth.

It's worth noting that in the Fourth Division's first season (1958–9), only one of the teams that finished in the bottom half of the table had come out of the Third Division (South). This was Watford, who finished in 14th place. The only team from the North that finished in the top half was York City – who finished 3rd and just missed out on promotion. It was a similar story in 1959–60, when, of the bottom 11 clubs, the most southerly–based was Crewe Alexandra. The only club from the South that failed to make it into the top half of the table was Aldershot – and they finished 12th (top of the bottom half!)  All of the four teams that got promoted in the first two seasons of the Fourth Division were from the Midlands (and had played in the Third Division (South)): Port Vale, Coventry City, Walsall and Notts County.

Meanwhile, also in 1958, Sunderland finished 21st in the First Division and were relegated for the first time. They were the last remaining club that had never played outside the First Division. Joining the League in 1890 to replace Stoke, they had played 55 consecutive seasons in the First Division following the foundation of the Second Division in 1892. This remained a record until 1981–2, when Arsenal played their 56th consecutive season in the First Division, having been promoted in decidedly dodgy circumstances in 1919 as the League resumed after World War I.

It was in February 1958 that the Manchester United squad was devastated by the accident at Munich airport. United were second in the League at the time, 6 points behind Wolves with 14 games to play. United had been champions in the previous two seasons and were unbeaten in their previous 11 League games. They won their first game after the crash – 3–0 against Sheffield Wednesday (who ended up in last place that season) – but failed to win any more League games that season and finished in 9th place. They also reached the FA Cup Final (they'd won their Fourth Round tie two weeks before Munich) but lost 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers.

In 1960, Gateshead failed to get re–elected and were replaced by Peterborough United.  Gateshead had taken over South Shields FC, who had joined the Second Division in 1919 when the League expanded to 44 teams (from 40). Peterborough became the first club to start its League career in the Fourth Division, and they made an immediate impact, finishing the 1960–1 season as champions of that division. A major factor in their success was the goals of Terry Bly – his 52 League goals in that season still stands as a post–war record (his nearest rival is Derek Dooley with 46 goals for Sheffield Wednesday in 1951–2).

Peterborough remained in the Third Division for seven years, but in 1967–8 they were fined 19 points for offering illegal bonuses.  They finished bottom (six points from safety) and were relegated; without the 19–point fine, they would have finished 8th.

Also in 1967–8, Port Vale were expelled from the League for financial irregularities.  They were allowed to apply for re–election for the 1968–9 season; their application was successful and they continued to play in the Fourth Division without a break.

Meanwhile, in 1960–1, Tottenham Hotspur became the first club to win the coveted League and Cup double since Aston Villa in 1896–7 (and only the third in history).

In March 1962, Accrington Stanley resigned from the League after revealing debts of just under £50,000. Their results for the 1961–2 season were expunged from the records, and for 1962–3 they were replaced by Oxford United.

In 1970 Bradford FC (also known – particularly since then – as Bradford Park Avenue, to distinguish them from Bradford City) failed to get re–elected. They had finished bottom of the League for the past three seasons, winning only 18 games in that time and losing 91 (out of 138). They were replaced by Cambridge United.

In 1972, the League was unable to resist the temptation to elect Hereford United to its ranks. The Bulls had attracted considerable attention through beating Newcastle United in a Third Round replay in the FA Cup. Ronnie Radford's 85th–minute equaliser in that game, in reply to Malcolm MacDonald's opener three minutes earlier, has become one of the most celebrated goals of all time through being shown on BBC TV's Match of the Day. The commentary was one of the very first to be provided by John Motson. (The match was played at the same time as other Fourth Round ties, the first match having been postponed twice and the replay three times.)

The club that lost out in the wake of Hereford's success, failing to win re–election, was Barrow. They had finished in 23rd place in the Fourth Division in 1970, and 24th in 1971, but in 1972 they actually finished 22nd – above both Crewe Alexandra and Stockport County. Their isolation at the far end of the Furness peninsula in Cumbria was doubtless a factor in the vote, as was the club's decision to install a speedway track in their stadium in an effort to increase revenues.

The other club from the Cumbrian coast – Workington – finished bottom of the League in 1976 and 1977, and in the latter season (1976–7) they won only four matches.  They failed to get re–elected in 1977 and were replaced by Wimbledon.  This left Carlisle United as the only League club in the newly–formed county of Cumbria; five years earlier, had it been around, it would have had three.

In 1978 Rochdale finished bottom, and many expected them to follow Workington out of the League; but in fact it was Southport, who had finished last but one not only that year but also in the two previous seasons (when Workington had finished at the bottom) that failed re–election in favour of Wigan Athletic. The first ballot resulted in a tie between Southport and Wigan, but the latter eventually won in the second ballot.

Wigan were the first club from the North of England to join the League since Workington in 1951.

In 1981 the League began awarding three points for a win, in order to encourage more positive football. This policy was not adopted by FIFA until the 1994 World Cup.

Year In Replaced Subsequently Current status
1960 Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer   League One
1962 Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2006
Promoted 2010
 
1970 Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 2005  
1972 Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer Relegated 1997
Promoted 2006
 
1977 Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer   League One
1978 Click to show or hide the answer Click to show or hide the answer   Premiership

1987–92

At some time in the mid–1980s, it was decided to reduce the First Division to 20 teams and increase the Second to 24.  (Previously both had had 22.) This adjustment was staggered over two years: 1987 and 1988.

In 1987, the First Division was reduced to 21 teams and the Second increased to 23. The bottom three teams in the First Division were relegated, and the top two from the Second promoted. This made the numbers right, but in order to give a third team a chance of promotion the play–off system was introduced. The teams that finished third, fourth and fifth respectively in the Second (Oldham Athletic, Leeds United and Ipswich Town) played off against Charlton Athletic, who finished fourth from bottom of the First. Charlton beat Leeds in the final to earn the right to remain in the First Division for the 1987–8 season – but only after a replay, and extra time in that.

The play–off system was felt to be such a good idea that it was also used to settle the third promotion place from the Third division, and the fourth from the Fourth.  In these divisions the teams that just escaped automatic relegation were not involved, and in each case the four teams that just missed out on automatic promotion competed against each other for the final promotion place.  In the Division Two & Three play–offs, Swindon beat Gillingham in the final (also after a replay); in Division Three & Four, Aldershot beat Wolves.

Also taking effect in the 1986–7 season, after many years of lobbying from the so–called "non–league" clubs, the League agreed to automatic promotion and relegation between the Fourth Division and the Football Conference (known at the time as the GM Vauxhall Conference). The first club to suffer automatic relegation was Lincoln City; the first to benefit from automatic promotion was Scarborough.

At the end of the 1987–8 season, four clubs were relegated from the First Division and only three were promoted. In a similar arrangement to that of the previous season, the three teams that finished third, fourth and fifth respectively in the Second (Middlesbrough, Bradford City and Blackburn Rovers) played off against the team that finished fourth from bottom of the First (Chelsea). This time the third–placed team from the Second Division was successful: Middlesbrough beat Chelsea in the final and took their place in the First Division.

This completed the reduction of the First Division to 20 clubs and the expansion of the Second to 24.

In 1990, Swindon Town won the Second Division play–offs but were denied promotion after their board admitted financial irregularities. Their place in the First was taken by Sunderland, whom they'd beaten in the play–off final. Swindon were originally relegated to Division Three, their place in Division Two to be taken by Tranmere Rovers (who'd won the Third Division play–offs) but this decision was reversed on appeal and Swindon stayed in the Second Division for the 1990–1 season.

In 1991, the League was expanded to 93 clubs. Barnet, champions of the Conference, were promoted to Division Four, but Wrexham, who finished bottom of the League, were spared relegation. Four teams were promoted from each of the Second and Third divisions, and only two relegated from the First and Second; five were promoted from the Fourth, and only three relegated from the Third.  This left 22 teams in the First Division, 24 in each of the Second and Third, and 23 in the Fourth. The intention was to increase the number to 94 the following year.

In the course of the 1991–2 season however (on the 25th of March, to be precise), Aldershot FC went out of business and resigned from the League. They were followed by Maidstone United, who were unable to fulfil their first fixture of the 1992–3 season and resigned two days later. They were immediately liquidated.

Year Out In since Years in In Out since Years out Comments
1987 Click to show or hide the answer 1921 59 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)
1988 Click to show or hide the answer 1932 49 Click to show or hide the answer 1987 1  
1989 Click to show or hide the answer 1921 61 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  
1990 Click to show or hide the answer 1950 40 Click to show or hide the answer 1989 1  
1991   None   Click to show or hide the answer (New members) League expanded to 93 clubs
1992 Click to show or hide the answer 1932 53 Click to show or hide the answer 1990 2 Aldershot resigned in March 1992

1992–2004

1992 saw the biggest upheaval in the League's history, when the 22 clubs in the First Division resigned en masse to form the Premier League. The Second Division was renamed the First Division, the Third became the Second, and the Fourth became the Third.

In 1995, the Leagues finally resolved the anomaly that had arisen from the aborted expansion of 1991–3: the Premier League was reduced to 20 clubs, and the recently–renamed Third Division reverted to 24.  Four teams were relegated from each of the top two divisions, and in each case only two were promoted to replace them; five were relegated from the Second Division to the Third, and only three were promoted to replace them.  This left 20 clubs in the Premier League, and 24 in each division of the Football League – and this is how it's stayed ever since.

In 1992, Maidstone United defaulted on their first fixture of the 1992–3 season and resigned from the League two days later.  They were not replaced, and the League reverted to 92 clubs.

Year Out In since Years in In Out since Years out
1993 Click to show or hide the answer 1989 4 (None)
1993 Click to show or hide the answer 1921 65 Wycombe Wanderers (New members)

In the three years from 1994 to 1996, the League stagnated as the three clubs that finished as Conference champions were refused entry into the League; their grounds were ruled not to be up to the required standards. The three clubs affected were Kidderminster Harriers, Macclesfield Town and Stevenage Borough.

The three clubs that escaped automatic relegation were Northampton Town, Exeter City and Torquay United.

Year Out In since Years in In Out since Years out
1997 Click to show or hide the answer 1972 25 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)
1998 Click to show or hide the answer 1923 68 Click to show or hide the answer 1993 5
1999 Click to show or hide the answer 1987 12 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)
2000 Click to show or hide the answer 1931 62 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)
2001 Click to show or hide the answer 1991 10 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)
2002 Click to show or hide the answer 1998 4 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)
2003 Click to show or hide the answer 1920 76 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)
2003 Click to show or hide the answer 1950 53 Click to show or hide the answer 1998 5

2004 until the present day

In 2004 the Football League was "rebranded". The First Division (previously the Second Division) was renamed the Football League Championship, and the Second and Third Divisions (previously the Third and Fourth Divisions) were renamed Football League One and Football League Two respectively. Sponsorship (previously provided by the Nationwide Building Society) was taken over by Coca–Cola.

At the same time, the number of clubs to be automatically promoted and relegated between the League and the Conference each year was increased to two.

Year Out In since Years in In Out since Years out Notes
2004 Click to show or hide the answer 1928 69 Click to show or hide the answer 2000 4  
Click to show or hide the answer 1929 68 Click to show or hide the answer 2003 1  
2005 Click to show or hide the answer 2000 5 Click to show or hide the answer 2004 1  
Click to show or hide the answer 1970 35 Click to show or hide the answer 2001 4  
2006 Click to show or hide the answer 1962 44 Click to show or hide the answer 1997 9  
Click to show or hide the answer 2001 5 Click to show or hide the answer (New members) 1
2007 Click to show or hide the answer 2002 5 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  
Click to show or hide the answer 1927 73 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  
2008 Click to show or hide the answer 1931 70 Click to show or hide the answer (New members) 17
Click to show or hide the answer 1921 80 Click to show or hide the answer 2003 5  
2009 Click to show or hide the answer 2004 5 Click to show or hide the answer 2007 2
Click to show or hide the answer 1920 82 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  
2010 Click to show or hide the answer 1911 88 Click to show or hide the answer 2006 4  
Click to show or hide the answer 1990 20 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  
2011 Click to show or hide the answer 1988 23 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  
Click to show or hide the answer 1905 95 Click to show or hide the answer (New members) 18
2012 Click to show or hide the answer 2006 6 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  
Click to show or hide the answer 1997 15 Click to show or hide the answer 2004 8  
2013 Click to show or hide the answer 2005 8 Click to show or hide the answer 2008 5  
Click to show or hide the answer 2008 5 Click to show or hide the answer 1988 25 19
2014 Click to show or hide the answer 1921 76 Click to show or hide the answer 2009 5  
Click to show or hide the answer 2009 5 Click to show or hide the answer 2005 9  
2015 Click to show or hide the answer 1921 77 Click to show or hide the answer 2013 2  
Click to show or hide the answer 1999 16 Click to show or hide the answer 2014 1  
2016 Click to show or hide the answer 2007 9 Click to show or hide the answer 2015 1  
Click to show or hide the answer 2012 4 Click to show or hide the answer 2010 6  
2017 Click to show or hide the answer 1921 96 Click to show or hide the answer 2011 6  
Click to show or hide the answer 1905 112 Click to show or hide the answer (New members)  

Notes

Notes
1 There is no connection between any of the three clubs that have represented Accrington in the Football League (Accrington 1888–93, Accrington Stanley 1921–62, and Accrington Stanley since 2006)
2 The town of Stoke was granted city status in 1925; Stoke FC was renamed Stoke City in 1928
3 The Wednesday FC was renamed Sheffield Wednesday in 1929
4 Newton Heath FC was renamed Manchester United in 1902
5 Ardwick FC was renamed Manchester City in 1894
6 Bootle FC folded after leaving the League in 1893.  The current club of the same name is not connected
7 Renamed Port Vale in 1907
8 Burton Swifts merged with Burton Wanderers (League club 1894–7) in 1901 to form Burton United.  Burton United failed re–election in 1907 and folded in 1910
9 Birmingham City FC was known as Small Heath FC until 1906 (originally Small Heath Alliance)
10 Founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts when Walsall Town and Walsall Swifts merged, they became Walsall FC in 1896
11 The original Rotherham Town FC folded in 1896 after not bothering to apply for re–election to the League.  A later club, originally formed in 1899, changed its name to Rotherham Town in 1905.  In 1919, a third club (Rotherham County) was elected to the League, and in 1925 this club merged with the Town to form Rotherham United.
12 Woolwich Arsenal FC dropped the word Woolwich from their name on moving to Highbury in 1913
13 Renamed Leicester City in 1919
14 After Chesterfield Town FC went into voluntary liquidation in 1915, a new club with the same name was formed.  This club was shut down in 1917 after the FA suspended its players and management over illegal payments.  The local council formed a club in 1919 and named it Chesterfield Municipal FC; the following year, the FA forced the club to become independent and the name was changed to Chesterfield FC.  See 1921
15 Renamed Leyton Orient in 1945.  Also known as Orient from 1966 to 1987 (Leyton Orient since 1987)
16 South Shields FC folded 1930 and was taken over by Gateshead FC (which inherited their place in the League)
17 Aldershot Town FC was founded in 1992, shortly after Aldershot FC was wound up in the High Court.  Aldershot resigned from the League in March 1992
18 AFC Wimbledon was founded in 2002, weeks after the controversial decision of the FA and the Football League to sanction Wimbledon FC's relocation to Milton Keynes
19 The original Newport County FC (founded 1912) was declared bankrupt in February 1988, in their first season after becoming the second club to suffer automatic relegation to the Conference. A new club was formed in June 1989, and claims continuity with its predecessor. (On its foundation, Newport City Council considered the new company to be a continuation of the old and refused permission to use Somerton Park on the grounds of unpaid rent.)

© Haydn Thompson 2017