1919–20 Football League

The 1919–20 season was the 28th season of The Football League, and the first season after football was suspended after outbreak of World War I

The Football League
Season1919–20
ChampionsWest Bromwich Albion
RelegatedLincoln City
ExpelledLeeds City
New Clubs in LeagueCoventry City
Stoke
West Ham United
South Shields
Rotherham County
Port Vale (Mid-season)

Compared to 1914–15, the number of Football League member clubs increased from 40 to 44, initially with five new clubs.

Team changes

Resuming after four years, the Football League expanded its numbers by four, maintaining competition in two Divisions of equal size. During previous such expansions, 1898 and 1905, the relegated clubs from the previous season were re-elected, while the top Second Division sides were promoted as usual.

Following that precedent, the two top Second Division sides in 1915, Derby and Preston did move on up. Chelsea, who had finished 19th that First Division season, were, as expected, re-elected.

Discussion of how the expansion should be handled began on 13 January 1919 when James Catton published an article in Athletic News raising the issue of match-fixing which had dogged the 1914/15 League season and been left unresolved because of the cessation of the League for the duration of the war.

In the article, Catton argued one of the two teams that ought to be returned to the first division (if that league was to be expanded, as had already been proposed), should be Chelsea as they had been relegated due to the match-fixing. Catton then considered the argument that Tottenham, who had also been relegated with Chelsea should likewise be reinstated, although he noted there was nothing to link Tottenham's relegation with anything amiss in the final season before the cessation of the League for the duration.[1]

In 1915, Manchester United avoided relegation by winning a game against Liverpool 2–0 on 2 April 1915 which was fixed in United's favour, with players from both sides benefiting from bets placed upon the result 1915 British football betting scandal. At the end of the season, Manchester United finished one point and one place ahead of Chelsea. Had the game against Liverpool ended in a draw Chelsea would have finished ahead of United on goal average, if Liverpool had won then Chelsea would have finished one place and one point ahead of Manchester United.

Arsenal, who had finished 6th in the Second Division in 1914-15 (later amended to 5th place in 1975 after an error in the calculation of goal average was discovered) were also elected to the First Division.

It has been alleged that Arsenal Chairman Sir Henry Norris bribed or in some way unduly influenced the voting members of the Football League, in particular, Football League President John McKenna at the League's AGM and that McKenna made a speech recommending Arsenal's promotion ahead of Spurs thanks to the formers' longer spell in the League (Arsenal joined in 1893, Spurs in 1908), although Barnsley and Wolves, who both finished ahead of Arsenal, had been members of the league longer than Arsenal; Wolves since its inception in 1888.[2] However, detailed reports of the meeting in The Sportsman, Athletic News, Daily Mirror and The Times the following day made no mention of this. They did report that Football League Management Committee member C.E. Sutcliffe made a speech stating that the expansion would give them an opportunity to do right by Chelsea. It would seem strange if such a speech were made by the League President and somehow all the media failed to report it. Arsenal have not been relegated from the top flight of the English game since, the only club in continuous membership since 1919.

In the Second Division, Port Vale took over from Leeds City after 4 October 1919, when Leeds were disbanded by F.A. order following alleged irregular practices. Port Vale then inherited Leeds' record up to that date.[3]

After the season, Grimsby Town were relegated to the newly formed Third Division. Lincoln City was not re-elected to Second Division and Leeds United was elected to replace it. Cardiff City were elected to take the second available place in Second Division.

Final league tables

Beginning in the 1894–95 season, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.

During the first six seasons of the league, (up to the 1893–94 season), re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league.

First Division
First Division
Season1919–20
ChampionsWest Bromwich Albion
1st English title
RelegatedNotts County
The Wednesday
Matches played462
Goals scored1,332 (2.88 per match)
Top goalscorerFred Morris
(37 goals)[4]
Biggest home winWest Bromwich Albion 8–0 Notts County
(25 October 1919)
Biggest away winPreston North End 1–5 Bradford City
(1 September 1919)
Burnley 2–6 Bradford Park Avenue
(22 November 1919)
Derby County 0–4 West Bromwich Albion
(20 December 1919)
Bradford Park Avenue 0–4 West Bromwich Albion
(3 April 1920)
Highest scoringManchester City 8–2 Blackburn Rovers
(8 November 1919)

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
1 West Bromwich Albion (C) 42 28 4 10 104 47 2.213 60
2 Burnley 42 21 9 12 65 59 1.102 51
3 Chelsea 42 22 5 15 56 51 1.098 49
4 Liverpool 42 19 10 13 59 44 1.341 48
5 Sunderland 42 22 4 16 72 59 1.220 48
6 Bolton Wanderers 42 19 9 14 72 65 1.108 47
7 Manchester City 42 18 9 15 71 62 1.145 45
8 Newcastle United 42 17 9 16 44 39 1.128 43
9 Aston Villa 42 18 6 18 75 73 1.027 42
10 Arsenal 42 15 12 15 56 58 0.966 42
11 Bradford Park Avenue 42 15 12 15 60 63 0.952 42
12 Manchester United 42 13 14 15 54 50 1.080 40
13 Middlesbrough 42 15 10 17 61 65 0.938 40
14 Sheffield United 42 16 8 18 59 69 0.855 40
15 Bradford City 42 14 11 17 54 63 0.857 39
16 Everton 42 12 14 16 69 68 1.015 38
17 Oldham Athletic 42 15 8 19 49 52 0.942 38
18 Derby County 42 13 12 17 47 57 0.825 38
19 Preston North End 42 14 10 18 57 73 0.781 38
20 Blackburn Rovers 42 13 11 18 64 77 0.831 37
21 Notts County (R) 42 12 12 18 56 74 0.757 36 Relegation to the Second Division
22 The Wednesday (R) 42 7 9 26 28 64 0.438 23
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Results
Home \ Away ARS AST BLB BOL BRA BPA BUR CHE DER EVE LIV MCI MUN MID NEW NTC OLD PNE SHU SUN WED WBA
Arsenal 0–1 0–1 2–2 1–2 3–0 2–0 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–0 2–2 0–3 2–1 0–1 3–1 3–2 0–0 3–0 3–2 3–1 1–0
Aston Villa 2–1 1–2 3–6 3–1 1–0 2–2 5–2 2–2 2–2 0–1 0–1 2–0 5–3 4–0 3–1 3–0 2–4 4–0 0–3 3–1 2–4
Blackburn Rovers 2–2 5–1 2–2 4–1 3–3 2–3 3–1 2–0 3–2 0–2 1–4 5–0 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–1 4–0 4–0 3–0 1–0 1–5
Bolton Wanderers 2–2 2–1 2–1 1–1 1–2 1–1 1–2 3–0 0–2 0–3 6–2 3–5 2–1 0–3 1–0 1–0 4–1 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–2
Bradford City 1–1 3–1 3–1 0–1 0–0 2–1 3–1 3–1 3–3 1–3 1–0 2–1 0–1 1–0 3–4 1–1 2–2 1–2 2–0 1–1 3–0
Bradford Park Avenue 0–0 6–1 5–2 2–0 0–0 0–1 1–0 1–1 0–2 1–2 2–1 1–4 1–1 0–1 0–1 2–0 3–3 1–0 2–2 3–0 0–4
Burnley 2–1 0–0 3–1 2–1 1–1 2–6 2–3 2–0 5–0 1–2 2–0 2–1 5–3 1–0 2–1 2–1 1–1 2–2 2–1 2–0 2–2
Chelsea 3–1 2–1 2–1 2–3 1–0 4–0 0–1 0–0 0–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 3–1 0–0 2–0 1–0 4–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–0
Derby County 2–1 1–0 0–0 1–2 3–0 0–0 0–2 5–0 2–1 3–0 0–0 1–1 1–2 1–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 5–1 3–1 2–1 0–4
Everton 2–3 1–1 3–0 3–3 4–1 2–0 2–2 2–3 4–0 0–0 2–0 0–0 5–2 4–0 1–2 0–2 0–1 3–0 1–3 1–1 2–5
Liverpool 2–3 2–1 3–0 2–0 2–1 3–3 0–1 0–1 3–0 3–1 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 3–0 2–2 1–2 2–0 3–2 1–0 0–0
Manchester City 4–1 2–2 8–2 1–4 1–0 4–1 3–1 1–0 3–1 1–1 2–1 3–3 1–0 0–0 4–1 3–1 1–0 3–3 1–0 4–2 2–3
Manchester United 0–1 1–2 1–1 1–1 0–0 0–1 0–1 0–2 0–2 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 2–1 0–0 1–1 5–1 3–0 2–0 0–0 1–2
Middlesbrough 1–0 1–4 2–2 1–3 4–0 1–2 4–0 0–0 2–0 1–1 3–2 0–2 1–1 0–1 5–2 1–0 4–1 1–0 0–2 3–0 0–0
Newcastle United 3–1 2–0 0–0 0–1 0–1 4–0 0–0 3–0 0–0 3–0 3–0 3–0 2–1 0–0 2–1 0–1 1–0 2–1 2–3 1–1 0–2
Notts County 2–2 2–1 5–0 2–2 5–2 0–2 2–0 0–1 2–2 1–1 1–0 4–1 0–2 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–0
Oldham Athletic 3–0 0–3 0–0 2–0 0–1 2–2 1–0 1–0 3–0 4–1 1–1 1–3 0–3 1–2 1–0 0–0 4–1 4–0 2–1 1–0 2–1
Preston North End 1–1 3–0 0–0 1–1 1–5 0–3 0–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–1 2–3 3–1 2–3 2–0 2–1 2–0 5–2 3–0 0–1
Sheffield United 2–0 1–2 2–0 3–2 0–0 2–2 1–3 3–1 0–0 1–1 3–2 3–1 2–2 5–1 2–1 3–0 1–0 2–1 3–1 3–0 1–0
Sunderland 1–1 2–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 3–0 3–2 2–1 2–3 0–1 2–1 3–0 1–1 2–0 3–1 3–0 1–0 3–2 2–1 4–1
The Wednesday 1–2 0–1 0–0 0–2 1–0 0–1 3–1 0–2 2–0 1–0 2–2 0–0 1–3 0–1 0–1 0–0 1–0 0–1 2–1 0–2 0–3
West Bromwich Albion 1–0 1–2 5–2 4–1 4–1 3–1 4–1 4–0 3–0 4–3 1–1 2–0 2–1 4–1 3–0 8–0 3–1 4–1 0–2 4–0 1–3
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Maps
Locations of the Football League First Division London teams
Locations of the Football League First Division teams

Second Division
Football League
Second Division
Season1919–20
ChampionsTottenham Hotspur (1st title)
RelegatedGrimsby Town
Failed re-electionLincoln City
Matches played462
Goals scored1,285 (2.78 per match)
Top goalscorerSammy Taylor (Huddersfield Town), 35[4]
Biggest home winBirmingham – Nottingham Forest 8–0 (10 Mar 1920)
Biggest away winBarnsley – Birmingham 0–5 (14 Feb 1920)
Leicester City – Bury 0–5 (10 Apr 1920)
Highest scoringHull City – Wolverhampton Wanderers 10–3 (27 Dec 1919)

Pos Team Pld HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA GAv Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Tottenham Hotspur 42 19 2 0 60 11 13 4 4 42 21 3.188 70 Division Champions, promoted
2 Huddersfield Town 42 16 4 1 58 13 12 4 5 39 25 2.553 64 Promoted
3 Birmingham 42 14 3 4 54 16 10 5 6 31 18 2.500 56
4 Blackpool 42 13 4 4 40 18 8 6 7 25 29 1.383 52
5 Bury 42 14 4 3 35 15 6 4 11 25 29 1.364 48
6 Fulham 42 11 6 4 36 18 8 3 10 25 32 1.220 47
7 West Ham United[lower-alpha 1] 42 14 3 4 34 14 5 6 10 13 26 1.175 47
8 Bristol City 42 9 9 3 30 18 4 8 9 16 25 1.070 43
9 South Shields[lower-alpha 2] 42 13 5 3 47 18 2 7 12 11 30 1.208 42
10 Stoke[lower-alpha 1] 42 13 3 5 37 15 5 3 13 23 39 1.111 42
11 Hull City 42 13 4 4 53 23 5 2 14 25 49 1.083 42
12 Barnsley 42 9 5 7 41 28 6 5 10 20 27 1.109 40
13 Port Vale[lower-alpha 3] 42 11 3 7 35 27 5 5 11 24 35 0.952 40[lower-alpha 4]
14 Leicester City 42 8 6 7 26 29 7 4 10 15 32 0.672 40
15 Clapton Orient 42 14 3 4 34 17 2 3 16 17 42 0.864 38
16 Stockport County 42 11 4 6 34 24 3 5 13 18 37 0.852 37
17 Rotherham County[lower-alpha 5] 42 10 4 7 32 27 3 4 14 19 56 0.614 34
18 Nottingham Forest 42 9 4 8 23 22 2 5 14 20 51 0.589 31
19 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 8 4 9 41 32 2 6 13 14 48 0.688 30
20 Coventry City[lower-alpha 1] 42 7 7 7 20 26 2 4 15 15 47 0.479 29 Re-elected
21 Lincoln City 42 8 6 7 27 30 1 3 17 17 71 0.436 27 Failed re-election[lower-alpha 6]
22 Grimsby Town 42 8 4 9 23 24 2 1 18 11 51 0.453 25 Relegated[lower-alpha 7]
Source:
Notes:
  1. New club in the league; elected from Southern League
  2. New club in the league; elected from North Eastern League
  3. New club in the league; elected from Central League
  4. Leeds City were expelled from the league after 8 games; Port Vale, formerly Burslem Port Vale, took their place and inherited their record.
  5. New club in the league; elected from Midland League
  6. Lincoln City were not re-elected, but they returned to the league later, for the season 1921–22, surfacing this time in 3rd Division North, after having been absent only for one season.
  7. Grimsby Town participated in the Football League Third Division during the following season.

Results
Home \ Away BAR BIR BLP BRI BRY CLA COV FUL GRI HUD HUL LEE LEI LIN NOT PTV ROT SSH STP STK TOT WHU WOL
Barnsley 0–5 1–1 0–0 1–3 2–1 1–0 4–1 0–1 3–3 2–3 0–1 5–3 2–2 1–0 4–0 0–1 0–0 1–2 3–0 7–0 4–1
Birmingham 0–0 4–2 1–0 0–2 2–1 4–1 2–0 4–0 4–2 4–1 0–1 7–0 8–0 3–0 2–2 4–0 1–1 2–1 0–1 0–1 2–0
Blackpool 0–2 3–0 0–0 1–0 3–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–3 2–1 4–2 3–0 6–0 3–2 5–1 0–3 1–0 3–1 0–1 0–0 1–1
Bristol City 3–1 1–1 0–0 1–0 1–1 1–0 0–3 3–1 2–1 2–2 0–0 6–0 0–0 1–1 2–1 3–1 1–0 1–2 1–2 0–0 1–1
Bury 2–0 1–0 1–2 0–1 3–0 2–2 2–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–0 3–0 1–1 2–1 4–1 2–1 0–2 1–0 2–1 1–0 2–0
Clapton Orient 2–0 2–1 3–0 1–0 2–1 2–2 0–1 3–0 0–1 2–2 3–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–2 4–0 2–1 2–1 0–4 1–0 0–0
Coventry City 1–0 1–3 0–0 0–0 2–1 0–0 0–1 2–0 0–2 0–1 0–4 1–2 2–0 4–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 0–5 0–0 1–0
Fulham 1–1 1–2 1–2 1–1 1–0 2–1 0–0 2–1 2–2 1–0 5–0 3–0 1–0 4–0 3–0 1–0 4–1 0–0 1–4 1–2 1–1
Grimsby Town 1–1 0–3 1–1 2–2 1–2 2–0 0–1 0–2 1–0 2–1 1–2 2–2 1–0 2–0 0–1 3–1 0–3 2–0 2–0 0–1 0–1
Huddersfield Town 4–1 0–0 1–3 1–0 5–0 2–1 5–0 3–0 3–0 2–0 0–0 4–2 2–1 4–1 7–1 2–2 5–0 3–0 1–1 2–0 2–0
Hull City 3–1 0–0 0–1 0–0 4–2 3–1 0–1 2–0 4–1 1–4 1–1 5–1 5–2 2–0 1–0 3–0 4–1 3–0 1–3 1–1 10–3
Leeds City 1–0 3–0 1–2 1–1
Leicester City 0–0 1–0 2–3 2–1 0–5 1–1 1–0 3–2 2–0 0–4 3–2 4–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 0–0 0–2 3–1 2–4 0–0 1–2
Lincoln City 0–4 2–2 0–3 0–0 2–1 2–1 4–1 0–1 2–0 1–3 2–0 0–3 1–4 0–0 0–0 1–1 2–0 2–1 1–1 1–4 4–0
Nottingham Forest 0–1 1–2 2–0 1–2 1–0 2–1 2–1 0–3 2–0 1–2 0–2 0–0 2–1 0–1 4–1 0–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–1 1–0
Port Vale 0–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 4–2 3–4 2–1 0–0 1–2 1–0 4–1 4–2 1–0 2–0 0–3 0–1 1–0
Rotherham County 1–0 0–3 1–2 2–2 1–2 3–1 4–3 1–1 3–1 1–3 1–2 1–0 3–0 2–0 2–2 1–0 1–0 1–3 1–1 0–1 2–0
South Shields 0–0 1–0 6–0 0–2 0–0 2–0 1–0 2–0 2–0 1–2 7–1 2–0 2–2 5–2 2–0 6–2 3–2 2–2 0–3 3–0 0–0
Stockport County 1–0 2–1 0–0 2–3 1–1 3–1 1–1 2–1 1–2 1–2 3–1 0–2 3–0 0–0 0–4 4–1 1–0 3–1 1–2 1–0 4–1
Stoke 2–0 0–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 6–1 1–0 3–0 0–1 3–1 3–0 1–3 0–2 0–0 3–0 0–0 2–1 1–3 2–1 3–0
Tottenham Hotspur 4–0 0–0 2–2 2–0 2–1 2–1 4–1 4–0 3–1 2–0 4–0 4–0 6–1 5–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
West Ham United 0–2 1–2 1–0 2–0 1–0 0–1 2–0 0–1 1–0 1–1 2–1 1–0 1–1 5–1 3–1 2–1 1–0 3–0 1–1 2–1 4–0
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–4 0–2 0–3 3–1 0–1 1–2 2–0 2–1 6–1 2–3 4–2 2–4 1–1 4–0 4–0 0–1 0–0 2–2 4–0 1–3 1–1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
Note: Port Vale takes over from Leeds City and then inherits the latter’s record up to that date.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Maps
Locations of the Football League Second Division London teams
Locations of the Football League Second Division teams

See also

References
  1. "Norris at the Arsenal: The first suggestion that Arsenal could be elected to the 1st division. | the History of Arsenal". 21 December 2017.
  2. Spurling (2004). Rebels for the Cause. p. 40.
  3. Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
  4. "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 31 October 2010.

Sources
  • Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.
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