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 City
West Ham United
South Shields
Rotherham County
Port Vale (Mid-season)

In 1919, the First Division was extended from 20 to 22 clubs. During previous expansions, the relegated clubs from the previous season were re-elected, while the top Second Division sides were promoted as usual.

Therefore, Derby and Preston, the two top Second Division sides in 1915 (there had been a break for the war) did move on up. Chelsea, who had finished 19th that 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 had, to avoid relegation, fixed their last game against Liverpool. They won 2–0 and sent Chelsea into the relegation places instead, but the new league president and former Liverpool chairman John McKenna must have felt some guilt, because at the League's AGM in 1919 he gave a speech insisting on the continued presence in the top flight of the Stamford Bridge club.

More controversially though, Tottenham Hotspur - who came 20th in 1915 - were not re-elected and arch-rivals Arsenal, who had finished fifth in the Second Division had their promotion engineered by Sir Henry Norris. It has been alleged that Norris bribed or in some way unduly influenced the voting members of the Football League, in particular McKenna at the League's AGM.[2][3] McKenna made a speech recommending Arsenal's promotion ahead of Spurs thanks to the former's 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] Arsenal have never been relegated from the top flight of the English game since.

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.[4]

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

The tables and results below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website[5] and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79,[4] with home and away statistics separated.

Beginning with the season 1894–95, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded), or more properly put, goal ratio. 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.

Since the goal average was used for this purpose for such a long time, it is presented in the tables below even for the seasons prior to 1894–95, and since the goal difference is a more informative piece of information for a modern reader than the goal average, the goal difference is added in this presentation after the goal average.

During the first five seasons of the league, that is, until the season 1893–94, 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
Football League
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 (West Bromwich Albion), 37 [6]
Biggest home winWest Brom – Notts County 8–0 (25 Oct 1919)
Biggest away winBurnley – Bradford Park Avenue 2–6 (22 Nov 1919)
Preston North End –Bradford City 1–5 (1 Sep 1919)
Bradford Park Avenue – West Brom 0–4 (3 Apr 1920)
Derby County – West Brom 0–4 (20 Dec 1919)
Highest scoringManchester City –Blackburn 8–2 (8 Nov 1919)
Pos Team Pld HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 West Bromwich Albion 42 17 1 3 65 21 11 3 7 39 26 2.213 60 League Champions
2 Burnley 42 13 5 3 43 27 8 4 9 22 32 1.102 51
3 Chelsea 42 15 3 3 33 10 7 2 12 23 41 1.098 49
4 Liverpool 42 12 5 4 35 18 7 5 9 24 26 1.341 48
5 Sunderland 42 17 2 2 45 16 5 2 14 27 43 1.220 48
6 Bolton Wanderers 42 11 3 7 35 29 8 6 7 37 36 1.108 47
7 Manchester City 42 14 5 2 52 27 4 4 13 19 35 1.145 45
8 Newcastle United 42 11 5 5 31 13 6 4 11 13 26 1.128 43
9 Aston Villa 42 11 3 7 49 36 7 3 11 26 37 1.027 42 FA Cup Winners
10 Arsenal 42 11 5 5 32 21 4 7 10 24 37 0.966 42
11 Bradford Park Avenue 42 8 6 7 31 26 7 6 8 29 37 0.952 42
12 Manchester United 42 6 8 7 20 17 7 6 8 34 33 1.080 40
13 Middlesbrough 42 10 5 6 35 23 5 5 11 26 42 0.938 40
14 Sheffield United 42 14 5 2 43 20 2 3 16 16 49 0.855 40
15 Bradford City 42 10 6 5 36 25 4 5 12 18 38 0.857 39
16 Everton 42 8 6 7 42 29 4 8 9 27 39 1.015 38
17 Oldham Athletic 42 12 4 5 33 19 3 4 14 16 33 0.942 38
18 Derby County 42 12 5 4 36 18 1 7 13 11 39 0.825 38
19 Preston North End 42 9 6 6 35 27 5 4 12 22 46 0.781 38
20 Blackburn Rovers 42 11 4 6 48 30 2 7 12 16 47 0.831 37
21 Notts County 42 9 8 4 39 25 3 4 14 17 49 0.757 36 Relegated
22 The Wednesday 42 6 4 11 14 23 1 5 15 14 41 0.438 23
Source:

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:
Colours: 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 [6]
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 – Wolverhampton 10–3 (27 Dec 1919)
Pos Team Pld HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA GR 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 1] 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 1] 42 11 3 7 35 27 5 5 11 24 35 0.952 40[lower-alpha 2]
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 1] 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 3]
22 Grimsby Town 42 8 4 9 23 24 2 1 18 11 51 0.453 25 Relegated[lower-alpha 4]
Source:
Notes:
  1. New club in the league
  2. Leeds City were expelled from the league after 8 games; Port Vale, formerly Burslem Port Vale, took their place and inherited their record.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
Colours: 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. http://www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/archives/16848
  2. Spurling (2004). Rebels for the Cause. p. 40.
  3. Soar, Phil; Tyler, Martin (2005). The Official Illustrated History of Arsenal. Hamlyn. p. 40. ISBN 0-600-61344-5.
  4. Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
  5. "England 1919-20". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  6. "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. 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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