1919–20 Football League

The Football League
Season 1919–20
Champions West Bromwich Albion
Relegated Lincoln City

The 19191920 season was the 28th season of The Football League.

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.

But the reason for Chelsea's escape were somewhat arbitrary. 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 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.

For some reason however, he also suggested that lowly Arsenal, who had finished fifth in the Second, should be rewarded for their long service to the League. They should replace the team which came 20th in 1915, he argued. Arsenal has never been relegated from the top flight of the English game ever since. The relegated club were Tottenham Hotspur.

In 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.[1]

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[2] and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79,[1] 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
Season 1919–20
Champions West Bromwich Albion (1st English title)
Relegated Notts County,
The Wednesday
Matches played 462
Goals scored 1332 (2.88 per match)
Top goalscorer Fred Morris (West Bromwich Albion), 37 [3]
Biggest home win West BromNotts County 8–0 (25 Oct 1919)
Biggest away win BurnleyBradford Park Avenue 2–6 (22 Nov 1919)
Preston North EndBradford City 1–5 (1 Sep 1919)
Bradford Park AvenueWest Brom 0–4 (3 Apr 1920)
Derby CountyWest Brom 0–4 (20 Dec 1919)
Highest scoring Manchester CityBlackburn 8–2 (8 Nov 1919)
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GA GD Pts
1West Bromwich Albion421713652111373926104472.213+5760
2Burnley4213534327849223265591.102+1651
3Chelsea42153333107212234156511.098+549
4Liverpool4212543518759242659441.341+1548
5Sunderland42172245165214274372591.220+1348
6Bolton Wanderers4211373529867373672651.108+747
7Manchester City42145252274413193571621.145+945
8Newcastle United42115531136411132644391.128+543
9Aston Villa42113749367311263775731.027+242
10Arsenal42115532214710243756580.966–242
11Bradford Park Avenue428673126768293760630.952–342
12Manchester United426872017768343354501.080+440
13Middlesbrough42105635235511264261650.938–440
14Sheffield United42145243202316164959690.855–1040
15Bradford City42106536254512183854630.857–939
16Everton428674229489273969681.015+138
17Oldham Athletic42124533193414163349520.942–338
18Derby County421254361817131139 47570.825–1038
19Preston North End4296635275412224657730.781–1638
20Blackburn Rovers42114648302712164764770.831–1337
21Notts County4298439253414174956740.757–1836
22The Wednesday42641114231515144128640.438–3623

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against;
GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Key
League Champions
FA Cup Winners
Relegated

First Division results

Home ╲ Away ARS AST BLBBOLBRABPABURCHEDEREVELIVMCIMUNMIDNEWNTCOLDPNESHUSUNWEDWBA
Arsenal 01 01 22 12 30 20 11 10 11 10 22 03 21 01 31 32 00 30 32 31 10
Aston Villa 21 12 36 31 10 22 52 22 22 01 01 20 53 40 31 30 24 40 03 31 24
Blackburn Rovers 22 51 22 41 33 23 31 20 32 02 14 50 02 20 11 01 40 40 30 10 15
Bolton Wanderers 22 21 21 11 12 11 12 30 02 03 62 35 21 03 10 10 41 10 10 20 12
Bradford City 11 31 31 01 00 21 31 31 33 13 10 21 01 10 34 11 22 12 20 11 30
Bradford Park Avenue 00 61 52 20 00 01 10 11 02 12 21 14 11 01 01 20 33 10 22 30 04
Burnley 21 00 31 21 11 26 23 20 50 12 20 21 53 10 21 21 11 22 21 20 22
Chelsea 31 21 21 23 10 40 01 00 01 10 10 10 31 00 20 10 40 10 20 11 20
Derby County 21 10 00 12 30 00 02 50 21 30 00 11 12 10 31 11 20 51 31 21 04
Everton 23 11 30 33 41 20 22 23 40 00 20 00 52 40 12 02 01 30 13 11 25
Liverpool 23 21 30 20 21 33 01 01 30 31 10 00 10 11 30 22 12 20 32 10 00
Manchester City 41 22 82 14 10 41 31 10 31 11 21 33 10 00 41 31 10 33 10 42 23
Manchester United 01 12 11 11 00 01 01 02 02 10 00 10 11 21 00 11 51 30 20 00 12
Middlesbrough 10 14 22 13 40 12 40 00 20 11 32 02 11 01 52 10 41 10 02 30 00
Newcastle United 31 20 00 01 01 40 00 30 00 30 30 30 21 00 21 01 10 21 23 11 02
Notts County 22 21 50 22 52 02 20 01 22 11 10 41 02 11 00 21 12 22 22 31 20
Oldham Athletic 30 03 00 20 01 22 10 10 30 41 11 13 03 12 10 00 41 40 21 10 21
Preston North End 11 30 00 11 15 03 01 31 11 11 21 11 23 31 23 20 21 20 52 30 01
Sheffield United 20 12 20 32 00 22 13 31 00 11 32 31 22 51 21 30 10 21 31 30 10
Sunderland 11 21 20 20 20 20 30 32 21 23 01 21 30 11 20 31 30 10 32 21 41
The Wednesday 12 01 00 02 10 01 31 02 20 10 22 00 13 01 01 00 10 01 21 02 03
West Bromwich Albion 10 12 52 41 41 31 41 40 30 43 11 20 21 41 30 80 31 41 02 40 13

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

First Division maps

Locations of the Football League First Division London teams 1919–20

Second Division

Football League, Second Division
Season 1919–20
Champions Tottenham Hotspur (1st title)
Relegated Grimsby Town
Failed re-election Lincoln City
Matches played 462
Goals scored 1285 (2.78 per match)
Top goalscorer Sammy Taylor (Huddersfield Town), 35 [3]
Biggest home win BirminghamNottingham Forest 8–0 (10 Mar 1920)
Biggest away win BarnsleyBirmingham 0–5 (14 Feb 1920)
Leicester CityBury 0–5 (10 Apr 1920)
Highest scoring HullWolverhampton 10–3 (27 Dec 1919)
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GA GD Pts
1Tottenham Hotspur421920601113444221102323.188+7070
2Huddersfield Town42164158131245392597382.553+5964
3Birmingham42143454161056311885342.500+5156
4Blackpool4213444018867252965471.383+1852
5Bury42144335156411252960441.364+1648
6Fulham42116436188310253261501.220+1147
7West Ham United42143434145610132647401.175+747
8Bristol City429933018489162546431.070+343
9South Shields42135347182712113058481.208+1042
10Stoke42133537155313233960541.111+642
11Hull City42134453235214254978721.083+642
12Barnsley4295741286510202761551.109+640
13Port Vale[4]42113735275511243559620.952–340
14Leicester City4286726297410153241610.672–2040
15Clapton Orient42143434172316174251590.864–838
16Stockport County42114634243513183752610.852–937
17Rotherham County42104732273414195651830.614–3234
18Nottingham Forest4294823222514205143730.589–3031
19Wolverhampton Wanderers4284941322613144855800.688–2530
20Coventry City4277720262415154735730.479–3829
21Lincoln City[5]42867273013171771441010.436–5727
22Grimsby Town[6]4284923242118115134750.453–4125
  1. 1 2 Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
  2. "England 1919-20". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
  3. 1 2 "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  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. 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.
  6. Grimsby Town participated in the Football League Third Division during the following season.

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against;
GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
New club in the league (see also Coventry City)
Re-elected
Relegated
Failed re-election

Second Division results

Note: Port Vale takes over from Leeds City and then inherits the latter’s record up to that date.

Home ╲ Away BAR BIR BLPBRIBRYCLACOVFULGRIHUDHULLEELEILINNOTPTVROTSSHSTPSTKTOTWHUWOL
Barnsley 05 11 00 13 21 10 41 01 33 23 01 53 22 10 40 01 00 12 30 70 41
Birmingham City 00 42 10 02 21 41 20 40 42 41 01 70 80 30 22 40 11 21 01 01 20
Blackpool 02 30 00 10 30 20 11 20 03 21 42 30 60 32 51 03 10 31 01 00 11
Bristol City 31 11 00 10 11 10 03 31 21 22 00 60 00 11 21 31 10 12 12 00 11
Bury 20 10 12 01 30 22 22 11 20 20 10 30 11 21 41 21 02 10 21 10 20
Clapton Orient 20 21 30 10 21 22 01 30 01 22 30 10 10 21 12 40 21 21 04 10 00
Coventry City 10 13 00 00 21 00 01 20 02 01 04 12 20 42 11 11 11 32 05 00 10
Fulham 11 12 12 11 10 21 00 21 22 10 50 30 10 40 30 10 41 00 14 12 11
Grimsby Town 11 03 11 22 12 20 01 02 10 21 12 22 10 20 01 31 03 20 20 01 01
Huddersfield Town 41 00 13 10 50 21 50 30 30 20 00 42 21 41 71 22 50 30 11 20 20
Hull City 31 00 01 00 42 31 01 20 41 14 11 51 52 20 10 30 41 30 13 11 103
Leeds City 10 30 12 11
Leicester City 00 10 23 21 05 11 10 32 20 04 32 40 00 01 11 00 02 31 24 00 12
Lincoln City 04 22 03 00 21 21 41 01 20 13 20 03 14 00 00 11 20 21 11 14 40
Nottingham Forest 01 12 20 12 10 21 21 03 20 12 02 00 21 01 41 00 11 02 11 21 10
Port Vale 02 13 31 22 42 34 21 00 12 10 41 42 10 20 03 01 10
Rotherham 10 03 12 22 12 31 43 11 31 13 12 10 30 20 22 10 10 13 11 01 20
South Shields 00 10 60 02 00 20 10 20 20 12 71 20 22 52 20 62 32 22 03 30 00
Stockport County 10 21 00 23 11 31 11 21 12 12 31 02 30 00 04 41 10 31 12 10 41
Stoke 20 01 20 20 11 20 61 10 30 01 31 30 13 02 00 30 00 21 13 21 30
Tottenham Hotspur 40 00 22 20 21 21 41 40 31 20 40 40 61 52 20 20 20 20 20 20 42
West Ham United 02 12 10 20 10 01 20 01 10 11 21 10 11 51 31 21 10 30 11 21 40
Wolverhampton Wanderers 24 02 03 31 01 12 20 21 61 23 42 24 11 40 40 01 00 22 40 13 11

Source: Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second Division maps

Locations of the Football League Second Division London teams 1919–20

See also

References

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