1959–60 in English football

The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.

Diary of the season

17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First Division.

1 December 1959: Bill Shankly of Huddersfield Town accepts the offer to become Liverpool's new manager.[1]

15 March 1960 Manchester City pay Huddersfield Town a club record ₤55,000 transfer fee for Denis Law.[2]

7 May 1960: Wolverhampton Wanderers defeat Blackburn Rovers 3–0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, with two goals from Norman Deeley and an own goal from Mick McGrath.

Awards

Football Writers' Association

Top goalscorer

Honours

CompetitionWinnerRunner-up
First DivisionBurnley (2)Wolverhampton Wanderers
Second DivisionAston VillaCardiff City
Third DivisionSouthamptonNorwich City
Fourth DivisionWalsallNotts County
FA CupWolverhampton Wanderers (4)Blackburn Rovers
Charity ShieldWolverhampton WanderersNottingham Forest
Home Championship England,  Scotland &  Wales shared

Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition

League table

First Division

Burnley failed to top the First Division all season, but pipped Wolves to top spot on the final day of the season to clinch the title. The runners-up, while missing out on a third successive league title and becoming the first team this century to win the elusive double, went on to win the FA Cup this season. Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion and newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday completed the top five. Manchester United, last season's runners-up, dipped to seventh in the league this season despite 32 goals from forward Dennis Viollet and the mid-season signing of half-back Maurice Setters. Luton Town, last season's FA Cup finalists, went down in bottom place, and were joined in relegation by Leeds United.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Burnley422471185611.39355
2Wolverhampton Wanderers4224612106671.58254
3Tottenham Hotspur4221111086501.72053
4West Bromwich Albion4219111283571.45649
5Sheffield Wednesday4219111280591.35649
6Bolton Wanderers422081459511.15748
7Manchester United4219716102801.27545
8Newcastle United421881682781.05144
9Preston North End4216121479761.03944
10Fulham4217101573800.91244
11Blackpool4215101759710.83140
12Leicester City4213131666750.88039
13Arsenal421591868800.85039
14West Ham United421662075910.82438
15Everton4213111873780.93637
16Manchester City421732278840.92937
17Blackburn Rovers421652160700.85737
18Chelsea421491976910.83537
19Birmingham City4213101963800.78736
20Nottingham Forest421392050740.67635
21Leeds United4212102065920.70734
22Luton Town429122150730.68530

Second Division

Aston Villa earned an immediate return to the First Division as Second Division champions, and were joined in promotion by runners-up Cardiff City. Liverpool's change of manager from Phil Taylor to Bill Shankly was not enough to earn them promotion, as they finished in third place, eight points adrift of promotion. Huddersfield Town could only finish sixth in the Second Division despite the goals of brilliant young forward Denis Law, who was sold to Manchester City towards the end of the season for a national record fee.

Hull City and Bristol City went down to the Third Division.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Aston Villa42259889432.07059
2Cardiff City422312790621.45258
3Liverpool4220101290661.36450
4Sheffield United4219121168511.33350
5Middlesbrough4219101390641.40648
6Huddersfield Town421991473521.40447
7Charlton Athletic4217131290871.03447
8Rotherham United4217131261601.01747
9Bristol Rovers4218111372780.92347
10Leyton Orient4215141376611.24644
11Ipswich Town421961778681.14744
12Swansea Town4215101782840.97640
13Lincoln City421671975780.96239
14Brighton & Hove Albion4213121767760.88238
15Scunthorpe United4213101957710.80336
16Sunderland4212121852650.80036
17Stoke City421472166830.79535
18Derby County421472161770.79235
19Plymouth Argyle421392061890.68535
20Portsmouth4210122059770.76632
21Hull City4210102248760.63230
22Bristol City421152660970.61927

Third Division

The Third Division promotion race was very much a two-horse race for much of the season, ending with Southampton going up as champions and Norwich City as runners-up.

Accrington Stanley, Wrexham, York City and Mansfield Town went down to the Fourth Division.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Southampton4626911106751.41361
2Norwich City4624111182541.51959
3Shrewsbury Town4618161297751.29352
4Grimsby Town4618161287701.24352
5Coventry City4621101578631.23852
6Brentford462191678611.27951
7Bury462191664511.25551
8Queens Park Rangers4618131573541.35249
9Colchester United4618111783741.12247
10Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic4617131672721.00047
11Reading4618101884771.09146
12Southend United461981976741.02746
13Newport County462062080791.01346
14Port Vale461981980791.01346
15Halifax Town4618101870720.97246
16Swindon Town461981969780.88546
17Barnsley4615141765660.98544
18Chesterfield461872171840.84543
19Bradford City4615121966740.89242
20Tranmere Rovers4614131972750.96041
21York City4613122157730.78138
22Mansfield Town4615625811120.72336
23Wrexham4614824681010.67336
24Accrington Stanley4611530571230.46327

Fourth Division

Walsall sealed the Fourth Division title and with it a place in the Third Division. They were joined in the higher division by Notts County, Torquay United and Watford.

Gateshead were voted out of the Football League and replaced by ambitious Southern League side Peterborough United, who boasted a 30,000-capacity stadium.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Walsall462899102601.70065
2Notts County4626812107691.55160
3Torquay United462681284581.44860
4Watford462491392671.37357
5Millwall4618171184611.37753
6Northampton Town462291585631.34953
7Gillingham4621101574691.07252
8Crystal Palace4619121584641.31350
9Exeter City4619111680701.14349
10Stockport County4619111658541.07449
11Bradford Park Avenue4617151470681.02949
12Rochdale4618101865601.08346
13Aldershot461891977741.04145
14Crewe Alexandra461891979880.89845
15Darlington461792063730.86343
16Workington4614141868601.13342
17Doncaster Rovers4616102069760.90842
18Barrow4615112077870.88541
19Carlisle United4615112051660.77341
20Chester4614122059770.76640
21Southport4610142248920.52234
22Gateshead461292558860.67433
23Oldham Athletic468122641830.49428
24Hartlepools United4610729591090.54127

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

References

  1. "15 March 1960 - Sometimes, You Have To Spend Money To Make Money". www.thisdayinfootballhistory.blogspot.com. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
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