1960–61 in English football

The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England. This season was a particularly historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions in the same season.

Football League

Tottenham Hotspur sealed the Football League First Division title with a 2–1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday on 17 April 1961. Preston North End, who had been the first team to achieve the League and FA Cup "double", was relegated in last place – and to date have not returned to the top flight of English football since. 1960–61 still remains the last time Tottenham Hotspur won the League Championship.

Portsmouth F.C. became the first former English League champion to be relegated to the Third Division, ten years after winning their second title.

Peterborough United set a football league record by scoring the most league goals in one season (134).

FA Cup

Tottenham Hotspur beat Leicester City 2–0 to win the 1961 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium to become the first team in the 20th Century to win the double.[1]

League Cup

The 1960–61 was the inaugural staging of the Football League Cup, The tournament was won by Aston Villa, who beat Rotherham United 3–2 on aggregate after extra time. Although Aston Villa are credited as the League Cup Winners in 1960–61, both legs of the Final were held over until after the commencement of the 1961–62 season due to fixture congestion. Villa finally lifted the trophy on 5 September 1961.

Transfers

In June 1961, Denis Law left Manchester City for Italian side Torino in a £100,000 deal – a record fee involving a British player.

Awards

Football Writers' Association

Top goalscorer

Honours

CompetitionWinnerRunner-up
First DivisionTottenham Hotspur (2)Sheffield Wednesday
Second DivisionIpswich TownSheffield United
Third DivisionBuryWalsall
Fourth DivisionPeterborough UnitedCrystal Palace
FA CupTottenham Hotspur (3)Leicester City
League CupAston Villa (1)Rotherham United
Charity ShieldBurnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers (shared)
Home Championship England Wales

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

League table

First Division

Tottenham Hotspur made history by becoming the first team this century to win the double, which in recent seasons had narrowly eluded the likes of Manchester United and Wolves.

Sheffield Wednesday finished runners-up, but an eight-point finishing divide between themselves and the champions meant that they never really looked like claiming the league title which had last been theirs in 1930. Wolves, Everton and defending champions Burnley completed the top five, while FA Cup runners-up Leicester City enjoyed a strong sixth place finish and Manchester United finished seventh for the second season running.

Aston Villa's failure to mount a title challenge was compensated for by victory in the first-ever edition of the Football League Cup.

Preston North End performed dismally in their first season without retired winger Tom Finney, and went down in bottom place, joined in relegation by Newcastle United.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Tottenham Hotspur423147115552.09166
2Sheffield Wednesday422312778471.66058
3Wolverhampton Wanderers4225710103751.37357
4Burnley4222713102771.32551
5Everton422261487691.26150
6Leicester City421891587701.24345
7Manchester United421891588761.15845
8Blackburn Rovers4215131477761.01343
9Aston Villa421791678771.01343
10West Bromwich Albion421851967710.94441
11Arsenal4215111677850.90641
12Chelsea4215720981000.98037
13Manchester City4213111879900.87837
14Nottingham Forest421491962780.79537
15Cardiff City4213111860850.70637
16West Ham United4213101977880.87536
17Fulham421482072950.75836
18Bolton Wanderers4212111958730.79535
19Birmingham City421462262840.73834
20Blackpool421292168730.93233
21Newcastle United42111021861090.78932
22Preston North End4210102243710.60630

Second Division

Alf Ramsey's impressive Ipswich side reached the First Division for the first time in their history by winning the Second Division title - an impressive showing for a club who had been in non-league football 25 years earlier. They were joined in promotion by a more illustrious club in the shape of Sheffield United, who have been no strangers to the elite of English football. Liverpool just missed out on First Division football once again, while Norwich City achieved their best final position yet by finishing fourth.

Lincoln City went down in bottom place and were joined in the Third Division by Portsmouth, league champions just over a decade earlier.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Ipswich Town422679100551.81859
2Sheffield United422661081511.58858
3Liverpool4221101187581.50052
4Norwich City422091370531.32149
5Middlesbrough4218121283741.12248
6Sunderland4217131275601.25047
7Swansea Town4218111377731.05547
8Southampton421881684811.03744
9Scunthorpe United4214151369641.07843
10Charlton Athletic4216111597911.06643
11Plymouth Argyle421781781820.98842
12Derby County4215101780801.00040
13Luton Town421591871790.89939
14Leeds United4214101875830.90438
15Rotherham United4212131765641.01637
16Brighton & Hove Albion421491961750.81337
17Bristol Rovers421572073920.79337
18Stoke City4212121851590.86436
19Leyton Orient421482055780.70536
20Huddersfield Town421392062710.87335
21Portsmouth4211112064910.70333
22Lincoln City42882648950.50524

Third Division

Bury won promotion to the Second Division as champions of the Third Division and were joined in the higher division by runners-up Walsall.

Chesterfield, Colchester United and Tranmere Rovers, who had all spent most or all of their history in nothing higher than the league's third tier, went down to the Fourth Division, but were relegated along with a Bradford City side who had played in the First Division for a number of seasons until 1922 and were FA Cup winners in 1911.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Bury463088108452.40068
2Walsall462861298601.63362
3Queens Park Rangers4625101193601.55060
4Watford4620121485721.18152
5Notts County462191682771.06551
6Grimsby Town4620101677691.11650
7Port Vale4617151496791.21549
8Barnsley462171883801.03849
9Halifax Town4616171371780.91049
10Shrewsbury Town4615161583751.10746
11Hull City4617121773731.00046
12Torquay United4614171575830.90445
13Newport County4617111881900.90045
14Bristol City4617101970681.02944
15Coventry City4616121880830.96444
16Swindon Town4614151762551.12743
17Brentford4613171656700.80043
18Reading4614122072830.86740
19Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic4615102158760.76340
20Southend United4614112160760.78939
21Tranmere Rovers4615823791150.68738
22Bradford City4611142165870.74736
23Colchester United46111124681010.67333
24Chesterfield4610122467870.77032

Fourth Division

Peterborough United enjoyed a blistering debut in the Football League, finding the net 134 times (with 52 goals coming from centre-forward Terry Bly) and clinching the Fourth Division title. They were joined in promotion by Crystal Palace, Northampton Town and Bradford Park Avenue.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Peterborough United4628108134652.06266
2Crystal Palace4629611110691.59464
3Northampton Town4625101190621.45260
4Bradford Park Avenue462681284741.13560
5York City462191680601.33351
6Millwall462181797861.12850
7Darlington4618131578701.11449
8Workington462171874760.97449
9Crewe Alexandra462091761670.91049
10Aldershot461891979691.14545
11Doncaster Rovers461972076780.97445
12Oldham Athletic461972079880.89845
13Stockport County461891957660.86445
14Southport461962169671.03044
15Gillingham4615131864660.97043
16Wrexham461782162561.10742
17Rochdale461782160660.90942
18Accrington Stanley461682274880.84140
19Carlisle United4613132061790.77239
20Mansfield Town461662471780.91038
21Exeter City4614102266940.70238
22Barrow4613112252790.65837
23Hartlepools United4612826711030.68932
24Chester4611926611040.58731

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

References

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