1971–72 in English football

The 1971–72 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in England.

Football League

First Division

Brian Clough, 37, won the first major trophy of his managerial career by guiding Derby County to their first ever league championship. They overcame Leeds United to win a four-horse race also contested with Liverpool and Manchester City. It was a tight race, and by the time Manchester City played their last game of the season, they were actually top of the league but had no chance of actually being champions due to the narrowness of the gap at the top and the fact that Derby County and Liverpool soon had a game together.

There were later bribery allegations from The Sun newspaper regarding Leeds manager Don Revie, who stood accused of attempting to bribe Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the season in an attempt to win the league title. Captain Billy Bremner won a high court battle to clear his name of the allegations, with evidence provided by Wolves striker Derek Dougan. Although Leeds failed to win the league, they did win the FA Cup for the first time of their history.

Stoke City finally got their hands on some silverware after a century of trying, by winning the League Cup.

Manchester United started the season well under new manager Frank O'Farrell and topped the league for a while, but then lost eight league games in a row and finished eighth in the final table. Troubled winger George Best was dropped from the team towards the end of the season after failing to turn up for training, the latest controversy to surround the hugely popular Northern Irish star, whose excellent early season form had fuelled United's title hopes.

Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town lost their First Division status. By the end of the decade, Forest had made an explosive comeback to the top flight under Brian Clough. 1971–72 was Huddersfield's last season in the top flight to date, and within a few seasons they would be in the Fourth Division – most of their existence since 1972 has been spent in the league's third tier, with eleven seasons being spent in the second and six in the bottom.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Derby County422410869332.09158
2Leeds United42249973312.35557
3Liverpool42249964302.13357
4Manchester City422311877451.71157
5Arsenal422281258401.45052
6Tottenham Hotspur4219131063421.50051
7Chelsea4218121258491.18448
8Manchester United4219101369611.13148
9Wolverhampton Wanderers4218111365571.14047
10Sheffield United4217121361601.01746
11Newcastle United4215111649520.94241
12Leicester City4213131641460.89139
13Ipswich Town4211161539530.73638
14West Ham United4212121847510.92236
15Everton429181537480.77136
16West Bromwich Albion4212111942540.77835
17Stoke City4210151739560.69635
18Coventry City429151844670.65733
19Southampton421272352800.65031
20Crystal Palace428132139650.60029
21Nottingham Forest42892547810.58025
22Huddersfield Town426132327590.45825

Second Division

Norwich City won the Second Division and were promoted along with Birmingham City. This marked the first time that Norwich City reached the top flight in their history, less than 70 years after the club was founded. Charlton Athletic and Watford were relegated.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Norwich City422115660361.66757
2Birmingham City421918560311.93556
3Millwall421917664461.39155
4Queens Park Rangers422014857282.03654
5Sunderland421716967571.17550
6Blackpool422071570501.40047
7Burnley422061670551.27346
8Bristol City4218101461491.24546
9Middlesbrough421981550481.04246
10Carlisle United421791661571.07043
11Swindon Town4215121547471.00042
12Hull City4214101849530.92538
13Luton Town4210181443480.89638
14Sheffield Wednesday4213121751580.87938
15Oxford United4212141643550.78238
16Portsmouth4212131759680.86837
17Orient421491950610.82037
18Preston North End4212121852580.89736
19Cardiff City4210141856690.81234
20Fulham4212102045680.66234
21Charlton Athletic421292155770.71433
22Watford42592824750.32019

Third Division

Aston Villa ended their two-year spell in the Third Division by gaining promotion as champions, and by the end of the decade would be firmly re-established as a First Division club. Brighton & Hove Albion followed Villa into the Second Division, but would not reach the heady heights that the midlanders would experience. Mansfield Town, Barnsley, Torquay United and Bradford City were relegated.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Aston Villa46326885322.65670
2Brighton & Hove Albion462711882471.74565
3Bournemouth462316773371.97362
4Notts County462512974441.68262
5Rotherham United4620151169521.32755
6Bristol Rovers4621121375561.33954
7Bolton Wanderers4617161351411.24450
8Plymouth Argyle4620101674641.15650
9Walsall4615181362571.08848
10Blackburn Rovers461991854570.94747
11Oldham Athletic4617111859630.93745
12Shrewsbury Town4617101973651.12344
13Chesterfield461882057571.00044
14Swansea City4617101946590.78044
15Port Vale4613151843590.72941
16Wrexham461682259630.93740
17Halifax Town4613122148610.78738
18Rochdale4612132157830.68737
19York City4612122257660.86436
20Tranmere Rovers4610162050710.70436
21Mansfield Town468201841630.65136
22Barnsley469181932640.50036
23Torquay United4610122441690.59432
24Bradford City4611102545770.58432

Fourth Division

Grimsby Town, Southend United, Brentford and Scunthorpe United were promoted from the Fourth Division. Barrow were voted out of the Football League and replaced by Hereford United, who a short time earlier had achieved a shock FA Cup victory over Newcastle United.

Ernie Tagg sacked himself as manager of Crewe Alexandra because he felt that a younger manager should take charge of the club.

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Grimsby Town462871188561.57163
2Southend United4624121081551.47360
3Brentford4624111176441.72759
4Scunthorpe United4622131156371.51457
5Lincoln City4621141177591.30556
6Workington4616191150341.47151
7Southport4618141466461.43550
8Peterborough United4617161382641.28150
9Bury4619121573591.23750
10Cambridge United4617141562601.03348
11Colchester United4619101770691.01448
12Doncaster Rovers4616141656630.88946
13Gillingham4616131761670.91045
14Newport County461882060720.83344
15Exeter City4616111961680.89743
16Reading461782156760.73742
17Aldershot469221548540.88940
18Hartlepool461762358690.84140
19Darlington4614112164820.78039
20Chester4610181847560.83938
21Northampton Town4612132166790.83537
22Barrow4613112240710.56337
23Stockport County469142355870.63232
24Crewe Alexandra461092743690.62329

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

FA Cup

Main article: 1971–72 FA Cup

Leeds United won the FA Cup for the first time in their history by beating the previous year's winners, Arsenal, 1–0 in the final at Wembley. Allan Clarke scored the winning goal.[1]

1971–72 marked the centenary of the FA Cup. Non-League Hereford United of the Southern League provided one of the shocks of the season by knocking out Newcastle United 2–1 after extra time in the 3rd Round Replay.

League Cup

Stoke City won the 1972 Football League Cup Final to claim the only major trophy in their history.

European competitions

The 1972 UEFA Cup Final was the final of the first ever UEFA Cup and was contested by two English teams, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs won 2–1 in the first leg at the Molineux on 3 May. The second leg, played on 17 May at White Hart Lane, ended 1–1. The 3–2 aggregate win by Tottenham Hotspur gave them the second European trophy in their history [2]

Diary of the season

8 July 1971: Bill Shankly signs a three-year contract as Liverpool manager which will keep him in charge until the end of the 1973-74 season.[3]

6 November 1971: The Manchester derby at Maine Road ends in a 3–3 thriller, with debutant 17-year-old winger Sammy McIlroy on the scoresheet for United.[4]

27 November 1971: Alan Woodward scores four of the seven Sheffield United put past Ipswich Town without reply, while elsewhere, George Best is the hat-trick hero as Manchester United beat Southampton 5–2, and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat West Bromwich Albion 3–2 in the Black Country derby.[5]

15 December 1971: John Ritchie's goal and a penalty save from Gordon Banks gives Stoke City a replay in the Football League Cup semi-final against West Ham United.[6]

31 December 1971: At the end of the year, Manchester United are top of the First Division, three points ahead of Manchester City and four ahead of Leeds United. West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest occupy the relegation places.[7]

19 February 1972: Leeds United thrash Manchester United 5–1 at Elland Road and are two points behind Manchester City at the top of the table. Manchester United have now lost five League matches in a row.[7]

4 March 1972: Leeds United beat Southampton 7–0 and will overtake Manchester City at the top of the table if they win their two games in hand. Manchester United are beaten for the sixth consecutive match in the League when they lose 2–0 to Tottenham Hotspur.[7]

1 April 1972: Derby County beat Leeds United 2–0 and take over at the top of the First Division.[7]

26 April 1972: Derby County win the Texaco Cup by beating Airdrieonians 2–1 on aggregate.[8] Crystal Palace's 2–0 win over Stoke City relegates both Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town from the First Division.

1 May 1972: Derby County, in their last League game of the season, beat Liverpool 1–0 . Leeds United beat Chelsea 2–0 and will win the title if they can beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in their final fixture.[7]

6 May 1972: Leeds United win the FA Cup for the first time in their history by beating Arsenal 1–0 in the final at Wembley, with Allan Clarke heading the only goal in the second half.

8 May 1972: Derby County win the League Championship as neither Leeds United nor Liverpool manage to win their final league games. Leeds would have overtaken Derby on goal average had they drawn with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, but lose 2-1, while Liverpool draw 0-0 with Arsenal at Highbury.[7]

11 May 1972: The First Division season ends when Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal 2–0 in the North London derby at Highbury.[7]

Star players

Star managers

National team

England were eliminated from the 1972 European Championships in the quarter-finals after losing 3–1 on aggregate over two legs (1–3 at Wembley and 0–0 in West Berlin) to West Germany, who went on to win the tournament.

Honours

CompetitionWinnerRunner-up
First DivisionDerby County (1)Leeds United
Second DivisionNorwich CityBirmingham City
Third DivisionAston VillaBrighton & Hove Albion
Fourth DivisionGrimsby TownSouthend United
FA CupLeeds United (1)Arsenal
League CupStoke City (1)Chelsea
Charity ShieldLeicester CityLiverpool
Home ChampionshipShared by  England and  Scotland

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

References

  1. "FA Cup Final 1972". Fa-cupfinals.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
  2. "1972 UEFA Cup Final". Spurs Memorabilia. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
  3. Ley, John (10 November 2010). "Top 10: Manchester derbies". Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
  4. "Best kicks three goals". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 November 1971. p. 17. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  5. "Stoke City earn Cup replay". The Age (Melbourne). Australian Associated Press; Reuters. 17 December 1971. p. 26. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 1859832148.
  7. "Disputed penalty decision robs Airdrie of cup". The Herald (Glasgow). 27 April 1972. p. 9. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
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