The 1915–16 season was the first season of special wartime football in England during World War I.
Between 1914 and 1919 competitive football was suspended in England. Many footballers signed up to fight in the war and as a result many teams were depleted, and fielded guest players instead. The Football League and FA Cup were suspended and in their place regional league competitions were set up; appearances in these tournaments do not count in players' official records.
There were four regional leagues. Each league was split into a principal tournament and a subsidiary tournament, except the South-West Combination. The Lancashire and Midland Sections were split into further regional divisions, while the London Combination remained a single league.
Competition | Principal Tournament Winner | Subsidiary Tournament Winner(s) |
---|---|---|
Football League (Lancashire Section) | Manchester City | Burnley (Northern Division) Manchester City (Southern Division) |
Football League (Midland Section) | Nottingham Forest | Leeds City (Northern Division) Nottingham Forest (Southern Division) Grimsby Town (Midland Division) |
London Combination | Chelsea | Chelsea |
South-West Combination | Portsmouth | n/a |
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