The 1981–82 season was the 102nd season of competitive football in England. It was also the first season that the Three points for a win system was introduced.
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Three points for a win was introduced for the first time in England. Liverpool made up for the previous season's slip in league form by winning the league championship for the 13th time in their history, fighting off competition from Ipswich Town, Manchester United and Spurs. Liverpool also won the Football League Cup for the second season in succession. The league triumph was made all the more significant by the fact that they had occupied 10th place on Christmas Day.
Their season of triumph was overshadowed, however, by the death of former manager Bill Shankly, 67, following a heart attack in late September.
Middlesbrough and Wolves were relegated as financial problems at both clubs began to mount. They were joined by Leeds United, who had gradually fallen apart in the eight years since Don Revie's departure.
West Bromwich Albion felt the loss of manager Ron Atkinson and key players Bryan Robson and Remi Moses as they slumped to 19th in the league and narrowly avoided relegation. This was just the beginning of a sharp decline for a club who three seasons earlier had reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals and almost won the league title.
Swansea City were tipped for relegation by most observers as they reached the First Division for the first time in their history, having just completed their third promotion in four seasons. But John Toshack's men had a brilliant first game in the top flight, crushing Leeds United 5–1 and setting the tone for a season which would end with Leeds going down. Swansea, meanwhile, were the most unlikely title contenders, topping the league at several stages of the season before finishing sixth in the final table.
Manchester United paid a British record fee of £1.75million for West Bromwich Albion's 24-year-old England midfielder Bryan Robson. Robson's record-breaking move reflected on how the size of transfer fees had risen dramatically in a relatively short period of time. Less than four years earlier, the British record fee had been the £516,000 that West Bromwich Albion had paid for David Mills. In such a short amount of time, the British record had more than tripled.
Despite Robson's fee the transfer market saw a significant drop in fees as the general economic recession hit the game. Players such as Brian Greenhoff and Len Cantello who had commanded six-figure fees three years earlier were given free transfers to reduce the wage bill when their contracts came to an end. Bristol City were only saved from extinction when eight senior players still on contract from their First Division days agreed to have them terminated.
Everton, who had struggled in the league for the past few seasons, turned to their former player Howard Kendall and appointed him as manager in hope of restoring the club to its former glory.
Luton Town ended their long absence from the top flight by winning promotion from the Second Division. Luton's local rivals Watford, owned by Elton John and managed by Graham Taylor, were runners-up and would begin 1982–83 as First Division members for the first time in their history. Also promoted were third placed Norwich City, who ensured an instant return to the First Division.Cardiff City, Wrexham and Orient were the unfortunate three clubs to lose their Second Division status at the end of the 1981–82 season.
Burnley, Carlisle United and Fulham enjoyed some success after a string of disappointments by winning promotion to the Second Division.
Going down were Wimbledon, Swindon Town, Bristol City and Chester. Bristol had completed a unique succession of three relegations due to administration entrance from the previous season and leaving administration without arrangements during the beginning of 1982, while Swindon had been League Cup winners little over a decade earlier. Wimbledon, meanwhile, would not be enduring any more disappointing season for many years after 1982.
Joe Royle, the 33-year-old former Everton striker, began his managerial career at Oldham Athletic.
Sheffield United began the first phase of their revival by winning the Fourth Division championship, which marked a superb start to the management career of Ian Porterfield. Also promoted were Bradford City, Wigan Athletic and Bournemouth.
Crewe Alexandra endured a terrible season and propped up the league with just 27 league points, but the other league members voted in their favour and they maintained their league status.
Tottenham Hotspur retained the trophy, drawing 1–1 with QPR (managed by former Tottenham player Terry Venables) in the first game before winning the replay 1–0. You can see a review and video of the 1982 FA Cup Final and replay at Spurs Memorabilia
In the semi-final against Leicester City, Argentine midfielder Ossie Ardiles was booed whenever he touched the ball and after the game returned to his homeland, missing the final along with fellow Argentine Ricardo Villa. This phase of the season coincided with the conflict between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands.
Liverpool added to their league title triumph by retaining the League Cup, with a 3–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Defending champions Aston Villa were disappointing in the 1981–82 First Division campaign, and manager Ron Saunders stepped down in February. But they were still in the European Cup. And his assistant Tony Barton stepped up to the manager's seat and guided Villa to the final, where they beat Bayern Munich thanks to a Peter Withe goal and were crowned champions of Europe to make it six European Cup wins in a row for English clubs.
13 July 1981: Everton sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Neville Southall from Bury for £150,000.
4 August 1981: Nottingham Forest sign 20-year-old midfielder Mark Proctor from Middlesbrough for £440,000.
19 August 1981: Brighton sign Liverpool midfielder Jimmy Case for £350,000.
29 August 1981: The first Football League games of the season are played. Swansea City begin life as a First Division side on a high note by beating Leeds United 5–1. Howard Kendall begins his career as Everton manager by guiding them to a 3–1 win over Middlesbrough.[2]
26 September 1981: Legendary former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, 67, is admitted to hospital on Merseyside after suffering a heart attack, but doctors treating him are confident that he will make a full recovery.
29 September 1981: Bill Shankly dies in hospital after suffering a second heart attack.
30 September 1981: September ends with Ipswich Town leading the First Division and looking like good bets for winning the title that they narrowly missed out on last season. Newly promoted West Ham United and Swansea City are their nearest challengers, with Nottingham Forest and Manchester United completing the top five. Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland occupy the three relegation places, while defending champions Aston Villa are 16th after winning just one of their opening seven games, and traditional title favourites Liverpool occupy 12th place after just two wins so far this season.[3] The race for a place in next season's First Division is headed by Sheffield Wednesday, Luton Town and Norwich City, while Watford (who have never been in the top flight) and Oldham Athletic (who were last among the elite in 1923) are giving the top three a run for their money in the Second Division.[4] On the continental scene, Liverpool beat Finnish league champions Oulun Palloseura 7–0 at Anfield to complete an 8–0 aggregate first leg triumph, with young striker Ian Rush (who turns 20 in October) scoring his first senior goal for the club.[5]
1 October 1981: Manchester United pay a national record fee of £1.5 million for West Bromwich Albion midfielder Bryan Robson.
7 October 1981: Ian Rush scores his first domestic goals for Liverpool, finding the net twice in their second round first leg League Cup 5–0 win over Exeter City at Anfield.
10 October 1981: Ian Rush scores his first league goals for Liverpool in their 3–0 home win over Leeds United.
26 October 1981: Liverpool sign 20-year-old Scottish defender Steve Nicol from Ayr United for £300,000.
31 October 1981: Manchester United finish October as First Division leaders, giving fans hope that new manager Ron Atkinson will deliver the club their first top division title since 1967 in his first season as manager. However, second placed Ipswich Town are level on points with them, and have two games in hand. Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United are also proving to be close rivals for the title. Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Middlesbrough occupy the relegation places.[6] Luton Town's recent excellent form has taken them to the top of the Second Division, heading a promotion race in which Watford stand second and Sheffield Wednesday are third, with the likes of Oldham Athletic, QPR and Barnsley pushing them hard.[7]
18 November 1981: England seal qualification for the World Cup with a 1–0 win over Hungary at Wembley in their final qualifying game.
30 November 1981: November draws to a close with Manchester United still top of the First Division, though Swansea City are two points behind them with a game in hand. Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur are still pushing them hard, as are Southampton, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City occupy the relegation places, while defending champions Aston Villa are still 13th in the league and Liverpool are 10th.[8] Luton Town continue to head the Second Division promotion race by a comfortable margin, with Watford and QPR completing the top three. Oldham Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday are close behind them.[9]
15 December 1981: Swansea City go top of the First Division with a 2–1 home win over defending champions Aston Villa. If "the Swans" win the league this season, they will be the first Welsh side to be champions of the English league and only the fourth side to win the top division title a year after being promoted.[10]
31 December 1981: 1981 draws to a close with Manchester City top of the First Division and looking like good bets to win their first top division title since 1968. However, just two points separate the top five places that are also occupied by Southampton, Swansea City, Manchester United and Ipswich Town. Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town side have the greatest advantage – fifth in the league but two points off the top position with four games in hand.[11] Luton Town continue as runaway leaders of the Second Division, while Oldham Athletic have muscled into the promotion zone and are second, with Watford completing the top three.[12]
7 January 1982: Everton sign 20-year-old midfielder Adrian Heath from Stoke City for £700,000.
26 January 1982: Ian Rush scores his first Liverpool hat-trick in a 4–0 league win over Notts County at Meadow Lane.
31 January 1982: January ends with Southampton top of the First Division which they have never been champions of. Manchester United are a point behind them, while Ipswich Town are two points off the top but still have three games in hand. Manchester City's title hopes remain strong as they occupy fourth place with a two-point gap between themselves and the leaders. Liverpool's resurgence has seen them climb into fifth place (ahead of Swansea City on goal difference). Brighton, in only their third season as a top flight club, have emerged as outside title challengers and good bets for at least a UEFA Cup place as they stand seventh in the league. Defending champions Aston Villa, meanwhile, are going from bad to worse as they occupy 17th place. Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers occupy the relegation places.[13] Luton Town, Oldham Athletic and Watford head the Second Division promotion race, followed closely behind by Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and QPR.[14]
9 February 1982: Ron Saunders announces his resignation as manager of defending league champions Aston Villa and is succeeded by assistant Tony Barton.
13 February 1982: Ipswich Town, who are in strong contention for the First Division title, suffer a shock FA Cup exit at Shrewsbury Town in the fifth round.
18 February 1982: Nine days after walking out on Aston Villa, Ron Saunders makes a surprise return to management with their local rivals Birmingham City.
28 February 1982: February ends with Southampton still top of the First Division, with Swansea City's even more surprising challenge back on track after a slight blip as they occupy second place. Manchester United continue to look like good bets for their first title in 15 years as they occupy third place and are six points off the top of the league with two games in hand. Liverpool's resurgence continues as they now stand fourth and are eight points off top place with three games in hand. Arsenal have broken into the top five at the expense of Ipswich Town, while the challenge by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City has crumbled and they have fallen out of the top five. Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers remain in the bottom three.[15] Luton Town, Watford and Oldham Athletic continue to head the Second Division promotion race, with their nearest challenge now coming from an unlikely Rotherham United side who have yet to play top division football.[16]
6 March 1982: Shrewsbury Town's impressive FA Cup run comes to an end when they lose 5–2 to Second Division rivals Leicester City at Filbert Street.
13 March 1982: Liverpool retain the Football League Cup with a 3–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Wembley final.[17] You can see a review and video of the 1982 League Cup Final and replay at Spurs Memorabilia
25 March 1982: Southampton sign 18-year-old Oxford United defender Mark Wright in an £80,000 deal.
31 March 1982: Southampton are month-end leaders of the First Division for the third month running, but Liverpool are closing in on them in second place – a point behind with three games in hand. Ipswich Town have got their challenge back on track this month and are now third, while Manchester United and Swansea City complete the top five. The bottom three of Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers remain unchaged from last month.[18] Watford have overhauled Luton Town as Second Division leaders, with Sheffield Wednesday now completing the top three. Rotherham United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United are close behind in the promotion race.[19] Fulham defender Dave Clement, who was capped five times by England and spent the first 14 years of his career at Queen's Park Rangers, commits suicide.[20]
3 April 1982: FA Cup holders Tottenham Hotspur reach the final for the second reason running with a 2–0 semi-final win over surprise contestants Leicester City in the semi-final, while Queens Park Rangers are the lucky Second Division side who manage to overcome West Bromwich Albion in the other semi-final to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in their history. Tottenham's victory is marred by Leicester fans booing Argentine midfielder Ossie Ardiles amid hostility over the Falklands War, between Britain and Argentina, which broke out yesterday.[21]
21 April 1982: Tottenham Hotspur are left with only the FA Cup to play for after losing the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final 2–1 on aggregate to FC Barcelona, just weeks after losing the League Cup final, and with their league title challenge also now over.[22]
27 April 1982:Cyrille Regis, West Bromwich Albion striker, becomes only the third black England full international when he comes on as a substitute in the 1–0 win over Wales in a friendly at Ninian Park.[23]
30 April 1982: Manchester United agree a £30,000 deal with Irish club St Patrick's Athletic for 22-year-old defender Paul McGrath. Their title challenge, however, is almost certainly over as they now have five games to play and are 10 points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Ipswich Town stand second, Swansea City are third and Southampton complete the top five. Manchester City, who led the league four months ago, are now 10th. Middlesbrough remain bottom of the First Division, but Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland have climbed out of the bottom three at the expense of Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion.[24] Luton Town's promotion is now almost certain, while Watford are also looking likely to reach the First Division this year – for the first time in their history. Sheffield Wednesday currently occupy the final promotion place, but the likes of Leicester City and a resurgent Norwich City, as well as QPR, are giving them a real run for their money. Rotherham United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, however, have been effectively eliminated from the promotion race following a month of poor results.[25]
15 May 1982: The Football League season ends, with Liverpool champions of the top flight for the 13th time. Going down to the Second Division are Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and Middlesbrough, whose places in the First Division are taken by Luton Town (who last played at this level in 1975), Norwich City (who went down last year) and Watford (who have never played top division football before).
22 May 1982: The FA Cup final ends in a 1–1 draw between Tottenham and QPR, with Tottenham's line-up not featuring Argentinians Ricardo Villa and Ossie Ardiles who have withdrawn from first-team action due to hostility aimed at them by fans in relation to the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina. You can see a review and video of the 1982 FA Cup Final and replay at Spurs Memorabilia
26 May 1982: Aston Villa lift the European Cup when a Peter Withe goal gives them victory over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam.
27 May 1982: Tottenham retain the FA Cup thanks to a penalty from Glenn Hoddle in the replay. You can see a review and video of the 1982 FA Cup Final and replay at Spurs Memorabilia
14 June 1982: Alan Smith, a 19-year-old striker rated as one of the finest prospects in non-league football, leaves Alvechurch in a £22,000 move to First Division club Leicester City.
16 June 1982: England open their World Cup campaign with a 3–1 win over France.
20 June 1982: England seal qualification to the next stage of the World Cup by defeating Czechoslovakia 2–0.
25 June 1982: England complete their successful first stage of the World Cup with a 1–0 win over Kuwait.
29 June 1982: England draw 0–0 with West Germany in the first game of the second stage of the World Cup.
5 July 1982: England are eliminated from the World Cup after only managing a goalless draw with host nation Spain. As planned, Ron Greenwood retires as national team manager, and is succeeded by Ipswich's Bobby Robson.
26 July 1982: Luton Town pay a club record fee of £400,00 for Charlton Athletic striker Paul Walsh as they prepare for a return to the First Division after sealing the Second Division title.
5 September 1981: John Barnes, 17-year-old Jamaica born winger, makes his debut for Watford in their 1–1 home draw with Oldham Athletic in the Second Division.[26]
10 October 1981: Gary Stevens, 18-year-old full back, makes his debut for Everton in their 1–1 league draw with West Ham United at Upton Park.[27]
21 November 1981: Kevin Richardson, 18-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Everton in their 2–1 league defeat at home to Sunderland.[28]
5 December 1981: Stewart Robson, 17-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Arsenal in their 2–1 league win over West Ham United at Upton Park.[29]
24 April 1982: Norman Whiteside, 16-year-old Northern Irish forward, makes his debut for Manchester United in their 1–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goldstone Ground 13 days before his 17th birthday.[30]
28 April 1982: Mark Walters, 17-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Aston Villa in their 4–1 home defeat by Leeds United in the league.[31]
1 May 1982: Peter Davenport, 21-year-old striker, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest in a 2–0 league defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.[32]
15 May 1982: Steve Hodge, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest in a 3–1 league win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road.[33]
Ron Greenwood, 61, retired as England manager after the 1982 World Cup. He was succeeded by the Ipswich manager Bobby Robson.
| Competition | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| First Division | Liverpool (13*) | Ipswich Town |
| Second Division | Luton Town | Watford |
| Third Division | Burnley | Carlisle United |
| Fourth Division | Sheffield United | Bradford City |
| FA Cup | Tottenham Hotspur (7*) | Queens Park Rangers |
| League Cup | Liverpool (2) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Charity Shield | Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur (shared) | |
| Home Championship | England | Scotland |
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 80 | 32 | +48 | 87 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 26 | 5 | 11 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 83 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 59 | 29 | +30 | 78 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 71 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 71 |
| 6 | Swansea City | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 58 | 51 | +7 | 69 |
| 7 | Southampton | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 72 | 67 | +5 | 66 |
| 8 | Everton | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 56 | 50 | +6 | 64 |
| 9 | West Ham United | 42 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 58 |
| 10 | Manchester City | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 58 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 57 |
| 12 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 57 |
| 13 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 52 |
| 14 | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 56 | 62 | −6 | 50 |
| 15 | Notts County | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 61 | 69 | −8 | 47 |
| 16 | Birmingham City | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 44 |
| 17 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 57 | −11 | 44 |
| 18 | Stoke City | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 44 | 63 | −19 | 44 |
| 19 | Sunderland | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 38 | 58 | −20 | 44 |
| 20 | Leeds United | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 39 | 61 | −22 | 42 |
| 21 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 63 | −31 | 40 |
| 22 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 52 | −18 | 39 |
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luton Town | 42 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 86 | 46 | +40 | 88 |
| 2 | Watford | 42 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 76 | 42 | +34 | 80 |
| 3 | Norwich City | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 71 |
| 4 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 55 | 51 | +4 | 70 |
| 5 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 65 | 43 | +22 | 69 |
| 6 | Barnsley | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 59 | 41 | +18 | 67 |
| 7 | Rotherham United | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 66 | 54 | +12 | 67 |
| 8 | Leicester City | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 66 |
| 9 | Newcastle United | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 52 | 50 | +2 | 62 |
| 10 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 47 | 43 | +4 | 59 |
| 11 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 50 | 51 | −1 | 59 |
| 12 | Chelsea | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 60 | 60 | +0 | 57 |
| 13 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 50 | 65 | −15 | 51 |
| 14 | Cambridge United | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 48 | 53 | −5 | 48 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 34 | 45 | −11 | 48 |
| 16 | Derby County | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 53 | 68 | −15 | 48 |
| 17 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 53 | 65 | −12 | 46 |
| 18 | Shrewsbury Town | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 37 | 57 | −20 | 46 |
| 19 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 39 | 61 | −22 | 46 |
| 20 | Cardiff City | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 45 | 61 | −16 | 44 |
| 21 | Wrexham | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 40 | 56 | −16 | 44 |
| 22 | Leyton Orient | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 36 | 61 | −25 | 39 |
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnley | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 66 | 45 | +21 | 80 |
| 2 | Carlisle United | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 65 | 50 | +15 | 80 |
| 3 | Fulham | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 77 | 51 | +26 | 78 |
| 4 | Lincoln City | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 66 | 40 | +26 | 77 |
| 5 | Oxford United | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 63 | 49 | +14 | 71 |
| 6 | Gillingham | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 64 | 56 | +8 | 71 |
| 7 | Southend United | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 63 | 51 | +12 | 69 |
| 8 | Brentford | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 56 | 47 | +9 | 68 |
| 9 | Millwall | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 62 | 62 | +0 | 67 |
| 10 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 64 | 56 | +8 | 65 |
| 11 | Chesterfield | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 64 |
| 12 | Reading | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 67 | 75 | −8 | 62 |
| 13 | Portsmouth | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 61 |
| 14 | Preston North End | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 50 | 56 | −6 | 61 |
| 15 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 58 | 65 | −7 | 61 |
| 16 | Newport County | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 54 | 54 | +0 | 58 |
| 17 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 64 | 59 | +5 | 57 |
| 18 | Exeter City | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 71 | 85 | −14 | 57 |
| 19 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 55 | 68 | −13 | 56 |
| 20 | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 51 | 55 | −4 | 53 |
| 21 | Wimbledon | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 61 | 75 | −14 | 53 |
| 22 | Swindon Town | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 55 | 71 | −16 | 52 |
| 23 | Bristol City | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 41 | 65 | −24 | 46 |
| 24 | Chester | 46 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 36 | 78 | −42 | 32 |
Failure to comply with rules on insolvency= Swindon Town
Administration exit without arrangements and liquidation= Bristol City
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield United | 46 | 27 | 15 | 4 | 94 | 41 | +53 | 96 |
| 2 | Bradford City | 46 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 88 | 45 | +43 | 91 |
| 3 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 80 | 46 | +34 | 91 |
| 4 | Bournemouth | 46 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 62 | 30 | +32 | 88 |
| 5 | Peterborough United | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 71 | 57 | +14 | 82 |
| 6 | Colchester United | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 82 | 57 | +25 | 72 |
| 7 | Port Vale | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 70 |
| 8 | Hull City | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 70 | 61 | +9 | 69 |
| 9 | Bury | 46 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 80 | 59 | +21 | 68 |
| 10 | Hereford United | 46 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 64 | 58 | +6 | 67 |
| 11 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 60 |
| 12 | Blackpool | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 66 | 60 | +6 | 58 |
| 13 | Darlington | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 61 | 62 | −1 | 58 |
| 14 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 73 | 84 | −11 | 55 |
| 15 | Torquay United | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 47 | 59 | −12 | 55 |
| 16 | Aldershot | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 57 | 68 | −11 | 54 |
| 17 | York City | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 69 | 91 | −22 | 50 |
| 18 | Stockport County | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 48 | 67 | −19 | 49 |
| 19 | Halifax Town | 46 | 9 | 22 | 15 | 51 | 72 | −21 | 49 |
| 20 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 63 | 81 | −18 | 47 |
| 21 | Rochdale | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 50 | 62 | −12 | 46 |
| 22 | Northampton Town | 46 | 11 | 9 | 26 | 57 | 84 | −27 | 42 |
| 23 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 43 | 79 | −36 | 42 |
| 24 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 29 | 84 | −55 | 27 |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
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