The 1919–20 season was the 28th season of The Football League, and the first season after football was suspended after the outbreak of the First World War.
Compared to 1914–15, the number of Football League member clubs increased from 40 to 44, initially with five new clubs.
Team changes Resuming after four years, the Football League expanded its numbers by four, maintaining competition in two Divisions of equal size. During previous such expansions, 1898 and 1905, the relegated clubs from the previous season were re-elected, while the top Second Division sides were promoted as usual.
Following that precedent, the two top Second Division sides in 1915, Derby and Preston, did move on up. Chelsea, which had finished 19th that First Division season, was, as expected, re-elected.
Discussion of how the expansion should be handled began on 13 January 1919, when James Catton published an article in Athletic News raising the issue of match-fixing; this had dogged the 1914/15 League season and been left unresolved because of the cessation of the League for the duration of the war.
In the article, Catton argued one of the two clubs that ought to be returned to the first division (if that league was to be expanded, as had already been proposed) should be Chelsea, for it had been relegated due to the match-fixing. Catton then considered the argument that Tottenham, who had also been relegated with Chelsea should likewise be reinstated, although he noted there was nothing to link Tottenham's relegation with anything amiss in the final season before the cessation of the League for the duration.
In 1915, Manchester United avoided relegation by winning a game against Liverpool 2–0 on 2 April 1915 which was fixed in United's favour, with players from both sides benefiting from bets placed upon the result (see 1915 British football betting scandal). At the end of the season, Manchester United finished one point and one place ahead of Chelsea. Had the game against Liverpool ended in a draw, Chelsea would have finished ahead of United on goal average; if Liverpool had won, then Chelsea would have finished one place and one point ahead of Manchester United.
Arsenal, who had finished 6th in the Second Division in 1914-15 (later amended to 5th place in 1975 after an error in the calculation of goal average was discovered) were also elected to the First Division.
It has been alleged that Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris bribed or in some way unduly influenced the voting members of the Football League, and that Football League President John McKenna made a speech at the League's AGM recommending Arsenal's promotion ahead of Spurs thanks to the former's longer spell in the League (Arsenal joined in 1893, Spurs in 1908)—although Wolves, which finished ahead of Arsenal, had been a member of the League since its inception in 1888. However, detailed reports of the meeting in The Sportsman, Athletic News, Daily Mirror and The Times the following day made no mention of this. They did report that Football League Management Committee member C. E. Sutcliffe made a speech stating that the expansion would give them an opportunity to do right by Chelsea. It would seem strange if such a speech were made by the League President and somehow all the media failed to report it. Arsenal has not been relegated from the top flight of the English game since that time; it is the only club in continuous membership since 1919. Nine clubs applied for the two available promotion places:
Arsenal Barnsley Birmingham City Chelsea Hull City Nottingham Forest Stockport County Tottenham Hotspur Wolverhampton Wanderers
In the Second Division, Port Vale took over from Leeds City after 4 October 1919, when Leeds were disbanded by F.A. order following alleged irregular practices. Port Vale then inherited Leeds' record up to that date.Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.
After the season, Grimsby Town were relegated to the newly formed Third Division. Lincoln City was not re-elected to Second Division and Leeds United was elected to replace it. Cardiff City were elected to take the second available place in Second Division.
Final league tables Beginning in the 1894–95 season, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.
During the first six seasons of the league, (up to the 1893–94 season), re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league.
First Division
Results
Maps
Second Division
Results
Maps
Attendances Source:
Division One No. Club Average 1 Chelsea FC 42,615 2 Newcastle United FC 38,390 3 Arsenal FC 34,485 4 Aston Villa FC 33,500 5 Liverpool FC 29,730 6 Everton FC 29,050 7 West Bromwich Albion FC 29,025 8 Manchester United 26,540 9 Sunderland AFC 25,580 10 Manchester City FC 25,160 11 Sheffield United FC 24,205 12 Bolton Wanderers FC 23,300 13 Middlesbrough FC 20,930 14 Burnley FC 19,530 15 The Wednesday 18,430 16 Blackburn Rovers FC 18,110 17 Bradford City AFC 17,200 18 Notts County FC 16,215 19 Preston North End FC 15,950 20 Bradford Park Avenue AFC 14,340 21 Derby County FC 13,725 22 Oldham Athletic FC 12,785
Division Two
No. Club Average 1 Tottenham Hotspur FC 34,185 2 Birmingham City FC 23,715 3 West Ham United FC 19,415 4 Coventry City FC 16,875 5 Gateshead AFC 14,975 6 Fulham FC 14,530 7 Bristol City FC 13,940 8 Leicester City FC 13,355 9 Leyton Orient FC 13,085 10 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 12,780 11 Stoke City FC 12,145 12 Port Vale FC 10,880 13 Nottingham Forest FC 9,735 14 Hull City AFC 9,520 15 Rotherham County FC 9,310 16 Bury FC 9,225 17 Huddersfield Town AFC 9,185 18 Barnsley FC 8,790 19 Blackpool FC 7,475 20 Stockport County FC 7,420 21 Lincoln City FC 6,675 22 Grimsby Town FC 6,200
See also 1919–20 in English football 1919 in association football 1920 in association football
References
Sources Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.