The 1946–47 season was the 48th completed season of The Football League, and the first after the Second World War.
This season was the first to feature a full football programme since the 1938–39 campaign. Division placings were the same as in the unfinished 1939–40 Football League.
Final division tables Beginning with the season 1894–95, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded), or more properly put, goal ratio. 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.
From the 1922–23 season, the bottom two teams of both Third Division North and Third Division South were required to apply for re-election.Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
First Division
After a tight title race involving several clubs in the First Division, Liverpool won their fifth league title, finishing one point ahead of their nearest rivals Manchester United (who won two league titles before the World War I) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (who had yet to win a First Division title). Stoke City and Blackpool completed the top five.
Leeds United were relegated in bottom place after just six wins all season. They were joined by a Brentford side who failed to match their promising pre-war form, and would not return to the top flight until 2021.
Results
Maps
Second Division
Results
Maps
Third Division North
Results
Maps
Third Division South
Results
Maps
Attendances Source:
Division One No. Club Average 1 Liverpool FC 45,732 2 Chelsea FC 44,550 3 Manchester United 43,945 4 Arsenal FC 43,266 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 43,254 6 Everton FC 40,854 7 Aston Villa FC 38,944 8 Middlesbrough FC 35,912 9 Sunderland AFC 35,301 10 Charlton Athletic FC 32,401 11 Stoke City FC 30,863 12 Portsmouth FC 30,198 13 Sheffield United FC 29,537 14 Bolton Wanderers FC 28,692 15 Preston North End FC 26,649 16 Blackburn Rovers FC 26,367 17 Leeds United FC 26,049 18 Brentford FC 25,768 19 Derby County FC 23,708 20 Blackpool FC 21,552 21 Huddersfield Town AFC 19,813 22 Grimsby Town FC 16,220
Division Two
No. Club Average 1 Newcastle United FC 49,379 2 Manchester City FC 39,283 3 Tottenham Hotspur FC 34,636 4 Birmingham City FC 32,643 5 Sheffield Wednesday FC 26,851 6 West Bromwich Albion FC 26,423 7 Burnley FC 25,856 8 Leicester City FC 23,783 9 Fulham FC 23,695 10 Plymouth Argyle FC 23,375 11 West Ham United FC 23,278 12 Nottingham Forest FC 22,764 13 Millwall FC 21,841 14 Swansea City AFC 21,039 15 Coventry City FC 19,975 16 Barnsley FC 19,206 17 Luton Town FC 17,238 18 Southampton FC 16,597 19 Bradford Park Avenue AFC 14,876 20 Bury FC 14,764 21 Chesterfield FC 14,703 22 Newport County AFC 12,505
Division Three
No. Club Average 1 Cardiff City FC 28,604 2 Hull City AFC 19,673 3 Bristol City FC 18,849 4 Norwich City FC 17,138 5 Queens Park Rangers FC 16,519 6 Swindon Town FC 16,012 7 Notts County FC 15,376 8 Doncaster Rovers FC 15,339 9 Crystal Palace FC 14,082 10 Rotherham United FC 13,155 11 Ipswich Town FC 13,114 12 Bristol Rovers FC 12,527 13 Reading FC 12,032 14 Walsall FC 11,173 15 Oldham Athletic FC 10,877 16 Port Vale FC 10,582 17 AFC Bournemouth 10,440 18 Carlisle United FC 10,263 19 Leyton Orient FC 10,048 20 Bradford City AFC 9,912 21 Southend United FC 9,690 22 Exeter City FC 8,888 23 Stockport County FC 8,881 24 Wrexham AFC 8,807 25 Watford FC 8,343 26 Brighton & Hove Albion FC 8,227 27 Tranmere Rovers 8,076 28 Northampton Town FC 7,951 29 Lincoln City FC 7,614 30 Rochdale AFC 7,577 31 Hartlepool United FC 7,562 32 Mansfield Town FC 7,029 33 York City FC 6,685 34 Darlington FC 6,671 35 Barrow AFC 6,542 36 Chester City FC 6,466 37 Torquay United FC 6,286 38 New Brighton AFC 5,927 39 Crewe Alexandra FC 5,785 40 Southport FC 4,708 41 Aldershot Town FC 4,677 42 Halifax Town AFC 4,480 43 Gateshead AFC 4,412 44 Accrington Stanley FC 3,976
See also 1946-47 in English football 1946 in association football 1947 in association football
References Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.