1937–38 in English football

Overview

Manchester City became the only team to have been relegated in the season after winning the league title as well as the only team to ever be relegated from the top tier of English football having scored the most goals in that particular season.

The points spread between the league champions, Arsenal, and the team that finished bottom of the league, West Bromwich Albion, was a mere 16 points.

Arsenal won the title (the club's fifth) on the final day of the season with a mere 52 points from 42 matches after beating Bolton Wanderers 5–0 at Highbury, while the table leaders after the penultimate round of fixtures, Wolverhampton Wanderers, lost 1–0 to 10-man Sunderland at Roker Park to be denied their first league title. Wolves, who finished as runners-up for the first time in their history, had to wait until 1953–54 to win their first English league title, although by that time they had once again been pipped to the title late in the season – by Liverpool in 1946-47.

Honours

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

Football League

Main article: 1937–38 Football League

First Division

Second Division

Third Division North

Third Division South

Top goalscorers

First Division

• Tommy Lawton (Everton) – 28 goals

Second Division

• George Henson (Bradford Park Avenue) – 27 goals

Third Division North

• Jack Roberts (Port Vale) – 28 goals

Third Division South

• Harold Crawshaw (Mansfield Town) – 25 goals

National team

A tour to central Europe was successful as the England squad comprehensively beat Germany in front of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels in Berlin as well as defeating France in Paris. However, between these successes was another defeat; to Switzerland. The tour was considered very controversial as the players were instructed to give the German leaders the Nazi salute during the anthems before the kick-off of the match in Berlin.

European tour

date = 14 May 1938 | team1 = | score = 3–6 | team2 = | goals1 = Rudi Gellesch, Jupp Gauchel, Hans Pesser | goals2 = Jackie Robinson 2, Cliff Bastin, Frank Broome, Stanley Matthews, Len Goulden | stadium = Olympiastadion, Berlin}}

date = 21 May 1938 | team1 = | score = 2–1 | team2 = | goals1 = André Abegglen, Georges Aeby| goals2 = Cliff Bastin (P) | stadium = Hardturm, Zürich}}

date = 26 May 1938 | team1 = | score = 2–4 | team2 = | goals1 = Auguste Jordan, Jean Nicolas | goals2 = Ted Drake 2, Frank Broome, Cliff Bastin (P) | stadium = Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris}}

References

no:Engelsk 1. divisjon 1937–38

References

1. "Worst title defences". Talksport.
2. "The craziest season in English football – when the champions went down, and 'Lucky Arsenal' annoyed the nation". FourFourTwo.
3. "English League Leading Goalscorers".
4. "English League Leading Goalscorers".