1948–49 Football League

Final league 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.

First Division

1st English title Sheffield United (25 goals) Portsmouth, the 1939 FA Cup winners, won their second major trophy by finishing as champions of the First Division, five points ahead of their nearest challengers Manchester United and Derby County. Portsmouth clinched the title on 23 April 1949 with three matches left to play.

The relegation battle was tighter than those of the previous two seasons. Sheffield United and Preston North End finished the season in the bottom two places, a single point behind Huddersfield Town and Middlesbrough. A mere five points separated the bottom 10 teams in the final table.

Results

Maps

Arsenal Charlton Athletic Chelsea

Arsenal Aston Villa Birmingham Blackpool Bolton Burnley Charlton Chelsea Derby County Everton Huddersfield Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Middlesbrough Newcastle Portsmouth Preston North End Sheffield United Stoke Sunderland Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division

West Bromwich Albion Lincoln City (32 goals)

Results

Maps

Brentford Fulham Queens Park Rangers Tottenham West Ham

Barnsley Blackburn Rovers Bradford Park Avenue Brentford Bury Cardiff City Chesterfield Coventry Fulham Grimsby Town Leeds United Leicester City Lincoln City Luton Town Nottingham Forest Plymouth Argyle QPR Sheffield Wednesday Southampton Tottenham West Bromwich Albion West Ham

Third Division North

Third Division North

Results

Maps

Accrington Stanley Barrow Bradford C. Carlisle United Chester Crewe Alexandra Darlington Doncaster Gateshead Halifax T. Hartlepool Hull Mansfield Town New Brighton Oldham Rochdale Rotherham Southport Stockport Tranmere Wrexham York City

Third Division South

Third Division South

|win_B&BA=22|draw_B&BA=8|loss_B&BA=12|gf_B&BA=69|ga_B&BA=48 |win_B&HA=15|draw_B&HA=18|loss_B&HA=9|gf_B&HA=55|ga_B&HA=55

Results

|match_ALD_B&BA=0–0 |match_ALD_B&HA=1–1

|name_B&BA=Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic |match_B&BA_ALD=1–0 |match_B&BA_B&HA=0–1 |match_B&BA_BRI=0–0 |match_B&BA_BRR=1–0 |match_B&BA_CRY=2–0 |match_B&BA_EXE=1–0 |match_B&BA_IPS=4–2 |match_B&BA_LEY=3–0 |match_B&BA_MIL=2–0 |match_B&BA_NPC=1–2 |match_B&BA_NOR=5–2 |match_B&BA_NWC=1–2 |match_B&BA_NTC=2–1 |match_B&BA_PTV=2–0 |match_B&BA_REA=1–3 |match_B&BA_STD=3–2 |match_B&BA_SWA=1–1 |match_B&BA_SWI=3–0 |match_B&BA_TOR=5–0 |match_B&BA_WAL=2–0 |match_B&BA_WAT=2–1

|name_B&HA=Brighton & Hove Albion |match_B&HA_ALD=0–4 |match_B&HA_B&BA=1–6 |match_B&HA_BRI=0–0 |match_B&HA_BRR=2–1 |match_B&HA_CRY=1–1 |match_B&HA_EXE=2–0 |match_B&HA_IPS=6–1 |match_B&HA_LEY=3–1 |match_B&HA_MIL=1–2 |match_B&HA_NPC=3–2 |match_B&HA_NOR=0–0 |match_B&HA_NWC=1–0 |match_B&HA_NTC=3–2 |match_B&HA_PTV=1–0 |match_B&HA_REA=2–0 |match_B&HA_STD=1–0 |match_B&HA_SWA=0–2 |match_B&HA_SWI=1–1 |match_B&HA_TOR=3–1 |match_B&HA_WAL=1–2 |match_B&HA_WAT=0–0

|match_BRI_B&BA=2–1 |match_BRI_B&HA=1–1

|match_BRR_B&BA=4–0 |match_BRR_B&HA=0–0

|match_CRY_B&BA=2–1 |match_CRY_B&HA=0–2

|match_EXE_B&BA=2–3 |match_EXE_B&HA=1–1

|match_IPS_B&BA=1–0 |match_IPS_B&HA=2–2

|match_LEY_B&BA=1–2 |match_LEY_B&HA=0–3

|match_MIL_B&BA=4–0 |match_MIL_B&HA=6–2

|match_NPC_B&BA=1–2 |match_NPC_B&HA=1–1

|match_NOR_B&BA=1–0 |match_NOR_B&HA=1–1

|match_NWC_B&BA=1–1 |match_NWC_B&HA=2–1

|match_NTC_B&BA=2–3 |match_NTC_B&HA=1–1

|match_PTV_B&BA=0–2 |match_PTV_B&HA=3–4

|match_REA_B&BA=4–2 |match_REA_B&HA=6–1

|match_STD_B&BA=0–0 |match_STD_B&HA=0–0

|match_SWA_B&BA=2–0 |match_SWA_B&HA=3–0

|match_SWI_B&BA=2–2 |match_SWI_B&HA=0–0

|match_TOR_B&BA=1–1 |match_TOR_B&HA=1–1

|match_WAL_B&BA=0–0 |match_WAL_B&HA=0–0

|match_WAT_B&BA=0–1 |match_WAT_B&HA=0–0

Maps

Leyton Orient Crystal Palace Millwall Watford

Aldershot Bournemouth Brighton & Hove Bristol City Bristol Rovers Leyton Orient Crystal Palace Exeter City Ipswich Town Millwall Newport County Northampton Town Norwich City Notts County Port Vale Southend Reading Torquay Swansea Town Swindon Walsall Watford

Attendances

Source:

Division One

!#!!Football club!!Home games!!Average attendance |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Newcastle United || 21 || 53,839 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Arsenal FC || 21 || 51,478 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Manchester United || 21 || 48,808 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Aston Villa || 21 || 47,320 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Chelsea FC || 21 || 46,362 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Sunderland AFC || 21 || 45,220 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Everton FC || 21 || 45,138 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Liverpool FC || 21 || 44,031 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Wolverhampton Wanderers || 21 || 43,690 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Charlton Athletic || 21 || 40,216 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Manchester City || 21 || 38,699 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Birmingham City || 21 || 38,453 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Portsmouth FC || 21 || 37,082 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Sheffield United || 21 || 34,387 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Middlesbrough FC || 21 || 34,292 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bolton Wanderers || 21 || 34,113 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Preston North End || 21 || 33,226 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Burnley FC || 21 || 30,290 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Stoke City || 21 || 29,943 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Derby County || 21 || 29,798 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Blackpool FC || 21 || 24,882 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Huddersfield Town || 21 || 22,151 |- |} }}

Division Two

!#!!Football club!!Home games!!Average attendance |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Tottenham Hotspur FC || 21 || 48,258 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Cardiff City FC || 21 || 35,091 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Sheffield Wednesday FC || 21 || 33,797 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || West Bromwich Albion FC || 21 || 33,395 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Leicester City FC || 21 || 30,384 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Fulham FC || 21 || 29,327 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Leeds United FC || 21 || 29,318 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Southampton FC || 21 || 25,384 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Nottingham Forest FC || 21 || 24,175 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || West Ham United FC || 21 || 23,354 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Plymouth Argyle FC || 21 || 22,820 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Brentford FC || 21 || 22,755 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Blackburn Rovers FC || 21 || 22,421 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Coventry City FC || 21 || 22,342 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Queens Park Rangers FC || 21 || 21,628 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Barnsley FC || 21 || 19,305 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Luton Town FC || 21 || 17,796 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Grimsby Town FC || 21 || 16,602 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bury FC || 21 || 16,360 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Lincoln City FC || 21 || 15,890 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bradford Park Avenue AFC || 21 || 14,983 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Chesterfield FC || 21 || 14,229 |- |} }}

Division Three

!#!!Football club!!Home games!!Average attendance |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Hull City AFC || 21 || 36,760 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Notts County FC || 21 || 30,002 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Millwall FC || 21 || 24,629 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Norwich City FC || 21 || 24,325 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Swansea City AFC || 21 || 22,535 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Brighton & Hove Albion FC || 21 || 17,729 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bristol Rovers FC || 21 || 17,539 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Swindon Town FC || 21 || 16,672 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bristol City FC || 21 || 16,523 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || AFC Bournemouth || 21 || 15,975 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Oldham Athletic FC || 21 || 15,893 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Reading FC || 21 || 15,588 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Crystal Palace FC || 21 || 14,870 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Doncaster Rovers FC || 21 || 13,842 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Rotherham United FC || 21 || 13,541 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Ipswich Town FC || 21 || 13,399 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Leyton Orient FC || 21 || 12,444 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Port Vale FC || 21 || 12,064 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Newport County AFC || 21 || 11,878 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Mansfield Town FC || 21 || 11,312 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Watford FC || 21 || 11,161 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Carlisle United FC || 21 || 11,129 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Stockport County FC || 21 || 10,916 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Walsall FC || 21 || 10,772 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Southend United FC || 21 || 10,500 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bradford City AFC || 21 || 10,447 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || York City FC || 21 || 10,412 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Darlington FC || 21 || 10,235 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Exeter City FC || 21 || 10,143 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Wrexham AFC || 21 || 9,563 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Northampton Town FC || 21 || 9,211 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Halifax Town AFC || 21 || 8,914 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Hartlepool United FC || 21 || 8,796 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Rochdale AFC || 21 || 8,616 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Tranmere Rovers || 21 || 8,307 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Torquay United FC || 21 || 7,939 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Southport FC || 21 || 7,637 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Aldershot Town FC || 21 || 7,351 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Gateshead AFC || 21 || 7,351 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Crewe Alexandra FC || 21 || 7,316 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Chester City FC || 21 || 6,959 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Barrow AFC || 21 || 6,939 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || New Brighton AFC || 21 || 6,861 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Accrington Stanley FC || 21 || 6,001 |- |} }}

References

• Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.

References

1. "England 1948-49". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
2. Ian Laschke: ''Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79''. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
3. "English League Leading Goalscorers".
4. "League Division One table after close of play on 23 April 1949". 11v11.com.
5. "Historical attendances".