1953–54 Football League

Final league tables

The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics separated.

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 Liverpool (29 goals) (12 September 1953) Wolverhampton Wanderers 8–1 Chelsea (26 September 1953) (14 November 1953) (16 September 1953) Charlton Athletic Wolverhampton Wanderers Liverpool Wolverhampton Wanderers won the First Division title for the first time in their history, finishing four points ahead of their local rivals West Bromwich Albion, who lifted their fourth FA Cup in the same season. Defending champions Arsenal slumped to 12th.

Middlesbrough and Liverpool were relegated to the Second Division; this is the last time Liverpool has been relegated from any division. They would compete in the Second Division until promotion in 1962, and have remained in the top flight ever since.

Results

Maps

Arsenal Charlton Athletic Chelsea Tottenham

Arsenal Aston Villa Blackpool Bolton Burnley Cardiff City Charlton Chelsea Huddersfield Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Middlesbrough Newcastle Portsmouth Preston North End Sheffield United Sheffield Wednesday Sunderland Tottenham West Bromwich Albion Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division

Everton Oldham Athletic (42 goals)

Results

Maps

Brentford Fulham West Ham

Birmingham Blackburn Rovers Brentford Bristol Rovers Bury Derby County Doncaster Everton Fulham Hull Leeds United Leicester City Lincoln City Luton Town Nottingham Forest Notts County Oldham Plymouth Argyle Rotherham Stoke Swansea Town West Ham

Third Division North

Third Division North

Results

Maps

Accrington Stanley Barnsley Barrow Bradford City Bradford Park Avenue Carlisle United Chester Chesterfield Crewe Alexandra Darlington Gateshead Grimsby Town Halifax T. Hartlepool Mansfield Town Port Vale Rochdale Scunthorpe & Lindsey Southport Stockport Tranmere Workington Wrexham York City

Third Division South

Third Division South

|win_B&HA=26|draw_B&HA=9|loss_B&HA=11|gf_B&HA=86|ga_B&HA=61 |win_B&BA=16|draw_B&BA=8|loss_B&BA=22|gf_B&BA=67|ga_B&BA=70

Results

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

|name_B&BA=Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic |match_B&BA_ALD=1–1 |match_B&BA_B&HA=1–1 |match_B&BA_BRI=5–2 |match_B&BA_COL=4–2 |match_B&BA_COV=1–0 |match_B&BA_CRY=2–0 |match_B&BA_EXE=4–1 |match_B&BA_GIL=4–1 |match_B&BA_IPS=2–3 |match_B&BA_LEY=1–2 |match_B&BA_MIL=4–1 |match_B&BA_NPC=1–1 |match_B&BA_NOR=2–1 |match_B&BA_NWC=2–0 |match_B&BA_QPR=0–1 |match_B&BA_REA=1–1 |match_B&BA_SHR=2–1 |match_B&BA_SOU=3–1 |match_B&BA_STD=0–1 |match_B&BA_SWI=4–0 |match_B&BA_TOR=1–2 |match_B&BA_WAL=1–1 |match_B&BA_WAT=1–3

|name_B&HA=Brighton & Hove Albion |match_B&HA_ALD=3–2 |match_B&HA_B&BA=3–0 |match_B&HA_BRI=2–1 |match_B&HA_COL=1–0 |match_B&HA_COV=3–1 |match_B&HA_CRY=3–0 |match_B&HA_EXE=2–1 |match_B&HA_GIL=3–1 |match_B&HA_IPS=1–2 |match_B&HA_LEY=2–1 |match_B&HA_MIL=4–0 |match_B&HA_NPC=4–2 |match_B&HA_NOR=3–2 |match_B&HA_NWC=0–0 |match_B&HA_QPR=3–1 |match_B&HA_REA=3–2 |match_B&HA_SHR=2–3 |match_B&HA_SOU=2–1 |match_B&HA_STD=3–2 |match_B&HA_SWI=1–1 |match_B&HA_TOR=1–2 |match_B&HA_WAL=5–3 |match_B&HA_WAT=3–3

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

|match_COL_B&BA=1–1 |match_COL_B&HA=1–1

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

|match_CRY_B&BA=3–1 |match_CRY_B&HA=1–1

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

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

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

|match_LEY_B&BA=5–0 |match_LEY_B&HA=0–2

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

|match_NPC_B&BA=4–0 |match_NPC_B&HA=1–0

|match_NOR_B&BA=2–1 |match_NOR_B&HA=4–2

|match_NWC_B&BA=1–3 |match_NWC_B&HA=1–0

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

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

|match_SHR_B&BA=1–1 |match_SHR_B&HA=3–1

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

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

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

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

|match_WAL_B&BA=1–0 |match_WAL_B&HA=3–1

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

Maps

Leyton Orient Crystal Palace Millwall Queens Park Rangers Watford

Aldershot Bournemouth Brighton & Hove Bristol City Colchester Coventry Crystal Palace Exeter City Gillingham Ipswich Town Leyton Orient Millwall Newport County Norwich City Northampton Town QPR Reading Shrewsbury Southampton Southend Swindon Torquay Walsall Watford

Attendances

Source:

Division One

Division Two

Division Three

References

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

References

1. "England 1953-54". 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. https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/eng/aveeng1954.htm