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1973–74 Football League
75th season of the Football League
75th season of the Football League
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| competition | The Football League |
| season | [1973–74](1973-74-in-english-football) |
| winners | Leeds United |
| prevseason | [1972–73](1972-73-football-league) |
| nextseason | [1974–75](1974-75-football-league) |
The 1973–74 season was the 75th completed season of The Football League.
Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to league championship glory, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national football team manager, with England having failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup. Revie's conquering side had a two-horse race with Liverpool all season but won in the end, taking the title for the second time in their history by five points. Newly promoted Burnley adapted well to life back in the top flight, finishing in sixth place.
Manchester United were relegated from the First Division just six years after winning the European Cup at the end of a traumatic season. Their 36-year stay at the top was finally ended by a 1–0 home defeat against Manchester City. Former United striker Denis Law scored City's winning goal. But Birmingham City's win on that same afternoon would have sent United down even if they had beaten City. Despite this the board kept faith in manager Tommy Docherty as the man to regain the club's top flight place.
Joining United in the Second Division were Norwich City and Southampton. This was the first season in which the League introduced three relegation places from the top division.
Former Leeds player Jack Charlton had a fine debut in management by guiding Middlesbrough to the Second Division title and a place in the First Division. Second in the table were Luton Town, who finished 15 points behind the runaway champions. Third-placed Carlisle United, managed by Alan Ashman (who won the FA Cup with West Bromwich Albion in 1968), gained a place in the First Division for the first, and so far only, time in their history, completing a rapid rise from the Fourth Division to the First Division. Crystal Palace, Preston North End and Swindon Town were all relegated.
Promotion from the Third Division was secured by champions Oldham Athletic, Bristol Rovers and York City, which at the time represented York's highest ever League finish. Cambridge United, Shrewsbury Town, Southport and Rochdale were all relegated.
Peterborough United won Division Four and were promoted along with Gillingham, Colchester United and Bury. The league's re-election system voted in favour of the bottom four league clubs and there were no departures or arrivals in the league in 1974.
Final league tables and results
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.
This season marked the introduction of relegating the bottom three teams in the league, replacing the previous system in which only the bottom two were relegated, in place since automatic promotion/relegation was introduced in the 1898-99 season. Since the Fourth Division was established in the 1958–59 season, the bottom four teams of that division have been required to apply for re-election.
Match results are drawn from Rothmans for all divisions.
First Division
2nd title Manchester United Norwich City Ipswich Town Stoke City Wolverhampton Wanderers (21 goals) (2 February 1974) (15 September 1973) (22 September 1973) It was a successful final season at the First Division's two leading clubs for their long-serving and highly successful managers who had both transformed their clubs on and off the field during lengthy reigns lasting more than a decade. Don Revie guided Leeds United to the title before calling time of 13 years as manager at Elland Road to take charge of the England team. Bill Shankly announced his retirement as Liverpool manager after 15 years after they finished second in the league and triumphed 3–0 over Newcastle United in the FA Cup Final.
Despite the controversial resignation of manager Brian Clough in October, Derby County finished third after their former player Dave Mackay returned to the Baseball Ground as Clough's successor. Ipswich Town continued to thrive among the First Division's leading company by finishing fourth in their fifth campaign under Bobby Robson. Stoke City enjoyed another strong season, finishing fifth, with England goalkeeper Peter Shilton keeping opposition strikers at bay after his predecessor Gordon Banks retired due to an eye injury suffered in a car crash. Burnley enjoyed a strong return to the First Division after two seasons away by finishing sixth.
Manchester United's 36-year spell in the First Division ended in relegation, while their cross-city rivals finished 14th and were beaten in the Football League Cup final by Wolverhampton Wanderers. Southampton's eight-year spell in the First Division ended in relegation despite 21 goals from the division's top scorer Mick Channon and a change of manager from Ted Bates to Lawrie McMenemy before Christmas. Norwich City's second season among the elite ended in relegation.
Results
Maps
Arsenal Chelsea Queens Park Rangers Tottenham West Ham
Arsenal Birmingham Burnley Chelsea Coventry Derby County Everton Ipswich Town Leeds United Leicester City Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Newcastle Norwich City QPR Sheffield United Southampton Stoke Tottenham West Ham Wolverhampton Wanderers
Second Division
Luton Town Carlisle United Preston North End Swindon Town (26 goals) (20 April 1974) (9 Mar 1974) Notts County 1–5 Sheffield Wednesday (9 March 1974) West Bromwich Albion 0–4 Middlesbrough (16 March 1974) (20 April 1974) Jack Charlton started his managerial career by guiding Middlesbrough to the Second Division title and a place in the First Division. Middlesbrough finished 15 points above runners-up Luton Town, who ended their 14-year exile from the elite despite financial difficulties. The final promotion place was snatched by Carlisle United, who reached the First Division for the first time in their history. Orient missed out on promotion by a single point. Other teams who just missed out on promotion included Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion.
Crystal Palace were relegated for a second successive season, while Preston North End went down in their first season under the management of the legendary Bobby Charlton, who then re-registered himself as a player in his efforts to reverse the decline of the once great Lancashire club. Swindon Town went down in bottom place after five seasons in the Second Division.
Results
Maps
Crystal Palace Fulham Orient Millwall
Aston Villa Blackpool Bolton Bristol City Carlisle United Cardiff City Crystal Palace Fulham Hull Orient Luton Town Middlesbrough Millwall Nottingham Forest Notts County Oxford Portsmouth Preston North End Sheffield Wednesday Sunderland Swindon West Bromwich Albion
Third Division
Third Division York City Rochdale Shrewsbury Town Southport |win_B&HA=16|draw_B&HA=11|loss_B&HA=19|gf_B&HA=52|ga_B&HA=58
Results
|match_BOU_B&HA=0–0
|match_ALD_B&HA=0–1
|match_BLB_B&HA=3–1
|name_B&HA=Brighton & Hove Albion |match_B&HA_ALD=0–1 |match_B&HA_BLB=3–0 |match_B&HA_BOU=0–2 |match_B&HA_BRR=2–8 |match_B&HA_CAM=4–1 |match_B&HA_CHA=1–2 |match_B&HA_CHF=0–0 |match_B&HA_GRI=1–1 |match_B&HA_HAL=0–1 |match_B&HA_HER=2–1 |match_B&HA_HUD=1–2 |match_B&HA_OLD=1–2 |match_B&HA_PLY=1–0 |match_B&HA_PTV=2–1 |match_B&HA_ROC=2–1 |match_B&HA_SHR=2–0 |match_B&HA_STD=0–2 |match_B&HA_SOU=4–0 |match_B&HA_TRA=1–3 |match_B&HA_WAL=2–1 |match_B&HA_WAT=0–1 |match_B&HA_WRE=2–1 |match_B&HA_YOR=0–0
|match_BRR_B&HA=1–1
|match_CAM_B&HA=1–1
|match_CHA_B&HA=0–4
|match_CHF_B&HA=1–0
|match_GRI_B&HA=0–0
|match_HAL_B&HA=2–2
|match_HER_B&HA=3–0
|match_HUD_B&HA=2–2
|match_OLD_B&HA=0–1
|match_PLY_B&HA=0–1
|match_PTV_B&HA=2–1
|match_ROC_B&HA=1–1
|match_SHR_B&HA=1–0
|match_STD_B&HA=0–2
|match_SOU_B&HA=1–1
|match_TRA_B&HA=4–1
|match_WAL_B&HA=0–1
|match_WAT_B&HA=1–0
|match_WRE_B&HA=1–0
|match_YOR_B&HA=3–0
Maps
Charlton Athletic Watford
Aldershot Blackburn Rovers Bournemouth Brighton & Hove Bristol Rovers Cambridge U. Charlton Chesterfield Grimsby Town Halifax Town Hereford United Huddersfield Oldham Plymouth Argyle Port Vale Rochdale Shrewsbury Southend Southport Tranmere Walsall Watford Wrexham York City
Fourth Division
Fourth Division Colchester United Gillingham
Results
- Scunthorpe United v Exeter City was never played; Exeter failed to turn up and Scunthorpe were awarded two points.
Maps
Barnsley Bradford City Brentford Bury Chester Colchester Crewe Alexandra Darlington Doncaster Exeter City Gillingham Hartlepool Lincoln City Mansfield Town Newport County Northampton Town Peterborough Reading Rotherham Scunthorpe & Lindsey Stockport Swansea City Torquay Workington
Attendances
Source:
Division One
| No. | Club | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 42,712 | 60,025 | 28,589 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 42,332 | 56,003 | 21,656 |
| 3 | Leeds United FC | 38,666 | 47,058 | 26,778 |
| 4 | Everton FC | 35,351 | 56,098 | 21,747 |
| 5 | Birmingham City FC | 33,048 | 50,451 | 23,767 |
| 6 | Newcastle United FC | 32,861 | 55,638 | 19,470 |
| 7 | Manchester City FC | 30,756 | 51,331 | 21,590 |
| 8 | Arsenal FC | 30,212 | 50,699 | 13,482 |
| 9 | West Ham United FC | 28,394 | 38,416 | 16,513 |
| 10 | Derby County FC | 27,788 | 36,003 | 23,348 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 26,124 | 42,756 | 14,034 |
| 12 | Chelsea FC | 25,983 | 40,768 | 8,171 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 25,609 | 36,980 | 19,350 |
| 14 | Leicester City FC | 24,825 | 36,978 | 15,786 |
| 15 | Coventry City FC | 23,280 | 35,206 | 16,457 |
| 16 | Norwich City FC | 23,023 | 31,798 | 17,673 |
| 17 | Sheffield United FC | 22,917 | 39,972 | 10,832 |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers FC | 22,867 | 35,353 | 12,422 |
| 19 | Ipswich Town FC | 22,381 | 33,292 | 15,457 |
| 20 | Stoke City FC | 21,587 | 39,687 | 13,843 |
| 21 | Southampton FC | 21,128 | 30,789 | 14,572 |
| 22 | Burnley FC | 20,670 | 40,087 | 13,169 |
Division Two
| No. | Club | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland AFC | 24,409 | 41,658 | 8,142 |
| 2 | Aston Villa FC | 23,413 | 37,323 | 12,007 |
| 3 | Middlesbrough FC | 22,264 | 37,030 | 14,742 |
| 4 | Crystal Palace FC | 21,797 | 32,648 | 16,124 |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion FC | 15,990 | 43,029 | 11,498 |
| 6 | Bolton Wanderers FC | 15,942 | 23,614 | 8,692 |
| 7 | Sheffield Wednesday FC | 14,645 | 23,634 | 7,865 |
| 8 | Nottingham Forest FC | 14,398 | 29,962 | 9,498 |
| 9 | Bristol City FC | 14,058 | 25,904 | 9,570 |
| 10 | Portsmouth FC | 13,675 | 20,062 | 8,669 |
| 11 | Luton Town FC | 12,214 | 20,285 | 4,908 |
| 12 | Preston North End FC | 12,174 | 21,747 | 7,650 |
| 13 | Notts County FC | 11,911 | 32,310 | 6,975 |
| 14 | Leyton Orient FC | 11,793 | 29,766 | 7,216 |
| 15 | Cardiff City FC | 10,714 | 27,139 | 5,999 |
| 16 | Fulham FC | 10,129 | 23,511 | 4,973 |
| 17 | Blackpool FC | 10,120 | 18,575 | 5,508 |
| 18 | Millwall FC | 9,516 | 20,176 | 5,906 |
| 19 | Oxford United FC | 8,302 | 13,714 | 5,248 |
| 20 | Carlisle United FC | 8,270 | 19,692 | 5,096 |
| 21 | Hull City AFC | 8,216 | 17,409 | 5,348 |
| 22 | Swindon Town FC | 7,299 | 14,222 | 2,791 |
Division Three
| No. | Club | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol Rovers FC | 13,026 | 22,363 | 7,405 |
| 2 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 10,864 | 18,900 | 5,297 |
| 3 | Oldham Athletic FC | 10,118 | 18,528 | 5,716 |
| 4 | AFC Bournemouth | 8,981 | 17,079 | 4,475 |
| 5 | Hereford United FC | 8,040 | 12,501 | 3,810 |
| 6 | Plymouth Argyle FC | 7,743 | 13,004 | 5,078 |
| 7 | Blackburn Rovers FC | 7,432 | 10,989 | 3,520 |
| 8 | Grimsby Town FC | 7,419 | 10,883 | 5,244 |
| 9 | York City FC | 6,885 | 15,829 | 2,929 |
| 10 | Watford FC | 6,683 | 10,202 | 5,358 |
| 11 | Southend United FC | 6,472 | 10,276 | 3,956 |
| 12 | Wrexham AFC | 5,957 | 9,883 | 3,534 |
| 13 | Chesterfield FC | 5,777 | 11,559 | 3,287 |
| 14 | Huddersfield Town AFC | 5,696 | 11,514 | 2,522 |
| 15 | Charlton Athletic FC | 5,306 | 11,414 | 3,245 |
| 16 | Aldershot Town FC | 5,235 | 13,259 | 1,742 |
| 17 | Walsall FC | 4,789 | 9,035 | 3,037 |
| 18 | Cambridge United FC | 4,377 | 7,749 | 1,979 |
| 19 | Tranmere Rovers | 4,215 | 6,872 | 2,650 |
| 20 | Port Vale FC | 3,959 | 8,505 | 2,556 |
| 21 | Halifax Town AFC | 2,849 | 8,126 | 1,346 |
| 22 | Southport FC | 2,547 | 9,504 | 1,083 |
| 23 | Shrewsbury Town FC | 2,502 | 5,680 | 1,232 |
| 24 | Rochdale AFC | 1,891 | 5,923 | 588 |
Division Four
| No. | Club | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peterborough United FC | 8,824 | 17,569 | 6,161 |
| 2 | Gillingham FC | 7,502 | 12,577 | 3,864 |
| 3 | Reading FC | 6,477 | 12,480 | 3,277 |
| 4 | Colchester United FC | 5,427 | 10,007 | 3,468 |
| 5 | Northampton Town FC | 5,424 | 11,378 | 3,137 |
| 6 | Brentford FC | 5,063 | 8,717 | 3,166 |
| 7 | Bury FC | 4,879 | 8,813 | 2,878 |
| 8 | Barnsley FC | 4,254 | 8,511 | 2,274 |
| 9 | Exeter City FC | 4,186 | 6,822 | 2,226 |
| 10 | Lincoln City FC | 3,930 | 7,150 | 1,800 |
| 11 | Bradford City AFC | 3,797 | 9,041 | 2,098 |
| 12 | Rotherham United FC | 3,410 | 6,243 | 2,334 |
| 13 | Torquay United FC | 3,392 | 9,265 | 2,014 |
| 14 | Mansfield Town FC | 3,160 | 6,924 | 1,909 |
| 15 | Scunthorpe United FC | 3,029 | 5,775 | 1,887 |
| 16 | Newport County AFC | 3,023 | 5,888 | 1,685 |
| 17 | Swansea City AFC | 2,815 | 6,712 | 1,301 |
| 18 | Hartlepool United FC | 2,721 | 6,739 | 844 |
| 19 | Chester City FC | 2,682 | 6,272 | 1,687 |
| 20 | Doncaster Rovers FC | 2,395 | 5,955 | 1,163 |
| 21 | Stockport County FC | 2,380 | 4,050 | 1,311 |
| 22 | Darlington FC | 2,334 | 4,527 | 1,326 |
| 23 | Crewe Alexandra FC | 1,921 | 3,259 | 1,302 |
| 24 | Workington AFC | 1,179 | 1,763 | 693 |
References
References
- "England 1973–74". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
- Ian Laschke: ''Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79''. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
- https://www.efl.com/about-the-efl/history/innovation/
- "English League Leading Goalscorers".
- https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/eng/aveeng1974.htm
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