1975–76 Football League

Final league tables and results

The tables and results 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 1975-76 season was the last season that the goal average system was used.

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.

First Division

Main article: 1975–76 Football League First Division

9th English title Burnley Sheffield United Manchester United Derby County Manchester City (23 goals) (11 October 1975) Queens Park Rangers 5–0 Everton (11 October 1975) Newcastle United 5–0 Everton (10 January 1976) Arsenal 6–1 West Ham United (20 March 1976) Tottenham Hotspur 5–0 Sheffield United (27 March 1976) Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–0 Newcastle United (10 April 1976) (1 November 1975) Burnley 1–5 Wolverhampton Wanderers (15 November 1975) Derby County 1–5 Queens Park Rangers (23 April 1976) Ipswich Town 2–6 Derby County (24 April 1976) (23 April 1976) Liverpool won their first silverware under Bob Paisley by lifting their second UEFA Cup, and winning the league title. They won eight of their last nine matches and finished one point ahead of QPR, who achieved the highest finish of their history. Manchester United's revival under Tommy Docherty continued as they finished third in the league and reached their first cup final of the 1970s, where they took on Second Division underdogs Southampton in the FA Cup Final but surprisingly lost 1-0. Defending champions Derby County surrendered their title crown but managed a decent fourth-place finish in the league. Leeds United completed the top five but were denied a place in the UEFA Cup as they were still banned from Europe following the antics of their fans at the 1975 European Cup Final. Manchester City triumphed over Newcastle United in the final of the League Cup to win their first major trophy for six years.

FA Cup holders West Ham United finished 18th in the league but did enjoy a good run in Europe, finishing runners-up in the European Cup Winners' Cup. Arsenal endured another disappointing season as they finished 17th.

Sheffield United, who had finished sixth a year earlier, went down in bottom place after winning just six league games all season. They were joined by Burnley and Wolves.

Results

• The match on the 20th of March 1976 between Leicester City and Aston Villa ended 2-2. Aston Villa defender Chris Nicholl scored all four goals - two for Villa and two own goals.

Maps

Arsenal Queens Park Rangers Tottenham West Ham

Arsenal Aston Villa Birmingham Burnley Coventry Derby County Everton Ipswich Town Leeds United Leicester City Liverpool Middlesbrough Manchester City Manchester United Newcastle Norwich City QPR Sheffield United Stoke Tottenham West Ham Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division

Bristol City West Bromwich Albion York City Portsmouth (28 goals) (4 October 1975) (3 December 1975) Charlton Athletic 0–4 Bolton Wanderers (24 April 1976) (20 September 1975) Three years after making history as the first postwar FA Cup winners from outside the top flight, Sunderland finally made their way back to the First Division after six years away by winning the Second Division title. Runners-up Bristol City achieved promotion after 65 years away from the First Division, finishing level on points with West Bromwich Albion.

Bolton Wanderers missed out on promotion by a single point, while Southampton compensated for a failed promotion bid by winning the FA Cup at the expense of Manchester United - the first major trophy of their history.

Nottingham Forest progressed to eighth place in their first full season under the management of Brian Clough, while Chelsea's first season at this level for more than a decade produced a disappointing 11th-place finish, with financial problems still blighting the club.

Portsmouth, York City and Oxford United went down to the Third Division.

Results

Maps

Charlton Athletic Chelsea Fulham Orient

Blackburn Rovers Blackpool Bolton Bristol City Bristol Rovers Carlisle United Charlton Chelsea Fulham Hull Orient Luton Town Nottingham Forest Notts County Oldham Oxford Plymouth Argyle Portsmouth Southampton Sunderland York City West Bromwich Albion

Third Division

Cardiff City Millwall Colchester United Southend United Halifax Town (35 goals)

Results

|match_ALD_B&HA=1–1

|name_B&HA=Brighton & Hove Albion |match_B&HA_ALD=4–1 |match_B&HA_BRY=2–1 |match_B&HA_CAR=0–1 |match_B&HA_CHE=6–0 |match_B&HA_CHF=3–0 |match_B&HA_COL=6–0 |match_B&HA_CRY=2–0 |match_B&HA_GIL=1–1 |match_B&HA_GRI=4–2 |match_B&HA_HAL=1–0 |match_B&HA_HER=4–2 |match_B&HA_MAN=1–0 |match_B&HA_MIL=1–0 |match_B&HA_PET=5–0 |match_B&HA_PTV=3–0 |match_B&HA_PNE=1–0 |match_B&HA_ROT=3–0 |match_B&HA_SHW=1–1 |match_B&HA_SHR=2–2 |match_B&HA_STD=2–0 |match_B&HA_SWI=2–0 |match_B&HA_WAL=1–2 |match_B&HA_WRE=3–2

|match_BRY_B&HA=1–1

|match_CAR_B&HA=0–1

|match_CHE_B&HA=3–0

|match_CHF_B&HA=2–1

|match_COL_B&HA=2–0

|match_CRY_B&HA=0–1

|match_GIL_B&HA=1–0

|match_GRI_B&HA=2–1

|match_HAL_B&HA=1–3

|match_HER_B&HA=1–1

|match_MAN_B&HA=1–0

|match_MIL_B&HA=3–1

|match_PET_B&HA=1–0

|match_PTV_B&HA=1–1

|match_PNE_B&HA=1–0

|match_ROT_B&HA=1–1

|match_SHW_B&HA=3–3

|match_SHR_B&HA=1–2

|match_STD_B&HA=4–0

|match_SWI_B&HA=3–2

|match_WAL_B&HA=2–0

|match_WRE_B&HA=3–0

Maps

Crystal Palace Millwall

Aldershot Brighton & Hove Bury Cardiff City Chester Chesterfield Colchester Crystal Palace Gillingham Grimsby Town Halifax Town Hereford United Mansfield Town Millwall Peterborough Port Vale Preston North End Rotherham Sheffield Wednesday Shrewsbury Southend Swindon Walsall Wrexham

Fourth Division

Fourth Division Reading Tranmere Rovers

Results

Maps

Barnsley Bournemouth Bradford City Brentford Cambridge Utd Crewe Alexandra Darlington Doncaster Exeter City Hartlepool Huddersfield Lincoln City Newport County Northampton Town Reading Rochdale Scunthorpe & Lindsey Southport Stockport Swansea City Torquay Tranmere Watford Workington

Attendances

Source:

Division One

!#!!Football club!!Home games!!Average attendance |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Manchester United || 21 || 54,750 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Liverpool FC || 21 || 41,623 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Aston Villa || 21 || 38,874 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Manchester City || 21 || 34,280 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Newcastle United || 21 || 33,060 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Leeds United || 21 || 31,511 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Derby County || 21 || 28,350 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Birmingham City || 21 || 28,003 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Tottenham Hotspur || 21 || 27,836 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || West Ham United || 21 || 27,417 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Everton FC || 21 || 27,115 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Arsenal FC || 21 || 26,945 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Ipswich Town || 21 || 25,366 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Queens Park Rangers || 21 || 23,850 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Sheffield United || 21 || 23,549 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Middlesbrough FC || 21 || 23,223 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Wolverhampton Wanderers || 21 || 22,951 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Norwich City || 21 || 22,760 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Stoke City || 21 || 22,314 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Leicester City || 21 || 22,049 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Coventry City || 21 || 19,370 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Burnley FC || 21 || 18,120 |- |} }}

Division Two

!#!!Football club!!Home games!!Average attendance |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Sunderland AFC || 21 || 31,250 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bolton Wanderers || 21 || 19,390 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Chelsea || 21 || 18,957 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Southampton FC || 21 || 17,648 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || West Bromwich Albion || 21 || 17,226 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bristol City || 21 || 16,204 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Plymouth Argyle || 21 || 14,800 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Nottingham Forest || 21 || 12,805 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Notts County || 21 || 12,414 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Charlton Athletic || 21 || 11,629 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Luton Town || 21 || 10,587 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Blackburn Rovers || 21 || 10,489 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Portsmouth FC || 21 || 10,472 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Oldham Athletic || 21 || 10,456 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Bristol Rovers || 21 || 10,022 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Fulham || 21 || 9,741 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Blackpool FC || 21 || 8,307 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Carlisle United || 21 || 8,279 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Hull City || 21 || 6,901 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Oxford United || 21 || 6,736 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Leyton Orient || 21 || 6,386 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || York City || 21 || 5,413 |- |} }}

References

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

References

1. "England 1975–76". 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. "Liverpool football club match record: 1976".
5. (2010). "Football's Strangest Matches: Extraordinary but true stories from over a century of football". Portico.
6. https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/eng/aveeng1976.htm