Football League Second Division
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Founded | 1892 |
---|---|
Folded | 2004 |
Country | England 2003–04) |
Most championships | Leicester City Manchester City (7 titles) |
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the
Early history
In 1888, Scotsman
McGregor had voted against the name The Football League, as he was concerned that it would be associated with the
A rival English league called the Football Alliance operated from 1889 to 1892. In 1892 it was decided to formally merge the two leagues, and so the Football League Second Division was formed, consisting mostly of Football Alliance clubs. The existing League clubs, plus three of the strongest Alliance clubs, comprised the Football League First Division.
Overview
The Second Division was formed in 1892 with 12 clubs, most of which had previously played in the Football Alliance. The original members were: Ardwick (now Manchester City), Bootle, Burton Swifts, Crewe Alexandra, Darwen, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Northwich Victoria, Port Vale, Sheffield United, Small Heath (now Birmingham City), and Walsall. Manchester City and Leicester City jointly hold the record for most second tier championships (7).
It expanded over the years to its final total of 24 clubs, as follows:
- 1893 – 15 clubs
- 1894 – 16
- 1898 – 18
- 1905 – 20
- 1919 – 22
- 1987 – 23
- 1988 – 24
For the first few years, there was no automatic promotion to the First Division. Instead, the top few teams in Division Two, including the winners, contested a series of test matches against the bottom teams in Division One. Small Heath, Second Division champions in 1892–93, were denied promotion after losing in test matches to Newton Heath. However, runners-up Sheffield United beat Accrington to become the first team to win promotion to the First Division. Test matches were abolished in 1898 after Burnley and Stoke conspired to deliberately draw their test match 0–0, which resulted in Burnley being promoted and Stoke being saved from relegation.
Relegation to the Football League Third Division was in place in the season before the latter even started, as Grimsby Town (last place in 1919–20) made way for Cardiff City and formed the new Third Division with southern clubs. For subsequent seasons, two clubs were relegated into either the Third Division North or Third Division South depending on their geographical location. When the Third Division was reunified in 1958–59, the relegation arrangement was kept; a third club began being relegated in 1974.
Previous League champions
See
References
- ^ "A History of Football", p.22