1970–71 in English football

The 1970-71 season was the 91st season of competitive football in England.

Overview

First Division

Arsenal won the league championship at the end of a season which would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool. They narrowly overcame Leeds to win the league, with a 12-point gap separating Leeds from third-placed Tottenham. Wolves and Liverpool joined these two teams in the UEFA Cup. Chelsea missed out on the top five on goal average but compensated for this shortcoming by achieving European Cup Winners' Cup glory over Real Madrid.

Burnley and Blackpool (who won this year's Anglo-Italian Cup) were relegated to the Second Division. Burnley returned from 1973/74 to 1975/76 but Blackpool have never regained their top flight status.

Wilf McGuinness was sacked after 18 unsuccessful months as manager of Manchester United. Sir Matt Busby was re-appointed as manager on a temporary basis, but never considered returning to his old job on a permanent basis. Leicester City manager Frank O'Farrell was appointed at the end of the season.

Second Division

Leicester City and Sheffield United were promoted to the First Division. Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers, two of the most famous and historic names in English football, were relegated to the Third Division.

Third Division

Preston North End and Fulham finally had something to shout about by getting promoted to the Second Division. Reading, Bury, Doncaster Rovers and Gillingham slid into the Fourth Division.

Fourth Division

Notts County, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Oldham Athletic and York City were promoted to the Third Division. The Football League voted for the league's four bottom clubs to maintain their status.

FA Cup

Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1 to become only the fourth club in history and the second club this century to have won the league championship and FA Cup double.

Stoke City beat Everton 3-2 at Selhurst Park in a third-place playoff, held the day before the final.
George Best scored six goals for Manchester United in their 8-2 victory over Northampton Town in the Fifth Round. He received a match ball signed by all of the opposition players as a souvenir, and later donated it to the club's museum.

League Cup

Tottenham beat Aston Villa to win the League Cup and add to their list of trophies won under the management of Bill Nicholson.

European football

Leeds United won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup against Juventus and also took part in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Trophy Play-Off which they lost 2-1 to Barcelona.

There was also success in London for Chelsea, who beat Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners Cup final to win their first ever European trophy.

Star players

Frank McLintock was credited for his key role in Arsenal's double triumph with the FWA Player of the Year award.

Star Managers

*Bertie Mee firmly re-established Arsenal as one of England's top clubs by guiding them to the double.
*Dave Sexton guided Chelsea to Cup Winners' Cup glory over Real Madrid to bring the Londoners their first ever European trophy.
*Bill Nicholson added a League Cup triumph to his long list of honours at Tottenham.

Honours

Third Division

Fourth Division

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points