The Football League 2004-05

The 2004-05 football league season was contested through three divisions. 2004-05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two respectively. Coca-Cola replaced the Nationwide Building Society as title sponsor.

Wigan Athletic reached the Premiership as Championship runners-up. They had been elected to the Football League only 27 years earlier, had been the league's fourth lowest club 11 years earlier and until 2 years before reaching the Premiership they had never played in the upper half of the English league.

Nottingham Forest were relegated from the Championship to League One, becoming the first former European Cup winners to slide into the third tier of their domestic league - having won two straight European Cups a quarter of a century earlier. Just ten years ago they had finished third in the Premiership and reached the following season's UEFA Cup quarter finals.

Events

*December 3, 2004 - League One side Wrexham enters financial administration. Under new Football League rules, the club is penalised 10 league points, placing the club in relegation danger.
*January 21, 2005 - Former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates finalises a deal to buy a controlling interest in the debt-riddled Championship club Leeds United.
*April 2, 2005 - Stockport County become the first League team this season to be relegated.
*June 7, 2005 - George Burley resigns as manager of Derby County, citing differences with the club's board.
*June 24, 2005 - Former Bolton Wanderers assistant manager Phil Brown becomes Derby County's fifth manager in four years.

League standings

Football League Championship

* Deducted 10 points for going into administration

Playoffs

League Championship

4TeamBracket-Compact
RD1=Semi-Final
RD2=Final

score-width=

RD1-seed01=6
RD1-team01=West Ham United
RD1-score01=4
RD1-seed02=3
RD1-team02=Ipswich Town
RD1-score02=2

RD1-seed03=5
RD1-team03=Preston North End
RD1-score03=2
RD1-seed04=4
RD1-team04=Derby County
RD1-score04=0

RD2-seed01=6
RD2-team01=West Ham United
RD2-score01=1
RD2-seed02=5
RD2-team02=Preston North End
RD2-score02=0

League 1

4TeamBracket-Compact
RD1=Semi-Final
RD2=Final

score-width=

RD1-seed01=6
RD1-team01=Hartlepool United
RD1-score01=
RD1-seed02=3
RD1-team02=Tranmere Rovers
RD1-score02=

RD1-seed03=5
RD1-team03=Sheffield Wednesday
RD1-score03=
RD1-seed04=4
RD1-team04=Brentford
RD1-score04=

RD2-seed01=6
RD2-team01=Hartlepool United
RD2-score01=
RD2-seed02=5
RD2-team02=Sheffield Wednesday
RD2-score02=

League 2

4TeamBracket-Compact
RD1=Semi-Final
RD2=Final

score-width=

RD1-seed01=7
RD1-team01=Northampton Town
RD1-score01=
RD1-seed02=4
RD1-team02=Southend United
RD1-score02=

RD1-seed03=6
RD1-team03=Lincoln City
RD1-score03=
RD1-seed04=5
RD1-team04=Macclesfield Town
RD1-score04=

RD2-seed01=4
RD2-team01=Southend United
RD2-score01=
RD2-seed02=6
RD2-team02=Lincoln City
RD2-score02=

Goalscoring leaders

Championship