- The Football League 1971-72
Statistics of
The Football League in season1971 /1972 .Overview
First Division
Brian Clough , 37, won the first major trophy of his managerial career by guiding Derby County to their first ever league championship. They overcame Leeds United to win a four-horse race also contested with Liverpool and Manchester City. There were later bribery allegations fromThe Sun newspaper regarding Leeds managerDon Revie and Leeds' final opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers. The footballing authorities never investigated these allegations to decide whether they were true or not.Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town lost their First Division status. By the end of the decade, Forest had made an explosive comeback to the top flight.
1971 -72 was Huddersfield's last season in the top flight to date, and within a few seasons they would be in the Fourth Division - most of their existence since 1972 has been spent in the league's lower two divisions.Second Division
Norwich City and Birmingham City were promoted. This marked the first time that Norwich City reached the top flight in their history, less than 70 years after the club was founded. Charlton Athletic and Watford were relegated.
Third Division
Aston Villa ended their two-year spell in the Third Division by gaining promotion as champions, and by the end of the decade would be firmly re-established as a First Division club. Brighton & Hove Albion followed Villa into the Second Division, but would not reach the heady heights that the midlanders would experience. Mansfield Town, Barnsley, Torquay United and Bradford City were relegated.
Fourth Division
Grimsby Town, Southend United, Brentford and Scunthorpe United were promoted. Barrow were voted out of the Football League and replaced by Hereford United, who a short time earlier had achieved a shock FA Cup victory over Newcastle United.
Ernie Tagg sacked himself as manager of Crewe Alexandra because he felt that a younger manager should take charge of the club.League Standings
First 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
See also
*
1971-72 in English football References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.