1985–86 in English football

Last updated

Football in England
Season1985–86
Men's football
First Division Liverpool
Second Division Norwich City
Third Division Reading
Fourth Division Swindon Town
Alliance Premier League Enfield
FA Cup Liverpool
Associate Members' Cup Bristol City
League Cup Oxford United
Charity Shield Everton
  1984–85 Flag of England.svg 1986–87  

The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.

Contents

Timeline

FA Cup

Liverpool beat Everton 3–1 in the final – with Rush scoring twice – to complete the third league championship and FA Cup double of the 20th century.[ citation needed ]

League Cup

After being promoted to the First Division the season before, Oxford United won the League Cup, beating the Queens Park Rangers 3–0 in the final. [114]

Football League

First Division

Liverpool narrowly reclaimed the league title from Everton. They completed their first and only league and cup double by defeating Everton in the FA Cup final.

As a result of the previous year's Heysel Stadium disaster, both Liverpool and Everton missed out on the European Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup respectively, while West Ham United, Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday all missed out on the UEFA Cup, as did Oxford United.

West Bromwich Albion fell back into Division Two after ten seasons, following a campaign in which they only won four games. Birmingham City performed almost as poorly and made an immediate return to Division Two. Coventry City had spent most of the season in the relegation zone until a late revival after George Curtis and John Sillett took over as co-managers with three games remaining.

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1 Liverpool (C)42261068937+5288Disqualified from the European Cup [131]
2 Everton [a] 4226888741+4686Disqualified from the European Cup Winners' Cup [132]
3 West Ham United 42266107440+3484Disqualified from the UEFA Cup [133]
4 Manchester United 422210107036+3476
5 Sheffield Wednesday [b] 422110116354+973
6 Chelsea 422011115756+171
7 Arsenal 42209134947+269
8 Nottingham Forest 421911126953+1668
9 Luton Town 421812126144+1766
10 Tottenham Hotspur 42198157452+2265
11 Newcastle United 421712136772563
12 Watford 421611156962+759
13 Queens Park Rangers 421572053641152
14 Southampton 4212102051621146
15 Manchester City 4211121943571445
16 Aston Villa 4210141851671644
17 Coventry City 4211102148712343
18 Oxford United [c] 4210122062801842Disqualified from the UEFA Cup [134]
19 Leicester City 4210122054762242
20 Ipswich Town (R)421182332552341Relegation to the Second Division
21 Birmingham City (R)42852930734329
22 West Bromwich Albion (R)424122635895424
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. Since the FA Cup winners, Liverpool, would have instead qualified for the European Cup, qualification would have instead been passed down to runners-up Everton.
  2. Since Everton would have instead qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup qualification would have been passed down to Sheffield Wednesday.
  3. Oxford United would have qualified as League Cup winners.

Second Division

Norwich City won the Second Division title and were promoted back to the First Division after one season. Charlton Athletic, despite having suffered a financial crisis over the previous years and leaving their home ground The Valley to ground share with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, returned to the First Division for the first time since 1957. Wimbledon, who had been in the Fourth Division only three years before and were in only their second season in the Second Division, claimed the third and final promotion spot.

Fulham were relegated in last place after mounting financial pressures had forced them to sell off most of their squad during the summer. Middlesbrough suffered their only second relegation to the Third Division, as their own financial situation worsened to the point where they were locked out of their Ayresome Park ground and nearly expelled from the Football League before the following season.

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1 Norwich City (C, P)4225988437+4784Promotion to the First Division
2 Charlton Athletic (P)42221197845+3377
3 Wimbledon (P)42211385837+2176
4 Portsmouth 42227136941+2873
5 Crystal Palace 42199145752+566
6 Hull City 421713126555+1064
7 Sheffield United 421711146463+162
8 Oldham Athletic 42179166261+160
9 Millwall 42178176465159
10 Stoke City 421415134850257
11 Brighton & Hove Albion 42168186464056
12 Barnsley 421414144750356
13 Bradford City 421662051631254
14 Leeds United 421581956721653
15 Grimsby Town 421410185862452
16 Huddersfield Town 4214101851671652
17 Shrewsbury Town 421491952641251
18 Sunderland 4213111847611450
19 Blackburn Rovers 421213175362949
20 Carlisle United (R)421372247712446Relegation to the Third Division
21 Middlesbrough (R)42129214453945
22 Fulham (R)421062645692436
Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Third Division

Reading won the Third Division title after beginning the season with 13 successive victories, meaning they would be playing in the Second Division for the first time since 1931. Plymouth Argyle took the runner-up spot, and Derby County was the third promoted side.

The bottom two positions were occupied by Swansea City and the Wolverhampton Wanderers. Cardiff City and Lincoln City filled the other relegation spots.

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsPromotion or relegation
1 Reading 46297106751+1694Division Champions, promoted
2 Plymouth Argyle 46269118853+3587Promoted
3 Derby County 46231588041+3984
4 Wigan Athletic 46231498248+3483
5 Gillingham 462213118154+2779
6 Walsall 46229159064+2675
7 York City 462011157758+1971
8 Notts County 461914137160+1171
9 Bristol City 461814146960+968
10 Brentford 461812165861366
11 Doncaster Rovers 461616144552764
12 Blackpool 461712176655+1163
13 Darlington 4615131861781758
14 Rotherham United 461512196159+257
15 AFC Bournemouth 46159226572754
16 Bristol Rovers 4614122051752454
17 Chesterfield 461314196164353
18 Bolton Wanderers 461582354681453
19 Newport County 4611181752651351
20 Bury 461213216367449
21 Lincoln City 4610162055772246Relegated
22 Cardiff City 461292553833045
23 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4611102557984143
24 Swansea City 4611102543874443
Source: [ citation needed ]

Fourth Division

Swindon Town won promotion by a record-breaking 18 points, and became the second team (after York City two years previously) to exceed 100 points in a season, and was also awarded the board's decision to reinstate manager Lou Macari days after his controversial dismissal at the end of the previous season. Chester City, who had finished bottom of the league just two years prior, were promoted as runners-up. Mansfield Town and Port Vale took the two remaining promotion spaces.

Torquay United, Preston North End, Cambridge United, and Exeter City were made to apply for re-election. Preston, the inaugural Football League champions back in 1888–89, saw their lowest finish ever at 23rd position almost a century on from their two back-to-back titles.

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsPromotion or relegation
1 Swindon Town 4632688243+39102Division Champions, promoted
2 Chester City 46231588350+3384Promoted
3 Mansfield Town 462312117447+2781
4 Port Vale 46211696737+3079
5 Orient 462012147964+1572
6 Colchester United 461913148863+2570
7 Hartlepool United 462010166867+170
8 Northampton Town 461810187958+2164
9 Southend United 461810186967+264
10 Hereford United 461810187473+164
11 Stockport County 461713166371864
12 Crewe Alexandra 46189195461763
13 Wrexham 461792068801260 Welsh Cup Winners, qualified for the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup First round [a]
14 Burnley 461611196065559
15 Scunthorpe United 461514175055559
16 Aldershot 46177226674858
17 Peterborough United 4613171652641256
18 Rochdale 4614131957772055
19 Tranmere Rovers 46159227473+154
20 Halifax Town 4614122060711154
21 Exeter City 4613151847591254Re-elected
22 Cambridge United 461592265801554
23 Preston North End 4611102554893543
24 Torquay United 469102743884537
Source: [ citation needed ]
Notes:
  1. Wrexham won the 1986 Welsh Cup and thus claimed a place in the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup, Welsh clubs still being allowed to compete in UEFA's competitions.

Top goalscorers

First Division

Second Division

Third Division

Fourth Division

Famous debutants

References

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  132. English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985, involving Liverpool fans.
  133. English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985, involving Liverpool fans.
  134. English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985, involving Liverpool fans.
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