Football League North and South

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The Football League North and Football League South divisions of the Football League were created temporarily for the League to continue through the Second World War while limiting the amount of movement that was required by teams. The leagues started in 1940; however there was only one full season, in 1945–46. Previous seasons were, in a sense, bit-part leagues with clubs only playing teams that were generally local. An example of this is that in the 1942 Football League North Leeds United played Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Newcastle United, Doncaster Rovers, Sunderland, Bradford Park Avenue, York City, Halifax Town and Huddersfield Town, which they played Home and Away in succession. [1]

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The two leagues consisted of all the members of The First and Second Divisions of the Football League split on a purely geographical basis. The 1945–46 full season was instituted as a precursor to the resumption of the previous divisional split in force prior to World War II. As the war had only just finished travel was sometimes difficult to arrange, many of the players were still away and the teams often included guests.

Sheffield United were the Champions of League North and Birmingham City were the Champions of League South for the only full season in 1945–46.

Results and players' contributions do not tend to be included in official statistics.

1945–46 season

North league table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGRPts
1 Sheffield United 422769112621.80660
2 Everton 422391088541.63055
3 Bolton Wanderers 4220111167451.48951
4 Manchester United 4219111298621.58149
5 Sheffield Wednesday 422081467601.11748
6 Newcastle United 4221516106701.51447
7 Chesterfield 4217121368491.38846
8 Barnsley 4217111476681.11845
9 Blackpool 421891594921.02245
10 Manchester City 422041878751.04044
11 Liverpool 421791680701.14343
12 Middlesbrough 421791675870.86243
13 Stoke City 421861888791.11442
14 Bradford 421761971840.84540
15 Huddersfield Town 421742190891.01138
16 Burnley 4213101963840.75036
17 Grimsby Town 421392061890.68535
18 Sunderland 421552255890.61835
19 Preston North End 421462270770.90934
20 Bury 4212102060850.70634
21 Blackburn Rovers 4211724601110.54129
22 Leeds United 429726661180.55925
Source: rsssf.com

South league table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGRPts
1 Birmingham City 42285996452.13361
2 Aston Villa 4225116106581.82861
3 Charlton Athletic 422510792452.04460
4 Derby County 4222812104621.67752
5 West Bromwich Albion 4222812104691.50752
6 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4220111175481.56351
7 West Ham United 4220111194761.23751
8 Fulham 4220101293731.27450
9 Tottenham Hotspur 422231778810.96347
10 Chelsea 4216111576731.04143
11 Arsenal 4216111576731.04143
12 Millwall 4217817791050.75242
13 Coventry City 4215101770691.01440
14 Brentford 4214101882721.13938
15 Nottingham Forest 4212131772730.98637
16 Southampton 4214919971050.92437
17 Swansea Town 4215720901120.80437
18 Luton Town 421372260920.65233
19 Portsmouth 421162566870.75928
20 Leicester City 428727571010.56423
21 Newport County 429231521250.41620
22 Plymouth Argyle 423831391200.32514
Source: rsssf.com and War Hammers II [2]

Notes

  1. Leeds Fans Web-site "Leeds United: Season 1942 – 1942: Football League (Northern Section)", leeds-fans.org.uk (accessed 15 October 2006)
  2. Belton, Brian (2015). War Hammers II: The Story of West Ham United During the Second World War. The History Press. ISBN   978-0750956024.