List of Mansfield Town F.C. seasons

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Mansfield Town Football Club is an English association football club based in the Nottinghamshire town of Mansfield. Founded in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans, the team first entered the Mansfield & District Amateur League in 1902. Four years later, the club turned professional, tweaked its name to Mansfield Wesley, and joined the Notts & District League. The team made their debut in the FA Cup in 1909–10, and joined the Central Alliance in 1911, by which time the club had adopted its current name of Mansfield Town. [1] In the first post-First World War season, they moved to the Field Mill ground and won the Central Alliance title, and in 1921, they were accepted into the Midland League. Three years later, they won the Midland League title, repeated the feat the following year, and were runners-up the next. Applications for election to the Football League were unsuccessful, but in the hope of a better class of football, they had one season in the Midland Combination, primarily a reserve league for Football League clubs, before returning to the Midland League. In 1928–29, Mansfield won the Midland League title by a nine-point margin and beat two Football League clubs on the way to their first appearance in the fourth round of the FA Cup, in which they lost 2–0 to Arsenal at Highbury. [2]

Contents

Geographically, Mansfield lay on the border between the catchment areas of the Northern and Southern sections of the regionalised Third Division of the League. They had previously applied for election to the Northern Section; for the 1931–32 season, they applied to the Southern Section, and were admitted. After one season, in which they struggled, the team was reallocated to the Northern Section, before returning to the Southern in 1937. [3] Competitive football was suspended for the duration of the Second World War. Mansfield finished 22nd and bottom in the first post-war season, and thus had to apply for re-election to the League. The management committee decided that in light of the difficult circumstances facing all clubs in resuming competitive professional football after the war, all clubs facing re-election should be accepted unopposed. [4] Mansfield were transferred to the Northern Section for 1947–48. Three seasons later, they finished runners-up at that time, only the champions were promoted and reached the fifth round (last 16) of the FA Cup for the first time, losing to First Division team and eventual cup finalists Blackpool. Against a background of financial and governance problems that brought the club close to bankruptcy, [5] Mansfield remained in the Northern Section until the regional sections were amalgamated into national Third and Fourth Divisions in 1958, when they were placed in the Third Division. [6]

Two years later, Mansfield were relegated for the first time in their history. In their third season in the fourth tier, they finished fourth and were promoted on goal average, ahead of Gillingham by 0.118 of a goal. [7] After a further nine years in the Third during which time they reached the 1968–69 FA Cup quarter-final, which remains their best achievement in the competition and three in the Fourth Divisions, Mansfield won their first title at Football League level, taking the 1974–75 Fourth Division by a six-point margin. A season of consolidation, whose highlights included progressing to the quarter-final of the League Cup and the first of two Anglo-Scottish Cup semi-finals, preceded another championship: the 1976–77 Third Division title gained Mansfield promotion to the Football League Second Division for the first and as yet only time. They could not maintain that status, [8] [6] and for the next thirty years continued to drift between third and fourth tiers, during which time they won the 1986–87 Associate Members' Cup, a cup competition open to teams from the lowest two tiers of the League; Mansfield beat Bristol City in a penalty shoot-out in the final. [9] In 2007–08, they finished 23rd in the fourth tier and were relegated out of the Football League into the Conference National (promotion and relegation between League and Conference had replaced re-election in 1987). [6] They reached the final of the 2010–11 FA Trophy, losing to Darlington in the last minute of extra time, [10] before returning to the League as Conference champions in 2013. [6]

Since their admission to the Football League, Mansfield Town have spent 1 season in the second tier of the English football league system, 42 in the third, 37 in the fourth, and 5 in the top tier of non-league football. The table details the team's achievements in senior first-team competitions and their top league goalscorers from their debut season in the Mansfield & District Amateur League in 1902–03 to the end of the most recently completed season.

Key

Details of the abandoned 1939–40 Football League season are shown in italics and appropriately footnoted.

Seasons

SeasonLeague [6] [11] [1] [12] FA Cup [13] League Cup [6] [14] Other [6] [14] [15] [16] Top league scorer(s) [17]
Division [lower-alpha 1] PldWDLGFGAPtsPosCompetitionResultPlayer(s)Goals
1902–03 M&D Am7thNot known
1903–04 M&D Am3rd [lower-alpha 2] Not known
1904–05 M&D Am5thNot known
1905–06 M&D Am3rdNot known
1906–07 Notts6thNot known
1907–08 Notts5thNot known
1908–09 Notts/Derbys36196119573444th Jack Needham 46
1909–10 Notts/Derbys34672135811717th [lower-alpha 2] QR2 Not known
1910–11 Notts/Derbys34156136658369th QR4 Not known
1911–12 Cent All22601635621211th QR1 Not known
1912–13 Cent All321321750542810th [lower-alpha 3] QR3 Fred Blacknell [1] 39 ♦
1913–14 Cent All30671738621915th QR2 Not known
1914–15 Notts/Derbys26124105256284th [19] Prelim Not known
1915–19
Competitive league and FA Cup football was suspended until after the First World War.
1919–20 Cent All3019388141411st Prelim Not known
1920–21 Cent All34186107556425th QR5 Not known
1921–22 Midland42207156857478th QR5 Not known
1922–23 Midland421761979644013th QR6 Not known
1923–24 Midland4231659831681st QR6 Not known
1924–25 Midland2820448227441st QR4 Not known
1925–26 Midland402371012054532nd R1 Not known
1926–27 Mid Comb2415636228362nd [20] R2 Not known
1927–28 Midland44191114118974910th QR4 Not known
1928–29 Midland503110913372721st R4 Not known
1929–30 Midland5025421126985410th R1 Not known
1930–31 Midland 46191116103954910th R1 Not known
1931–32 Div 3S421110217510832 20th R1 Harry Johnson [21] 32
1932–33 Div 3N42147218410035 16th R1 Harry Johnson 30
1933–34 Div 3N42111219818834 17th R1 Third Division North Cup SF Harry Johnson 18
1934–35 Div 3N4219914756247 8th R3 Third Division North Cup R1 Harry Johnson 17
1935–36 Div 3N4214919809137 19th R1 Third Division North Cup R1 Ted Harston 26
1936–37 Div 3N4218816917644 9th R2 Third Division North Cup R1 Ted Harston [22] 55 ♦
1937–38 Div 3S4215918626739 14th R3 Third Division South Cup R1 Harold Crawshaw [22] 25 ♦
1938–39 Div 3S42121515446239 16th R2 Third Division South Cup R2 Tommy Dutton 12
1939–40 Div 3S3111883 [lower-alpha 4] 3
1939–45
The Football League and FA Cup were suspended until after the Second World War.
1945–46 R3 [lower-alpha 5]
1946–47 Div 3S4291023489628 22nd [lower-alpha 6] R1 Eric Bryant 15
1947–48 Div 3N42171114575145 8th R3 George Banks 14
1948–49 Div 3N42141414524842 10th R3 Harry Oscroft 14
1949–50 Div 3N42181212665448 8th R2 Freddie Steele 18
1950–51 Div 3N4626128784864 2nd R5 Billy Coole 16
1951–52 Div 3N4622816736052 6th R1 Ken Reeve 21
1952–53 Div 3N46161416556246 18th R3 Chris Marron 16
1953–54 Div 3N46201115886751 7th R1 Ken Murray 21
1954–55 Div 3N4618919657145 13th R1 Ken Murray 13
1955–56 Div 3N46141121848139 18th R2 Barry Jepson 22
1956–57 Div 3N46171019919044 16th R1 George Darwin 19
1957–58 Div 3N46228161009252 6th R3 Barrie Thomas 23
1958–59 Div 346141319739841 20th R1 Barrie Thomas 21
1959–60 Div 3 46156258111236 22nd R3 15
1960–61 Div 44616624717838 20th R2 R1 [lower-alpha 7] Doug Wragg 11
1961–62 Div 44419619776644 14th R2 R2 Roy Chapman 20
1962–63 Div 4 46249131086957 4th R3 R2 Ken Wagstaff [22] 34 ♦
1963–64 Div 346201115766251 7th R1 R2 Ken Wagstaff 29
1964–65 Div 346241111956159 3rd R2 R3 Harry Middleton 16
1965–66 Div 34615823598938 19th R1 R3 Bill Curry 14
1966–67 Div 34620917847949 19th R4 R2 Bill Curry 22
1967–68 Div 346121321516737 20th R1 R1 Dai Jones 8
1968–69 Div 346161119586243 15th QF R1 Nick Sharkey 13
1969–70 Div 346211114704953 6th R5 R2 Dudley Roberts 18
1970–71 Div 346181513646251 7th R2 R2 Dudley Roberts [22] 22 ♦
1971–72 Div 3 4682018416336 21st R2 R1 John Fairbrother 18
1972–73 Div 446201412785154 6th R1 R2 John Fairbrother 20
1973–74 Div 446131716626943 17th R2 R1 Terry Eccles 20
1974–75 Div 4 4628126904068 1st R5 R1 Ray Clarke [22] 28 ♦
1975–76 Div 346161515585247 11th R2 QF Anglo-Scottish Cup SF Ray Clarke 24
1976–77 Div 3 4628810784264 1st R2 R1 Kevin Randall 17
1977–78 Div 2 42101121496931 21st R4 R1 Dave Syrett 16
1978–79 Div 346121915515243 18th R1 R1 Anglo-Scottish Cup SF Bob Curtis 6
1979–80 Div 3 46101620475836 23rd R3 R3 Terry Austin 19
1980–81 Div 44620917584449 7th R3 R2 Russell Allen 9
1981–82 Div 446131023638147 [lower-alpha 8] 20th R1 R2 Jim Lumby 14
1982–83 Div 446161317617061 10th R2 R1 Football League Group Cup Group John Dungworth 14
1983–84 Div 446131320667052 19th R2 R1 Associate Members' Cup R1(N) Dave Caldwell 21
1984–85 Div 446131815413857 14th R2 R1 Associate Members' Cup F(N) Dave Caldwell 9
1985–86 Div 4 46231211744781 3rd R1 R2 Associate Members' Cup QF(N) Neville Chamberlain 16
1986–87 Div 346151615525561 10th R1 R1 Associate Members' Cup W [lower-alpha 9] Keith Cassells 16
1987–88 Div 346141220485954 19th R4 R2 Associate Members' Cup QF(N) Steve Charles 12
1988–89 Div 346141715485259 15th R1 R1 Associate Members' Cup Prelim(S) Keith Cassells 14
1989–90 Div 34616723506555 15th R1 R2 Associate Members' Cup R1(S) Steve Wilkinson 15
1990–91 Div 3 4681424426338 24th R3 R1 Associate Members' Cup QF(S) Steve Wilkinson 11
1991–92 Div 4 [lower-alpha 10] 4223811755377 3rd R1 R1 Associate Members' Cup Prelim(S) Phil Stant [22] 26 ♦
1992–93 Div 246111124528044 22nd R1 R1 Football League Trophy R1(S) Steve Wilkinson 11
1993–94 Div 342151017536255 12th R1 R1 Football League Trophy QF(N) Steve Wilkinson 11
1994–95 Div 342181113845965 6th R3 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N) Steve Wilkinson 22
1995–96 Div 346112015546453 19th R2 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) 7
1996–97 Div 346161614474564 11th R2 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N) John Doolan 6
1997–98 Div 346161713645565 12th R1 R1 Football League Trophy QF(N) Steve Whitehall 24
1998–99 Div 346191017605867 8th R2 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N) Lee Peacock 17
1999–2000 Div 34616822506556 17th R1 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N) Chris Greenacre 9
2000–01 Div 346151318647258 13th R1 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N) Chris Greenacre 19
2001–02 Div 34624715726079 3rd R3 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N) Chris Greenacre 21
2002–03 Div 24612826669744 23rd R2 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Iyseden Christie 18
2003–04 Div 34622915766275 5th [lower-alpha 11] R3 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Liam Lawrence 19
2004–05 League 2 [lower-alpha 12] 46151516565660 13th R1 R2 Football League Trophy R2(N) Colin Larkin 11
2005–06 League 246131518596654 16th R3 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N) Richie Barker 18
2006–07 League 246141220586354 17th R3 R2 Football League Trophy QF(N) Richie Barker 12
2007–08 League 24611926486842 23rd R4 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N) Michael Boulding 22
2008–09 Conf4619918575562 [lower-alpha 13] 12th R1 FA Trophy R1 Rob Duffy 9
2009–10 Conf44171116696062 9th R1 FA Trophy R1 Jake Speight 17
2010–11 Conf46171019737561 12th R1 FA Trophy F [lower-alpha 14] Louis Briscoe 13
2011–12 Conf4625147874889 3rd [lower-alpha 15] QR4 FA Trophy R1 Matt Green 29
2012–13 Conf4630511925295 1st R3 FA Trophy R1 Matt Green [29] 25 ♦
2013–14 League 246151516495860 11th R2 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N) Sam Clucas 8
2014–15 League 24613924386248 21st R2 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Vadaine Oliver 7
2015–16 League 246171316615364 12th R1 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Matt Green 16
2016–17 League 246171514545066 12th R1 R1 EFL Trophy QF Matt Green 10
2017–18 League 246181810675272 8th R3 R1 EFL Trophy R2(N) Kane Hemmings 15
2018–19 League 246201610694176 4th [lower-alpha 16] R1 R2 EFL Trophy R2(N) Tyler Walker 22
2019–20 League 23691116485538 21st [lower-alpha 17] R2 R1 EFL Trophy R2(N) Nicky Maynard 14
2020–21 League 246131914575558 16th R3 R1 EFL Trophy Group Jordan Bowery 10
2021–22 League 246221113675277 7th [lower-alpha 18] R3 R1 EFL Trophy Group Rhys Oates 9
2022–23 League 246211213725575 8th R3 R1 EFL Trophy R2(N) Will Swan 10

Notes

  1. From the 1931–32 Football League season onwards, divisions are sorted according to their level within the English football league system, and separately from the pre-League divisions.
  2. 1 2 Two points deducted for fielding an ineligible player. [1]
  3. The goals against figure of 64 in the NonLeague Matters source is a typo; all contemporary newspapers have 54, and tables published for matchdays before the final table are consistent with that figure. [11] [18]
  4. The 1939–40 season was abandoned with three matches played when the Second World War began. [6]
  5. Although the Football League did not resume until the 1946–47 season, the FA Cup was contested in 1945–46. From the first round proper to the sixth round (quarter-final), results were determined on aggregate score over two legs. [6] [13]
  6. All clubs facing re-election, which included Mansfield, were accepted unopposed, in recognition of the circumstances. [4]
  7. The Football League Cup competition started in the 1960–61 season. [23]
  8. The 1981–82 season saw the introduction of three points for a win instead of two. [23] Mansfield had two points deducted for fielding an ineligible player. [6]
  9. Beat Bristol City in the final at Wembley in a penalty shoot-out. [24]
  10. When the newly formed FA Premier League split from the Football League, the remaining divisions of the Football League were renumbered upwards, so Mansfield were promoted from Division Four to Division Two. [23]
  11. After defeating Northampton Town on penalties in the semifinal of the play-offs, Mansfield lost to Huddersfield Town, also on penalties, in the final. [25]
  12. From the 2004–05 season, the Football League divisions were rebranded: Division One was renamed the Football League Championship, and Divisions Two and Three became Football League One and Football League Two respectively. [26]
  13. Four points deducted for fielding ineligible players. [27]
  14. Lost 1–0 to Darlington in the final; the goal was scored in the last minute of extra time. [10]
  15. Lost 2–1 on aggregate to York City after extra time in the play-off semi-final. [28]
  16. Lost on penalties to Newport County in the play-off semi-final. [30]
  17. The 2019–20 football season was disrupted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFL was suspended in March 2020 and in June, the League Two clubs voted to end the regular season programme early. Teams had not all played the same number of matches, so it was agreed to construct final league tables on a points-per-game basis. Mansfield Town's 48.56 points per game placed them 21st. [31] [32]
  18. After defeating Northampton Town on aggregate in the play-off semifinal, Mansfield lost 3–0 to Port Vale in the final. [33]

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References

General

Specific

  1. 1 2 3 4 For early league positions: Taylor, Paul; Shaw, Martin (4 September 2015). "The formation of Mansfield Town FC". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  2. Shaw, Martin; Taylor, Paul (14 May 2016). "1920–1929". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  3. Shaw, Martin; Taylor, Paul (23 May 2016). "1930–1939". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  4. 1 2 Shaw, Martin; Taylor, Paul (25 May 2016). "1940–1949". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  5. Shaw, Martin; Taylor, Paul (16 May 2016). "1950–1959". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Mansfield Town". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  7. Shaw, Martin; Taylor, Paul (17 May 2016). "1960–1969". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  8. Shaw, Martin; Taylor, Paul (19 May 2016). "1970–1979". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  9. "32 years ago: Knife-edge drama at the Twin Towers". Mansfield Town F.C. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  10. 1 2 "FA Trophy final: Darlington 1–0 Mansfield Town". BBC Sport. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  11. 1 2 For Notts and Derbyshire League and Central Alliance: "The Central Alliance 1911–1925". NonLeagueMatters. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  12. "Mansfield Town league performance history". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  13. 1 2 "The Emirates FA Cup: Past Results". The Football Association. Retrieved 7 July 2022. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
  14. 1 2 "Mansfield Town football club complete match record". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  15. For Football League Group Cup: "Football League Group Cup". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  16. For Third Division North and South Cups: "Football League Division Three North" and "South Cup Summary – Contents". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  17. For Football League seasons up to 1995–96, except where individually referenced: "Clubs: Mansfield Town: Season players" . English National Football Archive. Retrieved 25 September 2020. Access season required via dropdown menu.
    From 1996–97 onwards: "Mansfield Town: player appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2022. Select season required via dropdown menu.
  18. "Central Alliance". Walsall Advertiser. 3 May 1913. p. 8.
  19. "Football. Notts. and Derbyshire League". Nottingham Evening Post. 4 May 1915. p. 5.
  20. "Chesterfield FC, 1926–7: Tables" (XLSX). cfchistory.com. Stuart Basson. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  21. Taylor, Paul; Shaw, Martin (4 September 2015). "1930–1939". Mansfield Town F.C. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ross, James M. (25 June 2015). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 "History of the Football League". The Football League. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011.
  24. Harling, Nicholas (25 May 1987). "Penalties the bane of Bristol" . The Times. London. p. 23.
  25. "Mansfield reach final". BBC Sport. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
    "Mansfield 0–0 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 31 May 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  26. "League gets revamp". BBC Sport. 10 June 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  27. "Mansfield hit by points deduction". BBC Sport. 6 October 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  28. Phillips, Owen (7 May 2012). "Mansfield Town 0–1 York City (1–2 agg)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  29. "National League". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  30. "Newport beat Mansfield on penalties to reach League Two play-off final". The Guardian. Press Association. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  31. "League One & League Two clubs vote to end seasons early". BBC Sport. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  32. "Sky Bet League Two". English Football League. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020.
  33. "Nigel Clough hails 'incredible' Mansfield as they beat Northampton to Wembley". The Guardian. PA Media. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
    Aloia, Andrew (28 May 2022). "League 2 play-off final: Mansfield 0–3 Port Vale". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 July 2022.