List of Middlesbrough F.C. seasons

Boro's League Positions since entry to the English Football League

This is a list of seasons played by Middlesbrough Football Club in English and European football, from 1883, when the club first entered the FA Cup, to the most recent completed season. Middlesbrough Football Club were founded on 18 February 1876, by members of Middlesbrough Cricket Club. For the first years of their existence Middlesbrough participated in competitions such as the Sheffield Cup and the Cleveland Association Challenge Cup. The club have won only one major trophy in their professional history, the Football League Cup in 2004. Most of Middlesbrough's League existence has been in the top two tiers; they were relegated to the Third Division twice in 1966 and 1986, but each time they bounced back as runners-up the following season.

This list details the club's achievements in all competitions, and the top scorers for each season. Records of competitions such as the North Riding Senior Cup are not included due to them being played against lower league opposition and reserve sides.

Seasons

Season	League record									FA Cup	League Cup [1]	Europe	Other	Top scorer(s) [2]
	Div (Level)	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts					Player(s)	Goals
1883–84	n/a									R1
1884–85	n/a									R4
1885–86	n/a									R5
1886–87	n/a									R2
1887–88	n/a									QF
1888–89	n/a									Q1
1889–90	NL (n/a)	6th	18	8	3	7	42	37	19	Q1
1890–91	NL (n/a)	2nd	14	8	3	3	33	17	19	Q3
1891–92	NL (n/a)	2nd	16	13	0	3	33	13	26	R2
1892–93	NL (n/a)	4th	10	4	0	6	17	17	8	R2
1893–94	NL (n/a)	1st	14	11	1	2	51	16	23	R1
1894–95	NL (n/a)	1st	18	12	5	1	58	17	29	R2			FA Amateur Cup Winners
1895–96	NL (n/a)	3rd	16	8	4	4	28	22	20	Q2
1896–97	NL (n/a)	1st	16	11	4	1	36	15	26	Q1			FA Amateur Cup SF
1897–98	NL (n/a)	2nd	16	9	4	3	42	22	22	Q5			FA Amateur Cup Winners
1898–99	NL (n/a)	3rd	16	7	4	5	29	27	18	Q1
1899–1900	Div 2 (2)	14th	34	8	8	18	39	69	24	Q1				Eddie Pugh	7
1900–01	Div 2 (2)	6th	34	15	7	12	50	40	37	QF				Sandy Robertson	16
1901–02	Div 2 (2)	2nd	34	23	5	6	90	24	51	R1				Jack Brearley	23
1902–03	Div 1 (1)	13th	34	14	5	15	43	50	32	R1				Sandy Robertson	8
1903–04	Div 1 (1)	10th	34	9	12	13	46	47	30	QF				Alex Brown	17
1904–05	Div 1 (1)	15th	34	9	8	17	36	56	26	R1				Harry Astley	5
1905–06	Div 1 (1)	18th	38	10	11	17	56	71	31	R3				Alf Common	24
1906–07	Div 1 (1)	11th	38	15	6	17	56	63	36	R2				Steve Bloomer	20
1907–08	Div 1 (1)	6th	38	17	7	14	54	45	41	R1				Steve Bloomer Sammy Cail	12
1908–09	Div 1 (1)	9th	38	14	9	15	59	53	37	R1				Jack Hall	18
1909–10	Div 1 (1)	17th	38	11	9	18	56	73	37	R1				Jack Hall	12
1910–11	Div 1 (1)	16th	38	11	10	17	49	63	32	R3				George Elliott	10
1911–12	Div 1 (1)	7th	38	16	8	14	56	45	40	R2				George Elliott	19
1912–13	Div 1 (1)	16th	38	11	10	17	55	69	32	R3				George Elliott	25
1913–14	Div 1 (1)	3rd [3]	38	19	5	14	77	60	43	R1				George Elliott	31 [4]
1914–15	Div 1 (1)	12th	38	13	12	13	62	74	38	R2				Walter Tinsley	26
1915–18	No competitive football was played between 1915 and 1919 due to World War I
1919	NVL (n/a)	1st	14	9	2	3	28	12						George Elliott	20 [5]
1919–20	Div 1 (1)	13th	42	15	10	17	61	65	40	R4				George Elliott	34
1920–21	Div 1 (1)	8th	42	17	12	13	53	53	46	R1				George Elliott	26
1921–22	Div 1 (1)	8th	42	16	14	12	79	69	46	R1				Andy Wilson	32
1922–23	Div 1 (1)	18th	42	13	10	19	57	63	36	R2				George Elliott	23
1923–24	Div 1 (1)	22nd	42	7	8	27	37	60	22	R1				Andy Wilson	8
1924–25	Div 2 (2)	13th	42	10	19	13	36	44	39	R1				Ian Dickson Owen Williams	7
1925–26	Div 2 (2)	9th	42	21	2	19	77	68	44	R4				James McClelland	38
1926–27	Div 2 (2)	1st	42	27	8	7	122	60	62	R5				George Camsell	63 [6]
1927–28	Div 1 (1)	22nd	42	11	15	16	81	88	37	R5				George Camsell	37
1928–29	Div 2 (2)	1st	42	22	11	9	92	57	55	R4				George Camsell	33
1929–30	Div 1 (1)	16th	42	16	6	20	82	84	38	R5				George Camsell	31
1930–31	Div 1 (1)	7th	42	19	8	15	98	90	46	R3				George Camsell	32
1931–32	Div 1 (1)	18th	42	15	8	19	64	89	38	R3				George Camsell	20
1932–33	Div 1 (1)	17th	42	14	9	19	63	73	37	R5				George Camsell	18
1933–34	Div 1 (1)	16th	42	16	7	19	68	77	39	R3				George Camsell	24
1934–35	Div 1 (1)	20th	42	10	14	18	70	90	34	R3				George Camsell	14
1935–36	Div 1 (1)	14th	42	15	10	17	84	70	40	QF				George Camsell	32
1936–37	Div 1 (1)	7th	42	19	8	15	74	71	46	R3				Micky Fenton	22
1937–38	Div 1 (1)	5th	42	19	8	15	72	65	46	R5				Micky Fenton	26
1938–39	Div 1 (1)	4th	42	20	9	13	93	74	49	R4				Micky Fenton	35
1939–40	Div 1 (n/a)	n/a [7]	3	0	1	2	3	8						Micky Fenton	3 [5]
	No competitive football was played between 1939 and 1946 due to World War II
	NERL (n/a)		20	8	4	8	48	43						Micky Fenton	26 [5]
1940–41	LN (n/a)		24	13	1	10	68	64						George Stobbart	30 [5]
1941–42	LN (n/a)		18	6	3	9	44	54						J Robinson	9 [5] [8]
	LN (n/a)		18	7	4	7	37	36						PT Taylor	10 [5] [9]
1942–43	LN (n/a)		18	4	4	10	30	50						George Stobbart	8 [5]
	LN (n/a)		18	5	0	13	31	69						P Bowers	6 [5]
1943–44	LN (n/a)		18	4	6	8	35	52						George Stobbart	12 [5]
	LN (n/a)		21	6	4	11	41	51						George Stobbart	11 [5]
1944–45	LN (n/a)		18	5	3	10	34	57						George Stobbart	10 [5]
	LN (n/a)		24	7	2	15	39	58						George Stobbart	23 [5]
1945–46	LN (n/a)		42	17	9	16	75	87		R5 [10]				Micky Fenton	27 [11]
1946–47	Div 1 (1)	11th	42	17	8	17	74	68	42	QF				Micky Fenton Wilf Mannion	23
1947–48	Div 1 (1)	16th	42	14	9	19	71	73	37	R5				Micky Fenton	29
1948–49	Div 1 (1)	19th	42	11	12	19	46	57	34	R3				Micky Fenton	12
1949–50	Div 1 (1)	9th	42	20	7	15	59	48	47	R4				Alex McCrae Peter McKennan	16
1950–51	Div 1 (1)	6th	42	18	11	13	76	65	47	R3				Alex McCrae	21
1951–52	Div 1 (1)	18th	42	15	6	21	64	88	36	R4				Lindy Delapenha	17
1952–53	Div 1 (1)	13th	42	14	11	17	70	77	39	R3				Wilf Mannion	18
1953–54	Div 1 (1)	21st	42	10	10	22	60	91	30	R3				Lindy Delapenha	18
1954–55	Div 2 (2)	12th	42	18	6	18	73	82	42	R3				Charlie Wayman	17
1955–56	Div 2 (2)	14th	42	16	8	18	76	78	40	R4				Lindy Delapenha	18
1956–57	Div 2 (2)	6th	42	19	10	13	84	60	48	R4				Brian Clough	40
1957–58	Div 2 (2)	7th	42	19	7	16	83	74	45	R4				Brian Clough	42
1958–59	Div 2 (2)	13th	42	15	10	17	87	71	40	R3				Brian Clough	43
1959–60	Div 2 (2)	5th	42	19	10	13	90	64	48	R3				Brian Clough	40
1960–61	Div 2 (2)	5th	42	18	12	12	83	74	48	R3	R1			Brian Clough	36
1961–62	Div 2 (2)	12th	42	16	7	19	76	72	39	R5	R3			Alan Peacock	32
1962–63	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	20	9	13	86	85	49	R4	R2			Alan Peacock	33
1963–64	Div 2 (2)	10th	42	15	11	16	67	52	41	R3	R2			Ian Gibson	14
1964–65	Div 2 (2)	17th	42	13	9	20	70	76	35	R5	R2			Jim Irvine	24
1965–66	Div 2 (2)	21st	42	10	13	19	58	86	33	R3	R3			Jim Irvine	17
1966–67	Div 3 (3)	2nd	42	23	9	14	87	64	55	R3	R1			John O'Rourke	30
1967–68	Div 2 (2)	6th	42	17	12	13	60	54	46	R4	R3			John Hickton	29
1968–69	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	19	11	12	58	49	49	R3	R2			John Hickton	18
1969–70	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	20	10	12	55	45	50	QF	R2		Anglo-Italian Cup English GS [12]	John Hickton	30
1970–71	Div 2 (2)	7th	42	17	14	11	60	43	48	R4	R3			John Hickton	27
1971–72	Div 2 (2)	9th	42	19	8	15	50	48	46	R5	R2			John Hickton	16
1972–73	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	17	13	12	46	43	47	R3	R3			John Hickton	15
1973–74	Div 2 (2)	1st	42	27	11	4	77	30	65	R4	R3			Alan Foggon	20
1974–75	Div 1 (1)	7th	42	18	12	12	54	40	48	QF	QF		Texaco Cup Q	Alan Foggon	18
1975–76	Div 1 (1)	13th	42	15	10	17	46	45	40	R3	SF		Anglo-Scottish Cup Winners	John Hickton	18
1976–77	Div 1 (1)	12th	42	14	13	15	40	45	41	QF	R2		Anglo-Scottish Cup Q	David Mills	18
1977–78	Div 1 (1)	14th	42	12	15	15	42	54	39	QF	R3			David Mills	16
1978–79	Div 1 (1)	12th	42	15	10	17	57	50	40	R3	R2			Micky Burns	14
1979–80	Div 1 (1)	9th	42	16	12	14	50	44	44	R4	R3			David Armstrong	14
1980–81	Div 1 (1)	14th	42	16	5	21	53	61	37	R6	R2		Kirin Cup Winners	Božo Janković	13
1981–82	Div 1 (1)	22nd	42	8	15	19	34	52	39	R3	R3			Billy Ashcroft Heine Otto Bobby Thomson	5
1982–83	Div 2 (2)	16th	42	11	15	16	46	67	48	R5	R2			David Shearer	13
1983–84	Div 2 (2)	17th	42	12	13	17	41	47	49	R5	R1			David Currie	15
1984–85	Div 2 (2)	19th	42	10	10	22	41	57	40	R3	R1			David Mills	14
1985–86	Div 2 (2)	21st	42	12	9	21	44	53	45	R3	R1			Gary Rowell	12
1986–87	Div 3 (3)	2nd	46	28	10	8	67	30	94	R3	R2		Associate Members Cup Northern SF	Bernie Slaven	21
1987–88	Div 2 (2)	3rd [13]	44	22	12	10	63	36	78	R4	R2		Full Members Cup R1	Bernie Slaven	24
1988–89	Div 1 (1)	18th	38	9	12	17	44	61	39	R3	R2		Full Members Cup QF	Bernie Slaven	18
1989–90	Div 2 (2)	21st	46	13	11	22	52	63	50	R3	R3		Full Members Cup RU	Bernie Slaven	32
1990–91	Div 2 (2)	7th [14]	46	20	9	17	66	47	69	R4	R4		Full Members Cup Northern R2	Bernie Slaven	19
1991–92	Div 2 (2)	2nd	46	23	11	12	58	41	80	R5	SF		Full Members Cup Northern QF	Paul Wilkinson	24
1992–93	Prem (1) [15]	21st	42	11	11	20	54	75	44	R4	R2			Paul Wilkinson	15
1993–94	Div 1 (2)	9th	46	18	13	15	66	54	67	R3	R3		Anglo-Italian Cup GS	John Hendrie	20
1994–95	Div 1 (2)	1st	46	23	13	10	67	40	82	R3	R3		Anglo-Italian Cup GS	John Hendrie	17
1995–96	Prem (1)	12th	38	11	10	17	35	50	43	R4	R4			Nick Barmby	9
1996–97	Prem (1)	19th	38	10	12	16	51	60	39 [16]	RU	RU			Fabrizio Ravanelli	31
1997–98	Div 1 (2)	2nd	46	27	10	9	77	41	91	R4	RU			Paul Merson	16
1998–99	Prem (1)	9th	38	12	15	11	48	54	51	R3	R3			Hamilton Ricard	18
1999–2000	Prem (1)	12th	38	14	10	14	46	52	52	R3	QF			Hamilton Ricard	14
2000–01	Prem (1)	14th	38	9	15	14	44	44	42	R4	R3			Alen Bokšić	12
2001–02	Prem (1)	12th	38	12	9	17	35	47	45	SF	R3			Alen Bokšić	8
2002–03	Prem (1)	11th	38	13	10	15	48	44	49	R3	R3			Massimo Maccarone	9
2003–04	Prem (1)	11th	38	13	9	16	44	52	48	R4	WN			Juninho Paulista	9
2004–05	Prem (1)	7th	38	14	13	11	53	46	55	R4	R4	UEFA Cup L16		Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink	16
2005–06	Prem (1)	14th	38	12	9	17	48	58	45	SF	QF	UEFA Cup RU		Yakubu	19
2006–07	Prem (1)	12th	38	12	10	16	44	49	46	QF	R2			Mark Viduka	19
2007–08	Prem (1)	13th	38	10	12	16	43	53	42	QF	R3			Stewart Downing	10
2008–09	Prem (1)	19th	38	7	11	20	28	57	32	QF	R3			Tuncay Şanlı	8
2009–10	Champ (2)	11th	46	16	14	16	58	50	62	R3	R2			Adam Johnson	11
2010–11	Champ (2)	12th	46	17	11	18	68	68	62	R3	R2			Scott McDonald	14
2011–12	Champ (2)	7th	46	18	16	12	52	51	70	R4	R3			Marvin Emnes	18
2012–13	Champ (2)	16th	46	18	5	23	61	70	59	R5	QF			Scott McDonald	13
2013–14	Champ (2)	12th	46	16	16	14	62	50	64	R3	R1			Albert Adomah	12
2014–15	Champ (2)	4th [17]	46	25	10	11	68	37	85	R5	R3			Patrick Bamford	19
2015–16	Champ (2)	2nd	46	26	11	9	63	31	89	R3	QF			Cristhian Stuani	11
2016–17	Prem (1)	19th	38	5	13	20	27	53	28	QF	R2			Álvaro Negredo	10
2017–18	Champ (2)	5th [14]	46	22	10	14	67	45	76	R4	R4			Britt Assombalonga	15
2018–19	Champ (2)	7th	46	20	13	13	49	41	73	R4	QF			Britt Assombalonga	14
2019–20	Champ (2)	17th	46	13	14	19	48	61	53	R3	R1			Ashley Fletcher	13
2020–21	Champ (2)	10th	46	18	10	18	55	53	64	R3	R2			Duncan Watmore	9
2021–22	Champ (2)	7th	46	20	10	16	59	50	70	QF	R1			Matt Crooks	11
2022–23	Champ (2)	4th [14]	46	22	9	15	84	56	75	R3	R1			Chuba Akpom	29 [18] [19]
2023–24	Champ (2)	8th	46	20	9	17	71	62	69	R3	SF			Emmanuel Latte Lath	18

Overall

• Seasons spent at Level 1 of the football league system: 61
• Seasons spent at Level 2 of the football league system: 52
• Seasons spent at Level 3 of the football league system: 2
• Seasons spent at Level 4 of the football league system: 0

As of 2024–25 season.

Key

  Champions  Runners-up   Promoted    Relegated

League Results Div = Division Pos = Final position Pld = Matches played W = Matches won D = Matches drawn L = Matches lost GF = Goals for GA = Goals against Pts = Points

Divisions NL = Northern Football League Div 1 = Football League First Division Div 2 = Football League Second Division Div 3 = Football League Third Division Prem = Premier League NVL = Northern Victory League [20] NERL = North Eastern Regional League [21] LN = Football League North [22] Champ = EFL Championship n/a = Not applicable

Cup Results Q = Qualifying round Q1 = Qualifying round 1 Q2 = Qualifying round 2 Q3 = Qualifying round 3 Q4 = Qualifying round 4 Q5 = Qualifying round 5 R1 = Round 1 R2 = Round 2 R3 = Round 3 R4 = Round 4 R5 = Round 5

Cup Results (cont.) QF = Quarter-finals SF = Semi-finals RU = Runners-up WN = Winners GS = Group Stage L16 = Last 16

Notes

1. The League Cup was founded in the 1960–61 season.
2. Includes goals scored in the following competitions: League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Texaco Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup, Full Members Cup, except in wartime situations where all active competitions are included.
3. Highest league finish to date.
4. First Division leading goalscorer.
5. Goals scored in this season do not contribute to player/club records.
6. Second Division leading goalscorer. Includes 59 league goals, a Division Two record. This remains the second-highest number of league goals scored in one season, behind Dixie Dean's 60 league goals a year later.
7. Competitive football was abandoned three games into the 1939–40 season and all results were annulled.
8. Guest player, from Sheffield Wednesday.
9. Guest player, from Preston North End.
10. All FA Cup ties played on a two legged basis.
11. Seven goals were scored in the FA Cup, contributing to records, while 20 goals were scored in the league competition prior to recommencement of the Football League proper the next season.
12. Second in group.
13. Entered playoffs, won and promoted. Losing finalists Chelsea relegated from Div 1.
14. Entered playoffs. Lost first round.
15. Inaugural season of the Premier League.
16. Includes three points deduction for failing to fulfil a fixture at Blackburn Rovers.
17. Entered playoffs. Lost final.
18. Championship leading goalscorer.
19. PFA Championship player of the year.
20. Following World War I, in January 1919 the NVL was introduced as a preliminary to the return of the Football League. Results do not contribute to player/club records.
21. Wartime competition. Results do not contribute to player/club records.
22. Wartime competition. There were two competitions a year from 1941–42 season onwards. Results do not contribute to player/club records.

References

• Glasper, Harry (1989). Middlesbrough A Complete Record 1876–1989. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN   0-907969-53-4.
• "mfc1986.co.uk" . Retrieved 31 May 2007.