Third Division. Nothing much, but more intriguing than the lowest level – a few familiar names appear here, Tony Cascarino (Gillingham) and John Hendrie (Bradford City). Players well known to us retrospectively, who are at the early stages of their careers and at actual time known only to observant scouts. There was spectacular failure of one so exciting a few years ago team – Swansea Town was dropping down as rapidly as they climbed from obscurity to the top league. Apart from that, the season offered little drama – one team was hopeless outsider and three teams stand above the league. Since three teams were promoted, the question about it was decided early and firmly. And there was a record made, but it was not a positive record.
Cambridge United was hopeless – last with 21 points. Only one team in the four professional leagues had worse record – with less points and fewer victories. And Cambridge won only 4 games.
Preston North End – 23rd with 46 points. If only they managed to extract 2 more points… but they did not. However, Preston distinguish itself with the leakiest defense in all leagues: they received 100 goals!
Orient – 22nd with 46 points.
Burnley – 21st with 46 points. Their seemingly endless decline inevitably lead them to the very bottom – next year 4th Division, along with Orient, Preston, and Cambridge.
Swansea City barely escaped relegation – 20th with 47 points. What a fascinating story – they started a rapid climb from 4th Division in 1977-78 and in 1981-82 were in First Division, where they finished 6th. And right then they started going down just as quickly – relegated from the top league in 1982-83, relegated from Second Division immediately in 1983-84, and now barely survived relegation in Third Division. It was not a stop of downhill drive, though.
Lincoln City – 19th with 51 points.
Newport County – 18th with 52 points.
Bolton Wanderers – 17th with 54 points. They too played first division football not long ago – lastly, in 1979-80 – but now struggled in third level.
Wigan Athletic – 16th with 59 points.
Plymouth Argyle – 15th with 59 points.
Doncaster Rovers – 14th with 59 points.
Brentford – 13th with 62 points.
Rotherham United – 12th with 65 points.
Walsall – 11th with 67 points.
Bournemouth – 10th with 68 points.
Reading – 9th with 69 points.
York City – 8th with 69 points.
Derby County, now suffering in Third Division – 7th with 70 points.
Bristol Rovers – 6th with 75 points.
Bristol City – 5th with 81 points, perhaps very happy to be ahead of their city rivals.
Gillingham – 4th with 83 points. A good period for the club, but there was little something missing to enable them to win promotion.
Hull City did well – 3rd with 87 points. Promotion was all important and achieved.
Millwall – 2nd with 90 points. Well done.
Bradford City won the championship with 94 points – the most points earned in all divisions. 28 wins, 10 ties, 8 losses, 77-45 goal-difference. Happy champions, if only third division champions. Moving up along with Hull City and Millwall, but with a trophy.