Third Division. Wimbledon finished last with 34 points. Mansfield Town was 23rd with 36 points, Southend United – 22nd with 38, and Bury – 21st with 39 points. Those four were relegated. Up the table, in safety and nothing more, were the smallish English clubs of no interest. Except one:
Sheffield United, down on its luck, was 12th.
Better fate for their city rivals – they finished 3rd with 58 points.
Sheffield Wednesday ended with just a point more than Chesterfield, but it was enough – they clinched the last promotional spot. Jack Charlton was no loser as a player, and no loser as a manager. Going up, always going up. Sheffield Wednesday did not play in Second Division since 1974-75 and saying good-buy to Third Division perhaps was not spectacularly, but the feeling was great nevertheless.
Blackburn Rovers finished 2nd with 59 points and the Third Division champions were Grimsby Town with 62 points. The top three were promoted, of course. Sheffield Wednesday was seemingly the most promising of the trio – not because of their name, but because they lost the least number of matches this season – 9, and scored the most goals in the league – 81.