Forth Division. The last in the table was going to be relegated directly – so far, changes were rare and managed by election. A team going out of professional league system was most likely in severe financial dire straits and correspondingly replacement club was elected at least partially on financial grounds. Now it was going to be direct and straight-forward relegation and promotion of sporting merit. The top three teams were promoted to Third Division and the the three teams right bellow the top three went to promotion/relegation play-offs with the 21st in the Third Division final table.
Lincoln City had the dubious honour to be the first team relegated from the professional league – last with 48 points. The finish was dramatic: Burnley and Torquay United were also in danger of the relegation and everything was decided at the very last day of the championship: Torquay United managed to get a life-saving tie, equalizing only in injury time and paying strange price for that – their right-back Jim McNichol was bitten by a police dog. Burnley won its last match. Thus, Lincoln City ended last, going down on worse goal-difference. Now, if they had won their last match… but they failed to do so.
Torquay United survived thanks to this last point and better goal-difference – they took 23rd place with 48 points and -16 goal-difference, when Lincoln ended with -20. As for Jim McNichol – well, it was worthy to be bitten by Police dog: his team avoided relegation.
Burnley – 22nd with 49 points. Last minute survivors – if they did not win their last match, it was relegation: any other outcome of the last game was placing them last. Vicious to say, but it would have been at least interesting if Burnley finished last and was the first team relegated from professional football: because they were a club winning the English titles. Would have been interesting historically to see one of the oldest members going out in the first season when going out was introduced. But they were lucky to escape the shame.
Rochdale – 21st with 50 points.
Tranmere Rovers – 20th with 50 points.
Stockport County – 19th with 51 points.
Hartlepool United – 18th with 51 points.
Crewe Alexandra – 17th with 53 points.
Hereford United – 16th with 53 points.
Halifax Town – 15th with 55 points.
Exeter City – 14th with 56 points.
Cardiff City – 13th with 61 points.
Swansea City – 12th with 62 points. What fantastic development in few years time – going from nowhere to First Division and equally quickly sinking down to Forth Division.
Cambridge United – 11th with 62 points.
Peterborough United – 10th with 65 points.
Wrexham – 9th with 65 points.
Scunthorpe United – 8th with 66 points.
Orient – 7th with 69 points. Missing play-off chance by a point and few goals.
Aldershot – 6th with 70 points. Going to promotion/relegation play-offs.
Colchester United – 5th with 70 points. Going to promotion/relegation play-offs.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – 4th with 79 points. Going to promotion/relegation play-offs.
Southend United – 3rd with 80 points and directly promoted to Third Diviaion. Great!
Preston North End – 2nd with 90 points. Not exactly up to competing for the first place, but way stronger than the rest of the league. Directly promoted. A great turnaround too, for Preston had to apply to stay in the league just the season before.
Northampton Town – very confident winner: 30 wins, 9 ties, 7 losses, 103-53 goal-difference and 99 points! Excellent season, ending with a title – 4th level title, but a title. And going up to Third Division, of course.
The promotion/relegation play-offs brought rather unexpected result: Bolton Wanderers, coming from Third Division, was eliminated along with Colchester United and in the final game Wolverhampton Wanderers lost to unfancied Aldershot.
What a great turn of fortune: Aldershot, 6th in the Forth Division, was the promoted up at the expense of illustrious Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers.
Once again: promoted to Third Division this year – Northampton Town, Preston North End, Southend United, and Aldershot.