AFTER THE WAR.
The Second World War ended in 1945 and almost
Immediately the F.A Cup took centre stage. The league programme didn’t re-start until 46/47 season.
The composition of the league was so different to today. Ten of the "starters" now languish in lower divisions. Brentford, Grimsby Town, Blackpool, Huddersfield Town, etc etc. Notable absentees were Man City Newcastle and ‘Spurs and a few other household names.
The winter that season was atrocious.I can actually remember how bad it was. The result was that the season was extended over to June. What was a decider for the championship was played at Bramall Lane in brilliant sunshine. United entertained Stoke City, who needed to win to displace Liverpool from top spot. United won 2 – 1 and Liverpool were champions. Relegated were Leeds Utd and Brentford. Brentford have never reached such dizzy heights since.
The feat of the season must surely have been that of Jackie Balmer of Liverpool. He scored TEN consecutive goals in three games.Three against Portsmouth, four against Derby and then another three against Arsenal. A feat I’ve never seen repeated, let alone beaten.
The first side to hit trouble was little New Brighton. ( As New Brighton Tower they had played alongside the famous tower from 1897 until1901. Playing to crowds of around 1000 in an 80,000 capacity stadium was always doomed to failure, at least financially. So it proved).The Rake Lane side lost their place at the end of the 50/51 season. They seeked re-election but were replaced by Workington. Wigan made one of their many unsuccessful attempts to gain admission. Even their threat to apply to the Scottish Football League carried no weight.
In 1949 and then again in 1950 Portsmoth won successive League titles. The only times they’ve done so.
The first fifteen seasons from 46/47 onwards saw five teams share twelve champoinshps between them. After this Liverpool and Manchester United served notice of what ws to come. They won alternative titles over the next four seasons, before a lull The quiet before the storm, perhaps. In 73 Liverpool won what was to be the first of a real bundle of championships. Eleven of the next eigtheen titles went to Anfield. Throw in a couple of Everton triumphs and the trophy hardly ever seemed to leave the City.
Liverpool, Arsenal and finally Leeds United were the winners of the last three old league titles. In 1992 the entire first division complement resigned from the Football League and formed THE F.A. PREMIER LEAGUE. At the end of the 91/92 season normal relegation/promotion took place and the subsequent twenty-two teamed formed what we now know as the PREMIER LEAGUE. Affectionately called the PREMIERSHIP.
The 1994/95 season saw the last table of twenty-two teams. Due to the interference of F.I.F.A. all major leagues were reduced to twenty clubs. That meant relegation for FOUR teams and promotion for two, to comply. It was also decided that there would be three teams relegated to the first division and the top two from that division would gain automatic promotion and the next four would play thru’ an elimination competition for the other place. This has now been extended to include the whole four divisions. Why not give the third place to the team that has earned it thru’ the season’s endeavour? MONEY. I’m sure.
The Premiership is now seventeen years old and has proved to be a virtual benefit for Manchester United. They have just completed their second hat-trick of wins to bring it to a total of eleven. Arsenal and Chelsa have shared five of the remaining six. History has shown that this is a game of swings and roundabouts. Will United continue to be Top Dog. We can but wait and see.
A significant move took place in 1987 when for the first time, the Football Conference Champions gained automatic promotion to the fourth division.However, such was the gap in class between the two divisions , that the relegated team was a good bet to gain promotion at the first attempt. Of course time was a great leveller and soon relegation to the Conference was to be avoided t all costs.
At this time the football Pyramid system of promotion really took-off with feeder league teams given something to play for. All feeder leagues now being structured for automatic promotion and relegation. Meaning, (theoretically) that any team could move from the non-league set-up into the Conference League and fom there into the Football League proper. Wimbledon and Wigan did just that.
Until 2003, only the Conference Champions had been promoted as of right but the rules were changed to the same format as the Football League Play-offs for the 2nd to 5th teams so that two teams were promoted each season.
The pyramid system was proving so popular that in 2004/5 an additional level was introduced below the Conference. Conference North and Conference South. This would cut down on travel for many teams. To accomodate this change some leagues amalgamated and formed regional divisions within the new set-ups.The Conference League itself was renamed Conference National.
It was at this point that the Football League First Division was renamed The Championship.The 2nd and 3rd divisions reclassified as championship League One and Two, respectively. That is how they remain.
It now remains to look at the history of the F.A. Cup from 45/46 to date.
May 28th, 2009 / cyril - Category: Football News
