1965–66 Football League
| Season | 1965–66 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Liverpool |
← 1964–65 1966–67 → | |
The 1965–66 season was the 67th completed season of the Football League.
This season is notable for Liverpool winning the title – their seventh overall – with only 14 squad players. The Second, Third and Fourth Divisions were won by Manchester City, Hull City and Doncaster Rovers respectively.
Final league tables
The tables and results below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website[1] and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79,[2] with home and away statistics separated.
Beginning with the 1894–95 season, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded), or more properly put, goal ratio. In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.
Since the Fourth Division was established in the 1958–59 season, the bottom four teams of that division have been required to apply for re-election.[2]
First Division
| Season | 1965–66 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Liverpool 7th title |
| Relegated | Northampton Town Blackburn Rovers |
| European Cup | Liverpool |
| European Cup Winners' Cup | Everton |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | Leeds United Burnley West Bromwich Albion |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,457 (3.15 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Roger Hunt Willie Irvine (29 goals each)[3] |
← 1964–65 1966–67 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool (C) | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 79 | 34 | 2.324 | 61 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Leeds United | 42 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 79 | 38 | 2.079 | 55 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup second round |
| 3 | Burnley | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 79 | 47 | 1.681 | 55 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 4 | Manchester United | 42 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 84 | 59 | 1.424 | 51 | |
| 5 | Chelsea | 42 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 65 | 53 | 1.226 | 51 | |
| 6 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 91 | 69 | 1.319 | 50 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup second round |
| 7 | Leicester City | 42 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 80 | 65 | 1.231 | 49 | |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 75 | 66 | 1.136 | 44 | |
| 9 | Sheffield United | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 56 | 59 | 0.949 | 43 | |
| 10 | Stoke City | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 65 | 64 | 1.016 | 42 | |
| 11 | Everton | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 56 | 62 | 0.903 | 41 | Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round[a] |
| 12 | West Ham United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 70 | 83 | 0.843 | 39 | |
| 13 | Blackpool | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 55 | 65 | 0.846 | 37 | |
| 14 | Arsenal | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 62 | 75 | 0.827 | 37 | |
| 15 | Newcastle United | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 50 | 63 | 0.794 | 37 | |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 69 | 80 | 0.863 | 36 | |
| 17 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 66 | 0.848 | 36 | |
| 18 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 72 | 0.778 | 36 | |
| 19 | Sunderland | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 51 | 72 | 0.708 | 36 | |
| 20 | Fulham | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 67 | 85 | 0.788 | 35 | |
| 21 | Northampton Town (R) | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 55 | 92 | 0.598 | 33 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Blackburn Rovers (R) | 42 | 8 | 4 | 30 | 57 | 88 | 0.648 | 20 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Everton qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as the 1965–66 FA Cup winners.
Results
Maps
Second Division
| Season | 1965–66 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Manchester City |
| Promoted | Manchester City Southampton |
| Relegated | Middlesbrough Leyton Orient |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,421 (3.08 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Martin Chivers (30 goals)[3] |
← 1964–65 1966–67 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City (C, P) | 42 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 76 | 44 | 1.727 | 59 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Southampton (P) | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 85 | 56 | 1.518 | 54 | |
| 3 | Coventry City | 42 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 73 | 53 | 1.377 | 53 | |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 62 | 36 | 1.722 | 51 | |
| 5 | Bristol City | 42 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 63 | 48 | 1.313 | 51 | |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 87 | 61 | 1.426 | 50 | |
| 7 | Rotherham United | 42 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 75 | 74 | 1.014 | 46 | |
| 8 | Derby County | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 71 | 68 | 1.044 | 43 | |
| 9 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 62 | 59 | 1.051 | 41 | |
| 10 | Birmingham City | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 70 | 75 | 0.933 | 41 | |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 52 | 0.904 | 41 | |
| 12 | Portsmouth | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 74 | 78 | 0.949 | 40 | |
| 13 | Norwich City | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 52 | 52 | 1.000 | 39 | |
| 14 | Carlisle United | 42 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 60 | 63 | 0.952 | 39 | |
| 15 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 58 | 66 | 0.879 | 39 | |
| 16 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 61 | 70 | 0.871 | 38 | |
| 17 | Preston North End | 42 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 62 | 70 | 0.886 | 37 | |
| 18 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 54 | 63 | 0.857 | 37 | |
| 19 | Bury | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 62 | 76 | 0.816 | 35 | |
| 20 | Cardiff City | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 71 | 91 | 0.780 | 34 | |
| 21 | Middlesbrough (R) | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 58 | 86 | 0.674 | 33 | Relegation to the Third Division |
| 22 | Leyton Orient (R) | 42 | 5 | 13 | 24 | 38 | 80 | 0.475 | 23 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Maps
Third Division
| Season | 1965–66 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Hull City (1st title) |
| Promoted | Millwall |
| Relegated | Brentford Exeter City Southend United York City |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,628 (2.95 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Les Allen (Queens Park Rangers), 30 [3] |
← 1964–65 1966–67 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull City (C, P) | 46 | 31 | 7 | 8 | 109 | 62 | 1.758 | 69 | Promotion to the Second Division |
| 2 | Millwall (P) | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 76 | 43 | 1.767 | 65 | |
| 3 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 95 | 65 | 1.462 | 57 | |
| 4 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 80 | 67 | 1.194 | 53 | |
| 5 | Workington | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 67 | 57 | 1.175 | 52 | |
| 6 | Gillingham | 46 | 22 | 8 | 16 | 62 | 54 | 1.148 | 52 | |
| 7 | Swindon Town | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 74 | 48 | 1.542 | 51 | |
| 8 | Reading | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 70 | 63 | 1.111 | 51 | |
| 9 | Walsall | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 77 | 64 | 1.203 | 50 | |
| 10 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 73 | 64 | 1.141 | 49 | |
| 11 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 68 | 62 | 1.097 | 47 | |
| 12 | Watford | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 55 | 51 | 1.078 | 47 | |
| 13 | Peterborough United | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 80 | 66 | 1.212 | 46 | |
| 14 | Oxford United | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 70 | 74 | 0.946 | 46 | |
| 15 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 67 | 65 | 1.031 | 43 | |
| 16 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 64 | 64 | 1.000 | 42 | |
| 17 | Swansea Town | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 81 | 96 | 0.844 | 41 | Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 18 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 38 | 56 | 0.679 | 38 | |
| 19 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 15 | 8 | 23 | 59 | 89 | 0.663 | 38 | |
| 20 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 55 | 81 | 0.679 | 37 | |
| 21 | Southend United (R) | 46 | 16 | 4 | 26 | 54 | 83 | 0.651 | 36 | Relegation to the Fourth Division |
| 22 | Exeter City (R) | 46 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 53 | 79 | 0.671 | 35 | |
| 23 | Brentford (R) | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 48 | 69 | 0.696 | 32 | |
| 24 | York City (R) | 46 | 9 | 9 | 28 | 53 | 106 | 0.500 | 27 |
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Maps
Fourth Division
| Season | 1965–66 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Doncaster Rovers (1st title) |
| Promoted | Colchester United, Darlington, Torquay United |
| Failed re-election | none |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,723 (3.12 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Kevin Hector (Bradford Park Avenue), 44 [3] |
← 1964–65 1966–67 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers (C, P) | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 85 | 54 | 1.574 | 59 | Promotion to the Third Division |
| 2 | Darlington (P) | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 72 | 53 | 1.358 | 59 | |
| 3 | Torquay United (P) | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 72 | 49 | 1.469 | 58 | |
| 4 | Colchester United (P) | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 70 | 47 | 1.489 | 56 | |
| 5 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 24 | 8 | 14 | 93 | 66 | 1.409 | 56 | |
| 6 | Luton Town | 46 | 24 | 8 | 14 | 90 | 70 | 1.286 | 56 | |
| 7 | Chester | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 79 | 70 | 1.129 | 52 | |
| 8 | Notts County | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 61 | 53 | 1.151 | 50 | |
| 9 | Newport County | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 75 | 75 | 1.000 | 48 | |
| 10 | Southport | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 68 | 69 | 0.986 | 48 | |
| 11 | Bradford (Park Avenue) | 46 | 21 | 5 | 20 | 102 | 92 | 1.109 | 47 | |
| 12 | Barrow | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 72 | 76 | 0.947 | 47 | |
| 13 | Stockport County | 46 | 18 | 6 | 22 | 71 | 70 | 1.014 | 42 | |
| 14 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 61 | 63 | 0.968 | 41 | |
| 15 | Halifax Town | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 67 | 75 | 0.893 | 41 | |
| 16 | Barnsley | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 74 | 78 | 0.949 | 40 | |
| 17 | Aldershot | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 75 | 84 | 0.893 | 40 | |
| 18 | Hartlepools United | 46 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 63 | 75 | 0.840 | 40 | |
| 19 | Port Vale | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 48 | 59 | 0.814 | 39 | |
| 20 | Chesterfield | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 62 | 78 | 0.795 | 39 | |
| 21 | Rochdale | 46 | 16 | 5 | 25 | 71 | 87 | 0.816 | 37 | Re-elected |
| 22 | Lincoln City | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 57 | 82 | 0.695 | 37 | |
| 23 | Bradford City | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 63 | 94 | 0.670 | 37 | |
| 24 | Wrexham | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 72 | 104 | 0.692 | 35 |
Results
- During Chester's home game against Aldershot on New Year's Day 1966, both Chester full-backs (Ray Jones & Bryn Jones) broke their left leg.[4]
Maps
Attendances
Source:[5]
First Division
| # | Football club | Home games | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool FC | 21 | 46,344 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 21 | 38,769 |
| 3 | Everton FC | 21 | 38,498 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 21 | 38,320 |
| 5 | Leeds United | 21 | 35,785 |
| 6 | Sunderland AFC | 21 | 34,488 |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 21 | 33,793 |
| 8 | Chelsea FC | 21 | 31,346 |
| 9 | Arsenal FC | 21 | 29,036 |
| 10 | West Ham United | 21 | 24,836 |
| 11 | Nottingham Forest | 21 | 23,725 |
| 12 | Stoke City | 21 | 22,503 |
| 13 | Sheffield Wednesday | 21 | 22,366 |
| 14 | Leicester City | 21 | 22,325 |
| 15 | Fulham FC | 21 | 21,138 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 21 | 21,063 |
| 17 | Burnley FC | 21 | 19,968 |
| 18 | West Bromwich Albion | 21 | 19,834 |
| 19 | Sheffield United | 21 | 19,405 |
| 20 | Northampton Town | 21 | 18,634 |
| 21 | Blackpool FC | 21 | 16,185 |
| 22 | Blackburn Rovers | 21 | 13,513 |
Second Division
| # | Football club | Home games | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City FC | 21 | 27,739 |
| 2 | Coventry City FC | 21 | 25,370 |
| 3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 21 | 22,361 |
| 4 | Southampton FC | 21 | 18,917 |
| 5 | Huddersfield Town AFC | 21 | 18,322 |
| 6 | Bristol City FC | 21 | 17,297 |
| 7 | Norwich City FC | 21 | 14,983 |
| 8 | Crystal Palace FC | 21 | 14,809 |
| 9 | Portsmouth FC | 21 | 14,644 |
| 10 | Birmingham City FC | 21 | 14,398 |
| 11 | Derby County FC | 21 | 14,151 |
| 12 | Preston North End FC | 21 | 14,023 |
| 13 | Middlesbrough FC | 21 | 13,450 |
| 14 | Plymouth Argyle FC | 21 | 13,217 |
| 15 | Ipswich Town FC | 21 | 12,473 |
| 16 | Charlton Athletic FC | 21 | 12,271 |
| 17 | Carlisle United FC | 21 | 12,067 |
| 18 | Bolton Wanderers FC | 21 | 12,005 |
| 19 | Cardiff City FC | 21 | 11,005 |
| 20 | Rotherham United FC | 21 | 10,096 |
| 21 | Bury FC | 21 | 7,667 |
| 22 | Leyton Orient FC | 21 | 7,378 |
Third Division
| # | Football club | Home games | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull City AFC | 21 | 22,828 |
| 2 | Millwall FC | 21 | 13,978 |
| 3 | Swindon Town FC | 21 | 13,125 |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 21 | 12,799 |
| 5 | Oxford United FC | 21 | 9,301 |
| 6 | Walsall FC | 21 | 9,297 |
| 7 | Bristol Rovers FC | 21 | 9,007 |
| 8 | Oldham Athletic FC | 21 | 8,943 |
| 9 | Reading FC | 21 | 8,857 |
| 10 | Brentford FC | 21 | 8,416 |
| 11 | Queens Park Rangers FC | 21 | 8,263 |
| 12 | Watford FC | 21 | 7,695 |
| 13 | Swansea City AFC | 21 | 7,694 |
| 14 | Southend United FC | 21 | 7,536 |
| 15 | Gillingham FC | 21 | 7,492 |
| 16 | Grimsby Town FC | 21 | 7,239 |
| 17 | Peterborough United FC | 21 | 7,238 |
| 18 | AFC Bournemouth | 21 | 6,329 |
| 19 | Mansfield Town FC | 21 | 6,087 |
| 20 | York City FC | 21 | 5,921 |
| 21 | Exeter City FC | 21 | 5,590 |
| 22 | Scunthorpe United FC | 21 | 5,181 |
| 23 | Workington AFC | 21 | 3,263 |
Fourth Four
| # | Football club | Home games | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers FC | 21 | 10,398 |
| 2 | Chester City FC | 21 | 8,504 |
| 3 | Tranmere Rovers | 21 | 8,031 |
| 4 | Darlington FC | 21 | 7,953 |
| 5 | Stockport County FC | 21 | 7,802 |
| 6 | Luton Town FC | 21 | 7,675 |
| 7 | Torquay United FC | 21 | 6,208 |
| 8 | Port Vale FC | 21 | 6,015 |
| 9 | Wrexham AFC | 21 | 5,567 |
| 10 | Bradford Park Avenue AFC | 21 | 5,287 |
| 11 | Colchester United FC | 21 | 5,151 |
| 12 | Chesterfield FC | 21 | 4,995 |
| 13 | Notts County FC | 21 | 4,949 |
| 14 | Hartlepool United FC | 21 | 4,842 |
| 15 | Barrow AFC | 21 | 4,701 |
| 16 | Barnsley FC | 21 | 4,510 |
| 17 | Southport FC | 21 | 4,257 |
| 18 | Bradford City AFC | 21 | 4,025 |
| 19 | Crewe Alexandra FC | 21 | 3,873 |
| 20 | Lincoln City FC | 21 | 3,845 |
| 21 | Aldershot Town FC | 21 | 3,825 |
| 22 | Halifax Town AFC | 21 | 3,069 |
| 23 | Rochdale AFC | 21 | 2,974 |
| 24 | Newport County AFC | 21 | 2,636 |
See also
References
- ^ "England 1965-66". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ a b Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
- ^ a b c d "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
- ^ Ward, Andrew (2010). Football's Strangest Matches: Extraordinary but true stories from over a century of football. London: Portico. pp. 83–84. ISBN 1907554084.
- ^ "Historical attendances".
- Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.