# 1959–60 in English football

The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.

## Diary of the season

17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of lowly Liverpool, languishing in the lower depths of the Second Division, after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First Division.
1 December 1959: Bill Shankly of Huddersfield Town accepts the offer to become Second Division club Liverpool's new manager.
25 December 1959: The last Football League games to be played on Christmas Day are held – Blackburn defeated Blackpool 1–0 in the First Division and Coventry beat Wrexham 5–3 in the Third Division.
15 March 1960 Second Division Manchester City pay Huddersfield Town a club record £55,000 transfer fee for Denis Law.
7 May 1960: Wolverhampton Wanderers defeat Blackburn Rovers 3–0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, with two goals from Norman Deeley and an own goal from Mick McGrath.

## Honours

| Competition | Winner | Runner-up |
| First Division | Burnley (2) | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Second Division | Aston Villa | Cardiff City |
| Third Division | Southampton | Norwich City |
| Fourth Division | Walsall | Notts County |
| FA Cup | Wolverhampton Wanderers (4) | Blackburn Rovers |
| Charity Shield | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Nottingham Forest |
| Home Championship | England, Scotland & Wales shared | England, Scotland & Wales shared |
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition

## Awards

Football Writers' Association
* Footballer of the Year – Bill Slater (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

## Football League
### First Division

Burnley failed to top the First Division all season, but pipped Wolves to top spot on the final day of their season to clinch the title. Wolves finished their season on 30-April on 54 points. Burnley's last game of the season was on Monday, 2 May, which they won to move to 55 points. The runners-up Wolves, while missing out on a third successive league title and becoming the first team this century to win the elusive double, went on to win the FA Cup this season. Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion and newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday completed the top five. Manchester United, last season's runners-up, dipped to seventh in the league this season despite 32 goals from forward Dennis Viollet and the mid-season signing of half-back Maurice Setters. Luton Town, last season's FA Cup finalists, went down in bottom place, and were joined in relegation by Leeds United.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Burnley | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 85 | 61 | 1.393 | 55 | Qualified for the European Cup |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 106 | 67 | 1.582 | 54 | Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 86 | 50 | 1.720 | 53 | |
| 4 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 83 | 57 | 1.456 | 49 | |
| 5 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 80 | 59 | 1.356 | 49 | |
| 6 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 59 | 51 | 1.157 | 48 | |
| 7 | Manchester United | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 102 | 80 | 1.275 | 45 | |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 82 | 78 | 1.051 | 44 | |
| 9 | Preston North End | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 79 | 76 | 1.039 | 44 | |
| 10 | Fulham | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 73 | 80 | 0.913 | 44 | |
| 11 | Blackpool | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 59 | 71 | 0.831 | 40 | |
| 12 | Leicester City | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 66 | 75 | 0.880 | 39 | |
| 13 | Arsenal | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 68 | 80 | 0.850 | 39 | |
| 14 | West Ham United | 42 | 16 | 6 | 20 | 75 | 91 | 0.824 | 38 | |
| 15 | Everton | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 73 | 78 | 0.936 | 37 | |
| 16 | Manchester City | 42 | 17 | 3 | 22 | 78 | 84 | 0.929 | 37 | |
| 17 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 60 | 70 | 0.857 | 37 | |
| 18 | Chelsea | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 76 | 91 | 0.835 | 37 | |
| 19 | Birmingham City | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 63 | 80 | 0.788 | 36 | |
| 20 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 50 | 74 | 0.676 | 35 | |
| 21 | Leeds United | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 65 | 92 | 0.707 | 34 | Relegated to the Second Division |
| 22 | Luton Town | 42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 50 | 73 | 0.685 | 30 | Relegated to the Second Division |

### Second Division

Aston Villa earned an immediate return to the First Division as Second Division champions, and were joined in promotion by runners-up Cardiff City. Liverpool's change of manager from Phil Taylor to Bill Shankly was not enough to earn them promotion, as they finished in third place, eight points adrift of promotion. Huddersfield Town could only finish sixth in the Second Division despite the goals of brilliant young forward Denis Law, who was sold to Manchester City towards the end of the season for a national record fee.
Hull City and Bristol City went down to the Third Division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Aston Villa | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 89 | 43 | 2.070 | 59 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 2 | Cardiff City | 42 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 90 | 62 | 1.452 | 58 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 3 | Liverpool | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 90 | 66 | 1.364 | 50 | |
| 4 | Sheffield United | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 68 | 51 | 1.333 | 50 | |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 90 | 64 | 1.406 | 48 | |
| 6 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 73 | 52 | 1.404 | 47 | |
| 7 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 90 | 87 | 1.034 | 47 | |
| 8 | Rotherham United | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 61 | 60 | 1.017 | 47 | |
| 9 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 72 | 78 | 0.923 | 47 | |
| 10 | Leyton Orient | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 76 | 61 | 1.246 | 44 | |
| 11 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 78 | 68 | 1.147 | 44 | |
| 12 | Swansea Town | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 82 | 84 | 0.976 | 40 | |
| 13 | Lincoln City | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 75 | 78 | 0.962 | 39 | |
| 14 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 67 | 76 | 0.882 | 38 | |
| 15 | Scunthorpe United | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 57 | 71 | 0.803 | 36 | |
| 16 | Sunderland | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 52 | 65 | 0.800 | 36 | |
| 17 | Stoke City | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 66 | 83 | 0.795 | 35 | |
| 18 | Derby County | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 61 | 77 | 0.792 | 35 | |
| 19 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 61 | 89 | 0.685 | 35 | |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 59 | 77 | 0.766 | 32 | |
| 21 | Hull City | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 48 | 76 | 0.632 | 30 | Relegated to the Third Division |
| 22 | Bristol City | 42 | 11 | 5 | 26 | 60 | 97 | 0.619 | 27 | Relegated to the Third Division |

### Third Division

The Third Division promotion race was very much a two-horse race for much of the season, ending with Southampton going up as champions and Norwich City as runners-up.
Accrington Stanley, Wrexham, York City and Mansfield Town went down to the Fourth Division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Southampton | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 106 | 75 | 1.413 | 61 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 2 | Norwich City | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 82 | 54 | 1.519 | 59 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 3 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 97 | 75 | 1.293 | 52 | |
| 4 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 87 | 70 | 1.243 | 52 | |
| 5 | Coventry City | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 78 | 63 | 1.238 | 52 | |
| 6 | Brentford | 46 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 78 | 61 | 1.279 | 51 | |
| 7 | Bury | 46 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 64 | 51 | 1.255 | 51 | |
| 8 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 73 | 54 | 1.352 | 49 | |
| 9 | Colchester United | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 83 | 74 | 1.122 | 47 | |
| 10 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 72 | 72 | 1.000 | 47 | |
| 11 | Reading | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 84 | 77 | 1.091 | 46 | |
| 12 | Southend United | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 76 | 74 | 1.027 | 46 | |
| 13 | Newport County | 46 | 20 | 6 | 20 | 80 | 79 | 1.013 | 46 | |
| 14 | Port Vale | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 80 | 79 | 1.013 | 46 | |
| 15 | Halifax Town | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 70 | 72 | 0.972 | 46 | |
| 16 | Swindon Town | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 69 | 78 | 0.885 | 46 | |
| 17 | Barnsley | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 65 | 66 | 0.985 | 44 | |
| 18 | Chesterfield | 46 | 18 | 7 | 21 | 71 | 84 | 0.845 | 43 | |
| 19 | Bradford City | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 66 | 74 | 0.892 | 42 | |
| 20 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 72 | 75 | 0.960 | 41 | |
| 21 | York City | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 57 | 73 | 0.781 | 38 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| 22 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 15 | 6 | 25 | 81 | 112 | 0.723 | 36 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| 23 | Wrexham | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 68 | 101 | 0.673 | 36 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| 24 | Accrington Stanley | 46 | 11 | 5 | 30 | 57 | 123 | 0.463 | 27 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |

### Fourth Division

Walsall sealed the Fourth Division title and with it a place in the Third Division. They were joined in the higher division by Notts County, Torquay United and Watford.
Gateshead were voted out of the Football League and replaced by ambitious Southern League side Peterborough United, who boasted a 30,000-capacity stadium.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Walsall | 46 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 102 | 60 | 1.700 | 65 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 2 | Notts County | 46 | 26 | 8 | 12 | 107 | 69 | 1.551 | 60 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 3 | Torquay United | 46 | 26 | 8 | 12 | 84 | 58 | 1.448 | 60 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 4 | Watford | 46 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 92 | 67 | 1.373 | 57 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 5 | Millwall | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 84 | 61 | 1.377 | 53 | |
| 6 | Northampton Town | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 85 | 63 | 1.349 | 53 | |
| 7 | Gillingham | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 74 | 69 | 1.072 | 52 | |
| 8 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 84 | 64 | 1.313 | 50 | |
| 9 | Exeter City | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 80 | 70 | 1.143 | 49 | |
| 10 | Stockport County | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 58 | 54 | 1.074 | 49 | |
| 11 | Bradford Park Avenue | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 70 | 68 | 1.029 | 49 | |
| 12 | Rochdale | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 65 | 60 | 1.083 | 46 | |
| 13 | Aldershot | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 77 | 74 | 1.041 | 45 | |
| 14 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 79 | 88 | 0.898 | 45 | |
| 15 | Darlington | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 63 | 73 | 0.863 | 43 | |
| 16 | Workington | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 68 | 60 | 1.133 | 42 | |
| 17 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 69 | 76 | 0.908 | 42 | |
| 18 | Barrow | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 77 | 87 | 0.885 | 41 | |
| 19 | Carlisle United | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 51 | 66 | 0.773 | 41 | |
| 20 | Chester | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 59 | 77 | 0.766 | 40 | |
| 21 | Southport | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 48 | 92 | 0.522 | 34 | Re-elected |
| 22 | Gateshead | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 58 | 86 | 0.674 | 33 | Not re-elected |
| 23 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 41 | 83 | 0.494 | 28 | Re-elected |
| 24 | Hartlepools United | 46 | 10 | 7 | 29 | 59 | 109 | 0.541 | 27 | Re-elected |

### Top goalscorers

First Division
* Dennis Viollet (Manchester United) – 32 goals
Second Division
* Brian Clough (Middlesbrough) – 39 goals
Third Division
* Derek Reeves (Southampton) – 39 goals
Fourth Division
* Cliff Holton (Watford) – 42 goals