# 1954–55 in English football

The 1954–55 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955.

## Overview

Chelsea, managed by legendary former Arsenal forward Ted Drake, celebrate their 50th anniversary by winning the league championship. They finish four points ahead of their nearest three rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, Portsmouth and Sunderland.
Manchester United's new-look side with an emphasis on youth finish fifth, their title hopes dashed only by a slow start to the season. Just before the end of the season, their 18-year-old half-back Duncan Edwards becomes the youngest full England international of the 20th century.
Tottenham Hotspur can only manage a 16th-place finish in the First Division, despite the acquisition of skilful half-back Danny Blanchflower from Aston Villa.
This was the first season in Liverpool F.C.'s history in which they had played in the second division and not been champions. They had had three seasons in the division previously – 1893–94, 1895–96 and 1904–05, and were immediately promoted as champions each time.
Newcastle United win the FA Cup for the sixth time, matching the record set by Aston Villa. Three of those victories have come in the last five seasons.
UEFA announces that the European Champions Cup will be introduced from next season, to be contested between the champions of European domestic leagues, including those from Eastern Bloc countries.

## Events

* 29 September 1954 – Champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and FA Cup holders West Bromwich Albion share the Charity Shield after a 4–4 draw.
* 16 November 1954 – Wolverhampton Wanderers defeat Spartak Moscow 4–0 at Molineux, a team widely regarded as one of the best in the world.
* 11 December 1954 – Liverpool suffer the heaviest defeat of their history, losing 9–1 at Birmingham City in the Second Division.
* 13 December 1954 – Wolves restore some pride to English football with a 3–2 win over Budapest Honvéd FC of Hungary, a team containing seven Hungarian internationals who defeated England 6–3 at Wembley in 1953, including Ferenc Puskás. It prompts the famous newspaper headline, which proclaims Wolves as the champions of the world.
* April 1955 – Gabriel Hanot's proposal for a European Champions' Cup is formally endorsed at the UEFA Congress.
* 2 April 1955 – England win the British Home Championship after a 7–2 defeat of Scotland, in which the 40-year-old Stanley Matthews creates five goals and the 18-year-old Manchester United protégé Duncan Edwards makes his debut.
* 16 April 1955 – Chelsea go four points clear of reigning league champions Wolverhampton in second with a draw with Portsmouth: the Londoners have two matches remaining of the season while Wolves have three. Six points behind the Pensioners are Portsmouth, Sunderland and Manchester City: the latter are chasing the Double, having qualified for the 1955 FA Cup Final.
* 18 April 1955 – Inauguration of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
* 23 April 1955 – Chelsea secure the championship with a 3–0 home win against Sheffield Wednesday.
* 4 May 1955 – Birmingham City win 5–1 at Doncaster Rovers to finish level on points with both Luton Town and Rotherham United in the Second Division. On goal average, Birmingham are promoted as champions, Luton as runners-up while Rotherham miss out.
* 7 May 1955 – Newcastle United win the FA Cup, defeating Manchester City 3–1 at Wembley. Jackie Milburn opens the scoring after just 45 seconds – a Wembley Cup final record which stands for the next 42 years.

## Honours

| Competition | Winner | Runner-up |
| First Division | Chelsea (1) | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Second Division | Birmingham City | Luton Town |
| Third Division North | Barnsley | Accrington Stanley |
| Third Division South | Bristol City | Leyton Orient |
| FA Cup | Newcastle United (6*) | Manchester City |
| Charity Shield | Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion (shared) | Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion (shared) |
| Home Championship | England | Scotland |
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 – Don Revie (Manchester City)
Top goalscorer
* Ronnie Allen (West Bromwich Albion), 27

## Football League
### First Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Chelsea | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 81 | 57 | 1.421 | 52 | |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 89 | 70 | 1.271 | 48 | |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 74 | 62 | 1.194 | 48 | |
| 4 | Sunderland | 42 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 64 | 54 | 1.185 | 48 | |
| 5 | Manchester United | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 84 | 74 | 1.135 | 47 | |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 72 | 73 | 0.986 | 47 | |
| 7 | Manchester City | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 76 | 69 | 1.101 | 46 | |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 89 | 77 | 1.156 | 43 | |
| 9 | Arsenal | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 69 | 63 | 1.095 | 43 | |
| 10 | Burnley | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 51 | 48 | 1.063 | 43 | |
| 11 | Everton | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 62 | 68 | 0.912 | 42 | |
| 12 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 63 | 68 | 0.926 | 41 | |
| 13 | Sheffield United | 42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 70 | 86 | 0.814 | 41 | |
| 14 | Preston North End | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 83 | 64 | 1.297 | 40 | |
| 15 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 76 | 75 | 1.013 | 40 | |
| 16 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 72 | 73 | 0.986 | 40 | |
| 17 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 76 | 96 | 0.792 | 40 | |
| 18 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 62 | 69 | 0.899 | 39 | |
| 19 | Blackpool | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 60 | 64 | 0.938 | 38 | |
| 20 | Cardiff City | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 62 | 76 | 0.816 | 37 | |
| 21 | Leicester City | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 74 | 86 | 0.860 | 35 | Relegated to the Second Division |
| 22 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 63 | 100 | 0.630 | 26 | Relegated to the Second Division |

### Second Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Birmingham City | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 92 | 47 | 1.957 | 54 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 2 | Luton Town | 42 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 88 | 53 | 1.660 | 54 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 3 | Rotherham United | 42 | 25 | 4 | 13 | 94 | 64 | 1.469 | 54 | |
| 4 | Leeds United | 42 | 23 | 7 | 12 | 70 | 53 | 1.321 | 53 | |
| 5 | Stoke City | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 69 | 46 | 1.500 | 52 | |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 22 | 6 | 14 | 114 | 79 | 1.443 | 50 | |
| 7 | Notts County | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 74 | 71 | 1.042 | 48 | |
| 8 | West Ham United | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 74 | 70 | 1.057 | 46 | |
| 9 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 75 | 70 | 1.071 | 45 | |
| 10 | Swansea Town | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 86 | 83 | 1.036 | 43 | |
| 11 | Liverpool | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 92 | 96 | 0.958 | 42 | |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 18 | 6 | 18 | 73 | 82 | 0.890 | 42 | |
| 13 | Bury | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 77 | 72 | 1.069 | 41 | |
| 14 | Fulham | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 76 | 79 | 0.962 | 39 | |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 58 | 62 | 0.935 | 39 | |
| 16 | Lincoln City | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 68 | 79 | 0.861 | 36 | |
| 17 | Port Vale | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 48 | 71 | 0.676 | 35 | |
| 18 | Doncaster Rovers | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 58 | 95 | 0.611 | 35 | |
| 19 | Hull City | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 44 | 69 | 0.638 | 34 | |
| 20 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 57 | 82 | 0.695 | 31 | |
| 21 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 11 | 6 | 25 | 57 | 92 | 0.620 | 28 | Relegated to the Third Division South |
| 22 | Derby County | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 53 | 82 | 0.646 | 23 | Relegated to the Third Division North |

### Third Division North

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Barnsley | 46 | 30 | 5 | 11 | 86 | 46 | 1.870 | 65 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 2 | Accrington Stanley | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 96 | 67 | 1.433 | 61 | |
| 3 | Scunthorpe & Lindsey United | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 81 | 53 | 1.528 | 58 | |
| 4 | York City | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 92 | 63 | 1.460 | 58 | |
| 5 | Hartlepools United | 46 | 25 | 5 | 16 | 64 | 49 | 1.306 | 55 | |
| 6 | Chesterfield | 46 | 24 | 6 | 16 | 81 | 70 | 1.157 | 54 | |
| 7 | Gateshead | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 65 | 69 | 0.942 | 52 | |
| 8 | Workington | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 68 | 55 | 1.236 | 50 | |
| 9 | Stockport County | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 84 | 70 | 1.200 | 48 | |
| 10 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 19 | 10 | 17 | 74 | 68 | 1.088 | 48 | |
| 11 | Southport | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 47 | 44 | 1.068 | 48 | |
| 12 | Rochdale | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 69 | 66 | 1.045 | 48 | |
| 13 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 65 | 71 | 0.915 | 45 | |
| 14 | Halifax Town | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 63 | 67 | 0.940 | 43 | |
| 15 | Darlington | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 62 | 73 | 0.849 | 42 | |
| 16 | Bradford Park Avenue | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 56 | 70 | 0.800 | 41 | |
| 17 | Barrow | 46 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 70 | 89 | 0.787 | 40 | |
| 18 | Wrexham | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 65 | 77 | 0.844 | 38 | |
| 19 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 55 | 70 | 0.786 | 37 | |
| 20 | Carlisle United | 46 | 15 | 6 | 25 | 78 | 89 | 0.876 | 36 | |
| 21 | Bradford City | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 47 | 55 | 0.855 | 36 | |
| 22 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 68 | 91 | 0.747 | 34 | |
| 23 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 13 | 8 | 25 | 47 | 78 | 0.603 | 34 | Re-elected |
| 24 | Chester | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 44 | 77 | 0.571 | 33 | Re-elected |

### Third Division South

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Bristol City | 46 | 30 | 10 | 6 | 101 | 47 | 2.149 | 70 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 2 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 89 | 47 | 1.894 | 61 | |
| 3 | Southampton | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 75 | 51 | 1.471 | 59 | |
| 4 | Gillingham | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 77 | 66 | 1.167 | 55 | |
| 5 | Millwall | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 72 | 68 | 1.059 | 51 | |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 76 | 63 | 1.206 | 50 | |
| 7 | Watford | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 71 | 62 | 1.145 | 50 | |
| 8 | Torquay United | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 82 | 82 | 1.000 | 48 | |
| 9 | Coventry City | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 67 | 59 | 1.136 | 47 | |
| 10 | Southend United | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 83 | 80 | 1.038 | 46 | |
| 11 | Brentford | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 82 | 82 | 1.000 | 46 | |
| 12 | Norwich City | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 60 | 60 | 1.000 | 46 | |
| 13 | Northampton Town | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 73 | 81 | 0.901 | 46 | |
| 14 | Aldershot | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 75 | 71 | 1.056 | 45 | |
| 15 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 69 | 75 | 0.920 | 44 | |
| 16 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 70 | 78 | 0.897 | 42 | |
| 17 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 46 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 57 | 65 | 0.877 | 42 | |
| 18 | Reading | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 65 | 73 | 0.890 | 41 | |
| 19 | Newport County | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 60 | 73 | 0.822 | 38 | |
| 20 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 52 | 80 | 0.650 | 38 | |
| 21 | Swindon Town | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 46 | 64 | 0.719 | 37 | |
| 22 | Exeter City | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 47 | 73 | 0.644 | 37 | |
| 23 | Walsall | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 75 | 86 | 0.872 | 34 | Re-elected |
| 24 | Colchester United | 46 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 53 | 91 | 0.582 | 31 | Re-elected |

### Top goalscorers

First Division
* Ronnie Allen (West Bromwich) – 27 goals
Second Division
* Tommy Briggs (Blackburn Rovers) – 33 goals
Third Division North
* Don Travis (Oldham Athletic), John Connor (Stockport County) and Arthur Bottom (York City) – 30 goals
Third Division South
* Ernie Morgan (Gillingham) – 31 goals

## Non-League honours

| Competition | Winners |
| Isthmian League | Walthamstow Avenue |
| FA Amateur Cup | Bishop Auckland |

## National team

| Date | Opposition | Venue | Competition | Result | Score |
| 2 October 1954 | Northern Ireland | Windsor Park, Belfast | British Championship | Won | 2–0 |
| 10 November 1954 | Wales | Wembley Stadium | British Championship | Won | 3–2 |
| 1 December 1954 | West Germany | Wembley Stadium | Friendly | Won | 3–1 |
| 2 April 1955 | Scotland | Wembley Stadium | British Championship | Won | 7–2 |
| 15 May 1955 | France | Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris | Friendly | Lost | 0–1 |
| 18 May 1955 | Spain | Nuevo Estadio Chamartin, Madrid | Friendly | Drew | 1–1 |
| 22 May 1955 | Portugal | Estadio das Antas, Oporto | Friendly | Lost | 1–3 |