# 1964–65 in English football

The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.

## Overview

* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions.
* Liverpool won the FA Cup, beating Leeds United 2–1 in the final.
* Chelsea won the League Cup, beating Leicester City 3–2 in the two-legged final.
* West Ham United won the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating 1860 Munich 2–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium.
* BBC TV's Match of the Day launched at the start of this season.
* This was Stanley Matthews's final season as a player.

## Diary of the season

21 July 1964: John White, 27-year-old Tottenham Hotspur and Scotland forward, is killed on a North London golf course while sheltering under a tree which was struck by lightning.
22 August 1964: The first edition of BBC TV's Match of the Day is broadcast, featuring highlights of Liverpool v Arsenal at Anfield.
15 September 1964: Stan Cullis, one of the longest serving managers in the Football League, is sacked after 16 years in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers. He had won three league titles and two FA Cups with them, but recent form has been dismal for the Black Country side whose attendances have now fallen below 15,000 and relegation appears to a real threat to the club.
19 September 1964: Reigning champions Liverpool lose heavily at home in the Merseyside Derby to Everton 4-0 putting them 2nd from bottom of the league.
2 November 1964: Wolves, marooned at the foot of the First Division, appoint former Scotland manager Andy Beattie as their caretaker manager.
6 February 1965: Stanley Matthews plays the final competitive game of his 35-year career for Stoke City against Fulham in the First Division, shortly after his 50th birthday.
15 March 1965: Chelsea defeat Leicester City 3–2 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the Football League Cup final.
15 April 1965: A goalless draw in the second leg of the Football League Cup final at Filbert Street gives the trophy to Chelsea.
28 April 1965: Despite losing 2–1 at Aston Villa on the final day of the league season, Manchester United are crowned First Division champions for the sixth time in their history (and the first time since 1957) on goal average ahead of a Leeds United side who have yet to win the top division title.
1 May 1965: Liverpool win the FA Cup for the first time in their history, defeating Leeds United 2–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium.
19 May 1965: West Ham United win the European Cup Winners' Cup at Wembley Stadium with a 2–0 win over 1860 Munich of West Germany in the final.

## Notable debuts

8 September 1964: Pat Dunne, 21-year-old Irish goalkeeper, makes his debut for Manchester United in 3–3 league draw with Everton at Goodison Park.
19 December 1964: Ralph Coates, 18-year-old winger, makes his debut for Burnley in a 3–1 home league win over Sheffield United.

## Notable retirements

Jimmy Dickinson, 40, Portsmouth centre-half and all-time leading appearance maker for Pompey with a total of 813 games; he also played 48 times for England.
Arthur Rowley, 39, Shrewsbury Town centre-forward and all-time leading Football League goalscorer with a total of 434 goals; he also played for Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City.

## Deaths

21 July 1964 – John White, 27, Tottenham Hotspur and Scotland forward, was killed on a North London golf course when the tree he was sheltering under was struck by lightning. His goals helped them win the double in 1961, another FA Cup in 1962 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963.

## Honours

| Competition | Winner | Runner-up |
| First Division | Manchester United (6) | Leeds United |
| Second Division | Newcastle United | Northampton Town |
| Third Division | Carlisle United | Bristol City |
| Fourth Division | Brighton & Hove Albion | Millwall |
| FA Cup | Liverpool (1) | Leeds United |
| League Cup | Chelsea (1) | Leicester City |
| Charity Shield | Liverpool and West Ham United (shared) | Liverpool and West Ham United (shared) |
| Home Championship | England | England |
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition

## Football League
### First Division

Manchester United clinched their sixth First Division title, with teenage Northern Irish winger George Best excelling in a front-line already dominated by Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and David Herd. They finished champions ahead of newly promoted Leeds United on goal average, after Leeds failed to beat already relegated Birmingham in their final league game of the season on the Monday before the Cup Final. Third placed Chelsea won the League Cup, 1963 champions Everton finished fourth, and Nottingham Forest completed the top five.
Birmingham City went down in bottom place, while Wolves were relegated to the Second Division for the first time in the postwar era following the dismissal of long-serving manager Stan Cullis.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Manchester United | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 89 | 39 | 2.282 | 61 | Qualified for the European Cup |
| 2 | Leeds United | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 83 | 52 | 1.596 | 61 | Qualified for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup |
| 3 | Chelsea | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 89 | 54 | 1.648 | 56 | Qualified for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup |
| 4 | Everton | 42 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 69 | 60 | 1.150 | 49 | Qualified for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup |
| 5 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 71 | 67 | 1.060 | 47 | |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 87 | 71 | 1.225 | 45 | |
| 7 | Liverpool | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 67 | 73 | 0.918 | 44 | Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup |
| 8 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 57 | 55 | 1.036 | 43 | |
| 9 | West Ham United | 42 | 19 | 4 | 19 | 82 | 71 | 1.155 | 42 | Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup |
| 10 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 83 | 79 | 1.051 | 42 | |
| 11 | Stoke City | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 67 | 66 | 1.015 | 42 | |
| 12 | Burnley | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 70 | 70 | 1.000 | 42 | |
| 13 | Arsenal | 42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 69 | 75 | 0.920 | 41 | |
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 70 | 65 | 1.077 | 39 | |
| 15 | Sunderland | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 64 | 74 | 0.865 | 37 | |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 57 | 82 | 0.695 | 37 | |
| 17 | Blackpool | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 67 | 78 | 0.859 | 35 | |
| 18 | Leicester City | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 69 | 85 | 0.812 | 35 | |
| 19 | Sheffield United | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 50 | 64 | 0.781 | 35 | |
| 20 | Fulham | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 60 | 78 | 0.769 | 34 | |
| 21 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 4 | 25 | 59 | 89 | 0.663 | 30 | Relegated to the Second Division |
| 22 | Birmingham City | 42 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 64 | 96 | 0.667 | 27 | Relegated to the Second Division |
* 1 2 West Ham United won the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup, so qualified for the tournament in 1965-66 as reigning champions. Liverpool won the 1965 FA Cup, so qualified for the 1965-66 European Cup Winners' Cup in the regular fashion as FA Cup holders.

### Second Division

Newcastle United returned to the First Division after four years away as Second Division champions, and were joined in the elite by runners-up Northampton Town, who had started the decade in the Fourth Division.
Manchester City endured one of the worst seasons of their history by finishing 11th and extending their top flight exile into its third season.
Swansea Town and Swindon Town fell into the Third Division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Newcastle United | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 81 | 45 | 1.800 | 57 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 2 | Northampton Town | 42 | 20 | 16 | 6 | 66 | 50 | 1.320 | 56 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 3 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 80 | 58 | 1.379 | 50 | |
| 4 | Southampton | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 83 | 63 | 1.317 | 48 | |
| 5 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 74 | 67 | 1.104 | 47 | |
| 6 | Norwich City | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 61 | 57 | 1.070 | 47 | |
| 7 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 55 | 51 | 1.078 | 45 | |
| 8 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 53 | 51 | 1.039 | 44 | |
| 9 | Derby County | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 84 | 79 | 1.063 | 43 | |
| 10 | Coventry City | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 72 | 70 | 1.029 | 43 | |
| 11 | Manchester City | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 63 | 62 | 1.016 | 41 | |
| 12 | Preston North End | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 76 | 81 | 0.938 | 41 | |
| 13 | Cardiff City | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 64 | 57 | 1.123 | 40 | |
| 14 | Rotherham United | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 70 | 69 | 1.014 | 40 | |
| 15 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 63 | 79 | 0.797 | 40 | |
| 16 | Bury | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 60 | 66 | 0.909 | 38 | |
| 17 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 70 | 76 | 0.921 | 35 | |
| 18 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 64 | 75 | 0.853 | 35 | |
| 19 | Leyton Orient | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 50 | 72 | 0.694 | 35 | |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 56 | 77 | 0.727 | 34 | |
| 21 | Swindon Town | 42 | 14 | 5 | 23 | 63 | 81 | 0.778 | 33 | Relegated to the Third Division |
| 22 | Swansea Town | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 62 | 84 | 0.738 | 32 | Relegated to the Third Division |

### Third Division

Carlisle United won a second successive promotion and lifted the Third Division championship trophy. They finished a point ahead of runners-up Bristol City, who claimed promotion on goal average ahead of Mansfield Town. Hull City and Brentford missed out on promotion by a slightly wider margin.
Barnsley, Colchester United, Port Vale and Luton Town were relegated to the Fourth Division – completing a six-season fall from the First Division for Luton Town, who had been FA Cup finalists in 1959.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Carlisle United | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 76 | 53 | 1.434 | 60 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 2 | Bristol City | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 92 | 55 | 1.673 | 59 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 3 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 95 | 61 | 1.557 | 59 | |
| 4 | Hull City | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 91 | 57 | 1.596 | 58 | |
| 5 | Brentford | 46 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 83 | 55 | 1.509 | 57 | |
| 6 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 82 | 58 | 1.414 | 55 | |
| 7 | Gillingham | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 70 | 50 | 1.400 | 55 | |
| 8 | Peterborough United | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 85 | 74 | 1.149 | 51 | |
| 9 | Watford | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 71 | 64 | 1.109 | 50 | |
| 10 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 68 | 67 | 1.015 | 49 | |
| 11 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 72 | 63 | 1.143 | 47 | |
| 12 | Southend United | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 78 | 71 | 1.099 | 46 | |
| 13 | Reading | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 70 | 70 | 1.000 | 46 | |
| 14 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 72 | 80 | 0.900 | 46 | |
| 15 | Workington | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 58 | 69 | 0.841 | 46 | |
| 16 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 76 | 84 | 0.905 | 42 | |
| 17 | Exeter City | 46 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 51 | 52 | 0.981 | 41 | |
| 18 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 65 | 72 | 0.903 | 40 | |
| 19 | Walsall | 46 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 55 | 80 | 0.688 | 37 | |
| 20 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 61 | 83 | 0.735 | 36 | |
| 21 | Luton Town | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 51 | 94 | 0.543 | 33 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| 22 | Port Vale | 46 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 41 | 76 | 0.539 | 32 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| 23 | Colchester United | 46 | 10 | 10 | 26 | 50 | 89 | 0.562 | 30 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| 24 | Barnsley | 46 | 9 | 11 | 26 | 54 | 90 | 0.600 | 29 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |

### Fourth Division

Brighton sealed promotion to the Third Division as Fourth Division champions. They were joined by Millwall, York City, and the league's newest members Oxford United.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 102 | 57 | 1.789 | 63 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 2 | Millwall | 46 | 23 | 16 | 7 | 78 | 45 | 1.733 | 62 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 3 | York City | 46 | 28 | 6 | 12 | 91 | 56 | 1.625 | 62 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 4 | Oxford United | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 87 | 44 | 1.977 | 61 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 5 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 27 | 6 | 13 | 99 | 56 | 1.768 | 60 | |
| 6 | Rochdale | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 74 | 53 | 1.396 | 58 | |
| 7 | Bradford Park Avenue | 46 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 86 | 62 | 1.387 | 57 | |
| 8 | Chester | 46 | 25 | 6 | 15 | 119 | 81 | 1.469 | 56 | |
| 9 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 84 | 72 | 1.167 | 51 | |
| 10 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 90 | 81 | 1.111 | 49 | |
| 11 | Torquay United | 46 | 21 | 7 | 18 | 70 | 70 | 1.000 | 49 | |
| 12 | Chesterfield | 46 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 58 | 70 | 0.829 | 48 | |
| 13 | Notts County | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 61 | 73 | 0.836 | 44 | |
| 14 | Wrexham | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 84 | 92 | 0.913 | 43 | |
| 15 | Hartlepools United | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 61 | 85 | 0.718 | 43 | |
| 16 | Newport County | 46 | 17 | 8 | 21 | 85 | 81 | 1.049 | 42 | |
| 17 | Darlington | 46 | 18 | 6 | 22 | 84 | 87 | 0.966 | 42 | |
| 18 | Aldershot | 46 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 64 | 84 | 0.762 | 37 | |
| 19 | Bradford City | 46 | 12 | 8 | 26 | 70 | 88 | 0.795 | 32 | |
| 20 | Southport | 46 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 58 | 89 | 0.652 | 32 | |
| 21 | Barrow | 46 | 12 | 6 | 28 | 59 | 105 | 0.562 | 30 | Re-elected |
| 22 | Lincoln City | 46 | 11 | 6 | 29 | 58 | 99 | 0.586 | 28 | Re-elected |
| 23 | Halifax Town | 46 | 11 | 6 | 29 | 54 | 103 | 0.524 | 28 | Re-elected |
| 24 | Stockport County | 46 | 10 | 7 | 29 | 44 | 87 | 0.506 | 27 | Re-elected |

### Top goalscorers

First Division
* Andy McEvoy (Blackburn Rovers) and Jimmy Greaves (Tottenham Hotspur) – 29 goals
Second Division
* George O'Brien (Southampton) – 34 goals
Third Division
* Ken Wagstaff (Mansfield Town and Hull City) – 35 goals
Fourth Division
* Alick Jeffrey (Doncaster Rovers) – 36 goals