# 1938–39 Newport County A.F.C. season

The 1938–39 season was Newport County's 17th season in the Football League Third Division South and 18th overall in the Football League. They had been ever-present in the third tier except for the 1931–32 season since the introduction of the Football League Third Division in 1920.
Newport County attained promotion to the Football League Second Division for the 1939–40 season on 15 April 1939 with two league games remaining following a 3–0 win over Southend United.

## Season review
### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 42 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 58 | 45 | 1.289 | 55 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 37 | 16 | 34 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 29 | 21 |
Source: rsssf.com

### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Ground | A | A | H | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | H | H | A | H | A | A | A | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A |
| Result | W | L | W | W | D | D | L | W | W | W | W | D | D | W | W | W | W | W | W | L | W | W | W | L | W | L | W | L | D | W | L | W | D | D | D | D | W | D | D | W | L | L |
| Position | 3 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |

## Fixtures and results
### Third Division South

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| Sat 27 Aug 1938 | Clapton Orient | A | 3–1 | Carr, Duggan, Hearty (OG) | 10,596 |
| Mon 29 Aug 1938 | Port Vale | A | 1–2 | Hickman | 6,240 |
| Sat 3 Sep 1938 | Cardiff City | H | 3–0 | Hydes 2, Carr | 18,892 |
| Thu 8 Sep 1938 | Watford | H | 1–0 | Derrick | 8,500 |
| Sat 10 Sep 1938 | Northampton Town | H | 1–1 | Hickman | 11,534 |
| Wed 14 Sep 1938 | Watford | A | 1–1 | Derrick | 5,310 |
| Sat 17 Sep 1938 | Notts County | A | 0–2 | | 10,834 |
| Sat 24 Sep 1938 | Aldershot | H | 1–0 | Duggan | 9,652 |
| Sat 1 Oct 1938 | Bristol City | A | 2–0 | Hickman, Duggan | 14,497 |
| Sat 8 Oct 1938 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–0 | Wood, Derrick | 10,631 |
| Sat 15 Oct 1938 | Ipswich Town | A | 4–1 | Wood 2, Hickman, Derrick | 13,843 |
| Sat 22 Oct 1938 | Exeter City | H | 0–0 | | 11,423 |
| Sat 29 Oct 1938 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0–0 | | 12,546 |
| Sat 5 Nov 1938 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–0 | Duggan, Derrick | 11,290 |
| Sat 12 Nov 1938 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 1–0 | Derrick | 7,857 |
| Sat 19 Nov 1938 | Walsall | H | 2–1 | Wood 2 | 9,870 |
| Sat 3 Dec 1938 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–0 | Carr, Hydes | 12,338 |
| Sat 17 Dec 1938 | Reading | H | 2–0 | Derrick, Hydes | 9,870 |
| Sat 24 Dec 1938 | Clapton Orient | H | 2–1 | Hydes 2 | 9,323 |
| Mon 26 Dec 1938 | Swindon Town | A | 0–8 | | 9,023 |
| Tue 27 Dec 1938 | Swindon Town | H | 6–4 | Carr 3, Hickman, Hydes, Parkhouse (OG) | 20,261 |
| Sat 31 Dec 1938 | Cardiff City | A | 2–1 | Hydes, Carr | 40,187 |
| Wed 11 Jan 1939 | Mansfield Town | A | 2–0 | Hydes, Hickman | 1,419 |
| Thu 14 Jan 1939 | Northampton Town | A | 0–1 | | 9,025 |
| Sat 21 Jan 1939 | Reading | A | 1–0 | Hydes | 11,292 |
| Sat 28 Jan 1939 | Aldershot | A | 0–1 | | 7,999 |
| Thu 2 Feb 1939 | Notts County | H | 2–1 | Brinton, Carr | 7,010 |
| Sat 4 Feb 1939 | Bristol City | H | 0–2 | | 12,436 |
| Sat 11 Feb 1939 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–1 | Derrick | 29,155 |
| Sat 18 Feb 1939 | Ipswich Town | H | 3–2 | Hydes 2, Wood | 12,257 |
| Sat 25 Feb 1939 | Exeter City | A | 1–3 | Brinton | 9,370 |
| Sat 4 Mar 1939 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–0 | W.M.Owen, Warren (OG) | 9,722 |
| Sat 11 Mar 1939 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–0 | | 15,157 |
| Sat 18 Mar 1939 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 2–2 | Carr, Hickman | 11,637 |
| Sat 25 Mar 1939 | Walsall | A | 1–1 | Hydes | 7,500 |
| Sat 1 Apr 1939 | Mansfield Town | H | 0–0 | | 10,600 |
| Fri 7 Apr 1939 | Torquay United | H | 1–0 | Brinton | 14,677 |
| Sat 8 Apr 1939 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–0 | | 14,864 |
| Mon 10 Apr 1939 | Torquay United | A | 1–1 | Derrick | 6,863 |
| Sat 15 Apr 1939 | Southend United | H | 3–0 | Derrick, Hickman, Wood | 11,397 |
| Sat 29 Apr 1939 | Port Vale | H | 0–2 | | 7,260 |
| Tue 2 May 1939 | Southend United | A | 0–5 | | 2,815 |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 1 | 26 Nov 1938 | Reading | Elm Park | 3–3 | Hydes 2, Derrick | 19,106 |
| 1r | 5 Dec 1938 | Reading | Somerton Park | 3–1 | Wood 2, Hydes | 10,760 |
| 2 | 10 Dec 1938 | Horden Colliery Welfare | Horden Welfare Park | 3–2 | Wood 2, Hickman | 7,180 |
| 3 | 7 Jan 1939 | Walsall | Somerton Park | 0–2 | | 9,645 |

### Third Division South Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 1 | 29 Sep 1938 | Bristol Rovers | Somerton Park | 1–0 | Duggan | 709 |
| 2 | 8 Feb 1939 | Torquay United | Plainmoor | 0–0 | | |
| 2r | 22 Feb 1939 | Torquay United | Somerton Park | 1–3 | Brinton | 618 |

### Welsh Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 6 | 8 Mar 1939 | Cardiff City | Ninian Park | 1–5 | Higgins | |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Newport County | 42 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 58 | 45 | 1.289 | +13 | 55 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 71 | 52 | 1.365 | +19 | 52 |
| 3 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 68 | 49 | 1.388 | +19 | 49 |
| 4 | Watford | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 62 | 51 | 1.216 | +11 | 46 |
| 5 | Reading | 42 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 69 | 59 | 1.169 | +10 | 46 |
| 6 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 68 | 49 | 1.388 | +19 | 44 |
| 7 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 62 | 52 | 1.192 | +10 | 44 |
| 8 | Bristol City | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 61 | 63 | 0.968 | –2 | 44 |
| 9 | Swindon Town | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 72 | 77 | 0.935 | –5 | 44 |
| 10 | Aldershot | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 53 | 66 | 0.803 | –13 | 44 |
| 11 | Notts County | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 59 | 54 | 1.093 | +4 | 43 |
| 12 | Southend United | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 61 | 64 | 0.953 | –3 | 41 |
| 13 | Cardiff City | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 61 | 65 | 0.938 | –4 | 41 |
| 14 | Exeter City | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 65 | 82 | 0.793 | –17 | 40 |
| 15 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 52 | 58 | 0.897 | –6 | 39 |
| 16 | Mansfield Town | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 44 | 62 | 0.710 | –18 | 39 |
| 17 | Northampton Town | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 51 | 58 | 0.879 | –7 | 38 |
| 18 | Port Vale | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 52 | 58 | 0.897 | –6 | 37 |
| 19 | Torquay United | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 54 | 70 | 0.771 | –16 | 37 |
| 20 | Clapton Orient | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 53 | 55 | 0.964 | –2 | 35 |
| 21 | Walsall | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 68 | 69 | 0.986 | –1 | 33 |
| 22 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 55 | 61 | 0.902 | –6 | 33 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
* Division Champions, promoted
* Re-elected
* Failed re-election (none)