# 1949–50 in English football

The 1949–50 season was the 70th season of competitive football in England.

## Overview

Portsmouth retained the First Division title by one of the narrowest margins in history ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
An event that was much talked about in the city of Sheffield for many years was the way the promotion race from the Second Division was won. Going into the last game of the season, Sheffield Wednesday needed to beat Tottenham Hotspur to clinch promotion at the expense of their local rivals Sheffield United. The resulting 0–0 draw meant Wednesday won promotion by a goal average difference of just 0.008 – a 1–1 draw would have left the two great rivals level on points and goal average, and a unique play-off match would have had to be played.
Joe Mercer captained the winning Arsenal team in the FA Cup and was named FWA Footballer of the Year.
Manchester United returned to a rebuilt Old Trafford eight years after it had been damaged by the Luftwaffe, but failed to win any silverware this season.

## Honours

| Competition | Winner | Runner-up |
| First Division | Portsmouth (2) | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Second Division | Tottenham Hotspur | Sheffield Wednesday |
| Third Division North | Doncaster Rovers | Gateshead |
| Third Division South | Notts County | Northampton Town |
| FA Cup | Arsenal (3) | Liverpool |
| Charity Shield | Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers (shared) | Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers (shared) |
| Home Championship | England | Scotland |
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition

## Football League
### First Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Portsmouth | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 74 | 38 | 1.947 | 53 | |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 76 | 49 | 1.551 | 53 | |
| 3 | Sunderland | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 83 | 62 | 1.339 | 52 | |
| 4 | Manchester United | 42 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 69 | 44 | 1.568 | 50 | |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 77 | 55 | 1.400 | 50 | |
| 6 | Arsenal | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 79 | 55 | 1.436 | 49 | |
| 7 | Blackpool | 42 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 46 | 35 | 1.314 | 49 | |
| 8 | Liverpool | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 64 | 54 | 1.185 | 48 | |
| 9 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 59 | 48 | 1.229 | 47 | |
| 10 | Burnley | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 40 | 40 | 1.000 | 45 | |
| 11 | Derby County | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 69 | 61 | 1.131 | 44 | |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 61 | 61 | 1.000 | 42 | |
| 13 | Chelsea | 42 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 58 | 65 | 0.892 | 40 | |
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 47 | 53 | 0.887 | 40 | |
| 15 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 52 | 73 | 0.712 | 37 | |
| 16 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 45 | 59 | 0.763 | 34 | |
| 17 | Fulham | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 41 | 54 | 0.759 | 34 | |
| 18 | Everton | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 42 | 66 | 0.636 | 34 | |
| 19 | Stoke City | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 45 | 75 | 0.600 | 34 | |
| 20 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 53 | 65 | 0.815 | 32 | |
| 21 | Manchester City | 42 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 36 | 68 | 0.529 | 29 | Relegated to the Second Division |
| 22 | Birmingham City | 42 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 31 | 67 | 0.463 | 28 | Relegated to the Second Division |

### Second Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 81 | 35 | 2.314 | 61 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 2 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 67 | 48 | 1.396 | 52 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 42 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 68 | 49 | 1.388 | 52 | |
| 4 | Southampton | 42 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 64 | 48 | 1.333 | 52 | |
| 5 | Leeds United | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 54 | 45 | 1.200 | 47 | |
| 6 | Preston North End | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 60 | 49 | 1.224 | 45 | |
| 7 | Hull City | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 64 | 72 | 0.889 | 45 | |
| 8 | Swansea Town | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 53 | 49 | 1.082 | 43 | |
| 9 | Brentford | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 44 | 49 | 0.898 | 43 | |
| 10 | Cardiff City | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 41 | 44 | 0.932 | 42 | |
| 11 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 74 | 73 | 1.014 | 40 | |
| 12 | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 55 | 55 | 1.000 | 39 | |
| 13 | Barnsley | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 64 | 67 | 0.955 | 39 | |
| 14 | Chesterfield | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 43 | 47 | 0.915 | 39 | |
| 15 | Leicester City | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 55 | 65 | 0.846 | 39 | |
| 16 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 55 | 60 | 0.917 | 38 | |
| 17 | Luton Town | 42 | 10 | 18 | 14 | 41 | 51 | 0.804 | 38 | |
| 18 | Bury | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 60 | 65 | 0.923 | 37 | |
| 19 | West Ham United | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 53 | 61 | 0.869 | 36 | |
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 40 | 57 | 0.702 | 34 | |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 8 | 16 | 18 | 44 | 65 | 0.677 | 32 | Relegated to the Third Division South |
| 22 | Bradford Park Avenue | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 51 | 77 | 0.662 | 31 | Relegated to the Third Division North |

### Third Division North

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers | 42 | 19 | 17 | 6 | 66 | 38 | 1.737 | 55 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 2 | Gateshead | 42 | 23 | 7 | 12 | 87 | 54 | 1.611 | 53 | |
| 3 | Rochdale | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 68 | 41 | 1.659 | 51 | |
| 4 | Lincoln City | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 60 | 39 | 1.538 | 51 | |
| 5 | Tranmere Rovers | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 51 | 48 | 1.063 | 49 | |
| 6 | Rotherham United | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 80 | 59 | 1.356 | 48 | |
| 7 | Crewe Alexandra | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 68 | 55 | 1.236 | 48 | |
| 8 | Mansfield Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 66 | 54 | 1.222 | 48 | |
| 9 | Carlisle United | 42 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 68 | 51 | 1.333 | 47 | |
| 10 | Stockport County | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 55 | 52 | 1.058 | 45 | |
| 11 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 58 | 63 | 0.921 | 43 | |
| 12 | Chester | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 70 | 79 | 0.886 | 40 | |
| 13 | Accrington Stanley | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 57 | 62 | 0.919 | 39 | |
| 14 | New Brighton | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 45 | 63 | 0.714 | 38 | |
| 15 | Barrow | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 47 | 53 | 0.887 | 37 | |
| 16 | Southport | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 51 | 71 | 0.718 | 37 | |
| 17 | Darlington | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 56 | 69 | 0.812 | 35 | |
| 18 | Hartlepools United | 42 | 14 | 5 | 23 | 52 | 79 | 0.658 | 33 | |
| 19 | Bradford City | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 61 | 76 | 0.803 | 32 | |
| 20 | Wrexham | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 39 | 54 | 0.722 | 32 | |
| 21 | Halifax Town | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 58 | 85 | 0.682 | 32 | Re-elected |
| 22 | York City | 42 | 9 | 13 | 20 | 52 | 70 | 0.743 | 31 | Re-elected |

### Third Division South

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Notts County | 42 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 95 | 50 | 1.900 | 58 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 2 | Northampton Town | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 72 | 50 | 1.440 | 51 | |
| 3 | Southend United | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 66 | 48 | 1.375 | 51 | |
| 4 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 67 | 39 | 1.718 | 49 | |
| 5 | Torquay United | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 66 | 63 | 1.048 | 48 | |
| 6 | Watford | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 45 | 35 | 1.286 | 45 | |
| 7 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 55 | 54 | 1.019 | 44 | |
| 8 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 57 | 69 | 0.826 | 44 | |
| 9 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 19 | 5 | 18 | 51 | 51 | 1.000 | 43 | |
| 10 | Reading | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 70 | 64 | 1.094 | 42 | |
| 11 | Norwich City | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 65 | 63 | 1.032 | 42 | |
| 12 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 57 | 56 | 1.018 | 42 | |
| 13 | Port Vale | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 47 | 42 | 1.119 | 41 | |
| 14 | Swindon Town | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 59 | 62 | 0.952 | 41 | |
| 15 | Bristol City | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 60 | 61 | 0.984 | 40 | |
| 16 | Exeter City | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 63 | 75 | 0.840 | 39 | |
| 17 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 57 | 86 | 0.663 | 35 | |
| 18 | Leyton Orient | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 53 | 85 | 0.624 | 35 | |
| 19 | Walsall | 42 | 9 | 16 | 17 | 61 | 62 | 0.984 | 34 | |
| 20 | Aldershot | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 48 | 60 | 0.800 | 34 | |
| 21 | Newport County | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 67 | 98 | 0.684 | 34 | Re-elected |
| 22 | Millwall | 42 | 14 | 4 | 24 | 55 | 63 | 0.873 | 32 | Re-elected |

### Top goalscorers

First Division
* Dickie Davis (Sunderland) – 25 goals
Second Division
* Tommy Briggs (Grimsby Town) – 35 goals
Third Division North
* Reg Philips (Crewe Alexandra) and Peter Doherty (Doncaster Rovers) – 26 goals
Third Division South
* Tommy Lawton (Notts County) – 31 goals