League Tables 1991–92 in English football

1 league tables

1.1 first division
1.2 second division
1.3 third division
1.4 fourth division

league tables
first division

this last season of football league first division top division of english football before creation of fa premier league.

leeds united , manchester united fought fierce duel title, leadership changing several times, before leeds clinched title. key factor in success new year arrival of french forward eric cantona, while key factor in united s downfall shortage of goals in second half of season dropped points against several teams had been expected beat. consolation unsuccessful title challenge @ old trafford came in shape of football league cup glory. sheffield wednesday s third-place finish highest decades, while defending champions arsenal finished fourth , suffered exit in european cup shock first hurdle exit fa cup @ hands of wrexham. manchester city finished fifth second season in row. liverpool finished sixth compensated disappointing league season winning fa cup in first full season under management of graeme souness.

two young players made major impact in first division ryan giggs of manchester united (voted pfa young player of year) , steve mcmanaman of liverpool.

fa cup holders tottenham hotspur endured disappointing season, finishing lowly 15th in league, chances of further success not helped season-long absence of paul gascoigne through injury. gascoigne s projected move lazio in italy confirmed @ season s end, when top scorer gary lineker followed gascoigne out of white hart lane exit door finish playing days in japan.

newly promoted west ham united , notts county went straight down, joined luton town side had enjoyed memorable 10-year run in top flight. coventry city narrowly avoided relegation after decline in form during final 4 months of season after terry butcher controversially sacked manager in favour of don howe, himself left in close season replaced bobby gould.

oldham athletic survived in first top flight season 70 years.

second division

the second division promotion race exciting 1 throughout season, promise of wealth promoted clubs after creation of lucrative new fa premier league confirmed. first team secure promotion champions ipswich town, ended six-year exile top flight. second team go middlesbrough, clinched runners-up spot on final day. final promotion place went blackburn rovers, had thrived since takeover of club local millionaire jack walker previous season, masterstroke coming in autumn of 1991 when appointed kenny dalglish manager , allowed him spend millions on building promotion winning team. blackburn had entered new year looking set go automatically, run of bad results meant had win final game of season qualify playoffs. won promotion wembley win on leicester city, had played @ famous stadium 5 times , lost each time.

the second division promotion race had seen few unlikely contenders. swindon town, under management of former england star glenn hoddle, had gone top of table first time in history in october, eighth-place finish not enough place in playoffs. southend united, playing @ level first time, briefly topped table on boxing day, wallowed away mid table finish. brief lead of table @ expense of cambridge united, side hopeful of unique third successive promotion, , unlike southend east anglian side remained in hunt right end of season, finishing fifth , qualifying playoffs, heavy defeat leicester city in semi-finals ended dreams of playing in new premier league.

sunderland failed finish anywhere near top of second division enjoyed remarkable run final of fa cup, lost liverpool.

third division

brentford, had played in third , fourth divisions of postwar era, clinched third division title secure place in new division one. joined runners-up birmingham city, escaped division @ third attempt, , playoff winners peterborough united, won second successive promotion secure second tier football first time.

west bromwich albion, playing in third division first time, in promotion race throughout season finished seventh miss out on playoffs. bolton wanderers, had missed out on promotion on goal difference year earlier, manage mid table finish , sacked manager phil neal after 7 years in charge.

newly promoted darlington , torquay united both suffered instant relegation league s basement division. went down bury, had been in playoffs year earlier, , shrewsbury town side had been in second division 3 years earlier.

key: p = matches played; w = matches won; d = matches drawn; l = matches lost; f = goals for; = goals against; gd = goal difference; pts = points

fourth division

burnley sealed fourth division title end seven-year spell in league s basement division , become second team win 4 divisions of english league. joined newly relegated rotherham united, mansfield town , playoff winners blackpool.

after spending several years struggling stay afloat, aldershot declared bankrupt , obliged resign league on 25 march 1992, having played 36 games in fourth division - record expunged. carlisle united finished bottom of fourth division, there no relegation league season due continued expansion of football league, although colchester united s return league after 2 years make them 93rd member rather 94th due demise of aldershot.

however, there doubts future of maidstone united, struggling huge debts , low crowds, after refused planning permission build new stadium on land had bought in maidstone. there problems tenancy of watling street stadium in dartford, left them threat of being without stadium 1992-93 season.