1961–62 in English football
The 1961–62 season was the 82nd season of competitive Football in England.
Overview
The season was notable for the remarkable achievement of Ipswich Town winning the League Championship. Under the managership of Alf Ramsey, the club progressed from the old Third Division South to the First Division. Ipswich were dismissed by most of the media at the time as relegation candidates, but Ramsey's tactics baffled the big clubs in the division such as favourites Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, and other big names such as Manchester United and Arsenal. Before Ramsey's tenure Ipswich had no tradition to speak of, and indeed had never even played in the top flight of English Football. Ramsey's triumph led him to being offered the job of the England football team manager, which he duly accepted in 1963; England won the World Cup three years later. Liverpool were promoted from the Second Division after eight years. Manager Bill Shankly would soon take the club to unparalleled heights in the years to come. Accrington Stanley resigned from the league because of financial difficulties on 11 March 1962. As a consequence, all their previous results for the season in the Fourth Division were expunged from the records. They were replaced in 1962–63 by Oxford United.
Diary of the season
26 July 1961: Manchester United pay Arsenal £40,000 for the services of forward David Herd.[1]
12 August 1961: Double winners Tottenham Hotspur win the FA Charity Shield 3-2 against a Football Association XI at White Hart Lane.[2]
19 August 1961: The Football League season begins with defending champions Tottenham winning 2-1 at Blackpool, West Ham United and Manchester United drawing 1-1 at Upton Park, Arsenal and Burnley battling out a 2-2 draw at Highbury, and Ipswich Town's First Division debut drawing 0-0 with Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park.[3]
22 August 1961: Rotherham United beat Aston Villa 2–0 in the first leg of the first ever Football League Cup final. Fixture congestion has meant that last season's competition has stretched into this season. First Division title hopefuls Burnley win 4-3 at home to Ipswich Town in the league.[4]
23 August 1961: Midweek action in the First Division sees Manchester United's record signing David Herd scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-2 home win over Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday beating Bolton Wanderers 4-2 at home, as well as a seven-goal thriller at Craven Cottage where Manchester City beat Fulham 4-3.[5]
26 August 1961: Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester City lead the way at the top of the First Division after winning their opening three games, Wednesday after beating Birmingham City 5-1 at home, City winning 4-2 at Ipswich. Terry Dyson gets a hat-trick in Tottenham's 4-3 win over Arsenal in a seven-goal North London derby thriller in front of nearly 60,000 at White Hart Lane.[6]
29 August 1961: An eight-goal thriller at Highbury sees Arsenal draw 4-4 at home to Leicester City. Ipswich Town record their first win in the top flight in style, beating Burnley 6-2 at Portman Road.[7]
30 August 1961: Sheffield Wednesday drop points for the first time this season, losing their fourth game of the league campaign 4-3 to Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park.[8]
2 September 1961: Sheffield Wednesday go top of the First Division with a 4-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park. Manchester City drop points for the first time with a 3-1 defeat to Burnley at Maine Road. Manchester United go third win a 3-2 win over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.[9]
5 September 1961: The first Football League Cup is won by Aston Villa, who overturn a two-goal deficit from their first leg against Rotherham United to win the return leg 3-0 at Villa Park. In the First Division, Burnley go top of the league when own goals by Leicester City give them a 2-0 win at Turf Moor. Ipswich Town beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 in the other First Division clash of the evening at Portman Road.[10]
6 September 1961: Cardiff City go eighth in the First Division with a 5-2 win over Chelsea at Ninian Park.[11]
9 September 1961: Burnley go top of the First Division with a 3-1 home win over bottom of the table West Bromwich Albion. Ipswich Town's good start to life in the First Division continues with a 4-1 home win over Birmingham City. Bobby Tambling gets a hat-trick in Chelsea's 6-1 home win over Sheffield United.[12]
11 September 1961: The floodlights at the City Ground are officially turned on for the first time as Nottingham Forest face Gillingham in the League Cup.[13]
16 September 1961: Burnley are still top of the First Division after a 6-2 away win over Birmingham City. Manchester City keep up the pressure with a 2-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers, Everton attempt to kick-start their slow start to the season with a 5-2 home win over Ipswich Town. West Bromwich Albion climb off the bottom of the table with a 4-0 home win over Arsenal.[14]
20 September 1961: After losing the first leg of their European Cup tie 4-2 to Polish champions Gornik Zabrze, Tottenham bounce back to win the second leg 8-1 at White Hart Lane and go through to the next round. The current First Division leaders Burnley are still top of the league after a 6-2 win over Leicester City at Filbert Street.[15]
23 September 1961: Burnley remain top of the First Division with a 2-1 home win over Everton. Second placed Manchester United keep up the pressure with a 3-2 win in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Peter McParland gets a hat-trick in Aston Villa's 5-0 home win over Blackpool. Fulham go sixth with a 4-2 away win over Ipswich Town.[16]
30 September 1961: Winger John Connelly gets a hat-trick for First Division leaders Burnley in a thrilling 5-3 away win over Fulham. West Ham United go second with a 4-1 home win over Leicester City. Manchester United's title hopes are hit by a 2-0 home defeat to Wolves.[17]
4 October 1961: In the Second Division, a crowd of more than 52,000 watches leaders Liverpool beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Anfield, which leaves the Tynesiders fifth from bottom in the league after 11 games, just one point above the relegation zone and six points behind Liverpool's nearest rivals Southampton and Rotherham United.[18]
7 October 1961: A nine-goal midlands derby at St Andrew's sees Wolves beat Birmingham City 6-3. Everton continue their climb up the table with a 6-0 home win over Nottingham Forest. Ipswich Town keep up their title challenge with a 4-2 home win over West Ham United, while second-placed Manchester United draw 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion.[19]
11 October 1961: Reports surface indicating Welsh internationalist John Charles of Juventus will soon be back in English football after joining the Bianconeri in 1957: the Italian club's vice-president told the press "[Charles] had already told me of his wish to return to England to look after his children's education".[20]
14 October 1961: West Ham United cut Burnley's lead of the First Division with a 2-1 win over the leaders at Upton Park. Tottenham Hotspur boost their hopes of retaining the title with a 2-0 home win over Manchester City. Chelsea are now bottom of the First Division after losing 3-1 at home to Leicester City.[21]
21 October 1961: Manchester United's title hopes take a big hit when they lose 5-1 to Arsenal at Highbury. Leaders Burnley beat Cardiff City 2-1 at Turf Moor.[22]
28 October 1961: Birmingham City beat local rivals Aston Villa 3-1 at Villa Park to climb out of the bottom two. Tottenham Hotspur beat Burnley 4-2 at White Hart Lane to go second in the league and cut the Lancashire side's lead of the First Division to three points.[23]
1 November 1961: Tottenham Hotspur beat Dutch champions Feyenoord 3-1 away from home in the European Cup second round first leg.[24]
4 November 1961: First Division leaders Burnley beat Aston Villa 3-0 at Turf Moor. An eight-goal thriller at Maine Road sees West Ham United beat Manchester City 5-3. Bottom of the table Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-0 at Highbury.[25]
11 November 1961: Leaders Burnley are beaten 3-2 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Tottenham Hotspur boost their title hopes with a 4-2 home win over Fulham, while second placed Everton and third placed West Ham United can only manage draws.[26]
15 November 1961: Tottenham Hotspur go through to the quarter-finals of the European Cup with a 4-2 aggregate win over Feyenoord in the second round tie.[27]
18 November 1961: Derek Kevan gets a hat-trick for West Bromwich Albion in their 3-1 home win over Sheffield United. Albion's local rivals Wolves travel to Lancashire and hold leaders Burnley to a 3-3 draw.[28]
25 November 1961: Burnley strengthen their hold on the top position in the First Division with a 4-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Their nearest rivals Ipswich Town are three points behind them after a 3-0 win over Cardiff City at Ninian Park.[29]
2 December 1961: Manchester United are now second from bottom in the First Division after a 5-1 defeat to third placed Everton at Goodison Park. Leaders Burnley beat Sheffield United 4-2 at Turf Moor. Second placed Ipswich keep up the pressure with a 5-2 win over bottom of the table Chelsea.[30]
9 December 1961: Burnley are now five points ahead of their nearest First Division title contenders after a 2-1 away win over Chelsea.[31]Just six months after leaving Chelsea to sign for AC Milan, England forward Jimmy Greaves completes his £99,999 transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.
16 December 1961: Leaders Burnley lose 2-0 at home to Arsenal, with their nearest rivals Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur both winning to cut their lead of the First Division to three points. Ray Crawford gets both of Ipswich's goals in a 2-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers, while Tottenham beat Blackpool 5-2 at White Hart Lane with a hat-trick from Jimmy Greaves on his debut and two goals from Les Allen.[32]
18 December 1961: West Ham United go second in the First Division with a 4-2 home win over Wolves, putting them just a single point behind leaders Burnley, although the Lancashire side have two games in hand.[33]
23 December 1961: The highest First Division crowd this season (more than 63,000) sees Tottenham's title hopes hit by a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at Highbury.[34]
26 December 1961: Boxing Day drama in the First Division sees leaders Burnley beat Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 at home. Their nearest rivals Everton beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at Goodison Park. Manchester United climb three places to 18th win a 6-3 home win over Nottingham Forest, in which Nobby Lawton scores an unlikely hat-trick.[35]
30 December 1961: The last league action of 1961 sees title challengers Tottenham beat bottom of the table Chelsea 5-2 at White Hart Lane to cut Burnley's First Division lead back to a single point, although Burnley still have two games in hand over their nearest rivals.[36]
1 January 1962: Manchester United sell forward Dennis Viollet to Stoke City for £25,000. Viollet had scored 179 goals for United since his debut in April 1953, helped them win two Football League titles and survived the Munich air disaster with minor injuries.[37]
23 April 1962: Ipswich beat Arsenal 3–0 and Burnley are held by Blackburn Rovers in the East Lancashire derby, giving Town a two-point lead over Burnley at the top of Division One. In the race to evade joining already-relegated Chelsea in next season's second-tier, Cardiff City pick up a useful win against West Ham United, while fellow strugglers Fulham were beaten by West Bromwich Albion. Both Cardiff and Fulham are on 31 points, but the West Londoners have one game more left to play compared with the Bluebirds. In the Second Division, Leyton Orient's win over Luton Town ensures the East London club continue to chase Scunthorpe and Sunderland for the last remaining promotion spot.[38]
6 January 1962: Tottenham Hotspur begin their defence of the FA Cup with a 3-3 draw away to Birmingham City, whose local rivals Aston Villa see off a spirited challenge from Third Division underdogs Crystal Palace to begin their FA Cup bid with a 4-3 victory. Everton beat non-league Kings Lynn 4-0 at Goodison Park. Weymouth, who win 1-0 at Morecambe, are now the only non-league side still in the cup. Burnley kick off their double bid with a 6-1 home win over Queens Park Rangers.[39]
10 January 1962: Tottenham Hotspur win their FA Cup third round replay against Birmingham City 4-2, keeping up their bid for a second successive double.[40]
13 January 1962: Burnley remain firmly in pole position at the top of the First Division with a 6-3 home win over Manchester City. In the battle to avoid relegation, a seven-goal West London thriller at Craven Cottage sees Chelsea beat Fulham 4-3.[41]
15 January 1962: Leicester City, last season's FA Cup finalists, lose their Third Round replay 5-2 to Stoke City at the Victoria Ground. Newly promoted Ipswich Town keep their double hopes alive with a 5-1 home win over Luton Town in their second replay, hosted at a neutral Highbury.[42]
20 January 1962: Wolves, now on the brink of the relegation zone, are beaten 7-2 at Blackpool in the First Division.[43]
27 January 1962: Tottenham Hotspur keep up their challenge for another double with a 5-1 win of Plymouth Argyle at Home Park. An East Anglian derby at Carrow Road sees Norwich City hold Ipswich Town to a 1-1 draw in front of nearly 40,000 fans. A Black Country derby tie sees Wolves lose 2-1 at home to Albion. Non-league Weymouth's FA Cup dream run is put on hold when their visit to Preston is put on hold after 14 minutes due to thick fog.[44]
29 January 1962: The rescheduled FA Cup fourth round tie between Preston and Weymouth sees the home side win 2-0 at Deepdale and eliminate the last remaining non-league side from the cup.[45]
30 January 1962: Burnley are held to a 1-1 draw at home by Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fourth round. Ipswich's double hopes are ended by a 2-1 home defeat to Norwich City in their fourth round replay.[46]
31 January 1962: Manchester United keep their hopes of ending their five-year wait for silverware alive with a 1-0 home win over Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round.[47]
3 February 1962: Burnley are now four points ahead of their nearest three rivals, with two games in hand, after beating Birmingham City 7-1 at Turf Moor.[48]
6 February 1962: Burnley remain in the hunt for the double with a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient in their fourth round FA Cup replay tie at Brisbane Road.[49]
17 February 1962: Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley both remain in the contest for the double after winning their fifth round FA Cup ties. Bill Nicholson's men go through to the quarter-finals with a 4-2 away win over West Bromwich Albion, while Burnley beat Everton 3-1 at Turf Moor.[50]
21 February 1962: Manchester United go through to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 replay win over Sheffield Wednesday in front of more than 65,000 fans at Hillsborough. Nearly 50,000 fans pack into Villa Park to see Aston Villa dent Tottenham's league title hopes by holding them to a goalless draw.[51]
24 February 1962: First Division leaders Burnley lose 2-1 to local rivals Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. Tottenham Hotspur cut their lead by a point with a 2-2 draw at home to Bolton Wanderers.[52]
26 February 1962: Tottenham Hotspur are still in serious contention for a treble of trophies after going through to the semi-finals of the European Cup. After going down 1-0 in their first leg against Czech champions Dukla Prague, Bill Nicholson's men win the quarter-final return leg 4-1 at White Hart Lane.[53]
3 March 1962: Burnley return to their winning ways with a 6-0 home win over West Ham United in the First Division, keeping them four points ahead at the top of the table with a game in hand, but their nearest rivals Ipswich Town keep up the pressure with a 4-0 home win over Sheffield United. Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of retaining the title are hit hard by a 6-2 defeat to Manchester City at Maine Road.[54]
9 March 1962: Ipswich Town cut Burnley's lead of the First Division to two points, although the Lancashire club have two games in hand, with a 2-1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday.[55]
10 March 1962: Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur go through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, Burnley with a 1-0 win at Sheffield United and Spurs with a 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa. The other two quarter-final ties end in draws, with Preston holding United to a goalless draw at Deepdale, and Fulham draw 2-2 at home to Blackburn Rovers.[56]
14 March 1962: Manchester United are through to the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 replay win over Preston at Old Trafford. Fulham beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0 at Ewood Park to follow Matt Busby's team into the last four. In the league, Ipswich Town are now just one point behind leaders Burnley after a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Burnley are held to a 1-1 draw by Cardiff City at Ninian Park. Tottenham's title hopes are fading fast as they are six points off the top.[57]
17 March 1962: Turf Moor's highest crowd this season (46,810) see Burnley hold Tottenham to a 2-2 draw in the First Division. Ipswich Town are held to a 1-1 draw at home to Blackpool, while Everton keep their title hopes alive with a 4-0 home win over second-from-bottom Chelsea. Bottom club Fulham boost their survival bid with a 5-2 home win over Sheffield United.[58]
21 March 1962: Tottenham's European Cup hopes are hit hard by a 3-1 defeat in Portugal to SL Benfica in the semi-final first leg.[59]
23 March 1962: Fulham's rally for First Division survival continues with a 3-0 away win over third from bottom Cardiff City at Ninian Park.[60]
24 March 1962: First Division leaders Burnley win 2-0 away to Aston Villa, while Ipswich Town's title hopes are dented when they are held to a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest. Tottenham Hotspur keep their slim hopes of retaining the title alive with a 3-1 home win over Everton.[61]
28 March 1962: The Black Country derby at Molineux sees Wolves lose 5-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion. Ipswich Town are now level on points with leaders Burnley after winning 2-0 away to Leicester City, although the leaders have three games in hand. Down in the Second Division, leaders Liverpool move closer to promotion with a 4-1 home win over Rotherham United.[62]
31 March 1962: Tottenham Hotspur reach the FA Cup final for the second season running with a 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Hillsborough semi-final. Burnley and Fulham draw 1-1 at Villa Park in the other semi-final. Ipswich Town go top of the First Division with a 3-2 home win over Wolves, although Burnley are just two points behind them and have four games in hand. A nine-goal mid-table thriller at Highbury sees Aston Villa triumph 5-4 over Arsenal.[63]
3 April 1962: Leaders Burnley are held to a goalless draw at home to Nottingham Forest, although they now lead the table by one point with three games in hand.[64]
5 April 1962: Tottenham Hotpsur's European Cup challenge ends in the semi-final leg when a 2-1 home win over SL Benfica is not enough to overturn their deficit from the first leg.[65]
7 April 1962: Ipswich Town's hopes of leapfrogging Burnley to the title are hit hard when they lose 5-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Albert Quixall getting a hat-trick. Burnley gain a point from their 1-1 away draw with Wolves. Tottenham Hotspur keep their title hopes alive with a 4-0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday.[66]
9 April 1962: Burnley reach the FA Cup final with a 2-1 semi-final replay win over Fulham at Filbert Street. In the league, Tottenham Hotspur's title hopes are fading fast as they can only manage a 3-3 draw at home to Sheffield United.[67]
11 April 1962: Fulham boost their First Division survival hopes with a 5-2 home win over Arsenal, while Chelsea's are dented by a 2-0 away defeat to Leicester City.[68]
14 April 1962: England lose 2-0 to Scotland in front of more than 132,000 fans in the Home Championship clash at Hampden Park. Ipswich Town return to the top of the First Division with a 1-0 home win over Cardiff City, as Burnley lose 3-1 at home to Manchester United, although the gap is just a point wide and Burnley have two games in hand. Chelsea's survival hopes are dealt with an other blow as they lose 4-0 at West Bromwich Albion.[69]
17 April 1962: Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of retaining the league title are virtually ended when they can only manage a 1-1 draw at Fulham. Burnley stay second after a 1-0 defeat at home to Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers, although they are still just a point behind Ipswich Town, and have a game in hand.[70]
20 April 1962: Burnley are back on top of the First Division on goal average, and still having a game in hand, with a 2-0 home win over Blackpool, as Ipswich Town are held to a 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal. Tottenham Hotspur still have a faint chance of retaining their title after beating Blackburn Rovers 4-1 at White Hart Lane.[71]
21 April 1962: Chelsea are relegated to the Second Division despite holding leaders Ipswich Town to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, who go back to the First Division summit after Burnley are beaten 2-0 by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Everton and Tottenham Hotspur's failure to win leaves them with the chance of winning the title only on goal average if the top two slip up in their remaining games. In the Second Division, Liverpool seal promotion with a 2-0 home win over Southampton. Sunderland remain firmly in hunt for promotion after a 2-0 win over local rivals Newcastle United (heading for a disappointing mid table finish) in front of 57,666 fans at Roker Park, the largest Second Division crowd of the season.[72]
23 April 1962: Ipswich Town take a step closer to winning the First Division title with a 3-0 away win over Arsenal, while Burnley are held to a 1-1 draw at Blackpool, leaving them two points behind the Suffolk club but with a game in hand and a greater goal average.[73]
26 April 1962: Norwich City beat Rochdale 3-0 in the League Cup final first leg at Spotland.[74]
28 April 1962: Ipswich Town complete their first season in the First Division by clinching the title with a 2-0 home win over Aston Villa, with Ray Crawford scoring both goals, as Burnley can only manage a 1-1 draw at home to relegated Chelsea. The highest-scoring game of the First Division sees 11 goals at Goodison Park, where an 8-3 win for Everton over Cardiff City leaves the Ninian Park side on the brink of relegation, with Roy Vernon scoring a hat-trick for Everton. Derek Kevan scores four in West Bromwich Albion's 7-1 home win over Blackpool. Fulham take a big step towards survival by beating Manchester United 2-0 at Craven Cottage. In the Second Division, Leyton Orient reach the First Division for the first time by leapfrogging Sunderland to the second promotion place.[75]
1 May 1962: Norwich City lift the League Cup, the first major trophy of their history, with a 1-0 win over Rochdale in the second leg of the final at Carrow Road. Cardiff City's relegation from the First Division is confirmed after they can only manage a 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa.[76]
5 May 1962: Tottenham Hotspur retain the FA Cup with a 3–1 win over Burnley at Wembley Stadium with goals from Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith and Danny Blanchflower.
July 1962: Manchester United pay a British record fee of £115,000 for Scottish striker Denis Law from Torino of Italy.
Honours
| Competition | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| First Division | Ipswich Town (1) | Burnley |
| Second Division | Liverpool | Leyton Orient |
| Third Division | Portsmouth | Grimsby Town |
| Fourth Division | Millwall | Colchester United |
| FA Cup | Tottenham Hotspur (4) | Burnley |
| League Cup | Norwich City (1) | Rochdale |
| Charity Shield | Tottenham Hotspur | Football Association XI |
| British Home Championship |  Scotland | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Wales |
Football League
First Division
Ipswich Town achieved a superb debut in the First Division as champions, finishing three points ahead of runners-up Burnley. Third placed Tottenham Hotspur were unable to retain their league title but at least managed to retain the FA Cup, while Everton and Sheffield United completed the top five.
Manchester United endured their worst postwar finish by finishing 15th despite the expensive signing of forward David Herd before the start of the season, which prompted Matt Busby to strengthen United's attack by bringing Denis Law back to England from Italy in British football's first six-figure transfer.
Chelsea, who had gradually lost touch with the First Division's leading pack since their 1955 title triumph, went down in bottom place, and were joined by Cardiff City in relegation.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 93 | 67 | 1.388 | 56 | Qualified for the European Cup |
| 2 | Burnley | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 101 | 67 | 1.507 | 53 | |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 88 | 69 | 1.275 | 52 | |
| 4 | Everton | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 88 | 54 | 1.630 | 51 | |
| 5 | Sheffield United | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 61 | 69 | 0.884 | 47 | |
| 6 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 20 | 6 | 16 | 72 | 58 | 1.241 | 46 | |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 65 | 56 | 1.161 | 44 | |
| 8 | West Ham United | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 76 | 82 | 0.927 | 44 | |
| 9 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 83 | 67 | 1.239 | 43 | |
| 10 | Arsenal | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 71 | 72 | 0.986 | 43 | |
| 11 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 62 | 66 | 0.939 | 42 | |
| 12 | Manchester City | 42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 78 | 81 | 0.963 | 41 | |
| 13 | Blackpool | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 70 | 75 | 0.933 | 41 | |
| 14 | Leicester City | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 72 | 71 | 1.014 | 40 | |
| 15 | Manchester United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 72 | 75 | 0.960 | 39 | |
| 16 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 50 | 58 | 0.862 | 39 | |
| 17 | Birmingham City | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 65 | 81 | 0.802 | 38 | |
| 18 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 73 | 86 | 0.849 | 36 | |
| 19 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 63 | 79 | 0.797 | 36 | |
| 20 | Fulham | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 66 | 74 | 0.892 | 33 | |
| 21 | Cardiff City | 42 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 50 | 81 | 0.617 | 32 | Relegated to the Second Division |
| 22 | Chelsea | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 63 | 94 | 0.670 | 28 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Second Division
Liverpool finally secured a First Division comeback as champions of the Second Division, with forward Roger Hunt being instrumental with 41 league goals. They were joined in promotion by a Leyton Orient side who had never appeared in the top flight before. Sunderland missed out on promotion by a single point, while Scunthorpe United (with just over a decade of league football behind them) emerged as surprise promotion contenders before having to settle for a fourth-place finish - still their best finish yet.
Norwich City had a disappointing season in the league after last season's promotion push, but compensated for this by winning the Football League Cup - the first major trophy of their history.
Brighton and Bristol Rovers went down.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 42 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 99 | 43 | 2.302 | 62 | Promoted to the First Division |
| 2 | Leyton Orient | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 69 | 40 | 1.725 | 54 | |
| 3 | Sunderland | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 85 | 50 | 1.700 | 53 | |
| 4 | Scunthorpe United | 42 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 86 | 71 | 1.211 | 49 | |
| 5 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 75 | 75 | 1.000 | 46 | |
| 6 | Southampton | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 77 | 62 | 1.242 | 45 | |
| 7 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 67 | 59 | 1.136 | 44 | |
| 8 | Stoke City | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 55 | 57 | 0.965 | 42 | |
| 9 | Rotherham United | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 70 | 76 | 0.921 | 41 | |
| 10 | Preston North End | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 55 | 57 | 0.965 | 40 | |
| 11 | Newcastle United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 64 | 58 | 1.103 | 39 | |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 76 | 72 | 1.056 | 39 | |
| 13 | Luton Town | 42 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 69 | 71 | 0.972 | 39 | |
| 14 | Walsall | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 70 | 75 | 0.933 | 39 | |
| 15 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 69 | 75 | 0.920 | 39 | |
| 16 | Derby County | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 68 | 75 | 0.907 | 39 | |
| 17 | Norwich City | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 61 | 70 | 0.871 | 39 | |
| 18 | Bury | 42 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 52 | 76 | 0.684 | 39 | |
| 19 | Leeds United | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 50 | 61 | 0.820 | 36 | |
| 20 | Swansea Town | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 61 | 83 | 0.735 | 36 | |
| 21 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 53 | 81 | 0.654 | 33 | Relegated to the Third Division |
| 22 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 42 | 86 | 0.488 | 31 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Third Division
Portsmouth achieved an instant return to the Second Division as champions of the Third Division. They were joined in promotion by Grimsby Town.
Newport County, Brentford, Lincoln City and Torquay United went down to the Fourth Division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portsmouth | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 87 | 47 | 1.851 | 65 | Promoted to the Second Division |
| 2 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 28 | 6 | 12 | 80 | 56 | 1.429 | 62 | |
| 3 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 69 | 45 | 1.533 | 59 | |
| 4 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 111 | 73 | 1.521 | 59 | |
| 5 | Peterborough United | 46 | 26 | 6 | 14 | 107 | 82 | 1.305 | 58 | |
| 6 | Bristol City | 46 | 23 | 8 | 15 | 94 | 72 | 1.306 | 54 | |
| 7 | Reading | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 77 | 66 | 1.167 | 53 | |
| 8 | Northampton Town | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 85 | 57 | 1.491 | 51 | |
| 9 | Swindon Town | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 78 | 71 | 1.099 | 49 | |
| 10 | Hull City | 46 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 67 | 54 | 1.241 | 48 | |
| 11 | Bradford Park Avenue | 46 | 20 | 7 | 19 | 80 | 78 | 1.026 | 47 | |
| 12 | Port Vale | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 65 | 58 | 1.121 | 45 | |
| 13 | Notts County | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 67 | 74 | 0.905 | 43 | |
| 14 | Coventry City | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 64 | 71 | 0.901 | 43 | |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 83 | 80 | 1.038 | 42 | |
| 16 | Southend United | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 57 | 69 | 0.826 | 42 | |
| 17 | Watford | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 63 | 74 | 0.851 | 41 | |
| 18 | Halifax Town | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 62 | 84 | 0.738 | 40 | |
| 19 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 73 | 84 | 0.869 | 38 | |
| 20 | Barnsley | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 71 | 95 | 0.747 | 38 | |
| 21 | Torquay United | 46 | 15 | 6 | 25 | 76 | 100 | 0.760 | 36 | Relegated to the Fourth Division |
| 22 | Lincoln City | 46 | 9 | 17 | 20 | 57 | 87 | 0.655 | 35 | |
| 23 | Brentford | 46 | 13 | 8 | 25 | 53 | 93 | 0.570 | 34 | |
| 24 | Newport County | 46 | 7 | 8 | 31 | 46 | 102 | 0.451 | 22 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Fourth Division
Millwall clinched the Fourth Division title, and were joined in promotion by Colchester United, Wrexham and Carlisle United.
Accrington Stanley were forced to resign from the season several weeks before the end of the Fourth Division campaign, and their place in the Fourth Division went to Football League newcomers Oxford United.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millwall | 44 | 23 | 10 | 11 | 87 | 62 | 1.403 | 56 | Promoted to the Third Division |
| 2 | Colchester United | 44 | 23 | 9 | 12 | 104 | 71 | 1.465 | 55 | |
| 3 | Wrexham | 44 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 96 | 56 | 1.714 | 53 | |
| 4 | Carlisle United | 44 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 64 | 63 | 1.016 | 52 | |
| 5 | Bradford City | 44 | 21 | 9 | 14 | 94 | 86 | 1.093 | 51 | |
| 6 | York City | 44 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 84 | 53 | 1.585 | 50 | |
| 7 | Aldershot | 44 | 22 | 5 | 17 | 81 | 60 | 1.350 | 49 | |
| 8 | Workington | 44 | 19 | 11 | 14 | 69 | 70 | 0.986 | 49 | |
| 9 | Barrow | 44 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 74 | 58 | 1.276 | 48 | |
| 10 | Crewe Alexandra | 44 | 20 | 6 | 18 | 79 | 70 | 1.129 | 46 | |
| 11 | Oldham Athletic | 44 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 77 | 70 | 1.100 | 46 | |
| 12 | Rochdale | 44 | 19 | 7 | 18 | 71 | 71 | 1.000 | 45 | |
| 13 | Darlington | 44 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 61 | 73 | 0.836 | 45 | |
| 14 | Mansfield Town | 44 | 19 | 6 | 19 | 77 | 66 | 1.167 | 44 | |
| 15 | Tranmere Rovers | 44 | 20 | 4 | 20 | 70 | 81 | 0.864 | 44 | |
| 16 | Stockport County | 44 | 17 | 9 | 18 | 70 | 69 | 1.014 | 43 | |
| 17 | Southport | 44 | 17 | 9 | 18 | 61 | 71 | 0.859 | 43 | |
| 18 | Exeter City | 44 | 13 | 11 | 20 | 62 | 77 | 0.805 | 37 | |
| 19 | Chesterfield | 44 | 14 | 9 | 21 | 70 | 87 | 0.805 | 37 | |
| 20 | Gillingham | 44 | 13 | 11 | 20 | 73 | 94 | 0.777 | 37 | |
| 21 | Doncaster Rovers | 44 | 11 | 7 | 26 | 60 | 85 | 0.706 | 29 | Re-elected |
| 22 | Hartlepools United | 44 | 8 | 11 | 25 | 52 | 101 | 0.515 | 27 | |
| 23 | Chester | 44 | 7 | 12 | 25 | 54 | 96 | 0.563 | 26 | |
| 24 | Accrington Stanley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | Resigned from the league[lower-alpha 1] |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
- Accrington Stanley resigned from the Football League on 11 March. Their record (P33 W5 D8 L20 F19 A60 GA 0.317 Pts 18) was expunged.
Top goalscorers
First Division
- Ray Crawford (Ipswich Town) and Derek Kevan (West Bromwich Albion) – 33 goals[77]
Second Division
- Roger Hunt (Liverpool) – 41 goals[77]
Third Division
- Cliff Holton (Watford and Northampton Town) – 37 goals[78]
Fourth Division
- Bobby Hunt (Colchester United) – 37 goals[78]
References
- "Undefined Headline". Nottingham Post. 27 September 2014. p. 20–21. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
- "Charles to Leave Italy". The Herald. Glasgow. 11 October 1961. p. 6. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- "Ipswich Town Near Soccer Title". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 24 April 1962. p. 36. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 June 2017.