Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was last from 1992 to 2004 the third highest division within the Football League and the fourth highest league in English football overall. Before the introduction of the FA Premier League , the Third Division was the third highest division in English football.
Overview
Before the Premier League was introduced in 1992, the Third Division was the third division and the worst clubs were relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of each season .
The Third Division was founded in 1920 by integrating the then Southern League into the newly established league. After only one year, however, this construct split into a separate Third Division South . A new Third Division was not installed until 1958 when the best clubs of Third Division North and Third Division South were merged. Instead of a previously strict regional division, the clubs have now been united in terms of strength in this league.
At the end of each season, the three highest-ranked clubs in the table rose to the second division with the winner of the play-offs , determined between the clubs that had finished the season between fourth and seventh place. They were replaced by the four clubs placed in the Second Division at the bottom of the table.
By 2002, the bottom of the table in the Third Division rose from the Football Conference , provided that the winner of the Football Conference had the appropriate economic skills and a stadium. Between 1994 and 1996, no club rose from the Football Conference to the Third Division due to failure to meet these criteria. Since the 2002/03 season, the last two teams have generally been relegated to the Football Conference, regardless of whether any newcomers meet the economic requirements (details on this in the article of the Football Conference).
The club Plymouth Argyle is the third division record holder with 102 points in this category.
Football League Third Division winner
Winner of the original Football League Third Division format
| year | winner |
|---|---|
| 1921 | Crystal Palace |
Winner of the old Third Division format (1959–1992) now: Football League One
| year | winner |
|---|---|
| 1959 | Plymouth Argyle |
| 1960 | Southampton FC |
| 1961 | Bury FC |
| 1962 | Portsmouth FC |
| 1963 | Northampton Town |
| 1964 | Coventry City |
| 1965 | Carlisle United |
| 1966 | Hull City |
| 1967 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 1968 | Oxford United |
| 1969 | Watford FC |
| 1970 | Leyton Orient |
| 1971 | Preston North End |
| 1972 | Aston Villa |
| 1973 | Bolton Wanderers |
| 1974 | Oldham Athletic |
| 1975 | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1976 | Hereford United |
| 1977 | Mansfield Town |
| 1978 | Wrexham AFC |
| 1979 | Shrewsbury Town |
| 1980 | Grimsby Town |
| 1981 | Rotherham United |
| 1982 | Burnley FC |
| 1983 | Portsmouth FC |
| 1984 | Oxford United |
| 1985 | Bradford City |
| 1986 | Reading FC |
| 1987 | Bournemouth AFC |
| 1988 | Sunderland AFC |
| 1989 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| 1990 | Bristol Rovers |
| 1991 | Cambridge United |
| 1992 | Brentford FC |
Winner of the new Third Division format (1993-2004) now: Football League Two
| year | winner |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Cardiff City |
| 1994 | Shrewsbury Town |
| 1995 | Carlisle United |
| 1996 | Preston North End |
| 1997 | Wigan Athletic |
| 1998 | Notts County |
| 1999 | Brentford FC |
| 2000 | Swansea City |
| 2001 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 2002 | Plymouth Argyle |
| 2003 | Rushden & Diamonds |
| 2004 | Doncaster Rovers |