1985–86 in English football

The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.

Overview

First Division

The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to get the big prize. Neighbours Everton came second, having been first for nearly the entire campaign and looked favourites to win a second successive title, however a monumental finish from Liverpool which saw them win 8 out of their last 9 games, to eventually win the title, while West Ham United came third and Manchester United finished in fourth place. Atkinson's United side had looked set for title glory after winning their first 10 games of the season, but a slump in form during the second half of the season ruined their title hopes.

Going down from the First Division were Ipswich Town, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion. Ipswich, who had been league runners-up and UEFA Cup winners just a few seasons earlier, had never been the same since the departure of Bobby Robson for the England job in 1982 and had gradually faded away under his successor Bobby Ferguson. Birmingham had only won promotion the year before, but had struggled on their comeback to the First Division and relegation had looked certain throughout the season, though the Blues did accrue 16 points from their first 9 matches. Albion had suffered badly since manager Ron Atkinson had moved to Manchester United and taken key players Bryan Robson and Remi Moses with him, and their luck finally ran out as they ended the 1985–86 season bottom of the First Division with just four wins from 42 league games. Despite only winning four matches all season, the Albion still managed to do the 'double' over local rivals Birmingham. Very much the highlight of Albion fans' season.

George Graham, who had played in Arsenal's 1970–71 Double-winning side, returned to the club as their new manager after Don Howe had resigned. By the time Graham returned to Arsenal, the club had gone 15 years without a league title and seven years without a major trophy. Graham's task was to bring some success to the Gunners who had been increasingly eclipsed by rivals Tottenham Hotspur during the 1980s.

The first half of the season was witnessed only in the flesh, as a dispute over the television rights meant no Football League action was seen by TV viewers until January 1986.

Second Division

League Cup holders Norwich City were most people's favourites for an instant return to the First Division, and Ken Brown's men proved the observers correct by gaining promotion. But the two other promotion places went to two of the least fancied sides. Charlton, managed by Lennie Lawrence, had narrowly escaped closure three years earlier and just after the start of the 1985–86 had been forced to ground-share with Crystal Palace because their own stadium was condemned by safety officials. But Lawrence and his players made a huge effort to push for promotion and they succeeded. The third and final promotion place went to Dave Bassett's Wimbledon, who were only in their ninth season as a league club.

Carlisle United, whose fortunes had slumped dramatically since their one-year stay in the top flight during the 1970s, were relegated to the Third Division having been in the upper half of the league for well over a decade. Harry Gregg, the former Manchester United goalkeeper who helped rescue passengers at the Munich air disaster, was appointed Carlisle's manager at the end of the season. Following them down were Fulham and financially-troubled Middlesbrough.

Third Division

The Third Division promotion places in 1985–86 went to Reading, Plymouth Argyle and Derby County – the beginning of the return to the top for the Rams under Arthur Cox.

The relegation places went to Lincoln City, Cardiff City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Swansea City. Just a few seasons earlier, Wolves and Swansea had been enjoying good fortunes in the First Division – Wolves as League Cup winners in 1980 and Swansea as sixth-placed in the First Division. But financial problems had caught up with both clubs and pushed them into a downward spiral. Wolves nevertheless would be the last English League winner to fall into the fourth tier since then.

Fourth Division

Swindon Town, Chester City, Mansfield Town and Port Vale occupied the Fourth Division promotion places in 1985–86. Credit to Swindon manager Lou Macari for beginning the reversal of decline for a club who had been League Cup winners in 1969. And to Harry McNally for guiding Chester to only the second promotion in their 55-year league career.

In the Fourth Division for the first time were two of England's oldest and most famous clubs – Burnley and Preston North End. 1985–86 was the last season of re-election before the introduction of automatic relegation from the Fourth Division. Preston finished second from bottom, just above Torquay United, and only avoided losing their league status because the league's other members voted for them in favour of Gola League champions Enfield. Burnley's fortunes were not quite so bad, but a mid-table finish wasn't anywhere near good enough for promotion. Another Fourth Division struggling side, Tranmere Rovers, almost went out of business during the season but were saved at the eleventh hour by a new chairman.

FA Cup

Liverpool beat neighbours Everton 3–1 in the final to complete only the third league championship and FA Cup double of the 20th century. Key player in the triumph was striker Ian Rush, who scored twice.

League Cup

Oxford United marked their First Division debut season with an impressive 3–0 victory over QPR – managed by former Oxford boss Jim Smith – in the League Cup final.

Star players

• Everton's new signing Gary Lineker scored 40 competitive goals for his team as they pursued the domestic honours all season long before being beaten to both the league title and FA Cup by neighbours Liverpool. Lineker was voted Player of the Year by both the PFA and FWA.
• West Ham's club record third-place finish was mainly down to the prolific goalscoring of young striker Tony Cottee who was credited with the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his strong performances.
• Liverpool's double glory was achieved thanks to the efforts of their whole playing squad, but the driving force in their triumph was undoubtedly striker Ian Rush who had yet another great season.
• Manchester United's ever-improving striker Mark Hughes had another brilliant season but was unable to halt his side's late-season slump, which cost them the league title.
• Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pat Jennings hung up his gloves at the age of 41 to draw the curtain on a 25-year career which had seen him turn out for Watford, Tottenham and Arsenal. He famously scored for Tottenham against Manchester United with a goal-line clearance in the 1967 Charity Shield.
• Teenage midfielder Paul Gascoigne scored nine goals for Newcastle United in the First Division.

Famous debutants

31 August 1985 – Ian Wright, 21-year-old striker, makes his debut for Crystal Palace in 3–2 defeat by Huddersfield Town at Selhurst Park in the Second Division soon after joining the club from non-league Greenwich Borough.

28 September 1985 – David Rocastle, 18-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Arsenal in 1–1 draw with Newcastle United in the First Division at Highbury.

23 November 1985 – Martin Keown, 19-year-old defender, makes his debut for Arsenal in goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

Top goalscorers

First Division

• Gary Lineker (Everton) – 30 goals

Second Division

• Kevin Drinkell (Norwich City) – 22 goals

Third Division

• Trevor Senior (Reading) – 27 goals

Fourth Division

• Richard Cadette (Southend United) – 25 goals

National team

England reached the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter finals where they lost 2–1 to eventual winners Argentina, whose first goal by Diego Maradona was allowed despite being an obvious handball. Maradona later referred to his controversial goal as "The Hand of God".

Transfers

Terry Venables signed two British strikers for FC Barcelona – Mark Hughes from Manchester United and Gary Lineker from Everton – in hope of lifting some of the pressure building up on him after Barcelona's European Cup final defeat.

Diary of the season

1 July 1985 – Gordon Cowans, long-serving Aston Villa midfielder, leaves the club to join Bari of Italy for £500,000, along with striker Paul Rideout for £400,000, while Tottenham Hotspur sign Newcastle United winger Chris Waddle for £590,000.

1 August 1985 – Everton sign 24-year-old Leicester City and England striker Gary Lineker for a club record fee of £900,000.

2 August 1985 – Crystal Palace sign 21-year-old striker Ian Wright from Isthmian League side Greenwich Borough.

4 August 1985 – Nottingham Forest re-sign winger John Robertson from Derby County on a free transfer two years after first leaving the City Ground.

8 August 1985 – Sheffield Wednesday pay a club record £450,000 for West Bromwich Albion striker Garry Thompson.

11 August 1985 – Jack Charlton resigns as Newcastle United manager six days before the start of the First Division campaign, and is replaced by Willie McFaul.

12 August 1985 – Sheffield Wednesday sign striker Garry Thompson from West Bromwich Albion for £450,000.

17 August 1985 – The Football League season kicks off with some significant results. Oxford United begin their First Division life with a 1–1 draw at West Bromwich Albion, while resurgent sides Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday battle it out for the same scoreline at Hillsborough. However, the season begins on a disappointing note for defending champions Everton, who lose 3–1 at Leicester City. Gary Lineker fails to make the scoresheet for Everton against his old club.

20 August 1985 – Frank McAvennie scores twice on his West Ham United debut as they beat Queen's Park Rangers 3–1 in the league at Upton Park.

26 August 1985 – Gary Lineker scores his first goal for Everton in a 1–0 away win over Tottenham Hotspur.

27 August 1985: Aston Villa pay £450,000 for Nottingham Forest midfielder Steve Hodge.

31 August 1985: The first month of the season ends with Manchester United as leaders after five straight wins. Sheffield Wednesday's renaissance continues as they occupy second place, while Chelsea and Newcastle United occupy the next two highest places under their respective new managers John Hollins and Willie McFaul. In the Second Division, Portsmouth head the promotion race, joined in the top three by Blackburn Rovers and Oldham Athletic. Pre-season promotion favourites Sunderland prop up the table with defeats from all of their five opening games, while Leeds United (another side tipped for promotion this season) occupy 20th place with two draws and three defeats so far. Gary Lineker scores a hat-trick in a 4–1 league win over Birmingham City at Goodison Park.

10 September 1985 – Jock Stein collapses and dies from a heart attack at the end of the Scotland team's 1–1 draw with Wales that secures their place in the World Cup qualifying play-off against Australia. Stein, 62, spent all of his playing and management career in Scotland except for a brief spell as Leeds United manager in 1978.

11 September 1985 – England's World Cup qualification is confirmed with a 1–1 draw against Romania at Wembley.

12 September 1985 – Liverpool pay Aston Villa £375,000 for winger Steve McMahon.

13 September 1985 – Sheffield Wednesday sign midfielder Mark Chamberlain from Stoke City for £300,000.

28 September 1985 – Charlton Athletic depart from their Valley stadium following a damning inspection report by safety officials, and begin a groundshare with Crystal Palace. It is not yet known whether the groundshare will be a permanent arrangement or just a temporary measure until Charlton Athletic rebuild The Valley or relocate to a new site.

30 September 1985 – September ends with Manchester United still top of the First Division with a 100% record after 10 games. Pre-season favourites Liverpool and Everton are also in contention, as are surprise contenders Chelsea and Newcastle United. In the Second Division, Portsmouth lead the way with 23 points from their opening 10 games, with Oldham Athletic and Blackburn Rovers once again completing the top three. Sunderland have made a significant improvement this month, hinting that there is still time for promotion that most observers had tipped them for following the high profile appointment of manager Lawrie McMenemy, but they still stand 20th in the division with eight points.

5 October 1985 – Manchester United's 100% start to the season ends after 10 games as they draw 1–1 at Luton Town, leaving them one game short of the record 11-match winning start set by Tottenham Hotspur 25 years ago.

11 October 1985 – Leeds United (14th in the Second Division) sack manager Eddie Gray and replace him with another former player – Billy Bremner, from Doncaster Rovers.

16 October 1985 – England beat Turkey 5–0 in their penultimate World Cup qualifier in Istanbul.

17 October 1985 – Southampton sign midfielder Glen Cockerill from Sheffield United for £225,000.

19 October 1985 – England goalkeeper Peter Shilton endures one of the most miserable games of his career when he concedes seven goals for Southampton in their 7–0 First Division defeat at the hands of Luton Town.

25 October 1985 – Liverpool sign 21-year-old Wrexham goalkeeper Mike Hooper for £40,000.

26 October 1985 – After starting the season with a record 13 successive league wins, Third Division leaders Reading finally drop points with a 2–2 home draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, they still have a 15-point lead over their nearest rivals Derby County, and are 16 points ahead of Brentford, who occupy fourth place – the highest outside the promotion places. Wolves, in contrast, a second from bottom of the table and are in real danger of becoming only the second club in Football League history to suffer three successive relegations. Also in danger of relegation are Swansea City, who finished sixth in the First Division in 1982 and now occupy 21st place in the Third Division – placing them in danger of a third relegation in four seasons.

31 October 1985: Manchester United are still top of the First Division as October ends, with 12 wins and 2 draws from their opening 14 games, and a 10-point lead over their nearest rivals Liverpool. Portsmouth now lead the Second Division with a seven-point advantage over second placed Blackburn Rovers, while Charlton Athletic have crept into third place – forcing Oldham Athletic out of the top three on goal difference. Wimbledon, in only their ninth season as a Football League team and their second in this division, are emerging as surprise contenders for promotion.

8 November 1985 – Kevin Whitton, a Chelsea supporter, is sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of some of the most serious incidents of football hooliganism ever witnessed in England, including the violent assault of a police officer. On the transfer side of football, Everton sign promising 21-year-old defender Neil Pointon from Scunthorpe United for £75,000.

9 November 1985 – Everton boost their bid to retain the title and dent Arsenal's own title ambitions by beating them 6–1 at Goodison Park.

13 November 1985 – England complete their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 0–0 draw with Northern Ireland at Wembley.

29 November 1985 – Manchester United sign Aston Villa defensive midfielder Colin Gibson for £275,000.

30 November 1985 –

• • – November ends with Manchester United's lead cut from 10 points to two, with Liverpool still their nearest contenders, while third place is occupied by a West Ham United side which are in the hunt for their first-ever top division title. The Second Division promotion race is wide open, with the top six clubs – Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, Wimbledon and Crystal Palace – separated by a margin of just four points. Sunderland continue to recover as they now occupy 12th place.
    • – Gary Lineker scores his 10th league goal of the season in a narrow 3–2 home win for Everton against Southampton.

20 December 1985 – Swansea City, struggling in the Third Division just four years after finishing sixth in the First Division, go into receivership with huge debts and appear to be in real danger of closing down and being forced out of the Football League.

30 December 1985 – Liverpool fan James McGill, 21, is sentenced to more than three years in prison in Belgium for attacking a Juventus fan with an iron bar in the aftermath of the European Cup final seven months ago.

31 December 1985 – Manchester United finish 1985 still top of the league, with their lead increased from two points to four over the last month, with Liverpool still in second place. Norwich City are the Second Division leaders, with Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic completing the top three. Wimbledon, Barnsley and Crystal Palace are giving the top three a serious run for their money.

2 January 1986 – Second Division strugglers Middlesbrough are reported to be £1million in debt. Peterborough United fan Barry Fox, 22, is jailed for three years for punching a policeman unconscious in the game against Northampton Town at London Road on 12 October.

4 January 1986 – One of Manchester United's main shareholders, rock star Phil Lynott, dies in a Salisbury hospital at the age of 36 after suffering multiple organ failure resulting from alcoholism and drug abuse.

9 January 1986 – Luton Town sign striker Mike Newell from Wigan Athletic for £100,000.

11 January 1986 – Frank McAvennie scores his 20th league goal of the season for West Ham in a 1–0 win over Leicester City at Filbert Street.

13 January 1986 – Oldham Athletic sign 23-year-old defender Andy Linighan from Leeds United for £55,000.

14 January 1986 – Bankrupt Swansea City are given a 28-day stay of execution. Birmingham are humbled 2–1 by non-league Altrincham in the F.A Cup 3rd round at home, despite taking a first half lead.

16 January 1986 – Ron Saunders resigns as manager of struggling First Division side Birmingham City after four years in charge.

17 January 1986 – Millwall supporters are alleged to have attacked Newcastle United supporters in an incident at a motorway service station.

18 January 1986 –

• • – League action for the month finishes in the First Division as teams concentrate on FA Cup ties. Manchester United are still top, though now by just a two-point margin above Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea, who are bracketed together on 53 points. In the Second Division, Norwich City have built up a five-point lead over second placed Portsmouth, with Wimbledon completing the top three. Charlton Athletic are the closest threat for the promotion race leaders, with Brighton and Hull City emerging as surprise promotion contenders. Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, have fallen to 11th place in the table after a dismal run of results.
    • – Gary Lineker reaches the 20-goal mark in the First Division by scoring twice for Everton in their 2–0 away win over struggling Birmingham City.

1 February 1986 – Manchester United fall off the top of the First Division for the first time this season and their place is taken by Everton. Meanwhile, Second Division leaders Norwich City sell winger Louie Donowa to Deportivo La Coruna for £400,000.

4 February 1986 – Everton sign striker Warren Aspinall from Wigan Athletic for £150,000.

9 February 1986 – 22 people, including a 12-year-old boy, are injured at the Liverpool-Manchester United game after hooligans sprayed a noxious substance at spectators on their way into the stadium.

10 February 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur captain Steve Perryman is subject of a transfer bid from Oxford United, which wound see him leave White Hart Lane for the first time in his career which has so far spanned nearly 20 years.

11 February 1986 – Gary Lineker reaches 23 league goals for Everton this season with a hat-trick in their 4–0 home win over Manchester City.

22 February 1986 – Everton win the Merseyside derby 2–0 at Anfield, with Gary Lineker scoring his 24th league goal of the season.

26 February 1986 – Bristol Rovers are reportedly interested in ground-sharing with Bath City at Twerton Park from next season, as they have to leave their dilapidated Eastville stadium.

28 February 1986 – Everton finish February as league leaders, ending Manchester United's lengthy dominance, while Luton Town are surprisingly putting pressure on the top five and Aston Villa (just four years after winning the European Cup and five years after being league champions) have slipping into the relegation zone. Norwich City, Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic head the Second Division promotion race.

1 March 1986 – Gary Lineker scores his 25th league goal of the season as Everton beat relegation threatened Aston Villa 2–0 at Goodison Park.

3 March 1986 – Garth Crooks and Mickey Thomas are transfer listed by West Bromwich Albion.

9 March 1986 – Manchester United's double hopes – and their hopes of retaining the FA Cup – are ended with a 2–0 defeat against West Ham United in the fifth round replay at Old Trafford three weeks after they drew the first game 1–1 at Upton Park.

12 March 1986 – Manchester United sign striker Peter Davenport from Nottingham Forest for £750,000. The England U-21 national side defeats Denmark U-21's 1–0 in the European Championship Quarter Final first leg in Copenhagen, with the only goal of the game coming from Coventry City midfielder Nick Pickering.

19 March 1986 – Bradford City announced that they Valley Parade stadium, which has been closed since the fatal fire 10 months ago, is due to be comprehensively rebuilt and re-opened during next season.

21 March 1986 – Manchester United announce that striker Mark Hughes is to join FC Barcelona of Spain, managed by former QPR and Crystal Palace boss Terry Venables, for a fee of £2million at the end of the season.

22 March 1986 – Birmingham City beat rivals Aston Villa 3–0 at Villa Park in a heated relegation crunch game. Wayne Clarke scores twice.

23 March 1986 – Terry Venables is reported to have been offered the manager's job at Arsenal, sparking current manager Don Howe to offer his resignation to the club's board. The first final of the Full Members Cup is play at Wembley Stadium, with Chelsea defeating Manchester City 5-4 with a hat-trick from David Speedie and two goals from Colin Lee. They had been 5-1 up after 85 minutes before three City goals saw their lead cut to a single goal.

25 March 1986 – Steve Perryman, 34, ends his 17-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur and signs for Oxford United on a free transfer.

26 March 1986 – The return leg of the U-21 European Championship Quarter Final sees England reach the next stage by drawing 1–1 with Denmark at Maine Road, with Aston Villa defender Paul Elliott equalising after the Danes took a 1–0 lead in the first half.

27 March 1986 – Wimbledon, challenging for promotion to the First Division in only their ninth season as a Football League club, pay a club record £125,000 for Millwall striker John Fashanu, the younger brother of former Norwich City and Nottingham Forest striker John Fashanu.

28 March 1986 – Don Howe resigns after just over two years as manager of Arsenal, amid speculation that Terry Venables has been offered his job.

29 March 1986 – Two of the surprise title-contenders Chelsea and West Ham meet at Stamford Bridge. West Ham destroy Chelsea 4–0 to get themselves right back in the title race. This effectively ends Chelsea's hopes as they suffer their second heavy defeat in a matter of days over the Easter period. Manchester United's title assault is put in further jeopardy, drawing 1–1 with Birmingham City at St Andrew's. Bryan Robson scoring a late equaliser to salvage a point.

31 March 1986 – March ends with Liverpool leading the table on goal difference over an Everton side who have a game in hand, while a Manchester United side which not so long ago looked all set for title glory are now five points off the top in third place. Meanwhile, it is still looking like a relegation treble for the West Midlands as Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion occupy the bottom three places. Norwich City are looking all set for an immediate return to the First Division as runaway leaders of the Second Division, joined in the top three by Portsmouth and Wimbledon. Charlton Athletic are still a very real threat to the top three, while the challenge from the likes of Brighton, Hull City and Crystal Palace is diminishing.

5 April 1986 – Liverpool beat Southampton 2–0 in the FA Cup semi-final at White Hart Lane to keep their double hopes alive, and end Southampton's hopes of gaining silverware in the first season under Chris Nicholl's management. On the same day, Everton keep their own double bid on track with a 2–1 win over Sheffield Wednesday (trophyless for 50 years) in the other semi-final at Villa Park.

9 April 1986 – England's hopes of European Championship glory at U-21 level are dealt with a huge blow when they lost 2–0 to Italy's U-21 side in Pisa in the Semi Final First Leg.

12 April 1986 – West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City are relegated from the First Division as the first of possibly four victims of a rapid decline in midlands football which has accelerated in the last five years. Albion were UEFA Cup participants just four seasons ago, and their manager Ron Saunders was ironically recruited from Birmingham just three months ago.

14 April 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur agree a £50,000 fee with Millwall for 18-year-old defender Neil Ruddock.

20 April 1986 – Oxford United beat Queens Park Rangers 3–0 in the League Cup Final, to win their first major piece of silverware.

21 April 1986 – West Ham United beat Newcastle United 8–1 in the league at Upton Park, with defender Alvin Martin scoring a hat-trick. Each goal was scored past different goalkeepers; his first goal was scored past Martin Thomas (who came off injured), Chris Hedworth (who also had to withdraw through injury) and finally Peter Beardsley.

22 April 1986 – Birmingham City received a £250,000 loan from the city council to repay some of their £2million debt.

23 April 1986 – England's U-21 European dream is over as they can only manage a 1–1 draw with Italy's U-21 side at the County Ground in Swindon, with Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson scoring their only goal.

26 April 1986 –

• • – Wolverhampton Wanderers become the third midlands club to be relegated this season, but become only the second English club ever to suffer three successive relegations after their descent into the Fourth Division is confirmed. The debt-ridden club were one of Europe's top clubs during the 1950s, winning the league three times, and were highly successful as recently as the start of this decade, having won the Football League Cup in 1980.
    • – Gary Gillepsie of Liverpool achieves a rare feat for a defender by scoring a hat-trick in a 5–0 league win over relegated Birmingham City at Anfield. He scores the first two goals from open play and the third from a penalty kick.

30 April 1986 – April finishes with Liverpool as leaders and with only second placed Everton still in contention for the title. Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, on the other hand, have had their inevitable relegation confirmed during the month. Their close rivals Aston Villa, however, are almost certain of survival after a good run of form, while Ipswich Town, Coventry City, Leicester City and Oxford United are also in the relegation battle. Norwich City's return to the First Division has been confirmed after one season as Second Division champions, while Charlton Athletic only need a draw from their next fixture to confirm promotion back to the top flight after nearly 30 years away. Wimbledon and Portsmouth are the only other teams still contending for promotion. Blackburn Rovers, who had looked set for promotion earlier in the season, now stand 19th and are only above the relegation zone on goal difference.

1 May 1986 – Chelsea agree a fee of £400,000 for Hibernian striker Gordon Durie.

3 May 1986 – Liverpool are confirmed champions of the First Division, while the final relegation place will be occupied by either Oxford United or Ipswich Town. On the same day, Charlton Athletic seal promotion from the Second Division with a 3–2 win at relegation-threatened Carlisle United, who could still beat the drop thanks to a recent turnaround in form which saw their survival chances revived after looking almost completely dead.

4 May 1986 – Oxford United, in their first season as a top division club and only their 24th as Football League members, win their final game of the First Division campaign to relegate an Ipswich Town side that were league runners-up four years ago and UEFA Cup winners five years ago.Wimbledon seal promotion to the First Division just nine years after being elected to the Football League.

5 May 1986 – League runners-up Everton finish the season with a 3–1 home win over third placed West Ham United, with two goals from Gary Lineker meaning that he finished as the First Division's leading scorer on 30 goals – four than the 26 scored by West Ham's Frank McAvennie.

6 May 1986 – Everton manager Howard Kendall dismisses speculation that striker Gary Lineker will sign for Barcelona.

10 May 1986 – Liverpool beat Everton 3–1 in the first-ever all-Merseyside FA Cup final. This success means that Liverpool are only the fifth club in history to win the league championship and FA Cup double, making a dream debut in management for their 35-year-old player-manager Kenny Dalglish.

13 May 1986 – Peter Shreeves is sacked after two years as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

14 May 1986 – George Graham, the Millwall manager who was part of Arsenal's double winning team in 1971, returns to Highbury as manager.

16 May 1986 – David Pleat leaves Luton Town after eight years as manager to take over at Tottenham Hotspur.

19 May 1986 – Chelsea hooligan Kevin Whitton, jailed for life six months ago for taking part in a violent incident in a London pub, has his prison sentence reduced to three years on appeal.

20 May 1986 – Controversial plans are unveiled for Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium to be sold and redeveloped for housing, and for the team to ground-share with Fulham at Craven Cottage.

21 May 1986 – Middlesbrough, recently relegated to the Third Division for the first time in their history, are faced with the threat of losing their Football League status and going out of business completely after going into liquidation.

22 May 1986 – 20-year-old defender Denis Irwin joins Oldham Athletic on a free transfer from Leeds United.

3 June 1986 – England lose 1–0 to Portugal in their opening World Cup game.

5 June 1986 – Coventry City sign winger David Phillips from Manchester City for £150,000.

6 June 1986 – A goalless draw with Morocco leaves England needing to win their final group game in order to qualify for the Second Round of the World Cup.

9 June 1986 – Martin Keown, 20-year-old defender, joins Aston Villa from Arsenal for £200,000.

11 June 1986 – Gary Lineker scores a hat-trick in England's 3–0 victory over Poland which sends them through to the Second Round of the World Cup.

13 June 1986 – Southampton sign 19-year-old goalkeeper Tim Flowers from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £70,000, while 23-year-old midfielder Ian Crook joins Norwich City from Tottenham Hotspur for £80,000.

18 June 1986 – England beat Paraguay 3–0 to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1970.

22 June 1986 – England's World Cup challenge is ended in the quarter-finals when they lose 2–1 to Argentina. Diego Maradona scores both goals for Argentina, his first goal being the controversial "Hand of God" goal which was allowed despite being an obvious handball.

Honours

Competition	Winner	Runner-up
First Division	Liverpool (16*)	Everton
Second Division	Norwich City	Charlton Athletic
Third Division	Reading	Plymouth Argyle
Fourth Division	Swindon Town	Chester City
FA Cup	Liverpool (3)	Everton
League Cup	Oxford United (1)	Queens Park Rangers
Charity Shield	Everton	Manchester United

Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition

League tables

First Division

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Liverpool	42	26	10	6	89	37	+52	88	Excluded from the European Cup 1986–87
2	Everton	42	26	8	8	87	41	+46	86	Excluded from the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup
3	West Ham United	42	26	6	10	74	40	+34	84	Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1986–87
4	Manchester United	42	22	10	10	70	36	+34	76	Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1986–87
5	Sheffield Wednesday	42	21	10	11	63	54	+9	73	Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1986–87
6	Chelsea	42	20	11	11	57	56	+1	71
7	Arsenal	42	20	9	13	49	47	+2	69
8	Nottingham Forest	42	19	11	12	69	53	+16	68
9	Luton Town	42	18	12	12	61	44	+17	66
10	Tottenham Hotspur	42	19	8	15	74	52	+22	65
11	Newcastle United	42	17	12	13	67	72	−5	63
12	Watford	42	16	11	15	69	62	+7	59
13	Queens Park Rangers	42	15	7	20	53	64	−11	52
14	Southampton	42	12	10	20	51	62	−11	46
15	Manchester City	42	11	12	19	43	57	−14	45
16	Aston Villa	42	10	14	18	51	67	−16	44
17	Coventry City	42	11	10	21	48	71	−23	43
18	Oxford United	42	10	12	20	62	80	−18	42	Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1986–87
19	Leicester City	42	10	12	20	54	76	−22	42
20	Ipswich Town	42	11	8	23	32	55	−23	41
21	Birmingham City	42	8	5	29	30	73	−43	29
22	West Bromwich Albion	42	4	12	26	35	89	−54	24

Key
Champions
Qualified for the promotion/relegation playoffs
Relegated to Division Two

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Second Division

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Norwich City	42	25	9	8	84	37	+47	84
2	Charlton Athletic	42	22	11	9	78	45	+33	77
3	Wimbledon	42	21	13	8	58	37	+21	76
4	Portsmouth	42	22	7	13	69	41	+28	73
5	Crystal Palace	42	19	9	14	57	52	+5	66
6	Hull City	42	17	13	12	65	55	+10	64
7	Sheffield United	42	17	11	14	64	63	+1	62
8	Oldham Athletic	42	17	9	16	62	61	+1	60
9	Millwall	42	17	8	17	64	65	−1	59
10	Stoke City	42	14	15	13	48	50	−2	57
11	Brighton & Hove Albion	42	16	8	18	64	64	+0	56
12	Barnsley	42	14	14	14	47	50	−3	56
13	Bradford City	42	16	6	20	51	63	−12	54
14	Leeds United	42	15	8	19	56	72	−16	53
15	Grimsby Town	42	14	10	18	58	62	−4	52
16	Huddersfield Town	42	14	10	18	51	67	−16	52
17	Shrewsbury Town	42	14	9	19	52	64	−12	51
18	Sunderland	42	13	11	18	47	61	−14	50
19	Blackburn Rovers	42	12	13	17	53	62	−9	49
20	Carlisle United	42	13	7	22	47	71	−24	46
21	Middlesbrough	42	12	9	21	44	53	−9	45
22	Fulham	42	10	6	26	45	69	−24	36

Key
Promoted to Division One
Qualified for the promotion/relegation playoffs
Relegated to Division Three

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Third Division

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Reading	46	29	7	10	67	51	+16	94
2	Plymouth Argyle	46	26	9	11	88	53	+35	87
3	Derby County	46	23	15	8	80	41	+39	84
4	Wigan Athletic	46	23	14	9	82	48	+34	83
5	Gillingham	46	22	13	11	81	54	+27	79
6	Walsall	46	22	9	15	90	64	+26	75
7	York City	46	20	11	15	77	58	+19	71
8	Notts County	46	19	14	13	71	60	+11	71
9	Bristol City	46	18	14	14	69	60	+9	68
10	Brentford	46	18	12	16	58	61	−3	66
11	Doncaster Rovers	46	16	16	14	45	52	−7	64
12	Blackpool	46	17	12	17	66	55	+11	63
13	Darlington	46	15	13	18	61	78	−17	58
14	Rotherham United	46	15	12	19	61	59	+2	57
15	Bournemouth	46	15	9	22	65	72	−7	54
16	Bristol Rovers	46	14	12	20	51	75	−24	54
17	Chesterfield	46	13	14	19	61	64	−3	53
18	Bolton Wanderers	46	15	8	23	54	68	−14	53
19	Newport County	46	11	18	17	52	65	−13	51
20	Bury	46	12	13	21	63	67	−4	49
21	Lincoln City	46	10	16	20	55	77	−22	46
22	Cardiff City	46	12	9	25	53	83	−30	45
23	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	11	10	25	57	98	−41	43
24	Swansea City	46	11	10	25	43	87	−44	43

Key
Promoted to Division Two
Relegated to Division Four

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Fourth Division

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Swindon Town	46	32	6	8	82	43	+39	102
2	Chester City	46	23	15	8	83	50	+33	84
3	Mansfield Town	46	23	12	11	74	47	+27	81
4	Port Vale	46	21	16	9	67	37	+30	79
5	Orient	46	20	12	14	79	64	+15	72
6	Colchester United	46	19	13	14	88	63	+25	70
7	Hartlepool United	46	20	10	16	68	67	+1	70
8	Northampton Town	46	18	10	18	79	58	+21	64
9	Southend United	46	18	10	18	69	67	+2	64
10	Hereford United	46	18	10	18	74	73	+1	64
11	Stockport County	46	17	13	16	63	71	−8	64
12	Crewe Alexandra	46	18	9	19	54	61	−7	63
13	Wrexham	46	17	9	20	68	80	−12	60	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1986–87 First round
14	Burnley	46	16	11	19	60	65	−5	59
15	Scunthorpe United	46	15	14	17	50	55	−5	59
16	Aldershot	46	17	7	22	66	74	−8	58
17	Peterborough United	46	13	17	16	52	64	−12	56
18	Rochdale	46	14	13	19	57	77	−20	55
19	Tranmere Rovers	46	15	9	22	74	73	+1	54
20	Halifax Town	46	14	12	20	60	71	−11	54
21	Exeter City	46	13	15	18	47	59	−12	54
22	Cambridge United	46	15	9	22	65	80	−15	54
23	Preston North End	46	11	10	25	54	89	−35	43
24	Torquay United	46	9	10	27	43	88	−45	37

Key
Promoted to Division Three

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Further information: The Football League 1985–86