1968–69 Football League First Division

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Football League First Division
Season1968–69
ChampionsLeeds United
1st English title
RelegatedLeicester City
Queens Park Rangers
European CupLeeds United
European Cup Winners' CupManchester City
Inter-Cities Fairs CupLiverpool
Arsenal
Southampton
Newcastle United
Matches played462
Goals scored1,213 (2.63 per match)
Top goalscorerJimmy Greaves
(27 goals)[1]

Statistics of Football League First Division in the 1968-69 season.

Overview[edit]

Leeds United won the First Division title for the first time in the club's history that season. They wrapped up the title on 28 April 1969, with a 0–0 draw at title challengers Liverpool and finished the season unbeaten at home. Queens Park Rangers went down on 29 March, after losing 2–1 at home to Liverpool. Leicester City joined them after losing 3–2 at Manchester United, where a win would have saved Leicester from relegation at the expense of Coventry City.

League standings[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Leeds United (C) 42 27 13 2 66 26 2.538 67 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Liverpool 42 25 11 6 63 24 2.625 61 Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round
3 Everton 42 21 15 6 77 36 2.139 57
4 Arsenal 42 22 12 8 56 27 2.074 56 Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round[a]
5 Chelsea 42 20 10 12 73 53 1.377 50
6 Tottenham Hotspur 42 14 17 11 61 51 1.196 45
7 Southampton 42 16 13 13 57 48 1.188 45 Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round[b]
8 West Ham United 42 13 18 11 66 50 1.320 44
9 Newcastle United 42 15 14 13 61 55 1.109 44 Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round[c]
10 West Bromwich Albion 42 16 11 15 64 67 0.955 43
11 Manchester United 42 15 12 15 57 53 1.075 42
12 Ipswich Town 42 15 11 16 59 60 0.983 41
13 Manchester City 42 15 10 17 64 55 1.164 40 Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round[d]
14 Burnley 42 15 9 18 55 82 0.671 39
15 Sheffield Wednesday 42 10 16 16 41 54 0.759 36
16 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 10 15 17 41 58 0.707 35
17 Sunderland 42 11 12 19 43 67 0.642 34
18 Nottingham Forest 42 10 13 19 45 57 0.789 33
19 Stoke City 42 9 15 18 40 63 0.635 33
20 Coventry City 42 10 11 21 46 64 0.719 31
21 Leicester City (R) 42 9 12 21 39 68 0.574 30 Relegation to the Second Division
22 Queens Park Rangers (R) 42 4 10 28 39 95 0.411 18
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Everton were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Liverpool had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Arsenal took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.
  2. ^ Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Arsenal had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Southampton took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.
  3. ^ West Ham United were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Arsenal had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Newcastle United took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.
  4. ^ Manchester City qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as the 1968-69 FA Cup winners.

Results[edit]

Home \ Away ARS BUR CHE COV EVE IPS LEE LEI LIV MCI MUN NEW NOT QPR SHW SOU STK SUN TOT WBA WHU WOL
Arsenal 2–0 0–1 2–1 3–1 0–2 1–2 3–0 1–1 4–1 3–0 0–0 1–1 2–1 2–0 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 2–0 0–0 3–1
Burnley 0–1 2–1 1–1 1–2 1–0 5–1 2–1 0–4 2–1 1–0 1–0 3–1 2–2 2–0 3–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–1
Chelsea 2–1 2–3 2–1 1–1 3–1 1–1 3–0 1–2 2–0 3–2 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–0 2–3 1–0 5–1 2–2 3–1 1–1 1–1
Coventry City 0–1 4–1 0–1 2–2 0–2 0–1 1–0 0–0 1–1 2–1 2–1 1–1 5–0 3–0 1–1 1–1 3–1 1–2 4–2 1–2 0–1
Everton 1–0 3–0 1–2 3–0 2–2 0–0 7–1 0–0 2–0 0–0 1–1 2–1 4–0 3–0 1–0 2–1 2–0 0–2 4–0 1–0 4–0
Ipswich Town 1–2 2–0 1–3 0–0 2–2 2–3 2–1 0–2 2–1 1–0 1–4 2–3 3–0 2–0 0–0 3–1 1–0 0–1 4–1 2–2 1–0
Leeds United 2–0 6–1 1–0 3–0 2–1 2–0 2–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 1–0 4–1 2–0 3–2 2–0 1–1 0–0 0–0 2–0 2–1
Leicester City 0–0 0–2 1–4 1–1 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–2 3–0 2–1 2–1 2–2 2–0 1–1 3–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 0–2 1–1 2–0
Liverpool 1–1 1–1 2–1 2–0 1–1 4–0 0–0 4–0 2–1 2–0 2–1 0–2 2–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 4–1 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–0
Manchester City 1–1 7–0 4–1 4–2 1–3 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 3–3 3–1 0–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 4–0 5–1 1–1 3–2
Manchester United 0–0 2–0 0–4 1–0 2–1 0–0 0–0 3–2 1–0 0–1 3–1 3–1 8–1 1–0 1–2 1–1 4–1 3–1 2–1 1–1 2–0
Newcastle United 2–1 1–0 3–2 2–0 0–0 2–1 0–1 0–0 1–1 1–0 2–0 1–1 3–2 3–2 4–1 5–0 1–1 2–2 2–3 1–1 4–1
Nottingham Forest 0–2 2–2 1–2 0–0 1–0 1–2 0–2 0–0 0–1 1–0 0–1 2–4 1–0 0–0 1–0 3–3 1–0 0–2 3–0 0–1 0–0
Queens Park Rangers 0–1 0–2 0–4 0–1 0–1 2–1 0–1 1–1 1–2 1–1 2–3 1–1 2–1 3–2 1–1 2–1 2–2 1–1 0–4 1–1 0–1
Sheffield Wednesday 0–5 1–0 1–1 3–0 2–2 2–1 0–0 1–3 1–2 1–1 5–4 1–1 0–1 4–0 0–0 2–1 1–1 0–0 1–0 1–1 0–2
Southampton 1–2 5–1 5–0 1–0 2–5 2–2 1–3 1–0 2–0 3–0 2–0 0–0 1–1 3–2 1–1 2–0 1–0 2–1 2–0 2–2 2–1
Stoke City 1–3 1–3 2–0 0–3 0–0 2–1 1–5 1–0 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–0 2–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 4–1
Sunderland 0–0 2–0 3–2 3–0 1–3 3–0 0–1 2–0 0–2 0–4 1–1 1–1 3–1 0–0 0–0 1–0 4–1 0–0 0–1 2–1 2–0
Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 7–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–2 0–0 3–2 2–1 1–1 2–2 0–1 2–1 3–2 1–2 2–1 1–1 5–1 1–1 1–0 1–1
West Bromwich Albion 1–0 3–2 0–3 6–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 3–1 5–1 2–5 3–1 0–0 1–2 2–1 3–0 4–3 3–1 0–0
West Ham United 1–2 5–0 0–0 5–2 1–4 1–3 1–1 4–0 1–1 2–1 0–0 3–1 1–0 4–3 1–1 0–0 0–0 8–0 2–2 4–0 3–1
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 1–1 0–0 1–0 0–6 3–1 2–2 5–0 1–0 3–1 0–3 0–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–1 2–0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Managerial changes[edit]

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Queens Park Rangers England Alec Stock Illness 1 August 1968 Pre-season England Bill Dodgin Jr. 1 August 1968
Queens Park Rangers England Bill Dodgin Jr. Demoted to coach 2 November 1968 22nd Scotland Tommy Docherty 2 November 1968
Wolverhampton Wanderers England Ronnie Allen Sacked 17 November 1968 14th England Bill McGarry 23 November 1968
Ipswich Town England Bill McGarry Signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 November 1968 17th Wales Cyril Lea (caretaker) 23 November 1968
Queens Park Rangers Scotland Tommy Docherty Resigned 30 November 1968 22nd England Les Allen 1 December 1968
Nottingham Forest Republic of Ireland Johnny Carey Sacked 30 December 1968 19th Scotland Matt Gillies 2 January 1969
Leicester City Scotland Matt Gillies Signed by Nottingham Forest 2 January 1969 20th Republic of Ireland Frank O'Farrell 5 January 1969
Ipswich Town Wales Cyril Lea End of caretaker spell 13 January 1969 18th England Bobby Robson 13 January 1969
Sheffield Wednesday England Jack Marshall Sacked 2 April 1969 13th Scotland Tom McAnearney (caretaker) 2 April 1969

Top scorers[edit]

Rank Player Club Goals
1 England Jimmy Greaves Tottenham Hotspur 27
2 England Geoff Hurst West Ham United 25
3 England Joe Royle Everton 22
4 England Pop Robson Newcastle United 21
= England Jeff Astle West Bromwich Albion 21
5 Wales Ron Davies Southampton 20

References[edit]

  1. ^ "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
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