1937–38 in English football

63rd season of competitive football in England

Football in EnglandSeason| 1937–38

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Men's football
Football League| Arsenal
Football League Second Division| Aston Villa
FA Cup| Preston North End
| <- 1936–37 |  | 1938–39 ->

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The 1937–38 season was the 63rd season of competitive football in England.

## Overview

[edit]

Manchester City became the only team to have been relegated in the season after winning the league title as well as the only team to ever be relegated from the top tier of English football having scored the most goals in that particular season.[1]

The points spread between the league champions, Arsenal, and the team that finished bottom of the league, West Bromwich Albion, was a mere 16 points.[citation needed]

Arsenal won the title (the club's fifth) on the final day of the season with a mere 52 points from 42 matches after beating Bolton Wanderers 5–0 at Highbury, while the table leaders after the penultimate round of fixtures, Wolverhampton Wanderers, lost 1–0 to 10-man Sunderland at Roker Park to be denied their first league title.[2] Wolves, who finished as runners-up for the first time in their history, had to wait until 1953–54 to win their first English league title, although by that time they had once again been pipped to the title late in the season – by Liverpool in 1946-47.[citation needed]

## Honours

[edit]

Competition | Winner | Runner-up

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First Division | Arsenal (5) | Wolverhampton Wanderers
Second Division | Aston Villa | Manchester United
Third Division North | Tranmere Rovers | Doncaster Rovers
Third Division South | Millwall | Bristol City
FA Cup | Preston North End (2) | Huddersfield Town
Charity Shield | Manchester City | Sunderland
Home Championship |  England |  Scotland

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

## Football League

[edit]

Main article: 1937–38 Football League

### First Division

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation

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1  | Arsenal | 42  | 21  | 10  | 11  | 77  | 44  | 1.750  | 52  |
2  | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42  | 20  | 11  | 11  | 72  | 49  | 1.469  | 51
3  | Preston North End | 42  | 16  | 17  | 9  | 64  | 44  | 1.455  | 49
4  | Charlton Athletic | 42  | 16  | 14  | 12  | 65  | 51  | 1.275  | 46
5  | Middlesbrough | 42  | 19  | 8  | 15  | 72  | 65  | 1.108  | 46
6  | Brentford | 42  | 18  | 9  | 15  | 69  | 59  | 1.169  | 45
7  | Bolton Wanderers | 42  | 15  | 15  | 12  | 64  | 60  | 1.067  | 45
8  | Sunderland | 42  | 14  | 16  | 12  | 55  | 57  | 0.965  | 44
9  | Leeds United | 42  | 14  | 15  | 13  | 64  | 69  | 0.928  | 43
10  | Chelsea | 42  | 14  | 13  | 15  | 65  | 65  | 1.000  | 41
11  | Liverpool | 42  | 15  | 11  | 16  | 65  | 71  | 0.915  | 41
12  | Blackpool | 42  | 16  | 8  | 18  | 61  | 66  | 0.924  | 40
13  | Derby County | 42  | 15  | 10  | 17  | 66  | 87  | 0.759  | 40
14  | Everton | 42  | 16  | 7  | 19  | 79  | 75  | 1.053  | 39
15  | Huddersfield Town | 42  | 17  | 5  | 20  | 55  | 68  | 0.809  | 39
16  | Leicester City | 42  | 14  | 11  | 17  | 54  | 75  | 0.720  | 39
17  | Stoke City | 42  | 13  | 12  | 17  | 58  | 59  | 0.983  | 38
18  | Birmingham | 42  | 10  | 18  | 14  | 58  | 62  | 0.935  | 38
19  | Portsmouth | 42  | 13  | 12  | 17  | 62  | 68  | 0.912  | 38
20  | Grimsby Town | 42  | 13  | 12  | 17  | 51  | 68  | 0.750  | 38
21  | Manchester City | 42  | 14  | 8  | 20  | 80  | 77  | 1.039  | 36  | Relegated to the Second Division
22  | West Bromwich Albion | 42  | 14  | 8  | 20  | 74  | 91  | 0.813  | 36

Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal average; 3) number of goals scored.

### Second Division

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation

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1  | Aston Villa | 42  | 25  | 7  | 10  | 73  | 35  | 2.086  | 57  | Promoted to the First Division
2  | Manchester United | 42  | 22  | 9  | 11  | 82  | 50  | 1.640  | 53
3  | Sheffield United | 42  | 22  | 9  | 11  | 73  | 56  | 1.304  | 53  |
4  | Coventry City | 42  | 20  | 12  | 10  | 66  | 45  | 1.467  | 52
5  | Tottenham Hotspur | 42  | 19  | 6  | 17  | 76  | 54  | 1.407  | 44
6  | Burnley | 42  | 17  | 10  | 15  | 54  | 54  | 1.000  | 44
7  | Bradford Park Avenue | 42  | 17  | 9  | 16  | 69  | 56  | 1.232  | 43
8  | Fulham | 42  | 16  | 11  | 15  | 61  | 57  | 1.070  | 43
9  | West Ham United | 42  | 14  | 14  | 14  | 53  | 52  | 1.019  | 42
10  | Bury | 42  | 18  | 5  | 19  | 63  | 60  | 1.050  | 41
11  | Chesterfield | 42  | 16  | 9  | 17  | 63  | 63  | 1.000  | 41
12  | Luton Town | 42  | 15  | 10  | 17  | 89  | 86  | 1.035  | 40
13  | Plymouth Argyle | 42  | 14  | 12  | 16  | 57  | 65  | 0.877  | 40
14  | Norwich City | 42  | 14  | 11  | 17  | 56  | 75  | 0.747  | 39
15  | Southampton | 42  | 15  | 9  | 18  | 55  | 77  | 0.714  | 39
16  | Blackburn Rovers | 42  | 14  | 10  | 18  | 71  | 80  | 0.888  | 38
17  | Sheffield Wednesday | 42  | 14  | 10  | 18  | 49  | 56  | 0.875  | 38
18  | Swansea Town | 42  | 13  | 12  | 17  | 45  | 73  | 0.616  | 38
19  | Newcastle United | 42  | 14  | 8  | 20  | 51  | 58  | 0.879  | 36
20  | Nottingham Forest | 42  | 14  | 8  | 20  | 47  | 60  | 0.783  | 36
21  | Barnsley | 42  | 11  | 14  | 17  | 50  | 64  | 0.781  | 36  | Relegated to the Third Division North
22  | Stockport County | 42  | 11  | 9  | 22  | 43  | 70  | 0.614  | 31

Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal average; 3) number of goals scored.

### Third Division North

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation

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1  | Tranmere Rovers | 42  | 23  | 10  | 9  | 81  | 41  | 1.976  | 56  | Promoted to the Second Division
2  | Doncaster Rovers | 42  | 21  | 12  | 9  | 74  | 49  | 1.510  | 54  |
3  | Hull City | 42  | 20  | 13  | 9  | 80  | 43  | 1.860  | 53
4  | Oldham Athletic | 42  | 19  | 13  | 10  | 67  | 46  | 1.457  | 51
5  | Gateshead | 42  | 20  | 11  | 11  | 84  | 59  | 1.424  | 51
6  | Rotherham United | 42  | 20  | 10  | 12  | 68  | 56  | 1.214  | 50
7  | Lincoln City | 42  | 19  | 8  | 15  | 66  | 50  | 1.320  | 46
8  | Crewe Alexandra | 42  | 18  | 9  | 15  | 71  | 53  | 1.340  | 45
9  | Chester | 42  | 16  | 12  | 14  | 77  | 72  | 1.069  | 44
10  | Wrexham | 42  | 16  | 11  | 15  | 58  | 63  | 0.921  | 43
11  | York City | 42  | 16  | 10  | 16  | 70  | 68  | 1.029  | 42
12  | Carlisle United | 42  | 15  | 9  | 18  | 57  | 67  | 0.851  | 39
13  | New Brighton | 42  | 15  | 8  | 19  | 60  | 61  | 0.984  | 38
14  | Bradford City | 42  | 14  | 10  | 18  | 66  | 69  | 0.957  | 38
15  | Port Vale | 42  | 12  | 14  | 16  | 65  | 73  | 0.890  | 38  | Transferred to the Third Division South
16  | Southport | 42  | 12  | 14  | 16  | 53  | 82  | 0.646  | 38  |
17  | Rochdale | 42  | 13  | 11  | 18  | 67  | 78  | 0.859  | 37
18  | Halifax Town | 42  | 12  | 12  | 18  | 44  | 66  | 0.667  | 36
19  | Darlington | 42  | 11  | 10  | 21  | 54  | 79  | 0.684  | 32
20  | Hartlepools United | 42  | 10  | 12  | 20  | 53  | 80  | 0.663  | 32
21  | Barrow | 42  | 11  | 10  | 21  | 41  | 71  | 0.577  | 32  | Re-elected
22  | Accrington Stanley | 42  | 11  | 7  | 24  | 45  | 75  | 0.600  | 29

Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal average; 3) number of goals scored.

### Third Division South

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation

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1  | Millwall | 42  | 23  | 10  | 9  | 83  | 37  | 2.243  | 56  | Promoted to the Second Division
2  | Bristol City | 42  | 21  | 13  | 8  | 68  | 40  | 1.700  | 55  |
3  | Queens Park Rangers | 42  | 22  | 9  | 11  | 80  | 47  | 1.702  | 53
4  | Watford | 42  | 21  | 11  | 10  | 73  | 43  | 1.698  | 53
5  | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42  | 21  | 9  | 12  | 64  | 44  | 1.455  | 51
6  | Reading | 42  | 20  | 11  | 11  | 71  | 63  | 1.127  | 51
7  | Crystal Palace | 42  | 18  | 12  | 12  | 67  | 47  | 1.426  | 48
8  | Swindon Town | 42  | 17  | 10  | 15  | 49  | 49  | 1.000  | 44
9  | Northampton Town | 42  | 17  | 9  | 16  | 51  | 57  | 0.895  | 43
10  | Cardiff City | 42  | 15  | 12  | 15  | 67  | 54  | 1.241  | 42
11  | Notts County | 42  | 16  | 9  | 17  | 50  | 50  | 1.000  | 41
12  | Southend United | 42  | 15  | 10  | 17  | 70  | 68  | 1.029  | 40
13  | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 42  | 14  | 12  | 16  | 56  | 57  | 0.982  | 40
14  | Mansfield Town | 42  | 15  | 9  | 18  | 62  | 67  | 0.925  | 39
15  | Bristol Rovers | 42  | 13  | 13  | 16  | 46  | 61  | 0.754  | 39
16  | Newport County | 42  | 11  | 16  | 15  | 43  | 52  | 0.827  | 38
17  | Exeter City | 42  | 13  | 12  | 17  | 57  | 70  | 0.814  | 38
18  | Aldershot | 42  | 15  | 5  | 22  | 39  | 59  | 0.661  | 35
19  | Clapton Orient | 42  | 13  | 7  | 22  | 42  | 61  | 0.689  | 33
20  | Torquay United | 42  | 9  | 12  | 21  | 38  | 73  | 0.521  | 30
21  | Walsall | 42  | 11  | 7  | 24  | 52  | 88  | 0.591  | 29  | Re-elected
22  | Gillingham | 42  | 10  | 6  | 26  | 36  | 77  | 0.468  | 26  | Not re-elected

Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal average; 3) number of goals scored.

### Top goalscorers

[edit]

First Division

* Tommy Lawton (Everton) – 28 goals[3]

Second Division

* George Henson (Bradford Park Avenue) – 27 goals[3]

Third Division North

* Jack Roberts (Port Vale) – 28 goals[4]

Third Division South

* Harold Crawshaw (Mansfield Town) – 25 goals[4]

## National team

[edit]

A tour to central Europe was successful as the England squad comprehensively beat Germany in front of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels in Berlin as well as defeating France in Paris. However, between these successes was another defeat; to Switzerland. The tour was considered very controversial as the players were instructed to give the German leaders the Nazi salute during the anthems before the kick-off of the match in Berlin.

### European tour

[edit]

14 May 1938

Germany | 3–6|  England

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Rudi Gellesch, Jupp Gauchel, Hans Pesser |  | Jackie Robinson 2, Cliff Bastin, Frank Broome,
Stanley Matthews, Len Goulden

Olympiastadion, Berlin

* * *

21 May 1938

Switzerland | 2–1|  England

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André Abegglen, Georges Aeby |  | Cliff Bastin (P)

Hardturm, Zürich

* * *

26 May 1938

France | 2–4|  England

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Auguste Jordan, Jean Nicolas |  | Ted Drake 2, Frank Broome, Cliff Bastin (P)

Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Worst title defences". Talksport. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
2. ^ "The craziest season in English football – when the champions went down, and 'Lucky Arsenal' annoyed the nation". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
3. ^ a b "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
4. ^ a b "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 August 2017.

* v
* t
* e

Seasons in English football

1870s|

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1880s|

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1890s|

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1900s|

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1910s|

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1920s|

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1930s|

|  1929–30 |  1930–31 |  1931–32 |  1932–33 |  1933–34 |  1934–35 |  1935–36 |  1936–37 |  1937–38 |  1938–39

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1940s|

|  1939–40 |  1940–41 |  1941–42 |  1942–43 |  1943–44 |  1944–45 |  1945–46 |  1946–47 |  1947–48 |  1948–49

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1950s|

|  1949–50 |  1950–51 |  1951–52 |  1952–53 |  1953–54 |  1954–55 |  1955–56 |  1956–57 |  1957–58 |  1958–59

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1960s|

|  1959–60 |  1960–61 |  1961–62 |  1962–63 |  1963–64 |  1964–65 |  1965–66 |  1966–67 |  1967–68 |  1968–69

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1970s|

|  1969–70 |  1970–71 |  1971–72 |  1972–73 |  1973–74 |  1974–75 |  1975–76 |  1976–77 |  1977–78 |  1978–79

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1980s|

|  1979–80 |  1980–81 |  1981–82 |  1982–83 |  1983–84 |  1984–85 |  1985–86 |  1986–87 |  1987–88 |  1988–89

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1990s|

|  1989–90 |  1990–91 |  1991–92 |  1992–93 |  1993–94 |  1994–95 |  1995–96 |  1996–97 |  1997–98 |  1998–99

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2000s|

|  1999–2000 |  2000–01 |  2001–02 |  2002–03 |  2003–04 |  2004–05 |  2005–06 |  2006–07 |  2007–08 |  2008–09

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2010s|

|  2009–10 |  2010–11 |  2011–12 |  2012–13 |  2013–14 |  2014–15 |  2015–16 |  2016–17 |  2017–18 |  2018–19

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2020s|

|  2019–20 |  2020–21 |  2021–22 |  2022–23 |  2023–24 |  2024–25 |  |  |  |

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Italics denote wartime and nationally suspended seasons.

* v
* t
* e

1937–38 in English football

« 1936–37

1938–39 »

FA competitions|

* FA Cup (Qualifying rounds
* Final)
* FA Charity Shield

Football League|

* Football League (First Division
* Second Division
* Third Division)

Lower leagues|

* Isthmian League
* Northern League
* Southern League
* Western League

Related to national team|

* Home Championship

Club seasons

First Division|

* Arsenal
* Birmingham
* Blackpool
* Bolton Wanderers
* Brentford
* Charlton Athletic
* Chelsea
* Derby County
* Everton
* Grimsby Town
* Huddersfield Town
* Leeds United
* Leicester City
* Liverpool
* Manchester City
* Middlesbrough
* Portsmouth
* Preston North End
* Stoke City
* Sunderland
* West Bromwich Albion
* Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division|

* Aston Villa
* Barnsley
* Blackburn Rovers
* Bradford Park Avenue
* Burnley
* Bury
* Chesterfield
* Coventry City
* Fulham
* Luton Town
* Manchester United
* Newcastle United
* Norwich City
* Nottingham Forest
* Plymouth Argyle
* Sheffield Wednesday
* Sheffield United
* Southampton
* Stockport County
* Swansea Town
* Tottenham Hotspur
* West Ham United

Third Division|

| North|

* Accrington Stanley
* Barrow
* Bradford City
* Carlisle United
* Chester
* Crewe Alexandra
* Darlington
* Doncaster Rovers
* Gateshead
* Halifax Town
* Hartlepools United
* Hull City
* Lincoln City
* New Brighton
* Oldham Athletic
* Port Vale
* Rochdale
* Rotherham County
* Southport
* Tranmere Rovers
* Wrexham
* York City

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South|

* Aldershot
* Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
* Brighton & Hove Albion
* Bristol City
* Bristol Rovers
* Cardiff City
* Clapton Orient
* Crystal Palace
* Exeter City
* Gillingham
* Mansfield Town
* Millwall
* Newport County
* Northampton Town
* Notts County
* Queens Park Rangers
* Reading
* Southend United
* Swindon Town
* Torquay United
* Walsall
* Watford

Other|

* Colchester United

*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GR]: Goal ratio
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template