"Portsmouth side who defeated League Cup finalists Nottingham Forest and ending their hopes of a unique FA Cup/League Cup double. Norwich City reached the semi-finals for the second time in four seasons after beating Southampton in a replay. Sunderland joined fellow Second Division side Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-finals thanks to a 2–1 replay win over Chelsea after a 1–1 draw. The semi-finals were played on 5 April 1992. It was the first time that Hillsborough was used as a semi-final venue since the Hillsborough Disaster at a previous FA Cup semi-final in 1989. This time it was Second"
"the FA Cup won twice by Second Division clubs, the first time in the postwar era that the trophy had been won by a club outside the First Division. First, Sunderland lifted the trophy in 1973 at the expense of Leeds United. Three years later, Southampton defeated Manchester United to claim the first silverware of their history. In 1980, the trophy was won by a Second Division club for the third time in eight seasons when West Ham United triumphed over holders Arsenal. The 1980s saw five different clubs reach the First Division for the first time. In 1981, Swansea"
"Third Division champions Aston Villa were invited to take part; Manchester City won 1–0. Despite finishing the season eleventh, City also contested the 1973 Charity Shield but lost 1-0 to Second Division champions Burnley. In 1974 the then FA secretary, Ted Croker, created the current format with the match being played at Wembley Stadium, and being contested by the reigning League and FA Cup holders. Four drawn games in the 1980s and early 1990s resulted in each team holding the trophy for 6 months, but in 1993 penalties were re-introduced to decide drawn games. With the formation of a new"
"joined Stockport County on a free transfer. Norwich City also sealed an instant return to the First Division by finished third. Also going up were runners-up Aston Villa, who took the Football League Cup up with them and ended their eight-year exile from the First Division. Sunderland, the 1973 FA Cup winners, just missed out on promotion, as did Bristol City. Don Howe paid for a second failure to take West Bromwich Albion back into the First Division and was replaced as manager by veteran player Johnny Giles. Nottingham Forest, battling against a second relegation in three seasons, turned to"
"second relegation. Burnley, league champions as recently as 1960, fell into the Fourth Division in 1985, and with the introduction of automatic relegation from the Football League, narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference (the highest division of non league football since its formation in 1979) in 1987. The period was also marked by some surprise FA Cup wins by lower-division teams over top-flight sides; these included Sunderland (beating Leeds United in 1973), Southampton (beating Manchester United in 1976) and West Ham United (beating Arsenal in 1980). Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town were another successful smaller club, winning the FA Cup"
"in their history after losing to Gillingham in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Gillingham were subsequently defeated in a play-off final replay that saw Swindon Town promoted to the second tier. Lawrie McMenemy was sacked by the Rokerites at the end of March and Bob Stokoe, manager of the 1973 FA Cup winning team, was brought in as his successor, but was unable to keep Sunderland clear of the drop. Brighton and Grimsby were automatically relegated to the Third Division. The three promotion places in this division were gained by three clubs who were among the least fancied promotion contenders at the"
"the FA Cup by Second Division Aston Villa. They eventually finished the league in tenth place, 20 points behind Leeds. The decline continued in the 1974–75 campaign, which ended with Arsenal finishing four places and four points above the relegation zone. Storey was mostly limited to the reserve team during the 1975–76 season, but injuries to Sammy Nelson and Eddie Kelly forced his return to the first team in the build-up to Christmas. On 8 March Storey was suspended by the club after refusing to turn up for work with the reserve team. Mee retired in the summer of 1976,"
"Third Division underdogs Walsall knock Manchester United out of the FA Cup by winning the third round replay 3-2 at Fellows Park, three days after the first match at Old Trafford ended in a goalless draw. 11 January 1975: Ipswich beat high-flying Middlesbrough and register their fifteenth win of the season to go top of the First Division, but seven other clubs are within three points of the Suffolk club. Everton, in second, put three past bottom club Leicester without reply, and sit one point off the lead. Division Two leaders Manchester United opened up a six-point gap at the"
"separate the top half of the First Division, which Everton led by one point from Stoke City and Burnley. Carlisle United have dropped to last place, one point behind Luton Town and Leicester City. 1 March 1975: Aston Villa beat Norwich City 1–0 in the all-Second Division final of the League Cup at Wembley, ending their 14-year wait for a major trophy which began when they won the first ever League Cup 8 March 1975: Second Division Fulham beat Carlisle United 1–0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals. West Ham United and Birmingham City join them in the last four. 12"
"into double figures). However Southampton, who were in the Second Division at the time (the current Championship) and had a much older team, put up a stern challenge for United. The only goal of the game was scored by Bobby Stokes with just seven minutes to go, and captain Peter Rodrigues received the FA Cup from the Queen. They were the second club in four seasons to win the FA Cup from outside the First Division of English football after Sunderland in 1973 and only one more side from outside the top flight (West Ham United in 1980) has won"
"league after winning their first three games, but were eventually relegated in bottom place. Tommy Docherty rewarded the loyalty of the Manchester United directors who kept faith in him after their first relegation in nearly 40 years by delivering an instant return to the First Division as his exciting young side were crowned champions of the Second Division. Aston Villa - with arguably an even more exciting side - ended their eight-year absence from the top flight by finishing runners-up, being divisional top scorers and also lifting the League Cup, beating Norwich City in the final, whom finished third in"
"17th. Sheffield United, who had finished sixth a year earlier, went down in bottom place after winning just six league games all season. They were joined by Burnley and Wolves. Three years after making history as the first postwar FA Cup winners from outside the top flight, Sunderland finally made their way back to the First Division after six years away by winning the Second Division title. Runners-up Bristol City achieved promotion after 65 years away from the First Division, finishing level on points with West Bromwich Albion. Bolton Wanderers missed out on promotion by a single point, while Southampton"
"Aston Villa and Norwich City mirrors that of the final Second Division table of 1974-75, the last season Manchester United played outside the top flight. Blackburn Rovers won the Third Division the same season. Arsenal became the first team to win the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season, beating Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 in both finals. Steve Morrow scored the winning goal in the League Cup final, but was accidentally dropped by captain Tony Adams during the post-match celebrations, broke his arm and missed the FA Cup triumph. Arsenal's double gave them two places in UEFA competitions, meaning"
"the Second Division as Leicester City won the title by a comfortable margin, and were joined on the way upwards by runners-up and local rivals Nottingham Forest. Liverpool missed out on promotion by a single point under the management of their former player Phil Taylor, while Blackburn Rovers fell two points short of promotion. Bury and Port Vale went down from the Second Division. Derby County, who had declined sharply since their 1946 FA Cup triumph, finally enjoyed some long-awaited success by winning the Third Division North title and promotion to the Second Division. Alf Ramsey, the former Tottenham and"
"winners of the FA Cup since the League's creation. Other than Tottenham's victory, only 24 finalists have come from outside English football's top tier, with a record of 7 wins and 17 runners-up: and none at all from the third tier or lower, Southampton (1902, then in the Southern League) being the last finalist from outside the top two tiers. Sunderland's win in 1973 was considered a major upset, having beaten Leeds United who finished third in the top flight that season., as was West Ham's victory over Arsenal in 1980 as the Gunners were in their third successive FA"
"to the third tier since Bradford Park Avenue in 1921 and 1922. This was however to happen eight further times in the next eighteen seasons, including two cases (Bristol City and Wolverhampton Wanderers) who were relegated in three successive seasons. 10 September 1966: Colin Todd, 17-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Sunderland against Chelsea in the First Division. Manchester United clinched their second league title in three seasons, finishing four points ahead of Nottingham Forest and FA Cup winners Tottenham. Leeds United and Liverpool completed the top five. Blackpool and Aston Villa dropped into the Second Division. Coventry City, under"
"Cup. Bolton Wanderers, Derby County and Bristol City were relegated to the Second Division. Leicester City won the Second Division title for a record sixth time to reclaim their First Division status after a two-year exile. Birmingham City achieved an instant return to the elite in third place, while the final promotion place went to Sunderland. Chelsea missed out on promotion on goal difference, while QPR weren't far behind. West Ham United's failure to win promotion at the second attempt was compensated for by victory in the FA Cup. Charlton Athletic, Burnley and Fulham went down to the Third Division."
"concerned the bottom four clubs in that division. Liverpool won their first silverware under Bob Paisley by lifting their second UEFA Cup, and winning the league title. They won eight of their last nine matches and finished one point ahead of QPR, who achieved the highest finish of their history. Manchester United's revival under Tommy Docherty continued as they finished third in the league and reached their first cup final of the 1970s, where they took on Second Division underdogs Southampton in the final of the FA Cup but surprisingly lost 1-0. Defending champions Derby County surrendered their title crown"
"two years after having dropped into the Second Division for the first time. After struggling during the years either side of the First World War to regain their place in the top division (a period that was punctuated by another FA Cup Final appearance in 1921), the club suffered a further relegation in 1923, entering the Third Division (North), which they won at the first attempt. Eight years after returning to the Second Division, Wolves regained their top-flight status as Second Division Champions under Major Frank Buckley after twenty-six years away. With Buckley at the helm the team became established"
"complete the bottom three. Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester City occupy the top three places in the Second Division, but Newcastle United are close behind along with surprise promotion contenders Grimsby Town and Carlisle United. At the other end of the table, Leeds United and Derby County, both First Division champions during the 1970s, are hovering just above the relegation zone. 7 January 1984: AFC Bournemouth pull off one of the biggest FA Cup upsets of all time with a 2–0 win over holders Manchester United in the third round. Arsenal, Leicester City and QPR lose to Second Division opponents"
"Leeds United. Going down were Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and Sheffield United. Bertie Mee, 57, retired after ten years as manager of Arsenal. The highlights of his career had been the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph of 1970 and the Double win 1971, but Arsenal had fallen behind the best in recent seasons and Mee handed over the reins to Terry Neill. Three years after winning the FA Cup, Bob Stokoe's Sunderland finally won promotion to the top flight as Second Division champions. Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion occupied the two other promotion places. Oxford United, York City and Portsmouth went"
"in 1936 and being finalists the following year. Sunderland have also been Football League Cup finalists in 1985 and 2014. Sunderland won their first FA Cup in 1937 with a 3–1 victory over Preston North End, and remained in the top league for 68 successive seasons until they were relegated for the first time in 1958. Sunderland's most notable trophy after the Second World War was their second FA Cup in 1973, when the club secured a 1–0 victory over Leeds United. The team has won the second tier title five times in that period and the third tier title"
"City and Burnley, with Burnley winning 1–0 at Filbert Street. In 1972 the FA Cup celebrated its centenary (though this was not its 100th season, due to interruptions for the two world wars). Leeds United won the final against holders Arsenal. The 1973 FA Cup Final was the 50th anniversary of Wembley as a venue for the cup final. In 1981, The 100th FA Cup final took place between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. It finished 1–1 after extra time. For the first time, the replay was held again at Wembley – previously replayed finals had been held at other"
"other clubs, Southampton in 1976, and West Ham United in 1980, have since equalled Sunderland's achievement of lifting the FA Cup while playing outside the top tier of English football. The FA Cup win in 1973 meant that Sunderland, for the first time in their history, had qualified for a European competition, in this case the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They were first drawn against Hungarian side Vasas Budapest, who they beat 3–0 on aggregate. In the next round Sunderland were drawn against Sporting Lisbon. They won the first leg 2–1 at Roker Park, but in the return leg in"
"of the First Division increased to six points, with Nottingham Forest their nearest challengers and Watford and Manchester United two points further back. Sunderland, Birmingham City and Brighton & Hove Albion occupy the bottom three places. An excellent month for Wolverhampton Wanderers has seen the Midlands side storm to the top of the Second Division, joined in the top three by Queens Park Rangers and Fulham. 1 January 1983: Alan Ball, now aged 37 and the only England World Cup winner still playing, leaves Southampton on a free transfer and signs a contract with Bristol Rovers. 8 January 1983: Holders"
"with Crystal Palace, who suffered a second successive relegation. Promotion was secured by champions Oldham Athletic, Bristol Rovers and York City, which at the time represented York's highest ever League finish. Cambridge United, Shrewsbury Town, Southport and Rochdale were all relegated. Peterborough United won Division Four and were promoted along with Gillingham, Colchester United and Bury. The league's re-election system voted in favour of the bottom four league clubs and there were no departures from or arrivals into the league in 1974. First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division The FA Cup Final was won by Liverpool, who beat"
"clinching the Second Division title. Southampton finished a point behind them in second place, ending their four-year absence from the First Division, during which they had won the FA Cup in 1976. Tottenham Hotspur clinched the final promotion place on goal difference, their advantage over fourth-placed Brighton being assisted by a 9-0 scoreline over Bristol Rovers in October 1977, during which striker Colin Lee had scored four goals on his club debut. For much of the season it had been a four-horse race at the top of the Second Division, with fifth placed Blackburn Rovers finishing 11 points behind the"
"to the Second Division in 1974. Promotion was achieved at the first attempt under the management of Tommy Docherty, who had taken over in December 1972, and in that first season back in the top flight, United finished third in the league to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Although United did qualify for the European Cup Winners' Cup as FA Cup winners in 1977 and for the UEFA Cup in 1980 and 1982 with top-five finishes, they failed to make an impact on European competitions until the 1983–84 season, when they qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as FA"
"competition played over two legs to make up for a lack of league competition that season, although there had been regional wartime competitions and friendly matches during the hostilities. The first post-war trophy went to Derby County, who beat Charlton Athletic 4–1 in the final. The league restarted in the 1946–47 season, with the first title going to Liverpool. However, both Derby and Liverpool lost their First Division status during the 1950s, with Liverpool not returning until 1962 and Derby not until 1969. In the immediate post-war years, Arsenal won another two titles and an FA Cup but after the"
"Birmingham. Arsenal knocked Hull out at Villa Park, the game ending 1–0. After the Second World War, the club moved to another new ground, Boothferry Park. In the 1948–49 season, managed by former England international Raich Carter, Hull won the Third Division North championship. ""Yo-yoing"" between the second and third tiers of English football, Hull City had promotion seasons from the Third to the Second Division again in 1959 and 1966, winning the Third Division in the latter season. Hull also became the first team in the world to go out of a cup competition on penalties, beaten by Manchester"
"Brentford, Swansea City and Scunthorpe United were relegated to the Fourth Division. Hereford United were promoted from the Fourth Division in their first season as a Football League club. They had been elected to the Football League a year earlier after finishing as runners-up to Chelmsford City in the Southern League and achieving a shock win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup. They were joined in the promotion zone by champions Southport, Cambridge United and Aldershot. Newport County missed promotion only on goal average. There were no arrivals or departures in the league for 1973. First Division Second Division"
"the trophy. These are the only instances in the post Second World War era when the trophy has been won by a team outside the top division. In 1978, the Saints won promotion to the First Division and in 1979 reached the League Cup Final where they lost 3-2 to Nottingham Forest. McMenemy was linked with the vacant Manchester United manager's job at the end of the 1980-81 season, but he ruled himself out of the running and the job went to Ron Atkinson instead. McMenemy had signed veteran World Cup winner Alan Ball to aid his side, later adding"
"City to Nottingham Forest, doubling the British record fee set when West Bromwich Albion signed David Mills last month. 26 February 1979: Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 at the City Ground in the FA Cup fifth round. Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United and Ipswich Town are amongst the other First Division sides to progress. 28 February 1979: Liverpool at now five points clear of Arsenal and Everton at the top of the First Division, with two games in hand. Birmingham City are eight points from safety at the bottom, and are joined in the relegation zone by Chelsea and Queens"