TheFootball League North andFootball League South divisions ofthe Football League were created temporarily for the League to continue through theSecond World War while limiting the amount of movement that was required by teams. The leagues started in 1940; however there was only one full season, in1945–46. Previous seasons were, in a sense, bit-part leagues with clubs only playing teams that were generally local. An example of this is that in the 1942 Football League NorthLeeds United playedMiddlesbrough,Gateshead,Newcastle United,Doncaster Rovers,Sunderland,Bradford Park Avenue,York City,Halifax Town andHuddersfield Town, which they played Home and Away in succession.[1]
The two leagues consisted of all the members of The First and Second Divisions of the Football League split on a purely geographical basis. The1945–46 full season was instituted as a precursor to the resumption of the previous divisional split in force prior toWorld War II. As the war had only just finished travel was sometimes difficult to arrange, many of the players were still away and the teams often included guests.
Sheffield United were the Champions of League North andBirmingham City were the Champions of League South for the only full seasonin 1945–46.
Results and players' contributions do not tend to be included in official statistics.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield United | 42 | 27 | 6 | 9 | 112 | 62 | 1.806 | 60 |
| 2 | Everton | 42 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 88 | 54 | 1.630 | 55 |
| 3 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 67 | 45 | 1.489 | 51 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 98 | 62 | 1.581 | 49 |
| 5 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 67 | 60 | 1.117 | 48 |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 42 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 106 | 70 | 1.514 | 47 |
| 7 | Chesterfield | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 68 | 49 | 1.388 | 46 |
| 8 | Barnsley | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 76 | 68 | 1.118 | 45 |
| 9 | Blackpool | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 94 | 92 | 1.022 | 45 |
| 10 | Manchester City | 42 | 20 | 4 | 18 | 78 | 75 | 1.040 | 44 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 80 | 70 | 1.143 | 43 |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 75 | 87 | 0.862 | 43 |
| 13 | Stoke City | 42 | 18 | 6 | 18 | 88 | 79 | 1.114 | 42 |
| 14 | Bradford | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 71 | 84 | 0.845 | 40 |
| 15 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 90 | 89 | 1.011 | 38 |
| 16 | Burnley | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 63 | 84 | 0.750 | 36 |
| 17 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 61 | 89 | 0.685 | 35 |
| 18 | Sunderland | 42 | 15 | 5 | 22 | 55 | 89 | 0.618 | 35 |
| 19 | Preston North End | 42 | 14 | 6 | 22 | 70 | 77 | 0.909 | 34 |
| 20 | Bury | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 60 | 85 | 0.706 | 34 |
| 21 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 60 | 111 | 0.541 | 29 |
| 22 | Leeds United | 42 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 66 | 118 | 0.559 | 25 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham City | 42 | 28 | 5 | 9 | 96 | 45 | 2.133 | 61 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 42 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 106 | 58 | 1.828 | 61 |
| 3 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 92 | 45 | 2.044 | 60 |
| 4 | Derby County | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 104 | 62 | 1.677 | 52 |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 104 | 69 | 1.507 | 52 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 75 | 48 | 1.563 | 51 |
| 7 | West Ham United | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 94 | 76 | 1.237 | 51 |
| 8 | Fulham | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 93 | 73 | 1.274 | 50 |
| 9 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 22 | 3 | 17 | 78 | 81 | 0.963 | 47 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 76 | 73 | 1.041 | 43 |
| 11 | Arsenal | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 76 | 73 | 1.041 | 43 |
| 12 | Millwall | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 79 | 105 | 0.752 | 42 |
| 13 | Coventry City | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 70 | 69 | 1.014 | 40 |
| 14 | Brentford | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 82 | 72 | 1.139 | 38 |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 72 | 73 | 0.986 | 37 |
| 16 | Southampton | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 97 | 105 | 0.924 | 37 |
| 17 | Swansea Town | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 90 | 112 | 0.804 | 37 |
| 18 | Luton Town | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 60 | 92 | 0.652 | 33 |
| 19 | Portsmouth | 42 | 11 | 6 | 25 | 66 | 87 | 0.759 | 28 |
| 20 | Leicester City | 42 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 57 | 101 | 0.564 | 23 |
| 21 | Newport County | 42 | 9 | 2 | 31 | 52 | 125 | 0.416 | 20 |
| 22 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 120 | 0.325 | 14 |