| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Reading |
| Promoted | Reading Sheffield United Watford |
| Relegated | Oxford United Rushden & Diamonds |
| New Clubs in League | Barnet Carlisle United |
2006–07 → | |
The 2005–06 Football League (known as theCoca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 107th completed season ofThe Football League.
This season sawReading promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history, after winning theChampionship with 106 points – arecord for a 46-match season with three points for a win.Southend United were the champions ofLeague One, whileCarlisle United, having played in the Conference in2004–05, completed a double promotion by winningLeague Two.
These are the changes that happened last season.
Relegated to Championship
Promoted to Premier League
Relegated to League 1
Promoted to Championship
Relegated to League 2
Promoted to League 1
Relegated to Conference National
Promoted to League 2
The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found atThe Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website,[1] with home and away statistics separated. Play-off results are from the same website.
| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Reading (1st second tier title) |
| Direct promotion toFA Premier League | Reading, Sheffield United |
| Promoted toFA Premier League through play-offs | Watford |
| Relegated | Brighton & Hove Albion, Crewe Alexandra, Millwall |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,341 (2.43 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Marlon King(Watford), 21[2] |
2006–07 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading(C, P) | 46 | 31 | 13 | 2 | 99 | 32 | +67 | 106 | Promotion to theFA Premier League |
| 2 | Sheffield United(P) | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 76 | 46 | +30 | 90 | |
| 3 | Watford(O, P) | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 77 | 53 | +24 | 81 | Qualification forChampionship play-offs |
| 4 | Preston North End | 46 | 20 | 20 | 6 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 80 | |
| 5 | Leeds United | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 57 | 38 | +19 | 78 | |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 75 | |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 50 | 42 | +8 | 67 | |
| 8 | Coventry City | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 62 | 65 | −3 | 63 | |
| 9 | Norwich City | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 65 | −9 | 62 | |
| 10 | Luton Town | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 66 | 67 | −1 | 61 | |
| 11 | Cardiff City | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 58 | 59 | −1 | 60 | |
| 12 | Southampton | 46 | 13 | 19 | 14 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 58 | |
| 13 | Stoke City | 46 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 54 | 63 | −9 | 58 | |
| 14 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 39 | 46 | −7 | 56 | |
| 15 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 53 | 66 | −13 | 56 | |
| 16 | Leicester City | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 51 | 59 | −8 | 54 | |
| 17 | Burnley | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 54 | |
| 18 | Hull City | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 49 | 55 | −6 | 52 | |
| 19 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 39 | 52 | −13 | 52 | |
| 20 | Derby County | 46 | 10 | 20 | 16 | 53 | 67 | −14 | 50 | |
| 21 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 50 | 65 | −15 | 50 | |
| 22 | Crewe Alexandra(R) | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 57 | 86 | −29 | 42 | Relegation toFootball League One |
| 23 | Millwall(R) | 46 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 35 | 62 | −27 | 40 | |
| 24 | Brighton & Hove Albion(R) | 46 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 71 | −32 | 38 |
| Semi-finals 1st leg – 5/6 May; 2nd leg – 8/9 May 2006 | Final atMillennium Stadium,Cardiff 21 May 2006 | ||||||||||
| 3rd | Watford | 3 | 0 | 3 | |||||||
| 6th | Crystal Palace | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 3rd | Watford | 3 | |||||||||
| 5th | Leeds United | 0 | |||||||||
| 4th | Preston North End | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 5th | Leeds United | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||
| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Southend United |
| Promoted | Southend United Colchester United Barnsley |
| Relegated | Hartlepool United Milton Keynes Dons Swindon Town Walsall |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,384 (2.51 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Billy Sharp Freddy Eastwood (23 goals each)[2] |
2006–07 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southend United(C, P) | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 72 | 43 | +29 | 82 | Promotion to theChampionship |
| 2 | Colchester United(P) | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 58 | 40 | +18 | 79 | |
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 76 | Qualification for theLeague One play-offs |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 72 | 59 | +13 | 73 | |
| 5 | Barnsley(O, P) | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 72 | |
| 6 | Swansea City | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 78 | 55 | +23 | 71 | |
| 7 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 67 | 52 | +15 | 69 | |
| 8 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 55 | 51 | +4 | 69 | |
| 9 | Bristol City | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 66 | 62 | +4 | 65 | |
| 10 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 58 | 60 | −2 | 65 | |
| 11 | Bradford City | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 51 | 49 | +2 | 61 | |
| 12 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 68 | 73 | −5 | 60 | |
| 13 | Port Vale | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 49 | 54 | −5 | 60 | |
| 14 | Gillingham | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 50 | 64 | −14 | 60 | |
| 15 | Yeovil Town | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 54 | 62 | −8 | 56 | |
| 16 | Chesterfield | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 63 | 73 | −10 | 56 | |
| 17 | Bournemouth | 46 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 49 | 53 | −4 | 55 | |
| 18 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 50 | 52 | −2 | 54 | |
| 19 | Blackpool | 46 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 56 | 64 | −8 | 53 | |
| 20 | Rotherham United | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 52 | 62 | −10 | 52 | |
| 21 | Hartlepool United(R) | 46 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 44 | 59 | −15 | 50 | Relegation toLeague Two |
| 22 | Milton Keynes Dons(R) | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 45 | 66 | −21 | 50 | |
| 23 | Swindon Town(R) | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 46 | 65 | −19 | 48 | |
| 24 | Walsall(R) | 46 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 47 | 70 | −23 | 47 |
| Semi-finals 1st leg − 13 May; 2nd leg − 17 May 2006 | Final atMillennium Stadium,Cardiff 28 May 2006 | ||||||||||
| 3rd | Brentford | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 6th | Swansea City | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||
| 5th | Barnsley (pens.) | 2 (4) | |||||||||
| 6th | Swansea City | 2 (3) | |||||||||
| 4th | Huddersfield Town | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| 5th | Barnsley | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Carlisle United (2nd fourth tier title) |
| Direct promotion | Carlisle United, Leyton Orient, Northampton Town |
| Promoted through play-offs | Cheltenham Town |
| Relegated toConference | Oxford United, Rushden & Diamonds |
| New clubs in the league | Barnet, Carlisle United |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,392 (2.52 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Karl Hawley(Carlisle United), 22 Rickie Lambert(Rochdale), 22[2] |
2006–07 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlisle United(C, P) | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 84 | 42 | +42 | 86 | Promotion toFootball League One |
| 2 | Northampton Town(P) | 46 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 63 | 37 | +26 | 83 | |
| 3 | Leyton Orient(P) | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 67 | 51 | +16 | 81 | |
| 4 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 78 | Qualification forLeague Two play-offs |
| 5 | Cheltenham Town(O, P) | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 72 | |
| 6 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 72 | 56 | +16 | 71 | |
| 7 | Lincoln City | 46 | 15 | 21 | 10 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 66 | |
| 8 | Darlington | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 63 | |
| 9 | Peterborough United | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 62 | |
| 10 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 55 | 55 | 0 | 61 | |
| 11 | Boston United | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 50 | 60 | −10 | 61 | |
| 12 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 59 | 67 | −8 | 60 | |
| 13 | Wrexham | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 61 | 54 | +7 | 59 | |
| 14 | Rochdale | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 66 | 69 | −3 | 56 | |
| 15 | Chester City | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 53 | 59 | −6 | 54 | |
| 16 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 59 | 66 | −7 | 54 | |
| 17 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 60 | 71 | −11 | 54 | |
| 18 | Barnet | 46 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 44 | 57 | −13 | 54 | |
| 19 | Bury | 46 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 45 | 57 | −12 | 52[a] | |
| 20 | Torquay United | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 53 | 66 | −13 | 52 | |
| 21 | Notts County | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 48 | 63 | −15 | 52 | |
| 22 | Stockport County | 46 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 57 | 78 | −21 | 52 | |
| 23 | Oxford United(R) | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 43 | 57 | −14 | 49 | Relegation toFootball Conference |
| 24 | Rushden & Diamonds(R) | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 44 | 76 | −32 | 45 |
| Semi-finals 1st leg − 13 May; 2nd leg – 16/18 May 2006 | Final atMillennium Stadium,Cardiff 28 May 2006 | ||||||||||
| 4th | Grimsby Town | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||
| 7th | Lincoln City | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 4th | Grimsby Town | 0 | |||||||||
| 5th | Cheltenham Town | 1 | |||||||||
| 5th | Cheltenham Town | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| 6th | Wycombe Wanderers | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||