2009–10 in English football
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.

The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

, League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 and League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League. The season finished on 2 May 2010 for the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

, and 9 May 2010 for the other three Divisions.

Promotion and relegation (pre-season)

Teams promoted to 2009–10 Premier League
  • Wolverhampton Wanderers
    Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
    Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

  • Birmingham City
    Birmingham City F.C.
    Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

  • Burnley
    Burnley F.C.
    Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...



Teams relegated from 2008–09 Premier League
  • Newcastle United
    Newcastle United F.C.
    Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

  • Middlesbrough
    Middlesbrough F.C.
    Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

  • West Bromwich Albion
    West Bromwich Albion F.C.
    West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...



Teams promoted to 2009–10 Football League Championship
2009–10 Football League Championship
The Football League Championship season 2009–10 is the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format...

  • Leicester City
    Leicester City F.C.
    Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

  • Peterborough United
    Peterborough United F.C.
    Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

  • Scunthorpe United
    Scunthorpe United F.C.
    Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....



Teams relegated from 2008–09 Football League Championship
  • Norwich City
    Norwich City F.C.
    Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

  • Southampton
    Southampton F.C.
    Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

     (started on −10 points for administration entrance)
  • Charlton Athletic
    Charlton Athletic F.C.
    Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...



Teams promoted to 2009–10 Football League One
2009–10 Football League One
The Football League 2009–10 , was be the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....

  • Brentford
    Brentford F.C.
    Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

  • Exeter City
    Exeter City F.C.
    Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

  • Wycombe Wanderers
    Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
    Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...

  • Gillingham
    Gillingham F.C.
    Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...



Teams relegated from 2008–09 Football League One
  • Northampton Town
    Northampton Town F.C.
    Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

  • Crewe Alexandra
    Crewe Alexandra F.C.
    Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

  • Cheltenham Town
    Cheltenham Town F.C.
    Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

  • Hereford United
    Hereford United F.C.
    Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...



Teams promoted to 2009–10 Football League Two
2009–10 Football League Two
The Football League 2009–10 , was the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....

  • Burton Albion
    Burton Albion F.C.
    Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...

  • Torquay United
    Torquay United F.C.
    Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...



Teams relegated from 2008–09 Football League Two
  • Chester City
    Chester City F.C.
    Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

     (started on −25 points and expelled from the Football Conference
    Football Conference
    The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...

     10 March 2010)
  • Luton Town
    Luton Town F.C.
    Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...


Managerial changes

Name Club Date of departure Replacement Date of appointment
Bryan Gunn
Bryan Gunn
Bryan James Gunn is a Scottish former professional goalkeeper and football manager. After learning his trade with Aberdeen in the early 1980s, he spent most of his playing career at Norwich City, the club with which he came to be most closely associated...

 
Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

 
14 August 2009 Paul Lambert
Paul Lambert
Paul Christopher Lambert is a Scottish football manager and former player who is the manager of Norwich City. He won numerous trophies as a player, winning the Scottish Cup with St...

 
18 August 2009
Paul Lambert
Paul Lambert
Paul Christopher Lambert is a Scottish football manager and former player who is the manager of Norwich City. He won numerous trophies as a player, winning the Scottish Cup with St...

 
Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....

 
18 August 2009 Aidy Boothroyd  2 September 2009
Simon Davey
Simon Davey
Simon Davey is a Welsh former footballer and football manager. He played for Swansea City, Carlisle United and Preston North End and had a short loan spell with Darlington, making a total of 271 appearances in the Football League...

 
Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

 
29 August 2009 Mark Robins
Mark Robins
Mark Gordon Robins is an English football manager, appointed manager of Barnsley in 2009.As a player, he was most notable for his exploits with Manchester United, Norwich City and Leicester City...

 
9 September 2009
Peter Jackson  Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

 
2 September 2009 Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton
Christopher Roy "Chris" Sutton is an English football manager and former player.In his career, Sutton played for Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City and Aston Villa. Sutton scored over 150 career goals in over 400 league appearances spanning 16 years in the English...

 
28 September 2009
Stuart Gray
Stuart Gray (footballer born 1960)
Stuart Gray is an English former footballer and manager, who is the former manager of Football League Two side Northampton Town. On 30th December 2010 he was appointed the caretaker manager of Burnley following the sacking of Brian Laws, reverting to his role as first team coach when Eddie Howe...

 
Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

 
8 September 2009 Ian Sampson
Ian Sampson
Ian Sampson is an English former footballer and manager. He played as a defender for Goole Town, Sunderland, Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur...

1
5 October 2009
Mark Robins
Mark Robins
Mark Gordon Robins is an English football manager, appointed manager of Barnsley in 2009.As a player, he was most notable for his exploits with Manchester United, Norwich City and Leicester City...

 
Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

 
9 September 2009 Ronnie Moore
Ronnie Moore
Ronald David "Ronnie" Moore is an English football manager and former player. He is considered one of the greatest Rotherham United players of all time, and is also considered the best manager Rotherham United have ever had, becoming a club legend. and went on to manage the Millers for seven years...

 
24 September 2009
Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...

 
Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

 
26 September 2009 Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...

 
5 October 2009
Gudjon Thordarson  Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

 
2 October 2009 Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...

 
2 October 2009
John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...

 
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...

 
9 October 2009 Les Parry
Les Parry
Dr. Les Parry is the current manager of Tranmere Rovers.Parry is a qualified physiotherapist and worked with Tranmere Rovers in that capacity since the early nineties before succeeding John Barnes in the managerial position at Tranmere.-Tranmere Rovers:Rovers sacked manager John Barnes and his...

 
16 December 2009
Peter Taylor  Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...

 
9 October 2009 Gary Waddock
Gary Waddock
Gary Patrick Waddock is a former professional and international footballer. He is currently manager at League One club Wycombe Wanderers. He formerly managed Queens Park Rangers and Aldershot Town...

 
13 October 2009
Ian McParland
Ian McParland
Ian 'Charlie' John McParland is a Scottish former professional association football player and manager. He played professionally as a striker with a number of teams and he is most known for his eight year spell with Notts County, a club he later managed...

 
Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

 
12 October 2009 Hans Backe
Hans Backe
Hans Backe is a Swedish former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....

 
27 October 2009
Gary Waddock
Gary Waddock
Gary Patrick Waddock is a former professional and international footballer. He is currently manager at League One club Wycombe Wanderers. He formerly managed Queens Park Rangers and Aldershot Town...

 
Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...

 
13 October 2009 Kevin Dillon
Kevin Dillon (footballer)
Kevin Paul Dillon is an English former professional footballer born in Sunderland. He played in the Football League for Birmingham City, Portsmouth, Newcastle United and Reading, and was capped once for England under-21...

9 November 2009
Mike Newell
Mike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...

 
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

 
18 October 2009 Neil Woods
Neil Woods
Neil Stephen Woods is a former English footballer who played as a striker and former manager of Grimsby Town where he also played between 1990 and 1998. He now works as the Head of Youth at Football League One side Walsall...

 
23 November 2009
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...

 
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

 
21 October 2009 Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...

 
26 October 2009
Russell Slade
Russell Slade
Russell Slade is an English football manager currently in charge of League One side Leyton Orient.-Notts County:Slade was assistant manager to Mick Walker at Notts County, and took over as caretaker manager when Walker was sacked in September 1994. When County appointed Howard Kendall as manager...

 
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

 
1 November 2009 Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Augusto Gus Poyet Domínguez is a former Uruguay international footballer and current manager of English side Brighton & Hove Albion.During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur....

 
10 November 2009
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently in his second spell as the manager of Peterborough United...

 
Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

 
9 November 2009 Mark Cooper  14 November 2009
Paul Hart
Paul Hart
Paul Hart is an English football manager and former football defender, who is currently Academy Director at Charlton Athletic. The son of Johnny Hart, a football inside forward and manager, Hart had five-year spells with both Blackpool and Leeds United, while also playing for Nottingham Forest and...

 
Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 
24 November 2009 Avram Grant  26 November 2009
Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...

 
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

 
10 December 2009 Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is...

 
10 December 2009
Martin Allen
Martin Allen
Martin James Allen is a former football player and current manager of Notts County. He played more than 100 games for each Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and Southend United. Five years later, he took his first job in management, at...

 
Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

 
11 December 2009 Mark Yates
Mark Yates (footballer)
Mark Jason Yates is an English football manager and former player, currently managing Cheltenham Town. As a player he played primarily in a central midfield role.-Playing career:...

 
22 December 2009
Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...

 
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

 
13 December 2009 Alan Irvine  8 January 2010
Hans Backe
Hans Backe
Hans Backe is a Swedish former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....

 
Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

 
15 December 2009 Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...

 
23 February 2010
Jim Magilton
Jim Magilton
James "Jim" Magilton is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager, who is currently employed as Football Consultant at Shamrock Rovers F.C. after being appointed on 6 July 2011....

 
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

 
16 December 2009 Paul Hart
Paul Hart
Paul Hart is an English football manager and former football defender, who is currently Academy Director at Charlton Athletic. The son of Johnny Hart, a football inside forward and manager, Hart had five-year spells with both Blackpool and Leeds United, while also playing for Nottingham Forest and...

 
17 December 2009
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers is a Northern Irish former footballer, who is currently the manager of Swansea City.After retiring as a footballer at the age of 20, Rodgers stayed at Reading and was appointed as youth team coach. He joined Chelsea, under the leadership of José Mourinho, as youth team manager in...

 
Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

 
17 December 2009 Brian McDermott
Brian McDermott (footballer)
Brian James McDermott is an English football manager and former player.He joined Arsenal as an apprentice in 1977 and went on to play for Fulham, IFK Norrköping, Oxford United, Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Exeter City and Yeovil Town in a 14-year playing career during the 1980s and 1990s...

2
27 January 2010
Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....

 
Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 
19 December 2009 Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa...

 
21 December 2009
Alan Irvine  Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

 
29 December 2009 Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently in his second spell as the manager of Peterborough United...

 
6 January 2010
Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...

 
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 
30 December 2009 Owen Coyle
Owen Coyle
Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....

 
8 January 2010
Owen Coyle
Owen Coyle
Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....

 
Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

 
8 January 2010 Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...

 
13 January 2010
Paul Hart
Paul Hart
Paul Hart is an English football manager and former football defender, who is currently Academy Director at Charlton Athletic. The son of Johnny Hart, a football inside forward and manager, Hart had five-year spells with both Blackpool and Leeds United, while also playing for Nottingham Forest and...

 
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

 
15 January 2010 Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....

 
1 March 2010
Mark Cooper  Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

 
1 February 2010 Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...

 
2 February 2010
Stuart McCall
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall , usually known as Stuart McCall, is a former footballer who played in central midfield. He played a total of 763 league games during his career, the 13th highest of all British footballers...

 
Bradford City  8 February 2010 Peter Taylor  17 February 2010
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....

 
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

 
1 March 2010 Paul Hart
Paul Hart
Paul Hart is an English football manager and former football defender, who is currently Academy Director at Charlton Athletic. The son of Johnny Hart, a football inside forward and manager, Hart had five-year spells with both Blackpool and Leeds United, while also playing for Nottingham Forest and...

 
2 March 2010
Keith Alexander
Keith Alexander (footballer)
Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...

 
Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

 
3 March 2010 Gary Simpson3 14 April 2010
John Trewick
John Trewick
John Trewick is an English football coach and former midfielder. He is currently Senior Coach at Shrewsbury Town. He was first team coach at Hereford United from 2004-2009...

 
Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

 
8 March 2010 Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....

 
8 March 2010
Phil Brown  Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 
15 March 2010 Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie is a former footballer and manager. He is currently without a club. He has previously managed Hull City and Queens Park Rangers and was assistant manager of Newcastle United...

 
17 March 2010
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson (footballer)
Gary Johnson is an English football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Npower League Two's Northampton Town....

 
Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

 
18 March 2010 Steve Coppell
Steve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...

4
19 April 2010
Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...

 
Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

 
21 March 2010 Simon Davey
Simon Davey
Simon Davey is a Welsh former footballer and football manager. He played for Swansea City, Carlisle United and Preston North End and had a short loan spell with Darlington, making a total of 271 appearances in the Football League...

 
1 April 2010
Geraint Williams
Geraint Williams
David Geraint Williams is a former professional footballer who also played for Wales. He has also managed Colchester United and Leyton Orient.- Career :...

 
Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...

 
3 April 2010 Russell Slade
Russell Slade
Russell Slade is an English football manager currently in charge of League One side Leyton Orient.-Notts County:Slade was assistant manager to Mick Walker at Notts County, and took over as caretaker manager when Walker was sacked in September 1994. When County appointed Howard Kendall as manager...

 
5 April 2010
Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...

 
Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

 
6 April 2010 Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson (footballer)
Gary Johnson is an English football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Npower League Two's Northampton Town....

 
6 April 2010
Ian Hendon
Ian Hendon
Ian Michael Hendon is an English professional former footballer, and development coach at West Ham United.-Career:...

 
Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....

 
28 April 2010 Mark Stimson
Mark Stimson
Mark Nicholas Stimson is an English former footballer and current manager of Kettering Town. He signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1985, but was unable to gain a regular place in the team. In 1989, he moved on to Newcastle United, where he made over 80 appearances in...

 
1 June 2010
Paul Simpson
Paul Simpson (footballer)
Paul David Simpson is an English former footballer and manager. His son Jake is also a professional footballer.-Manchester City:...

 
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

 
30 April 2010 Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....

 
11 June 2010
Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman (footballer)
Christopher "Chris" Coleman is a Welsh football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Greek Side Larissa....

 
Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

 
4 May 2010 Aidy Boothroyd  20 May 2010
Dave Penney  Oldham Athletic  6 May 2010 Paul Dickov
Paul Dickov
Paul Dickov is a retired Scottish footballer, turned manager who is currently in charge of League One side Oldham Athletic...

 
9 June 2010
Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is...

 
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

 
6 May 2010 Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...

 
24 June 2010
Mark Stimson
Mark Stimson
Mark Nicholas Stimson is an English former footballer and current manager of Kettering Town. He signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1985, but was unable to gain a regular place in the team. In 1989, he moved on to Newcastle United, where he made over 80 appearances in...

 
Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...

 
10 May 2010 Andy Hessenthaler
Andy Hessenthaler
Andrew "Andy" Hessenthaler is an English football manager and former player, currently in his second spell as manager of Gillingham. Hessenthaler began his career in non-league football and did not turn professional until he joined Watford at the age of 26...

 
21 May 2010
Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...

 
MK Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...

 
10 May 2010 Karl Robinson
Karl Robinson
Karl Robinson is an English former footballer who is currently manager of Milton Keynes Dons. He joined the Dons on 11 May 2010, aged 29, making him the youngest manager in The Football League.-Playing career:...

 
10 May 2010
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...

 
West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

 
11 May 2010 Avram Grant  3 June 2010
Aidy Boothroyd  Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....

 
20 May 2010 John Ward  31 May 2010
Avram Grant  Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 
31 May 2010 Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...

 
17 June 2010
Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...

 
Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

 
27 May 2010 Craig Short
Craig Short
Craig Jonathan Short is a former football player who played as a central-defender...

 
4 June 2010
Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....

 
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 
3 June 2010 Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...

 
1 July 2010


Notes
  • 1 Sampson was named caretaker manager following Gray's departure on 8 September, and appointed full time on 5 October.
  • 2 McDermott was named caretaker manager following Rogers' departure on 17 December, and was appointed full time on 27 January.
  • 3 Simpson was named caretaker manager on 3 March, and appointed full time on 14 April.
  • 4 Keith Millen
    Keith Millen
    -External links:...

     will remain caretaker manager until the end of the season when Coppell will take charge.

Diary of the season

  • 1 July 2009: Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo
    Cristiano Ronaldo
    Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...

     completes his world record £80 million move from Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     to Real Madrid
    Real Madrid
    Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

    . English defender Glen Johnson switches from Portsmouth
    Portsmouth F.C.
    Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

     to Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

     for £18 million – one of the highest fees ever paid for a defender. English midfielder Gareth Barry
    Gareth Barry
    Gareth Barry is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national football team.Barry moved to Aston Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion as a youngster, and spent 12 years at the club. He captained Aston Villa, and, at the end of his career with the club, lay eighth in...

     ends 11 years at Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

     and signs for Manchester City
    Manchester City F.C.
    Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

     for £12 million.
  • 6 July 2009: Chelsea
    Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

     sign Russian winger Yuri Zhirkov
    Yuri Zhirkov
    Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov is a Russian footballer who plays for Anzhi Makhachkala and the Russian national team.-Early life:Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov was born in Tambov, on 20 August 1983. His father, Valentin Ivanovich Zhirkov worked at the "Revtrud" factory and his mother was a postwoman. Yuri...

     from CSKA Moscow
    CSKA Moscow
    CSKA Moscow is a major Russian sports club based in Moscow. It is popularly referred to in the West as "Red Army" or "the Red Army team" because during the Soviet era, it was a part of the Armed Forces sports society, which in turn was associated with the Soviet Army...

     for £18 million.
  • 26 July 2009: An England XI
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

     defeats a Germany XI
    Germany national football team
    The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

     3–2 at St James' Park
    St James' Park
    St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...

    , Newcastle
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

    , in a charity match raising money for the cancer charity of former England manager Sir Bobby Robson. Sir Bobby, who has fought the illness since 1992 and gone into remission four times, attends the match in a wheelchair.
  • 27 July 2009: English striker Peter Crouch
    Peter Crouch
    Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...

    , who began his career with Tottenham Hotspur
    Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

     as an apprentice but left without playing for them, returns to White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

     in a £9 million move from Portsmouth.
  • 31 July 2009: Sir Bobby Robson dies, aged 76.
  • 5 August 2009: Sunderland
    Sunderland A.F.C.
    Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

     pay a club record £10 million for England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent
    Darren Bent
    Darren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...

    . Liverpool sell Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso
    Xabi Alonso
    Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...

     to Real Madrid
    Real Madrid
    Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

     for £30 million.
  • 12 August: England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

     come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Holland in Amsterdam
    Amsterdam
    Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

     thanks to 2 goals from Jermain Defoe
    Jermain Defoe
    Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....

    .
  • 14 August 2009: Bryan Gunn
    Bryan Gunn
    Bryan James Gunn is a Scottish former professional goalkeeper and football manager. After learning his trade with Aberdeen in the early 1980s, he spent most of his playing career at Norwich City, the club with which he came to be most closely associated...

     becomes the first managerial casualty of the season when his contract is terminated by Norwich City of League One.
  • 15 August 2009: The new Premier League season kicks off, with the highlight of the opening day coming at Goodison Park
    Goodison Park
    Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...

     where Arsenal
    Arsenal F.C.
    Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

     trounce Everton
    Everton F.C.
    Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

     6–1 in the biggest opening day victory at this level for 15 years. Burnley's
    Burnley F.C.
    Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

     return to the top flight after 33 years away begins on a low note when an own goal by Stephen Jordan
    Stephen Jordan
    Stephen Robert Jordan is an English footballer who plays as a defender currently at Rochdale A.F.C.. He numbers Manchester City, Burnley and Sheffield United amongst his former clubs.-Manchester City:...

     contributes to a 2–0 defeat against Stoke City
    Stoke City F.C.
    Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

    .
  • 19 August 2009: Burnley achieve a shock 1–0 home win over Manchester United, with the only goal of the game coming from veteran striker Robbie Blake
    Robbie Blake
    Robert James "Robbie" Blake is an English footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers in the Barclays Premier League...

    .
  • 23 August 2009: The highlight of the second weekend of the Premier League season comes when Burnley achieve another shock 1–0 win, this time over Everton, after French striker Louis Saha
    Louis Saha
    Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...

     missesd a penalty.
  • 25 August 2009: Some of the worst scenes of football hooliganism in years are witnessed in West Ham United's
    West Ham United F.C.
    West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

     3–1 home win over Millwall
    Millwall F.C.
    Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

     in the Football League Cup
    Football League Cup
    The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

     second round. Fans invaded the pitch twice and there was widespread violence in the stands and the streets surrounding Upton Park
    Boleyn Ground
    The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...

    , including one incident in which a man suffered stab wounds. Manchester City pay £22 million for Everton and England defender Joleon Lescott
    Joleon Lescott
    Joleon Patrick Lescott is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, in particular left-back....

    .
  • 27 August 2009: Tottenham Hotspur
    Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

     manager Harry Redknapp
    Harry Redknapp
    Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....

     suggests that West Ham and Millwall should never be allowed to play each other in a cup competition again.
  • 31 August 2009: The first month of the Premier League season ends with Chelsea
    Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

     as leaders, level on 12 points with second placed Tottenham Hotspur
    Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

    . Defending champions Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     are third, with underdogs Stoke City
    Stoke City F.C.
    Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

     standing fourth after a strong start to the season.
  • 1 September 2009: Everton sign Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga from Atletico Madrid for £6 million.
  • 9 September 2009: England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

     secure qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
    2010 FIFA World Cup
    The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

     after a 5–1 win over Croatia
    Croatia national football team
    The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

     at Wembley Stadium
    Wembley Stadium
    The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

    .
  • 20 September 2009: The Manchester derby
    Manchester derby
    The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...

     at Old Trafford
    Old Trafford
    Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

     produces one of the most thrilling games of the season as United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     beat City
    Manchester City F.C.
    Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

     4–3 thanks to a stoppage time winner by Michael Owen
    Michael Owen
    Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...

    .
  • 30 September 2009: Manchester United and Chelsea are level on 18 points at the top of the Premier League, three points ahead of their nearest rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal and Manchester City complete the top six. Portsmouth are bottom of the table after starting the season with a record seven consecutive defeats, joined in the relegation zone by West Ham and Hull City.
  • 2 October 2009: Sheffield United striker Jordan Robertson
    Jordan Robertson
    Jordan Steven Robertson is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Scunthorpe United. He served a prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.-Playing career:...

     is jailed for 32 months on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving in relation to a fatal car crash on the M1 motorway
    M1 motorway
    The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...

     in December 2008.
  • 17 October 2009: Sunderland
    Sunderland A.F.C.
    Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

     defeat Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

     1-0 at the Stadium of Light
    Stadium of Light
    The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...

     after Darren Bent
    Darren Bent
    Darren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...

    's shot is deflected in off a beachball.
  • 21 October 2009: Gareth Southgate
    Gareth Southgate
    Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...

    's contract as manager of Middlesbrough
    Middlesbrough F.C.
    Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

     is terminated, despite them standing fourth in the Football League Championship
    Football League Championship
    The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

     a season after relegation from the Premier League.
  • 26 October 2009: Gordon Strachan
    Gordon Strachan
    Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...

     is appointed as Middlesbrough's new manager, five months after quitting Celtic
    Celtic F.C.
    Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

    .
  • 29 October 2009: Wigan Athletic
    Wigan Athletic F.C.
    Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

     striker Marlon King
    Marlon King
    Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...

     has his contract terminated by the club after receiving an 18-month prison sentence for assaulting a woman in a nightclub. It is the second time that King has been in convicted and sent to prison, having also received an 18-month prison sentence in 2002, when convicted of driving a stolen car.
  • 31 October 2009: October draws to a close with Chelsea now two points ahead of Manchester United, with the rest of the top four unchanged from the end of last month. Portsmouth remain bottom, but have now gained their first seven points of the season, while West Ham and Hull City complete the bottom three once again.
  • 30 November 2009: November ends with Chelsea two points ahead of Manchester United and with a game in hand, while the only change to the rest of the top six is that Aston Villa have displaced Liverpool, who are now seventh. Portsmouth remain bottom, now joined in the relegation zone by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers.
  • 13 December 2009: Brian Laws
    Brian Laws
    Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...

     leaves Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday
    Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
    Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

     after three years as manager.
  • 15 December 2009: Brendan Rodgers
    Brendan Rodgers
    Brendan Rodgers is a Northern Irish former footballer, who is currently the manager of Swansea City.After retiring as a footballer at the age of 20, Rodgers stayed at Reading and was appointed as youth team coach. He joined Chelsea, under the leadership of José Mourinho, as youth team manager in...

     is sacked after six months as manager of Reading
    Reading F.C.
    Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

    , who are battling relegation from the Championship just months after almost being promoted under his predecessor Steve Coppell
    Steve Coppell
    Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...

    .
  • 16 December 2009: The 11 venues for England's 2018 World Cup bid are announced. Three stadiums in London will feature – Wembley
    Wembley Stadium
    The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

     (national team
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

    ), Emirates Stadium
    Emirates Stadium
    Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

     (Arsenal
    Arsenal F.C.
    Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

    ) and either the Olympic Stadium
    Olympic Stadium
    The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. Traditionally, the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field competitions are held in the Olympic Stadium. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words Olympic...

     or a rebuilt White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

     (Tottenham Hotspur
    Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

    ). Birmingham
    Birmingham
    Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

     (Aston Villa's
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

     Villa Park
    Villa Park
    Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...

    ), Bristol
    Bristol
    Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

     (a proposed new stadium for Bristol City
    Bristol City F.C.
    Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

    ), Leeds
    Leeds
    Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

     (Leeds United's
    Leeds United A.F.C.
    Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

     Elland Road
    Elland Road
    Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...

    ), Liverpool
    Liverpool
    Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

     (the current Anfield
    Anfield
    Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

     stadium or its replacement), Milton Keynes
    Milton Keynes
    Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...

     (Stadium:mk, home of Milton Keynes Dons), Nottingham
    Nottingham
    Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

     (new Nottingham Forest
    Nottingham Forest F.C.
    Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

     stadium), Manchester
    Manchester
    Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

     (Old Trafford
    Old Trafford
    Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

     and the City of Manchester Stadium
    City of Manchester Stadium
    The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...

    ), Newcastle
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

     (St James' Park
    St James' Park
    St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...

    ), Plymouth
    Plymouth
    Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

     (Home Park
    Home Park
    Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...

    ), Sheffield
    Sheffield
    Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

     (Sheffield Wednesday's
    Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
    Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

     Hillsborough
    Hillsborough Stadium
    Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...

    ) and Sunderland
    Sunderland A.F.C.
    Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

     (Stadium of Light
    Stadium of Light
    The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...

    ) have also been selected as venues if England are accepted as hosts.
  • 20 December 2009: Despite being sixth in the Premier League and being on course for their highest league finish in nearly 20 years, Manchester City
    Manchester City F.C.
    Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

     sack manager Mark Hughes
    Mark Hughes
    Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....

     and appoint Italian Robert Mancini as his successor.
  • 22 December 2009: Albert Scanlon
    Albert Scanlon
    Albert Joseph Scanlon was an English football player. He began his career with Manchester United and was one of the "Busby Babes" who survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. Although he sustained severe injuries, he recovered and continued to play league football for Newcastle United, Lincoln...

    , former Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     winger who survived the Munich air disaster
    Munich air disaster
    The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...

     in 1958, dies at the age of 74 after a two-month illness. There are now just four players who survived the crash still alive.
  • 30 December 2009: Premier League strugglers Bolton Wanderers sack manager Gary Megson
    Gary Megson
    Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...

     after two years in charge, while Alan Irvine is sacked after the same length of time in charge of Championship side Preston North End.
  • 31 December 2009: The decade draws to a close with Chelsea
    Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

     two points ahead of Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     at the top of the Premier League. Arsenal
    Arsenal F.C.
    Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

     are two points behind United in third place, with Tottenham Hotspur
    Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

    , Manchester City
    Manchester City F.C.
    Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

    , Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

     and Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

     completing the top seven. A surprise challenge for Europe place is coming from newly promoted Birmingham City
    Birmingham City F.C.
    Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

    , who have collected 32 points from their opening 20 games. Portsmouth
    Portsmouth F.C.
    Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

     are bottom of the Premier League, with Hull City and Bolton completing the relegation zone.
  • 3 January 2010: Manchester United suffer a shock exit at home to League One leaders Leeds United
    Leeds United A.F.C.
    Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

     in the FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

     third round, their 1–0 defeat being their first defeat at the entry stage of the competition in 26 years.
  • 5 January 2010: The first managerial change of the decade
    2010s
    The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019...

     takes place when Owen Coyle
    Owen Coyle
    Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....

     leaves Burnley
    Burnley F.C.
    Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

     to take over as manager of local rivals Bolton Wanderers.
  • 6 January 2010: Darren Ferguson
    Darren Ferguson
    Darren Ferguson is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently in his second spell as the manager of Peterborough United...

     is appointed manager of Preston North End and declares his ambition to take them into the Premier League and play against his father Sir Alex's Manchester United side.

  • 8 January 2010: Alan Irvine is appointed manager of Sheffield Wednesday.

  • 9 January 2010: Seven of the Premier League fixtures this weekend are postponed due to heavy snow across Britain. Four fixtures survive in the Championship and two will be played in League One, but the whole League Two programme is postponed.

  • 13 January 2010: Another shock in the FA Cup third round takes place at Anfield
    Anfield
    Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

    , where Liverpool lose 2–1 to Championship strugglers Reading
    Reading F.C.
    Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

     in the replay, casting further doubt on the position of manager Rafael Benitez
    Rafael Benítez
    Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....

     whose job has reportedly been on the line for weeks due to sub-standard form by his team. Burnley appoint Brian Laws as their new manager.

  • 18 January 2010: Championship leaders Newcastle United announce a new four-year sponsorship deal with Northern Rock
    Northern Rock
    Northern Rock plc is a British bank, best known for becoming the first bank in 150 years to suffer a bank run after having had to approach the Bank of England for a loan facility, to replace money market funding, during the credit crisis in 2007.  Having failed to find a commercial buyer for...

    , the bank which has been nationalised for two years after almost collapsing due to the credit crunch
    Credit crunch
    A credit crunch is a reduction in the general availability of loans or a sudden tightening of the conditions required to obtain a loan from the banks. A credit crunch generally involves a reduction in the availability of credit independent of a rise in official interest rates...

     which brought on the current recession
    Late 2000s recession
    The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...

    .

  • 31 January 2010: January draws to a close with Chelsea a point ahead of nearest challengers Manchester United in the Premier League, with a game in hand. Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City complete the top six. Burnley, Hull City and Portsmouth occupy the bottom three.

  • 19 February 2010: Chester City
    Chester City F.C.
    Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

    , bottom of the Blue Square Premier League
    Conference National
    Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

     with minus 3 points due to a 25-point deduction imposed upon them for financial problems, are suspended from their league until further notice for breach of league rules. A takeover deal is still in the pipeline for the club, who last season were relegated from the Football League for the second time in a decade.

  • 23 February 2010: Portsmouth
    Portsmouth F.C.
    Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

    , bottom of the Premier League, are reported to be within 72 hours of receivership
    Receivership
    In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...

    .

  • 26 February 2010: Portsmouth go into administration – the first Premier League club to do so. They are set to be deducted nine points and are already bottom of the table with 16 points. The points deduction would leave with just seven points and make relegation almost certain. Chester City
    Chester City F.C.
    Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

    , bottom of the Conference National
    Conference National
    Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

     with −3 points after a 25-point deduction for similar financial problems, are expelled from the Conference a year after being relegated from the Football League and were wound-up shortly after. Their expulsion made them the first team at this level to fold mid-season since Newport County
    Newport County A.F.C.
    Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

     in February 1989.

  • 28 February 2010: Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     steal the first major silverware of the season by beating Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

     2–1 in the Football League Cup
    Football League Cup
    The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

     final at Wembley
    Wembley Stadium
    The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

    , retaining the trophy. It is the fourth time they have won the trophy – all of the wins have been under the management of Alex Ferguson
    Alex Ferguson
    Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

    . In the Premier League, United are still looking strong contenders for the title as they stand one point behind leaders Chelsea. Arsenal's good form has seen them occupy third place with just two points less than United and a nine-point gap outside their nearest contenders Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

  • 3 March 2010: Keith Alexander
    Keith Alexander (footballer)
    Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...

    , manager of League Two strugglers Macclesfield Town
    Macclesfield Town F.C.
    Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

    , dies suddenly at the age of 53. Alexander had been manager of the Cheshire
    Cheshire
    Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...

     club since February 2008 and also been in charge of Lincoln City
    Lincoln City F.C.
    Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

     (twice), Peterborough United
    Peterborough United F.C.
    Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

     and non-league sides Ilkeston Town
    Ilkeston Town F.C.
    Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....

     and Northwich Victoria
    Northwich Victoria F.C.
    Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...

     in a managerial career which began in 1993. He had suffered a near fatal brain aneurysm in November 2003 during his second spell as Lincoln City manager.

  • 8 March 2010: Chester City's expulsion from the Blue Square Premier is confirmed and their record for this season is expunged, sparking a revised league table which sees Oxford United
    Oxford United F.C.
    Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

     taking over from Stevenage Borough
    Stevenage Borough F.C.
    Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...

     as leaders, while York City
    York City F.C.
    York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

     drop out of the playoff zone and Cambridge United
    Cambridge United F.C.
    Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...

     move dangerously closer to the relegation zone.

  • 14 March 2010: England captain David Beckham
    David Beckham
    David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...

     suffers an Achilles tendon
    Achilles tendon
    The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...

     injury during a Serie A
    Serie A
    Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

     game for AC Milan (where he is on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...

    ) and is expected to miss this summer's World Cup.

  • 15 March 2010: , the former Football League club who reformed in 1989 after going bankrupt and being expelled from the Conference, achieve an early promotion back to the highest division outside the Football League as Conference South champions.

  • 17 March 2010: Portsmouth's nine-point deduction for going into administration is confirmed, making relegation from the Premier League almost certain as they remain bottom of the table but are now 17 points adrift of safety with nine games left to play.

  • 18 March 2010: Fulham defeat Italian giants Juventus 4–1 on the night, and 5–4 on aggregate to progress to the quarter finals of the UEFA Europa League.

  • 28 March 2010: Southampton
    Southampton F.C.
    Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

     beat Carlisle
    Carlisle United F.C.
    Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

     1–4
    2010 Football League Trophy Final
    The 2010 Football League Trophy Final was the 27th final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from Football Leagues One and Two, the Football League Trophy. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 28 March 2010. The match was contested between Carlisle United and...

     at Wembley Stadium to win the Football League Trophy.

  • 5 April 2010: The first of the promotions and relegations in the Football League are confirmed when Newcastle United
    Newcastle United F.C.
    Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

     seal promotion from the Championship
    Football League Championship
    The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

     to the Premier League after one season away, while the division's bottom club Peterborough United
    Peterborough United F.C.
    Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

     (in their last game under the management of Jim Gannon
    Jim Gannon
    James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...

     before the appointment of Gary Johnson
    Gary Johnson (footballer)
    Gary Johnson is an English football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Npower League Two's Northampton Town....

    ) are relegated back to League One after just one season.

  • 6 April 2010: Arsenal's dreams of a first European Cup triumph are ended when they are eliminated by FC Barcelona
    FC Barcelona
    Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

     in the quarter finals.

  • 7 April 2010: Manchester United's hopes of winning the European Cup are ended when they are eliminated in the quarter finals by Bayern Munich on away goals.

  • 8 April 2010: Fulham reach the UEFA Europa League semi finals with a 3–1 aggregate win over Wolfsburg
    Wolfsburg
    Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...

     in the quarter finals. Liverpool also reach the semi finals by eliminating Benfica.

  • 10 April 2010: Portsmouth become the first senior club to be relegated this season when fellow relegation side West Ham United beat Sunderland 1–0, while West Bromwich Albion are promoted to the Premier League for the fourth time in nine seasons. Chelsea's double
    The Double
    The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...

     hopes are given a massive boost when they defeat Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

     3–0 in the FA Cup semi-final.

  • 11 April 2010: 24 hours after being relegated without kicking a ball, Portsmouth reach the FA Cup final with a surprise 2–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in extra-time in the semi-final. Manchester United's hopes of a unique fourth successive top division title are dealt a major blow when mid table Blackburn Rovers hold them to a goalless draw at Ewood Park
    Ewood Park
    Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...

    .

  • 13 April 2010: Chelsea establish a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League by defeating Bolton 1–0 at Stamford Bridge
    Stamford Bridge (stadium)
    Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

     with a Nicolas Anelka
    Nicolas Anelka
    Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...

     penalty against his former club being the only goal of the game.

  • 17 April 2010: The gap between leaders Chelsea and second placed Manchester United is narrowed down to a single point when a Paul Scholes
    Paul Scholes
    Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...

     goal gives United a 1–0 win over Manchester City
    Manchester City F.C.
    Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

     at the City of Manchester Stadium
    City of Manchester Stadium
    The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...

    , while Chelsea suffer a 2–1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

    . The two results also see Tottenham Hotspur take the fourth and final Champions League off Manchester City with three games to go. In the Championship, Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City are now certain of a playoff place, with Leicester City and Swansea City completing the top six and Blackpool being the only team able to get into the playoff zone. Plymouth Argyle now need a run of very good results to avoid joining Peterborough in the drop to League One, while QPR, Scunthorpe United, Watford, Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday are the teams also battling to avoid the drop. Norwich City seal promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking with a 1–0 away win over fellow promotion contenders Charlton Athletic, and could be joined by any one of the five teams Leeds United, Millwall, Swindon Town, Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town. Colchester United and Southampton are the only two teams now capable of creeping into the playoffs. Notts County seal promotion from the league's bottom tier after six years there, while Rochdale have gained promotion after a record 36 successive seasons at this level. Bournemouth now need only two points from their final three games to be sure of promotion. In contrast, Grimsby Town now need a miracle to avoid relegation from the Football League and the only teams they could leapfrog are Cheltenham Town, Lincoln City and Barnet. Stevenage Borough seal the Blue Square Prmeier
    Conference National
    Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

     title to seal promotion to the Football League 14 years after they last won the title but were denied promotion because their stadium did not meet capacity requirements. Luton Town and Oxford – arguably the biggest clubs outside the Football League – have comfortably secured playoff qualification along with fellow former Football League members Rushden & Diamonds and York City.

  • 19 April 2010: Newcastle United take the Championship title with a 2–0 win against Plymouth Argyle, which consigns Plymouth to relegation to League One after 6 years in the Championship.

  • 24 April 2010: Manchester United go top of the Premier League with a 3–1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur (in which 36-year-old Ryan Giggs scores his first two league penalties for them), although Chelsea will regain their lead tomorrow if they beat Stoke City at Stamford Bridge
    Stamford Bridge (stadium)
    Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

    . Meanwhile, a 1–0 home defeat to Sunderland by Hull City means that the East Yorkshire
    East Yorkshire
    East Yorkshire could be:*East Yorkshire Motor Services*An alternative name for the East Riding of Yorkshire*East Yorkshire , a former district of Humberside*East Yorkshire...

     club will need to record two comprehensive victories from their final two league games and hope that West Ham United are heavily beaten in both of theirs in order to achieve survival. In the Championship, Watford's survival is confirmed and it is now down to Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday to fight it out and try and avoid joining Plymouth Argyle and Peterborough United in the drop to League One. In League One, Norwich City (already promoted) seal the division title with a 2–0 home win against relegation threatened Gillingham. Southend United are relegated after being held to a 2–2 draw by Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park
    Boundary Park
    Boundary Park is the main sports stadium of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies at the northwestern extremity of Oldham, with the towns of Royton and Chadderton lying immediately north and west respectively, giving rise to the name Boundary Park....

    . Although nobody can now muscle in on the top six for a playoff place, second placed Leeds United's automatic promotion hopes are still under threat from Millwall, Swindon Town and Charlton Athletic, while Huddersfield Town have achieved a playoff place at this level for the first time since their relegation from Division One (now the Championship) in 2001, thanks a 6–0 win at relegated Stockport County. Southampton would now be second if it hadn't been for their hefty points deduction at the start of the season, but as a result they have now been left unable to achieve even a playoff place. In League Two, Bournemouth are promoted after two seasons in the division with a 2–0 win at Burton Albion. Grimsby Town's 2–0 away win over already relegated Darlington keeps their hopes of survival alive, though the only teams they are capable of leapfrogging are Barnet and Cheltenham Town. In the Blue Square Premier, Stevenage Borough have already been confirmed champions, leaving four former Football League members (Luton Town, Oxford United, Rushden & Diamonds and York City) to contest the playoffs for the second promotion place, while Forest Green Rovers and Ebbsfleet United are relegated to the Conference South. Forest Green Rovers was later reprieved following the demotion of Salisbury City due to a breach of Conference rules.

  • 25 April 2010: Chelsea return to the top of the Premier League with a 7–0 win over mid table Stoke City, giving themselves a one-point advantage over Manchester United as well as a considerably greater goal difference. Burnley's first season back in the top flight for more than 30 years ends in relegation when they are beaten 4–0 at home by a Liverpool side who are now almost certain of Europa League qualification and still have a Champions League place in their sights.

  • 27 April 2010: Notts County take the League Two title with a 5–0 win against relegated Darlington.

  • 29 April 2010: Five men are found guilty of public order offences in connection to violent clashes at a game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion in West Bromwich
    West Bromwich
    West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...

     town centre 15 months ago.

  • 1 May 2010: Tom Huddlestone
    Tom Huddlestone
    Thomas Andrew Huddlestone is an English footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team.-Derby County:...

     scores the only goal of the game as Tottenham Hotspur defeat Bolton Wanderers 1–0 at White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane
    White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

    , meaning that a draw at Manchester City and a win on the final day of the season will end their 20-year wait for a top four finish and put themselves beyond the reach of Liverpool, who for the last four seasons have held a "big four" dominance with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are left with no hope of Champions League qualification after they are beaten 3–1 by a Manchester City side still in the hunt for a place in the top four. In League One, Leeds United remain in second place and needing a win from their final game of the season to guarantee automatic promotion despite losing 1–0 to a Charlton Athletic side who still have hope of automatic promotion thanks to this win. Millwall blow the chance of creeping into the top two by losing 2–0 to relegation threatened Tranmere Rovers. Swindon Town's 3–2 home win over Brentford keeps the West Country
    West Country
    The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...

     club in the hunt for an automatic return to the league's second tier after a decade away. Huddersfield Town have an outside chance of automatic promotion thanks to an injury time winner by Lee Novak
    Lee Novak
    Lee Paul Novak is an English footballer who plays for Huddersfield Town in Football League One as a striker.-Early career:...

     against Colchester United. Wycombe Wanderers are relegated back to League Two after one season in League one after a 2–0 defeat by a Leyton Orient side who are now almost certainly safe. Exeter City and Gillingham are still at risk of relegation. Grimsby Town defeat Barnet 2–0 to ensure that the battle against relegation for both clubs will go down to the last game of the season Cheltenham Town are trounched 5–0 by champions Notts County and as a result are still at risk of losing their Football League status after 11 years, as well as suffering a second successive relegation.

  • 2 May 2010: Chelsea's 2–0 win at Liverpool leaves them needing only a win against Wigan Athletic in a week's time to confirm themselves as Premier League champions, and today's result also confirms the end of the "big four" which has dominated the top of the Premier League for the last four seasons – Liverpool will now finish sixth or seventh, while Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester City will seal the final Champions League place. West Ham United's 3–2 defeat at Fulham means that they will go into the final game of the season knowing that a heavy defeat at home to Manchester City and a heavy win for Hull City at home to Liverpool could see them slide out of the Premier League on goal difference. In the Championship relegation crunch, Sheffield Wednesday go down after only managing a 2–2 draw at home to Crystal Palace, whose safety is confirmed. Blackpool, who last played in the top flight in 1971, qualify for the playoffs. Newcastle United finish the season with 102 points (the highest points tally in their history) by beating mid table QPR 1–0 at Loftus Road
    Loftus Road
    Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...

    . Back in the Premier League, Chelsea could have sealed the title today but Manchester United's 1–0 win at Sunderland ensures that the title race will go down to the wire.

  • 3 May 2010: Hull City's relegation to the Premier League is confirmed after they are held to a 2–2 draw by Wigan Athletic. It is only the third time in 18 seasons of the Premier League that all of the relegation places have been confirmed before the last game of the season. York City and Oxford United reach the Blue Square Premier playoff final to compete for the second promotion place to the Football League.

  • 5 May 2010: Tottenham Hotspur win 1–0 at Manchester City to seal a Champions League place and take Liverpool's place in the "big four". It is Tottenham's highest finish in 20 years and they will be their first European Cup campaign for 49 years and only their second since the competition's inception.

  • 8 May 2010: Leeds United seal promotion from League One after three years by winning their final game of the season 2–1 at home to Bristol Rovers. Gillingham are relegated from League One when losing 3–0 at already relegated Wycombe Wanderers. Grimsby Town are relegated from the Football League after 99 years.

  • 9 May 2010: Chelsea win the Premier League title with an 8–0 demolition of Wigan Athletic, meaning that Manchester United's hopes of a unique fourth successive title are ended despite a 4–0 home win over Stoke City. Meanwhile, Liverpool finish in their lowest position for 11 years (seventh), though this season it is enough to achieve UEFA Europa League qualification due to second placed Manchester United being League Cup holders and champions Chelsea being FA Cup finalists. Burnley, already relegated, bow out of the Premier League in style with a 4–2 home win over fourth placed Tottenham Hotspur.

  • 11 May 2010: Gianfranco Zola
    Gianfranco Zola
    Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...

     is sacked after less than two years as manager of West Ham United. However, Steve McClaren
    Steve McClaren
    Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...

    , the former Middlesbrough and England manager whose name had been linked with the West Ham job amid previous speculation about Zola's future, is ruled out as a successor after ending his two-year spell at FC Twente
    FC Twente
    FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...

     of Holland and accepting an offer to manage German side VfL Wolfsburg
    VfL Wolfsburg
    VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...

    . A London based manager makes the headlines for the right reasons as the League Managers Association
    League Managers Association
    The League Managers Association is the organisation which collectively represents all Premiership and Football League managers in English football...

     votes Fulham's Roy Hodgson
    Roy Hodgson
    Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...

     as manager of the year.

  • 12 May 2010: Fulham
    Fulham F.C.
    Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

     lose 2–1 to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Europa League final at the Nordbank Arena in Hamburg
    Hamburg
    -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

    , Germany. Diego Forlan
    Diego Forlán
    Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...

    , the former Manchester United striker, had put the Spaniards ahead in the 32nd minute, only for Fulham midfielder Simon Davies to equalise five minutes later. With the scores still level after 90 minutes, the match went into extra time and Forlan won the trophy with his second goal in the 116th minute.

  • 14 May 2010: Wayne Brown
    Wayne Brown (defender)
    Wayne Lawrence Brown is an English footballer, who plays for Bury Town FC-Ipswich:Brown started his career as an apprentice at Ipswich Town, making 40 league appearances for the club and scoring once against Avenir Beggen in the UEFA Cup.-Watford:He had loan spells at Colchester, QPR and Wimbledon...

    , the Leicester City defender, is forced to apologise to his team mates after revealing to them that he voted for the far right British National Party
    British National Party
    The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...

     in last week's general election.

  • 15 May 2010: Chelsea
    Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

     beat Portsmouth
    Portsmouth F.C.
    Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

     1–0 in the FA Cup final
    FA Cup Final
    The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...

     at Wembley
    Wembley Stadium
    The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

    . Didier Drogba
    Didier Drogba
    Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...

     scored the game's only goal from a second-half free kick, as Kevin Prince Boateng and Frank Lampard
    Frank Lampard
    Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...

     missed penalties for Portsmouth and Chelsea, respectively. Chelsea's victory in the 2009–10 FA Cup secured the club's first league and cup double, as well as their third FA Cup victory in four years.

  • 16 May 2010: Oxford United
    Oxford United F.C.
    Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

     beat York City
    York City F.C.
    York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

     3–1 in the Blue Square Premier
    Conference National
    Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

     playoff final at Wembley Stadium to secure a return to the Football League after four years away.

  • 21 May 2010: Avram Grant resigns as manager of Portsmouth.

  • 22 May 2010: Blackpool
    Blackpool F.C.
    Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

     beat Cardiff City
    Cardiff city
    Cardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...

     3–2 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium to seal promotion to the Premier League, ending their 39-year exile from the top division of English football.

  • 24 May 2010: England beat Mexico
    Mexico national football team
    The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

     3–1 in a friendly at Wembley, with goals coming from Ledley King
    Ledley King
    Ledley Brenton King is an English footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. He is the longest serving player at the club and captained Spurs since 2005. He is currently contracted to Tottenham until 2012...

    , Peter Crouch
    Peter Crouch
    Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...

     and Glen Johnson.

  • 26 May 2010: Following promotion to the Premier League, Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston
    Karl Oyston
    Karl Oyston is an English businessman and the chairman of Blackpool F.C.-Background:Up until 1999, Oyston spent much of his time involved in running the Oyston family businesses including property management, farming interests and publishing....

     announces that a new stand will be built at the Bloomfield Road
    Bloomfield Road
    Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...

     stadium in order to achieve a 16,000 all-seated capacity.

  • 27 May 2010: Steve Cotterill
    Steve Cotterill
    Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...

     resigns as manager of Notts County despite having led them to promotion from League Two, amid speculation that he is about to replace Avram Grant as manager of Portsmouth.

  • 29 May 2010: A Paul Robinson
    Paul Robinson (footballer born 1982)
    Paul Robinson is an English professional footballer. He currently plays as a defender for Millwall.Robinson began his career as a trainee with Millwall, turning professional in August 2001. Later that month he joined Fisher Athletic on loan to gain some first team experience...

     goal gives Millwall
    Millwall F.C.
    Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

     promotion to the Championship as they defeat Swindon Town
    Swindon Town F.C.
    Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

     in the League One playoff final.

  • 30 May 2010: Jon Nurse
    Jon Nurse
    Jonathan David "Jon" Nurse is a Barbadian footballer who plays for Dagenham & Redbridge.-Club career:Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, Nurse started out playing in Sunday league football before joining local club Sutton United. He broke into the first team after doing well in the reserves and went...

     grabs the winner as Dagenham & Redbridge
    Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
    Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...

     clinch promotion to League One following a 3-2 win over Rotherham United
    Rotherham United F.C.
    Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

     in the League Two playoff final. England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

     beat Japan
    Japan national football team
    The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...


  • 1 June 2010: England's 23-man World Cup squad is announced with Theo Walcott
    Theo Walcott
    Theo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...

     (who appeared in the 2006 squad despite being only 17) being the most notable exclusion. Crystal Palace
    Crystal Palace F.C.
    Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

     are saved from liquidaton by a last minute takeover deal.

  • 3 June 2010: Rafael Benitez
    Rafael Benítez
    Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....

     resigns from Liverpool after six seasons as manager, during which time the Reds won the European Cup and the FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

    , but failed to clinch the league title which has eluded them since 1990. Meanwhile, Avram Grant is confirmed as manager of West Ham United.

  • 4 June 2010: England captain Rio Ferdinand
    Rio Ferdinand
    Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...

     is ruled out of the World Cup by a knee injury sustained during training.

  • 8 June 2010: Philippe Senderos
    Philippe Senderos
    Philippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C...

     leaves Arsenal after seven years and joins Fulham on a three-year contract.

  • 9 June 2010: Chelsea give free transfers to out of contract players Joe Cole
    Joe Cole
    Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003...

     and Michael Ballack
    Michael Ballack
    Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...

    .http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3005713/Chelsea-axe-Joe-Cole-and-Michael-Ballack.html

  • 10 June 2010: Cardiff City pay off £1.9m debt with HM Revenue and Customs, removing any threat of club's existence from the High Court. Swindon Town
    Swindon Town F.C.
    Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

     teenager, Alen Henshall joins Manchester City
    Manchester City F.C.
    Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

     for a undisclosed fee.





Retirements

22 October 2009: Marc Edworthy
Marc Edworthy
Marc Edworthy is a former English professional footballer. He started out playing as a right winger before being moved to right back...

, a 36-year old right-back who last played for Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...

 retired after playing over 500 senior appearances in 18 year career. He played for 8 clubs in his career which included spells in the Premier League with Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

, Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

, Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

 and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

.

8 December 2009: Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Stephen Primus is an English former footballer.Born in Forest Gate, England, to Caribbean-born parents, Primus began his professional career at Charlton Athletic; where he made four league appearances...

, 36-year-old Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 defender, after failing to overcome a serious knee injury
but now work ambassadorial role for Portsmouth. He Previously played for Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

, Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...

 and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

.

11 December 2009: Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton is a former English professional footballer. He made over 240 appearances as a forward in the Football League and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and , and was also capped by England. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by...

, 26-year-old West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

 striker, after failing to make a full recovery from an ankle injury suffered when training with the England team in August 2006.

17 December 2009: Riccardo Scimeca
Riccardo Scimeca
Riccardo Scimeca is an English former professional footballer who played for Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City in a career spanning 16 years, making over 400 appearances...

, 34-year-old Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

 midfielder formerly of Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

.

6 January 2010: Neil Clement
Neil Clement
Neil Clement , is an English former professional footballer who spent the majority of his career playing for West Bromwich Albion. He participated in a club record three promotions. His customary position was in defence, but he was also a versatile player who occupied several different positions...

, 31-year-old West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 defender and club's longest serving player after 10 years there, after failing to make a full recovery from a knee injury suffered in August 2008.

6 January 2010: Patrik Berger
Patrik Berger
Patrik Berger is a retired Czech footballer. He has played in Czech Republic, Germany, and England. He is best remembered for his time at Liverpool....

, 36-year-old Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 midfielder who had spells in England with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 before returning to Sparta Prague.

Friendly matches

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World Cup qualifiers

England were in Group 6 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

 qualification process.
----

----

----

Trophy & League Champions

Competition Winner Details At Match Report
FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

2009–10 FA Cup
2009–10 FA Cup
The 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released...


beat Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 1–0
Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

Report
League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

2009–10 Football League Cup
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....


beat Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 2–1
Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

Report
Premier League Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

2009–10 Premier League Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

Report
Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

2009–10 Football League Championship
2009–10 Football League Championship
The Football League Championship season 2009–10 is the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format...

Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...

Report
Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

2009–10 Football League One
2009–10 Football League One
The Football League 2009–10 , was be the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....

Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....

Report
Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

2009–10 Football League Two
2009–10 Football League Two
The Football League 2009–10 , was the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....

The Darlington Arena
The Darlington Arena
The Darlington Arena is a football stadium in England that hosts Darlington Football Club's home fixtures.-History:...

Report
FA Community Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...

Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

2009 FA Community Shield
2009 FA Community Shield
The 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...


beat Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 4–1 on penalties (2–2 final score)
Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

Report
Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...

Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

2009–10 Football League Trophy
2009–10 Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy 2009–10, known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy 2009–10 for sponsorship reasons, is the 26th Football League Trophy, a knockout competition for English football clubs in Leagues One and Two, the third and fourth tiers of English football.The format is similar to that which...


beat Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

 4–1
Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

Report
FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...

Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...

2009–10 FA Trophy
2009–10 FA Trophy
The FA Trophy 2009–10 is the 40th season of the FA Trophy, the Football Association's cup competition for teams at levels 5–8 of the English football league system...


beat Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...

 2–1
Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

Report

Playoff Winners

Competition Winner Details
Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

Football League Championship 2009–10
Beat Cardiff
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

 3–2
Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

Football League One 2009–10
Beat Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

 1–0
Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...

Football League Two 2009–10
Beat Rotherham
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

 3–2
Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

Conference National 2009–10
Beat York
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

 3–1
Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...

Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...

Conference North 2009–10
Beat Alfreton
Alfreton Town F.C.
Alfreton Town F.C. is an English football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire. The club was reformed after a merger between Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfreton United in 1959...

 2–1
Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...

Bath City
Bath City F.C.
Bath City Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset. They play in the Conference National league after gaining promotion from the Conference South via the play-offs in May 2010...

Conference South 2009–10
Beat Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...

 1–0

Premier League

In one of the most closely fought title races in recent history, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

 were crowned Premier League Champions for the first time in four years. Despite disappointment in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

, the club managed to retain the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

, recording their first domestic double under Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...

. Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 narrowly missed out on the title, but they managed to win the League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...

. Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 qualified for the Champions League, while Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 all qualified for the Europa League – the latter recording their lowest league finish since 1999.

Fulham built on last season's finish of 7th place as they came close to Europa League glory in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

, losing 2–1 in extra time to Atletico Madrid with ex-Manchester United striker Diego Forlan
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...

 scoring the winning goal.

Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 endured a season of financial worries, a 9-point deduction and four different owners that effectively ended their 7-year stay in the top flight. Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 failed to emulate their previous season's success and were also relegated. After the departure of inspirational manager Owen Coyle
Owen Coyle
Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....

 at the turn of the year, Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

's league form under Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...

 declined rapidly and they were relegated to the Championship after just one season. West Ham United and Wigan Athletic both achieved a narrow survival.
PWDLFAGDPts
C 1 Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

38 27 5 6 103 32
71
86
CL 2 Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

38 27 4 7 86 28
58
85
CL 3 Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

38 23 6 9 83 41
42
75
CLP 4 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

38 21 7 10 67 41
26
70
ELP 5 Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

38 18 13 7 73 45
28
67
ELP 6 Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

38 17 13 8 52 39
13
64
ELQ 7 Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

38 18 9 11 61 35
26
63
  8 Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

38 16 13 9 60 49
11
61
  9 Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

38 13 11 14 38 47 −9 50
  10 Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

38 13 11 14 41 55 −14 50
  11 Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

38 11 14 13 34 48 −14 47
  12 Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

38 12 10 16 39 46 −7 46
  13 Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

38 11 11 16 48 56 −8 44
  14 Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

38 10 9 19 42 67 −25 39
  15 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

38 9 11 18 32 56 −24 38
  16 Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

38 9 9 20 37 79 −42 36
  17 West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

38 8 11 19 47 66 −19 35
R 18 Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

38 8 6 24 42 82 −40 30
R 19 Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

38 6 12 20 34 75 −41 30
R 20 Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

38 7 7 24 34 66 −32 19 A

A – Portsmouth deducted 9 points for entering administration.

Leading goalscorer: Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...

 (Chelsea) - 29

Football League Championship

Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

 put last season's relegation behind them as they returned to the Premier League at the first attempt, staying top for the majority of the season and losing just four games under the management of Chris Hughton
Chris Hughton
Christopher William Gerard "Chris" Hughton is a professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Birmingham City F.C....

. Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played...

's first season in charge of West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 ended in automatic promotion for the Baggies for the 3rd time in eight years. They were joined by Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

, who were tipped by many as relegation favourites at the beginning of the season. Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway
Ian Scott Holloway is an English football manager and former player. He became the manager of Blackpool in May 2009. Holloway is well-known amongst football fans for his off-the-wall interviews, with a wide selection of quotes and soundbites being printed. Holloway's playing career spanned 18...

's first season in charge of the Lancashire club saw them beat Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

 3–2 in the play-off final, returning to the top flight for the first time since 1971.

Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

 went straight back down to League One, employing four different managers and propping up the table for the majority of the season. They were soon joined by Plymouth Argyle, who ended a six year spell in the second tier. Crystal Palace, who had been on the brink of the play-offs before being penalised 10 points for entering administration, faced Sheffield Wednesday in the final match of the season as they both fought for survival. The game finished 2–2, which meant Wednesday were relegated to League One.
PWDLFAGDPts
C 1 Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

46 30 12 4 90 35
55
102
P 2 West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

46 26 13 7 89 48
41
91
  3 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

46 22 13 11 65 40
25
79
  4 Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

46 22 10 14 73 54
19
76
  5 Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

46 21 13 12 61 45
16
76
P 6 Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

46 19 13 14 74 58
16
70
  7 Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

46 17 18 11 40 37
3
69
  8 Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

46 17 14 15 61 54
7
65
  9 Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

46 17 12 17 68 63
5
63
  10 Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

46 15 18 13 56 65 −9 63
  11 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

46 16 14 16 58 50
8
62
  12 Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

46 15 15 16 59 58
1
60
  13 Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

46 14 15 17 58 65 −7 57
  14 Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

46 15 11 20 53 63 −10 56
  15 Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

46 12 20 14 50 61 −11 56
  16 Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

46 14 12 20 61 68 −7 54
  17 Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

46 13 15 18 58 73 −15 54
  18 Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

46 14 12 20 53 69 −16 54
  19 Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

46 13 15 18 47 64 −17 54
  20 Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

46 14 10 22 62 84 −22 52
  21 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

46 14 17 15 50 53 −3 49 A
R 22 Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

46 11 14 21 49 69 −20 47
R 23 Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

46 11 8 27 43 68 −25 41
R 24 Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

46 8 10 28 46 80 −34 34

A – Crystal Palace deducted 10 points for entering administration

Leading goalscorers: Nicky Maynard
Nicky Maynard
Nicholas David "Nicky" Maynard is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bristol City.-Crewe Alexandra:...

 (Bristol City) - 20, and Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City) - 20

Football League One

After recovering from an embarrassing 7–1 defeat to Colchester on the first day of the season, a turnaround under new manager Paul Lambert
Paul Lambert
Paul Christopher Lambert is a Scottish football manager and former player who is the manager of Norwich City. He won numerous trophies as a player, winning the Scottish Cup with St...

 and the 24 goals from free-scoring striker Grant Holt
Grant Holt
Grant Holt is an English footballer, currently playing in the Premier League for Norwich City. He plays as a striker and is club captain....

 saw Norwich City make an immediate return to the Championship. Leeds United secured automatic promotion in the runners-up spot; their season almost fell apart disastrously after they lead the table by eight points at the turn of the year and they also knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup, but Leeds rebounded in the final weeks of the season and ended their three year spell in League One.

Millwall – who narrowly missed out on automatic promotion by just 1 point – beat Swindon in the play-off final, returning to the Championship after a 4-year absence.

Despite being deducted 10 points and missing out on the play-offs, Southampton managed to win the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and prolific striker Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lee Lambert is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Southampton. Born in Fazakerley, Liverpool, Lambert began his professional career with Blackpool in 1998 and later played for Macclesfield Town, Stockport County, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers before moving to Southampton for...

 was the league's top marksman with 30 goals.

Stockport spent the entire season in administration and were subsequently relegated. Southend were faced with financial problems, and were also relegated. Wycombe's first season at this level for six years proved a disappointment, and they were immediately relegated back to League Two. Gillingham also suffered an immediate relegation after their play-off victory the previous year, their inability to win an away fixture all season proved to be their downfall.
PWDLFAGDPts
C 1 Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

46 29 8 9 89 47
42
95
P 2 Leeds United 46 25 11 10 77 44
33
86
P 3 Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

46 24 13 9 76 44
32
85
  4 Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

46 23 15 8 71 48
23
84
  5 Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

46 22 16 8 73 57
16
82
  6 Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

46 23 11 12 82 56
26
80
  7 Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

46 23 14 9 85 47
38
73 A
  8 Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....

46 20 12 14 64 52
12
72
  9 Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

46 14 20 12 55 52
3
62
  10 Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

46 16 14 16 60 63 −3 62
  11 Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....

46 19 5 22 59 70 −11 62
  12 Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...

46 17 9 20 60 68 −8 60
  13 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

46 15 14 17 56 60 −4 59
  14 Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

46 15 13 18 63 66 −3 58
  15 Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...

46 13 14 19 55 59 −4 53
  16 Oldham Athletic 46 13 13 20 39 57 −18 52
  17 Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...

46 13 12 21 53 63 −10 51
  18 Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

46 11 18 17 48 60 −12 51
  19 Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...

46 14 9 23 45 72 −27 51
  20 Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

46 14 11 21 59 67 −8 50*
R 21 Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...

46 12 14 20 48 64 −16 50
R 22 Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...

46 10 15 21 56 76 −20 45
R 23 Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...

46 10 13 23 51 72 −21 43
R 24 Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

46 5 10 31 35 95 −60 25

A – Southampton deducted 10 points for administration entrance.

* – Hartlepool deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player.

Leading goalscorer: Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lee Lambert is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Southampton. Born in Fazakerley, Liverpool, Lambert began his professional career with Blackpool in 1998 and later played for Macclesfield Town, Stockport County, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers before moving to Southampton for...

 (Southampton) - 30

Football League Two

Notts County's season mostly made the headlines for all the wrong reasons, as they were involved in an abortive high-spending takeover by a consortium who bought in Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....

 as Director of Football, and got through four managers during the course of the season. However, they managed to shake off their off-field problems and won the title. Bournemouth continued their revival under Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe
Edward "Eddie" Howe is an English former footballer and manager of Burnley. A defender before retirement who spent much of his career at Bournemouth, he was the youngest manager in the Football League when appointed Bournemouth manager in January 2009.-Playing career:Howe began his professional...

 and won promotion in the runners-up spot. The last automatic promotion spot was won by Rochdale, who were promoted for the first time since 1969

Dagenham and Redbridge won the play-offs, reaching the 2nd tier of the Football League for the first time in their 18 year history.

Darlington were unable to recover from losing many of their players during their spell in administration at the end of the previous season, and were relegated in bottom place, becoming only the third club (after Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

 and Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

) to be relegated to the Football Conference on two separate occasions. Grimsby suffered the relegation that they only avoided the previous year due to Luton Town's
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

 points deduction; their form improved significantly in the final weeks of the season, but they were ultimately undone by an earlier run of nearly five months without a win, and were relegated to the Blue Square Premier
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...

 after losing on the final day.
PWDLFAGDPts
C 1 Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

46 27 12 7 96 31
65
93
P 2 Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....

46 25 8 13 61 44
17
83
P 3 Rochdale 46 25 7 14 82 48
34
82
  4 Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...

46 20 13 13 73 64
9
73
  5 Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

46 21 10 15 55 52
3
73
  6 Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...

46 20 12 14 69 56
13
72
P 7 Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...

46 20 12 14 69 58
11
72
  8 Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...

46 21 7 18 61 62 −1 70
  9 Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...

46 19 12 15 54 59 −5 69
  10 Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

46 17 17 12 61 50
11
68
  11 Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

46 18 13 15 62 53
9
67
  12 Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

46 17 12 17 55 54
1
63
  13 Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...

46 17 11 18 71 70
1
62
  14 Bradford City 46 16 14 16 59 62 −3 62
  15 Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....

46 18 7 21 62 74 −12 61
  16 Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

46 17 8 21 54 65 −11 59
  17 Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...

46 14 15 17 64 55
9
57
  18 Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

46 15 10 21 68 73 −5 55
  19 Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

46 12 18 16 49 58 −9 54
  20 Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

46 13 11 22 42 65 −23 50
  21 Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....

46 12 12 22 47 63 −16 48
  22 Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

46 10 18 18 54 71 −17 48
R 23 Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

46 9 17 20 45 72 −27 44
R 24 Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

46 8 6 32 33 87 −54 30

Leading goalscorer: Lee Hughes
Lee Hughes
Lee Hughes is an English Footballer who plays for Notts County as a striker.-Non-League and West Bromwich Albion:On leaving Bristnall Hall High School, Oldbury in 1992 Hughes started playing semi-professionally in non-League football with Kidderminster Harriers in the Football Conference, as well...

 (Notts County) - 30

Clubs that folded

Club League Date of Dissolution
Newcastle Blue Star
Newcastle Blue Star F.C.
Newcastle Blue Star F.C. was a football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was established in 1930 and joined the Wearside League in 1973. In 1978, it won the FA Vase. Having won promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division at the end of the 2008/09 season via the...

 
Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...

 Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

 
June 2009
King's Lynn
King's Lynn F.C.
King's Lynn F.C. was an English football club based in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Established in 1879, they were wound up at the High Court on 25 November 2009 with debts of £77,000 and went out of business in December after a failed appeal...

 
Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...

 Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

 
25 November 2009
Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

 
Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

 
10 March 2010
Farsley Celtic
Farsley Celtic A.F.C.
Farsley Celtic Association Football Club was an English football club based in Farsley, in the City of Leeds. The club was known by the nicknames of the Villagers and the Celts; their colours were blue and white. Founded in 1908, the club spent their entire existence in non-league football, winning...

 
Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...

 
10 March 2010

Deaths

  • 12 July 2009 – Tommy Cummings
    Tommy Cummings
    Tommy Cummings was an English football player and manager.Cummings was born in Sunderland, and started his football career at Hylton Colliery Juniors. Such was his quality as a centre-half he was invited to Strasbourg in 1947 to represent Great Britain in a junior international tournament...

    , 80, former defender who made 479 appearances for Burnley
    Burnley F.C.
    Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

    , and was a member of the Clarets' side that won the league in 1959–60. Later became player-manager of Mansfield Town
    Mansfield Town F.C.
    Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

    , and also had a short spell as Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

     manager.

  • 21 July 2009 – Dai Lawrence
    Dai Lawrence
    David William "Dai" Lawrence was a Welsh footballer who spent four seasons as a professional at his hometown club Swansea City in the late 1960s and early 1970s....

    , 62, former full-back who played four seasons for Swansea City
    Swansea City A.F.C.
    Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

     in the late 1960s.

  • 31 July 2009 – Sir Bobby Robson
    Bobby Robson
    Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....

    , 76, former inside-forward and manager. As a player, he played for Fulham
    Fulham F.C.
    Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

     and West Bromwich Albion
    West Bromwich Albion F.C.
    West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

    , and won 20 caps for England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

    . As manager, he reached even greater heights, being appointed to Ipswich Town
    Ipswich Town F.C.
    Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

     in 1969 and over the next 13 years taking them to FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

     and UEFA Cup
    UEFA Cup
    The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

     glory (also finishing second in the league in his final two seasons as manager), before leaving in 1982 to manage England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

     for eight years during which they reached the quarter-final of the World Cup in 1986 and to the semi-final in 1990, only losing on penalties. He later managed PSV Eindhoven of Holland, FC Porto of Portugal and FC Barcelona
    FC Barcelona
    Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

     of Spain, before returning home to manage his boyhood favourites Newcastle United
    Newcastle United F.C.
    Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

     from 1999 to 2004, during which time they qualified for Europe on three occasions. He was knighted for his services to football in 2002. His death came after a 17-year battle against cancer which had gone into remission four times.

  • 2 August 2009 – Joe Livingstone
    Joe Livingstone
    Joseph "Joe" Livingstone was an English footballer. He began his professional career in 1960 at his hometown club Middlesbrough, where he was understudy to star striker Brian Clough...

    , 67, former striker who scored 42 goals in 82 appearances for Carlisle United
    Carlisle United F.C.
    Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

    , and also played for Middlesbrough
    Middlesbrough F.C.
    Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

     and Hartlepool United
    Hartlepool United F.C.
    Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

    .

  • 9 August 2009 – Tommy Clinton
    Tommy Clinton
    Thomas "Tommy" Clinton was a former professional footballer.Clinton began his career at Dundalk in his native Ireland before joining Everton in March 1948...

    , 83, former defender who spent eight seasons at Everton
    Everton F.C.
    Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

    , and was capped three times by the Republic of Ireland
    Republic of Ireland national football team
    The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

    . Also played briefly for Blackburn Rovers
    Blackburn Rovers F.C.
    Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

     and Tranmere Rovers
    Tranmere Rovers F.C.
    Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...

    .

  • 19 August 2009 – Bobby Thomson
    Bobby Thomson (footballer born 1943)
    Robert Anthony "Bobby" Thomson was an English professional footballer. He made 478 appearances in the Football League and won eight caps for England....

    , 65, full-back capped eight times by England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

    . He played 278 league games for Wolverhampton Wanderers
    Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
    Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

    , 110 for Luton Town
    Luton Town F.C.
    Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

     and also played for Birmingham City
    Birmingham City F.C.
    Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

    , Walsall
    Walsall F.C.
    Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

    , Port Vale
    Port Vale F.C.
    Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

    , and in the United States.

  • 13 September 2009 – Paul Shirtliff
    Paul Shirtliff
    Paul Robert Shirtliff was an English footballer who played as a defender in The Football League for Sheffield Wednesday and Northampton Town, but spent the majority of his career in non-league football...

    , 46, former defender who played in The Football League for Sheffield Wednesday
    Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
    Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

     and Northampton Town
    Northampton Town F.C.
    Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

    , and also had a long career at non-league level.

  • 24 September 2009 – Terry Bly
    Terry Bly
    Terence Geoffrey Bly was an English football striker.-Career:He was renowned for his goalscoring prowess, most notably for Norwich City and Peterborough United, scoring a record 52 goals in the latter's inaugural Football League season of 1960–61...

    , 73, former striker who most notably holds the post-war single-season goalscoring record in The Football League
    The Football League
    The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

    , having scored 52 goals for Peterborough United
    Peterborough United F.C.
    Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

     in 1960–61. Also played for Norwich City
    Norwich City F.C.
    Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

    , Coventry City
    Coventry City F.C.
    Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

     and Notts County
    Notts County F.C.
    Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

    .

  • 26 September 2009 – Geoff Barrowcliffe, 77, former Derby County
    Derby County F.C.
    Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

     full-back who spent 16 seasons with the Rams, playing more than 500 first-team games. He also played for several non-league clubs including Ilkeston Town
    Ilkeston Town F.C.
    Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....

     and Boston United
    Boston United F.C.
    Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...

    .

  • 5 October 2009 – Tommy Capel
    Tommy Capel
    Thomas A. "Tommy" Capel was an English professional footballer who scored 120 goals from 276 appearances in the Football League playing for Manchester City, Chesterfield, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Coventry City and Halifax Town...

    , 87, former inside-forward who most notably played five seasons for Nottingham Forest
    Nottingham Forest F.C.
    Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

    , where he scored 72 goals in 162 appearances. Also played for Manchester City
    Manchester City F.C.
    Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

    , Chesterfield
    Chesterfield F.C.
    Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...

    , Birmingham City
    Birmingham City F.C.
    Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

    , Coventry City
    Coventry City F.C.
    Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

     and Halifax Town
    Halifax Town A.F.C.
    Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

    .

  • 8 October 2009 – Alex McCrae
    Alex McCrae
    Alex McCrae is a Scottish former football player who played for Hearts, Charlton Athletic, Middlesbrough and Falkirk during his career.-Playing career:McCrae began his career at Hearts in 1941...

    , 89, former inside-forward who scored 49 goals in a five-year spell with Middlesbrough
    Middlesbrough F.C.
    Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

     in the early 1950s. Also played for Charlton Athletic
    Charlton Athletic F.C.
    Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

    , and for Hearts
    Heart of Midlothian F.C.
    Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...

     and Falkirk
    Falkirk F.C.
    Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...

     in his native Scotland.

  • 12 October 2009 – Stan Palk, 87, former inside-forward who played for Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

     and Port Vale
    Port Vale F.C.
    Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

     in the immediate post-war years.

  • 17 October 2009 – David Burnside
    David Burnside (footballer)
    David Gort Burnside was an English footballer, who played as an attacking midfielder. He played for various clubs, including West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Football League First Division, before becoming a youth trainer with England and then briefly manager at Bristol...

    , 69, former midfielder who played for a number of clubs, but is probably best remembered from his five-year spell with West Bromwich Albion
    West Bromwich Albion F.C.
    West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

    . Some of his other clubs include Southampton
    Southampton F.C.
    Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

    , Crystal Palace
    Crystal Palace F.C.
    Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

    , Wolverhampton Wanderers
    Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
    Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

     and Plymouth Argyle
    Plymouth Argyle F.C.
    Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

    .

  • 21 October 2009 – John Jarman
    John Jarman (footballer)
    John Emlyn Jarman was a Welsh footballer and coach.As a player, Jarman began his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but never played for the club, in part because of a serious knee injury. He was sold to Barnsley in 1950 for an £8,000 transfer fee. In six years at Oakwell, he played 47 games and...

    , 78, former Barnsley
    Barnsley F.C.
    Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

     and Walsall
    Walsall F.C.
    Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

     wing-half, who later worked as a coach for Wolverhampton Wanderers
    Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
    Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

    , West Bromwich Albion
    West Bromwich Albion F.C.
    West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

    , Mansfield Town
    Mansfield Town F.C.
    Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

     and Derby County
    Derby County F.C.
    Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

    .

  • 22 October 2009 – Ray Lambert
    Ray Lambert
    Raymond Lambert was a Welsh footballer who played for Liverpool.-Life and playing career:Born in Bagillt, Flintshire, Wales, Lambert joined the Reds as an amateur schoolboy in 1936 aged 13. In doing so, he set the record for being the youngest ever player to join a league side...

    , 87, former Wales
    Wales national football team
    The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

     international full-back who played more than 300 games for Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

    , where he won the 1946–47 league title.

  • 2 November 2009 – Keith Kettleborough
    Keith Kettleborough
    Keith Frank Kettleborough was an English professional footballer born in Rotherham, Yorkshire, who made more than 400 appearances in the Football League playing for Rotherham United, Sheffield United, Newcastle United, Doncaster Rovers and Chesterfield.Kettleborough started his football career...

    , 74, former inside-forward who spent the majority of his career with Rotherham United
    Rotherham United F.C.
    Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

     and Sheffield United
    Sheffield United F.C.
    Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

    , and also had a spell as player-manager at Doncaster Rovers
    Doncaster Rovers F.C.
    Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

    .

  • 7 November 2009 – Billy Ingham
    Billy Ingham
    William Charles "Billy" Ingham was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Stakeford, Ingham began his career with Football League Second Division side Burnley, making his senior debut in 1972...

    , 57, former Burnley
    Burnley F.C.
    Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

     midfielder who spent eleven years with the Clarets, playing more than 250 games for the club before finishing his career with a spell at Bradford City
    Bradford City A.F.C.
    Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

    .

  • 15 November 2009 – Ray Charnley
    Ray Charnley
    Raymond Ogden "Ray" Charnley was an English professional footballer. He was a centre forward and was one of the most prolific scorers for Blackpool, with whom he spent ten years, including all but one season in the top flight of English football.With 193 goals in 363 league games, Charnley is the...

    , 74, former Blackpool
    Blackpool F.C.
    Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

     striker who is one of the Seasiders' most prolific scorers of all time, with 222 goals in 407 appearances for the club. He won one England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

     cap while at Blackpool, and also played for Morecambe
    Morecambe F.C.
    Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...

    , Wrexham and Bradford Park Avenue.

  • 15 November 2009 – Don Martin
    Don Martin (footballer)
    Don Martin was an English professional footballer who played for Northampton Town and Blackburn Rovers.-Career:...

    , 65, former striker who scored more than 100 goals in a 16-year career with Northampton Town
    Northampton Town F.C.
    Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

     and Blackburn Rovers
    Blackburn Rovers F.C.
    Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

    .

  • 23 November 2009 – Tony Parry
    Tony Parry
    Anthony John "Tony" Parry was an English former footballer who made nearly 200 appearances in the Football League playing as a central defender for Hartlepool United, Derby County and Mansfield Town....

    , 64, former central defender who spent the majority of his nine-year professional career with Hartlepool United
    Hartlepool United F.C.
    Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

    , and also had a brief spell with Derby County
    Derby County F.C.
    Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

     before dropping down to non-league football.

  • 25 November 2009 – Mike Tiddy
    Mike Tiddy
    Michael Douglas "Mike" Tiddy is an English former professional footballer and manager.-Career:Born in Cadgwith, Cornwall, Tiddy joined Torquay United at the end of World War II but was forced to wait two years to play for the club while he finished his National Service...

    , 80, former winger who began his career at Torquay United
    Torquay United F.C.
    Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...

     before making over 100 appearances with Cardiff City
    Cardiff City F.C.
    Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

     and Brighton & Hove Albion
    Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
    Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

     as well as making over 50 appearances for Arsenal
    Arsenal F.C.
    Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

    .

  • 29 November 2009 – George Cummins
    George Cummins (footballer)
    George Cummins was an Irish professional footballer.Cummins was an inside forward who played for St. Patricks Athletic before joining Everton in 1951. He made just 24 appearances for the Merseyside club and didn't score before moving on to Luton Town in 1953...

    , 78, former inside-forward who began his career at Everton
    Everton F.C.
    Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

    , but spent the majority of his 12-year professional career with Luton Town
    Luton Town F.C.
    Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

    . He also had a brief spell at Hull City
    Hull City A.F.C.
    Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

    , and was capped 19 times for the Republic of Ireland
    Republic of Ireland national football team
    The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

    .

  • 1 December 2009 – Neil Dougall
    Neil Dougall
    Cornelius "Neil" Dougall was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside right or wing half. He played more than 350 games in the Football League and won one cap for Scotland....

    , 88, inside-forward or wing-half who played nearly 100 games for Birmingham City
    Birmingham City F.C.
    Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

     and more than 300 for Plymouth Argyle
    Plymouth Argyle F.C.
    Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

    , a club he later managed. Capped once for Scotland
    Scotland national football team
    The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

    .

  • 14 December 2009 – Alan A'Court
    Alan A'Court
    Alan A'Court was an English footballer who mostly played for Liverpool.- Life and playing career :Born in Rainhill, Lancashire, England, A'Court was a winger who started out at Prescot Cables as an amateur before he was signed by Reds manager Don Welsh...

    , 75, former Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

     winger who spent 13 seasons with the Reds, playing 382 games, before finishing his career at Tranmere Rovers
    Tranmere Rovers F.C.
    Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...

    . He was also capped five times by England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

    , and played for his country in the 1958 World Cup
    1958 FIFA World Cup
    The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...

    .

  • 16 December 2009 – Dennis Herod
    Dennis Herod
    Dennis Herod was an English former footballer.-Playing career:A small but agile goalkeeper, Herod rose through the junior ranks of Stoke City to sign professional forms in 1946. Over the next seven years he played 191 league games for the Potters and during a game against Aston Villa in February...

    , 86, former Stoke City
    Stoke City F.C.
    Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

     goalkeeper who was a member of the team that came within two points of winning the league title in 1946–47, and famously scored a goal for the club in 1952 against Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

    . Also played for Stockport County
    Stockport County F.C.
    Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

    .

  • 20 December 2009 – Jack Brownsword
    Jack Brownsword
    Jack Brownsword was a professional footballer who spent 18 seasons with Scunthorpe United, and holds the club's all-time appearance record, having played 597 league games, and 791 first-team games overall for the club. He was a defender, playing in the left-back position.-Career:Jack was a...

    , 86, former left-back who spent nearly his entire career with Scunthorpe United
    Scunthorpe United F.C.
    Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

    , playing a club-record 597 league appearances for the Iron between 1950 and 1964. Also had a brief spell with Hull City
    Hull City A.F.C.
    Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

     prior to joining Scunthorpe.

  • 22 December 2009 – Albert Scanlon
    Albert Scanlon
    Albert Joseph Scanlon was an English football player. He began his career with Manchester United and was one of the "Busby Babes" who survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. Although he sustained severe injuries, he recovered and continued to play league football for Newcastle United, Lincoln...

    , 74, former Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     winger and Busby Babe
    Busby Babes
    The Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...

     who survived the Munich Air Disaster
    Munich air disaster
    The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...

    . Played 115 league games for the Red Devils, and was a member of the 1955–56 and 1956–57 championship-winning sides. Later played for Newcastle United
    Newcastle United F.C.
    Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

    , Lincoln City
    Lincoln City F.C.
    Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

     and Mansfield Town
    Mansfield Town F.C.
    Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

    .

  • 7 January 2010 – Alex Parker
    Alex Parker
    Alexander "Alex" Hershaw Parker was a Scottish football player and manager who played for Falkirk, Everton and Scotland, amongst others. Parker was named in Falkirk's Team of the Millennium and Everton's Hall of Fame....

    , 74, former full-back who was a member of Everton
    Everton F.C.
    Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

    's 1962–63 championship-winning side, and played for Scotland
    Scotland national football team
    The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

     in the 1958 World Cup
    1958 FIFA World Cup
    The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...

    . Also played for Falkirk
    Falkirk F.C.
    Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...

     and Southport
    Southport F.C.
    Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...

    .

  • 20 January 2010 – Jack Parry
    Jack Parry
    Brynley John "Jack" Parry was a Welsh former professional footballer. During his career he made almost 100 appearances for Swansea Town and 138 appearances for Ipswich Town between 1951 and 1955....

    , 86, former goalkeeper who played for Swansea Town
    Swansea City A.F.C.
    Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

     and Ipswich Town
    Ipswich Town F.C.
    Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

    , and was capped once by Wales
    Wales national football team
    The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

     in 1951.

  • 30 January 2010 – Jackie Newton
    Jackie Newton
    John Laws "Jackie" Newton was an English footballer who played as a wing-half for Hartlepool United from 1946 to 1958, making 361 first-team appearances, and scoring 19 goals....

    , 84, former wing-half who spent 12 years with Hartlepool United
    Hartlepool United F.C.
    Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

    , making 361 first-team appearances. Began his career at Newcastle United
    Newcastle United F.C.
    Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

    , but failed to make an appearance for the Magpies.

  • 3 February 2010 – Gil Merrick
    Gil Merrick
    Gilbert Harold "Gil" Merrick , was an English footballer and football manager. Considered one of the best goalkeepers in the UK during the mid-1950s, Merrick was one in a long line of great Birmingham City keepers which included the likes of Johnny Schofield and Harry Hibbs...

    , 88, former Birmingham City
    Birmingham City F.C.
    Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

     goalkeeper and manager who served the club for more than 25 years. As a player, he appeared in 485 league games for the Blues, and was also capped 23 times by England
    England national football team
    The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

    , playing in the 1954 World Cup
    1954 FIFA World Cup
    The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...

    . As manager, he won the 1963 League Cup
    1963 Football League Cup Final
    The 1963 Football League Cup Final, the third to be staged since the competition's inception, was contested between local rivals Birmingham City and Aston Villa over two legs. Aston Villa had won the inaugural competition in 1960–61, and had beaten Birmingham 4–0 in their most recent...

    , beating arch-rivals Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

     in the final.

  • 11 February 2010 – Petar Borota
    Petar Borota
    Petar Borota was a Serbian footballer who played as a goalkeeper, most notably for Partizan and Chelsea....

    , 56, Serbia
    Serbia
    Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

    n goalkeeper who played for Chelsea
    Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

     between 1979 and 1982, and whose other clubs include Partizan Belgrade
    FK Partizan
    Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...

     and FC Porto. Won four caps for the former Yugoslavia
    Yugoslavia national football team
    The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...

    .

  • 11 February 2010 – Brian Godfrey
    Brian Godfrey
    Brian Cameron Godfrey was a Welsh international footballer.Brian was an inside forward who started his league career at Everton where he only made one appearance before joining Scunthorpe United in June 1960...

    , 69, former striker who played for six clubs, most notably Scunthorpe United
    Scunthorpe United F.C.
    Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

    , Preston North End
    Preston North End F.C.
    Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

     and Aston Villa
    Aston Villa F.C.
    Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

    , where he played in the 1971 League Cup final
    1971 Football League Cup Final
    The 1971 Football League Cup Final took place in February 1971 at Wembley Stadium. It was the eleventh Football League Cup final and the fifth to be played at Wembley.It was contested between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa...

    . He also won three caps for Wales
    Wales national football team
    The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

    , and was manager at Exeter City
    Exeter City F.C.
    Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

     and several non-league clubs.

  • 22 February 2010 – Bobby Smith, 56, former midfielder who spent eight seasons at Leicester City
    Leicester City F.C.
    Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

     between 1978 and 1986, and also had a long career in his native Scotland, mostly with Hibernian
    Hibernian F.C.
    Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

     and Dunfermline Athletic
    Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
    Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....

    .

  • 27 February 2010 – Charlie Crowe
    Charlie Crowe
    Charles "Charlie" Crowe was an English footballer who played as a defender. He spent the majority of his career at his hometown club Newcastle United. He also spent a season at Mansfield at the end of his career.-Career:...

    , 85, former Newcastle United
    Newcastle United F.C.
    Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

     defender who was a member of the Magpies' 1951 FA Cup
    1951 FA Cup Final
    The 1951 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Blackpool at Wembley on 28 April 1951. Newcastle won 2–0, with both goals scored by Jackie Milburn....

     winning side. Also played for Mansfield Town
    Mansfield Town F.C.
    Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

     at the tail end of his career.

  • 28 February 2010 – Adam Blacklaw
    Adam Blacklaw
    Adam Smith Blacklaw was a Scottish professional football player who played as a goalkeeper.Blacklaw joined the Burnley ground staff as a schoolboy apprentice in 1954, directly from Frederick Street School in Aberdeen, earning a professional contract in October of that year...

    , 72, former Burnley
    Burnley F.C.
    Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

     goalkeeper who played more than 300 games for the Clarets, and was a member of Burnley's 1959–60 championship-winning squad. Also played for Blackburn Rovers
    Blackburn Rovers F.C.
    Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

    , and Scotland
    Scotland national football team
    The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

     at international level.

  • 3 March 2010 – Keith Alexander
    Keith Alexander (footballer)
    Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...

    , 53, manager and former striker who was manager of Macclesfield Town
    Macclesfield Town F.C.
    Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

     at the time of his death, and had also managed Lincoln City
    Lincoln City F.C.
    Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

     and Peterborough United
    Peterborough United F.C.
    Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

     earlier in his career. As player, he was a journeyman striker who spent most of his career in non-league football, but also had a few spells in the Football League, primarily with Grimsby Town
    Grimsby Town F.C.
    Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

     and Lincoln City.

  • 4 March 2010 – Tony Richards
    Tony Richards (footballer)
    Anthony Willis "Tony" Richards was an English footballer who played as a forward. He played for Walsall for nine years between 1954 and 1963, and also turned out for Birmingham City and Port Vale, as well as non-league sides Nuneaton Borough and Dudley Town.-Early life:Richards was in the Army...

    , 75, former striker who is Walsall
    Walsall F.C.
    Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

    's second-leading scorer of all time with 185 league goals for the Saddlers between 1954 and 1963. Also spent three seasons with Port Vale
    Port Vale F.C.
    Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

    .

  • 15 March 2010 – Charlie Ashcroft
    Charlie Ashcroft
    Charlie Ashcroft was an English footballer.His first club was Eccleston Juniors, whom he left in May 1946 for Liverpool...

    , 83, former goalkeeper who spent nine years at Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

    , mostly as the team's second-choice 'keeper, and also had spells at Ipswich Town
    Ipswich Town F.C.
    Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

     and Coventry City
    Coventry City F.C.
    Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

     late in his career.

  • 19 March 2010 – Bob Curtis
    Bob Curtis (footballer)
    Robert Dennis "Bob" Curtis was an English football player who played as a right full back, most notably for Charlton Athletic...

    , 60, former right-back who made more than 350 appearances for Charlton Athletic
    Charlton Athletic F.C.
    Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

     during an 11-year spell at The Valley. Also played for Mansfield Town
    Mansfield Town F.C.
    Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

     and Kettering Town
    Kettering Town F.C.
    Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...

    .

  • 24 March 2010 – George Luke
    George Luke
    George Luke was an English footballer who played as a left-winger for Newcastle United, Hartlepools United and Darlington in the 1950s and early 1960s....

    , 76, former left-winger who spent his entire career in the North East
    North East England
    North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...

    , playing almost 200 games for Hartlepools United
    Hartlepool United F.C.
    Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

     before joining Newcastle United
    Newcastle United F.C.
    Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

    , where he stayed just over a year before finishing his career with Darlington
    Darlington F.C.
    Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

    .

  • 6 April 2010 – Sid Storey
    Sid Storey
    Sidney "Sid" Storey was an English footballer who played as an inside forward.Storey played for Ardsley Welfare and Grimethorpe Athletic in non-League football while working as a miner, before joining Huddersfield Town in 1943. After leaving them he played for Wombwell Athletic before moving to...

    , 90, former inside-forward who spent nine years at York City
    York City F.C.
    York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

    , where he played more than 350 games and scored 42 goals. Also had short spells with Barnsley
    Barnsley F.C.
    Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

     and Accrington Stanley
    Accrington Stanley F.C.
    Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....

    .

  • 8 April 2010 – Stan Smith
    Stan Smith (footballer)
    Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,...

    , 79, former inside-forward who spent most of his career with Port Vale
    Port Vale F.C.
    Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

    , and also played for Crewe Alexandra
    Crewe Alexandra F.C.
    Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

     and Oldham Athletic
    Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
    Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

    .

  • 11 April 2010 – John Batchelor
    John Batchelor (racing)
    William John Batchelor , more commonly known as John Batchelor, was an English racing driver, businessman, political activist, and football investor. He was chairman of York City F.C...

    , 51, controversial former owner and chairman of York City
    York City F.C.
    York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

    .

  • 13 April 2010 – Charlie Timmins
    Charlie Timmins
    Charles "Charlie" Timmins was an English former footballer.Born in Birmingham, Timmins signed for Birmingham City before the Second World War. However, his registration papers were lost after heavy bombing in the Birmingham area...

    , 87, former Coventry City
    Coventry City F.C.
    Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

     full-back who spent his entire ten-year professional career at Highfield Road.

  • 21 April 2010 – Tony Ingham
    Tony Ingham
    Anthony "Tony" Ingham was an English professional footballer who played more than 500 games in the Football League as a defender for Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers...

    , 85, former full-back who spent most of his career at Queens Park Rangers
    Queens Park Rangers F.C.
    Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

    , where he made a club-record 514 league appearances between 1950 and 1963, and later spent many years as QPR's commercial director after retiring as a player. Began his career at Leeds United.

  • 25 April 2010 – Ian Lawther, 70, former Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland national football team
    The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

     international striker who played 17 seasons in The Football League for six different clubs, most notably Sunderland
    Sunderland A.F.C.
    Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

     and Blackburn Rovers
    Blackburn Rovers F.C.
    Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

    . Capped four times for Northern Ireland.

  • 11 May 2010 – Brian Gibson
    Brian Gibson (footballer)
    Brian Gibson was an English former professional footballer born in Huddersfield, who played as a defender in the Football League for Huddersfield Town.-References:...

    , 82, former Huddersfield Town
    Huddersfield Town F.C.
    Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

     full-back who played 171 first-team games for the Terriers, his only club at professional level.

  • 15 May 2010 – Besian Idrizaj
    Besian Idrizaj
    Besian Idrizaj was an Austrian professional football player who last played as a striker for Swansea City. He was ethnic Albanian.He died of a suspected heart attack on 15 May 2010 at the age of 22.-Liverpool:...

    , 22, Swansea City
    Swansea City A.F.C.
    Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

     striker who died from a heart attack while visiting his family in Austria. He had played three games for the Swans during the 2009–10 season, and was previously on the books of Liverpool
    Liverpool F.C.
    Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

    , with loan spells at Luton Town
    Luton Town F.C.
    Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

     and Crystal Palace
    Crystal Palace F.C.
    Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

    . He was also a former Austria under-21
    Austria national under-21 football team
    The Austria national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Austria and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association....

    international.
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