1958–59 in English football

{{Short description|79th season of competitive football in England}}

{{Infobox football country season

| country = England

| season = 1958–59

| division1 = First Division

| champions1 = Wolverhampton Wanderers

| division2 = Second Division

| champions2 = Sheffield Wednesday

| division3 = Third Division

| champions3 = Plymouth Argyle

| division4 = Fourth Division

| champions4 = Port Vale

| division5 =

| champions5 =

| domestic = FA Cup

| dchampions = Nottingham Forest

| domestic2 = FA Amateur Cup

| dchampions2 =

| leaguecup =

| lchampions =

| supercup = Charity Shield

| schampions = Bolton Wanderers

| prevseason = 1957–58

| nextseason = 1959–60

| flagicon = yes

}}

The 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.

Diary of the season

August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.

30 August 1958: The Football Association snub Manchester United's wish to participate in the 1958–59 European Cup.{{cite news|title=United Forbidden To Represent UK|date=1 September 1958|access-date=8 January 2015|agency=Reuters|newspaper=The Gazette|location=Montreal|page=10|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eowxAAAAIBAJ&pg=4623%2C57906}}

September 1958: Manchester United pay a national record fee of £45,000 for Sheffield Wednesday inside-forward Albert Quixall.{{cite news|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/stockportexpress/news/s/309530_stars_turn_out_for_alberts_big_day.html|title=Stars turn out for Albert's big day|work=Stockport Express|date=2 August 2002|publisher=M.E.N. Media}}

12 November 1958: Wolverhampton Wanderers play their first European Cup game, drawing 2–2 at home to Schalke 04 in the first round first leg.

18 November 1958: Wolverhampton Wanderers lose 2–1 to Schalke 04 in the European Cup first round second leg in West Germany, ending their hopes of being the first team other than Real Madrid (winners of the first three competitions) to win the European Cup.

15 January 1959: Second Division Liverpool suffer a shock FA Cup third round exit when they lose 2-1 to non league Worcester City.{{cite web|author=Statistics |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Stats/Article/2561 |title=A timeline for Liverpool Football Club |publisher=LFChistory.net |access-date=7 August 2011}}

4 April 1959: Jeff Hall, 29, right-back for Birmingham City and England, dies from polio, prompting widespread takeup of the polio vaccine.{{cite news|title=The forgotten story of … Jeff Hall, the footballer whose death turned tide against polio|first=Simon|last=Burnton|date=9 December 2016|access-date=15 July 2017|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/dec/09/fogotten-story-jeff-hall-death-polio-birmingham-city}}

2 May 1959: Nottingham Forest defeat Luton Town 2–1 in the 1959 FA Cup Final.

Notable debutants

8 September 1958: Bobby Moore, 17-year-old wing-half, makes his debut for West Ham United against Manchester United in the First Division.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bobbymooreonline.co.uk/Fact.html |title=Fact |access-date=2013-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814043520/http://bobbymooreonline.co.uk/Fact.html |archive-date=2013-08-14 |url-status=dead }}

Notable retirements

May 1959: Billy Wright, 35, Wolverhampton Wanderers and England captain, after more than 500 appearances for his club and a record 105 for his country.{{Cite web |url=http://www.thewolvessite.co.uk/bwright.htm |title='The Wolves' Site Old Gold, Billy Wright CBE |access-date=2013-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513164020/http://www.thewolvessite.co.uk/bwright.htm |archive-date=2008-05-13 |url-status=dead }}

June 1959: Jackie Blanchflower, 26, Manchester United and Northern Ireland centre-half, who announced his retirement as a player after failing to recover sufficiently from injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster 16 months earlier.{{cite web | url=http://www.soccer-ireland.com/manchester-united/jackie-blanchflower.htm | title=Jackie Blanchflower | publisher=Soccer Ireland | access-date=5 July 2020}}

Honours

style="width:15em"\|Competition	style="width:15em"\|Winner	style="width:15em"\|Runner-up
class="wikitable"
First Division	Wolverhampton Wanderers (3)	Manchester United
Second Division	Sheffield Wednesday	Fulham
Third Division	Plymouth Argyle	Hull City
Fourth Division	Port Vale	Coventry City
FA Cup	Nottingham Forest (2)	Luton Town
Charity Shield	Bolton Wanderers	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Home Championship	colspan=2\|Shared by {{fb\|ENG}} & {{fb\|NIR}}

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

Awards

Football Writers' Association

Footballer of the Year – Syd Owen (Luton Town)

Football League

=First Division=

In the last season of captain Billy Wright's playing career, Wolves retained their First Division title – the third time they had been league champions in six seasons. There was every reason to hope for continued success in the post-Wright era, though, with younger players like Bobby Mason and Mickey Lill excelling in the team. Manchester United enjoyed a good return in the season following the Munich tragedy, as new signings and younger players integrated with crash survivors to achieve runners-up spot in the league. Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion completed the top five, while newly promoted West Ham United recorded their highest league finish yet by finishing sixth.

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=QR

|use_goal_average=y

|winpoints=2

|team1=WOL|name_WOL=Wolverhampton Wanderers

|team2=MUN|name_MUN=Manchester United

|team3=ARS|name_ARS=Arsenal

|team4=BOL|name_BOL=Bolton Wanderers

|team5=WBA|name_WBA=West Bromwich Albion

|team6=WHU|name_WHU=West Ham United

|team7=BUR|name_BUR=Burnley

|team8=BLP|name_BLP=Blackpool

|team9=BIR|name_BIR=Birmingham City

|team10=BLB|name_BLB=Blackburn Rovers

|team11=NEW|name_NEW=Newcastle United

|team12=PNE|name_PNE=Preston North End

|team13=NOT|name_NOT=Nottingham Forest

|team14=CHE|name_CHE=Chelsea

|team15=LEE|name_LEE=Leeds United

|team16=EVE|name_EVE=Everton

|team17=LUT|name_LUT=Luton Town

|team18=TOT|name_TOT=Tottenham Hotspur

|team19=LEI|name_LEI=Leicester City

|team20=MCI|name_MCI=Manchester City

|team21=AST|name_AST=Aston Villa

|team22=POR|name_POR=Portsmouth

|col_EC=#CCFFCC|text_EC=Qualified for the European Cup

|result1=EC

|col_R=#FFCCCC|text_R=Relegated to the Second Division

|result21=R|result22=R

|update=complete

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1958-59.html rsssf.com]

}}

=Second Division=

Sheffield Wednesday sealed an immediate return to the First Division as Second Division champions, being joined by runners-up Fulham.

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=QR

|use_goal_average=y

|winpoints=2

|team1=SHW|name_SHW=Sheffield Wednesday

|team2=FUL|name_FUL=Fulham

|team3=SHU|name_SHU=Sheffield United

|team4=LIV|name_LIV=Liverpool

|team5=STK|name_STK=Stoke City

|team6=BRR|name_BRR=Bristol Rovers

|team7=DER|name_DER=Derby County

|team8=CHA|name_CHA=Charlton Athletic

|team9=CAR|name_CAR=Cardiff City

|team10=BRI|name_BRI=Bristol City

|team11=SWA|name_SWA=Swansea Town

|team12=B&HA|name_B&HA=Brighton & Hove Albion

|team13=MID|name_MID=Middlesbrough

|team14=HUD|name_HUD=Huddersfield Town

|team15=SUN|name_SUN=Sunderland

|team16=IPS|name_IPS=Ipswich Town

|team17=LEY|name_LEY=Leyton Orient

|team18=SCU|name_SCU=Scunthorpe United

|team19=LIN|name_LIN=Lincoln City

|team20=ROT|name_ROT=Rotherham United

|team21=GRI|name_GRI=Grimsby Town

|team22=BAR|name_BAR=Barnsley

|col_P=#CCFFCC|text_P=Promoted to the First Division

|result1=P|result2=P

|col_R=#FFCCCC|text_R=Relegated to the Third Division

|result21=R|result22=R

|update=complete

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1958-59.html rsssf.com]

}}

=Third Division=

Plymouth Argyle won the first championship of the new national Third Division, with Hull City finishing one point behind them in second place. Norwich City made the headlines with their run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, but the cup run distracted them from the league as fourth place in the final table was not enough for promotion.

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=QR

|use_goal_average=y

|winpoints=2

|team1=PLY|name_PLY=Plymouth Argyle

|team2=HUL|name_HUL=Hull City

|team3=BRE|name_BRE=Brentford

|team4=NWC|name_NWC=Norwich City

|team5=COL|name_COL=Colchester United

|team6=REA|name_REA=Reading

|team7=TRA|name_TRA=Tranmere Rovers

|team8=STD|name_STD=Southend United

|team9=HAL|name_HAL=Halifax Town

|team10=Bury|name_Bury=Bury

|team11=BRA|name_BRA=Bradford City

|team12=B&BA|name_B&BA=Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic

|team13=QPR|name_QPR=Queens Park Rangers

|team14=SOU|name_SOU=Southampton

|team15=SWI|name_SWI=Swindon Town

|team16=CHF|name_CHF=Chesterfield

|team17=NPC|name_NPC=Newport County

|team18=WRE|name_WRE=Wrexham

|team19=ACC|name_ACC=Accrington Stanley

|team20=MAN|name_MAN=Mansfield Town

|team21=STP|name_STP=Stockport County

|team22=DON|name_DON=Doncaster Rovers

|team23=NTC|name_NTC=Notts County

|team24=ROC|name_ROC=Rochdale

|col_P=#CCFFCC|text_P=Promoted to the Second Division

|result1=P|result2=P

|col_R=#FFCCCC|text_R=Relegated to the Fourth Division

|result21=R|result22=R|result23=R|result24=R

|update=complete

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1958-59.html rsssf.com]

}}

=Fourth Division=

Port Vale were champions of the new Fourth Division, and were joined in promotion by Coventry City, York City and Shrewsbury Town.

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=QR

|use_goal_average=y

|winpoints=2

|team1=PTV|name_PTV=Port Vale

|team2=COV|name_COV=Coventry City

|team3=YOR|name_YOR=York City

|team4=SHR|name_SHR=Shrewsbury Town

|team5=EXE|name_EXE=Exeter City

|team6=WAL|name_WAL=Walsall

|team7=CRY|name_CRY=Crystal Palace

|team8=NOR|name_NOR=Northampton Town

|team9=MIL|name_MIL=Millwall

|team10=CRL|name_CRL=Carlisle United

|team11=GIL|name_GIL=Gillingham

|team12=TOR|name_TOR=Torquay United

|team13=CHE|name_CHE=Chester

|team14=BPA|name_BPA=Bradford Park Avenue

|team15=WAT|name_WAT=Watford

|team16=DAR|name_DAR=Darlington

|team17=WRK|name_WRK=Workington

|team18=CRE|name_CRE=Crewe Alexandra

|team19=HAR|name_HAR=Hartlepools United

|team20=GAT|name_GAT=Gateshead

|team21=OLD|name_OLD=Oldham Athletic

|team22=ALD|name_ALD=Aldershot

|team23=BRW|name_BRW=Barrow

|team24=SOU|name_SOU=Southport

|col_P=#CCFFCC|text_P=Promoted to the Third Division

|result1=P|result2=P|result3=P|result4=P

|col_RE=#CCCCCC|text_RE=Re-elected

|result21=RE|result22=RE|result23=RE|result24=RE

|update=complete

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1958-59.html rsssf.com]

}}

=Top goalscorers=

First Division

Jimmy Greaves (Chelsea) – 33 goals{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html |title = English League Leading Goalscorers |website=RSSSF |access-date = 2017-06-04}}

Second Division

Brian Clough (Middlesbrough) – 42 goals

Third Division

Jim Towers (Brentford) – 32 goals

Fourth Division

Arthur Rowley (Shrewsbury Town) – 37 goals

National team

Although the England national football team eventually shared victory in the 1959 British Home Championship with Northern Ireland, it was a tough year without so many of the squad's key players lost in the Munich air disaster the year before. The season concluded with a disastrous tour of the Americas, in which the team lost three successive games before restoring some pride in the final match against the USA. The final game against the USA was also the last match for veteran defender and captain Billy Wright after a then record 105 caps. The match was played in front of just 13,000 fans on a gravel pitch in Los Angeles.