Between the 1992-93 and 2004-05 season, the Football League Second Division was the second-highest division of The Football League and the third-highest division in the overall English football league system. Before that it was the second division overall, but that ended with the creation of the FA Premier League prior to the start of the 1992-93 season.

The Second Division was replaced by Football League One prior to the start of the 2004/05 season.

Contents

1 Overview 2 Previous League champions 2.1 Winners of the old format Second Division (1893-1992) Now: Football League Championship 2.2 Winners of the new format Second Division (1993-2004)

Overview

At the end of each season the top two teams were promoted to First Division, along with the winners of a play-off between the next four teams. Also, the bottom four teams were relegated to Third Division.

The Second Division was formed in 1892 with 12 clubs, most of which had previously played in the Football Alliance. It expanded over the years to its final total of 24 clubs, as follows:

• 1893 - 15 clubs
• 1894 - 16
• 1898 - 18
• 1905 - 20
• 1919 - 22
• 1987 - 23
• 1988 - 24

For the first few years, there was no automatic promotion to the First Division. Instead, the top few teams in Division Two, including the winners, contested a series of test matches against the bottom teams in Division One. Small Heath, Second Division champions in 1892-93, were denied promotion after losing in test matches to Newton Heath.

Previous League champions

Winners of the old format Second Division (1893-1992) Now: Football League Championship

Year	Winner
1893	Small Heath
1894	Liverpool
1895	Bury
1896	Liverpool
1897	Notts County
1898	Burnley
1899	Manchester City
1900	The Wednesday
1901	Grimsby Town
1902	West Bromwich Albion
1903	Manchester City
1904	Preston North End
1905	Liverpool
1906	Bristol City
1907	Nottingham Forest
1908	Bradford City
1909	Bolton Wanderers
1910	Manchester City
1911	West Bromwich Albion
1912	Derby County
1913	Preston North End
1914	Notts County
1915	Derby County
1916-19	League suspended due to World War I
1920	Tottenham Hotspur
1921	Birmingham City
1922	Nottingham Forest
1923	Notts County
1924	Leeds United
1925	Leicester City
1926	Sheffield Wednesday
1927	Middlesbrough
1928	Manchester City
1929	Middlesbrough
1930	Blackpool
1931	Everton
1932	Wolverhampton Wanderers
1933	Stoke City
1934	Grimsby Town
1935	Brentford
1936	Manchester United
1937	Leicester City
1938	Aston Villa
1939	Blackburn Rovers
1940-46	League suspended due to World War II
1947	Manchester City
1948	Birmingham City
1949	Fulham
1950	Tottenham Hotspur
1951	Preston North End
1952	Sheffield Wednesday
1953	Sheffield United
1954	Leicester City
1955	Birmingham City
1956	Sheffield Wednesday
1957	Leicester City
1958	West Ham United
1959	Sheffield Wednesday
1960	Aston Villa
1961	Ipswich Town
1962	Liverpool
1963	Stoke City
1964	Leeds United
1965	Newcastle United
1966	Manchester City
1967	Coventry City
1968	Ipswich Town
1969	Derby County
1970	Huddersfield Town
1971	Leicester City
1972	Norwich City
1973	Burnley
1974	Middlesbrough
1975	Manchester United
1976	Sunderland
1977	Wolverhampton Wanderers
1978	Bolton Wanderers
1979	Crystal Palace
1980	Leicester City
1981	West Ham United
1982	Luton Town
1983	Queens Park Rangers
1984	Chelsea
1985	Oxford United
1986	Norwich City
1987	Derby County
1988	Millwall
1989	Chelsea
1990	Leeds United
1991	Oldham Athletic
1992	Ipswich Town

Winners of the new format Second Division (1993-2004)

Year	Winner
1993	Stoke City
1994	Reading
1995	Birmingham City
1996	Swindon Town
1997	Bury
1998	Watford
1999	Fulham
2000	Preston North End
2001	Millwall
2002	Brighton & Hove Albion
2003	Wigan Athletic
2004	Plymouth Argyle