1941/42 Season Summary

The Football League Management Committee met at the Victoria Station Hotel, Nottingham on 9th June 1941 with no sign of the war coming to an end any time soon.

They announced that for the forthcoming season they would ditch the hated goal average system and go back to the usual points system to determine league position. The leagues would run from August till Boxing Day and then restart as the Football League North 2nd Championship scheduled to finish in May. To limit travelling these leagues would be divided into 4 smaller groups of clubs that would play each other home and away and also involve some inter-group games. 

Some of these 2nd Championship games would also count towards a qualification league that would run concurrently, but only for the first 10 Saturdays, after which the top 32 clubs in this league would enter the draw for the first round of the War Cup.

The remaining clubs would make arrangements amongst themselves and these results would count towards the 2nd Championship as usual. War Cup matches would also count towards the 2nd Championship, but only after 90 minutes. If extra time was need this result would only count towards the War Cup.

War Cup ties were over two legs with 30 minutes extra time if and when need. 

In the summer pf 1941 Southport acquired a number of useful guest players including Danny Blair, captain of Blackpool in pre-war days and the holder of six Scottish International caps, who did not miss a game in 1941-42; he was parnered by Normal Kirby, who had been on Dundee’s books. Other R.A.F. personalities includes industrious inside-forward Jack Deverall, terrier-like half-back Joe Johnson, Jack Harker (the scorer of almost 30 goals), Stan Butler, Len Flack and Bob Finan.

The new season got underway without any noteworthy events, neither from enemy action or internal football politics. What did cause problems for football was rationing. Getting new football kit became a real problem because of clothes rationing. Strict petrol rationing also forced clubs travelling to away fixtures to rely on the railway system and other forms of public transport. 

Although Southport opened the season by beating Blackburn Rovers 3-2 at Haig avenue, they conceded an early double to Blackpool. Despite drawing 1-1 at half-time at Bloomfield Road, the loss of centre-half Les Hockaday completely upset Southport’s rhythm and the homeside ran out 10-1 winners. The Blackpool attack was probably the strongest in the country and in the return game Frank Curran, thrust into the left-back berth in the absence of Kirby on call to the forces – struggled valiantly but vainly against Stanley Matthews. In February 1942 Joe Patrick, now back in Carlisle as a boilersmith on the railways, came to Southport on weekend leave to play against Bury and scored twice in a 6-2 win.

Christmas brought the end of the Northern and Southern Football League and the start of the Football League North 2nd Championship and the War Cup qualifying league which contained all the clubs from earlier leagues. The next big war event that effected football was the fall of Singapore in February and with it the loss of Malaya. Rubber for new footballs became harder to obtain. 

A small but welcome profit of £65 5s. 3d. was made on a season in which the average attendance had been 1,532.

Large parts of the above summary are reproduced with Permission from:
The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F. C., by Michael Braham and Geoff Wilde (Palatine Books, 1995). ISBN 978-1-874181-14-9

Other sources: https://www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk/Blog/ww2.html

North Regional Championship (ending December 25, 1941)

 1. Blackpool FC                18 14  1  3  75-19  29
 2. Lincoln City FC             18 13  3  2  54-28  29
 3. Preston North End FC        18 13  1  4  58-18  27
 4. Manchester United FC        18 10  6  2  79-27  26
 5. Stoke City FC               18 12  2  4  75-36  26
 6. Everton FC                  18 12  2  4  61-31  26
 7. Blackburn Rovers FC         18 10  6  2  40-24  26
 8. Liverpool FC                18 11  4  3  66-44  26
 9. Gateshead AFC               18  9  5  4  39-35  23
10. Sunderland AFC              18  9  4  5  50-30  22
11. Huddersfield Town AFC       18 10  1  7  48-33  21
12. Bradford Park Avenue AFC    18  8  5  5  33-28  21
13. Grimsby Town FC             18  7  6  5  41-31  20
14. Barnsley FC                 18  8  4  6  39-31  20
15. Newcastle United FC         18  7  6  5  46-39  20
16. Sheffield Wednesday FC      18  7  5  6  33-37  19
17. Manchester City FC          18  8  3  7  48-54  19
18. Sheffield United FC         18  7  4  7  39-38  18
19. Burnley FC                  18  6  6  6  36-40  18
20. Halifax Town AFC            18  7  3  8  29-41  17
21. Oldham Athletic AFC         18  6  4  8  40-49  16
22. Rochdale FC                 18  6  4  8  28-52  16
23. Chesterfield Town FC        18  5  5  8  27-31  15
24. Chester FC                  18  6  3  9  45-53  15
25. Middlesbrough FC            18  6  3  9  44-56  15
26. Leeds United AFC            18  7  1 10  36-46  15
27. Doncaster Rovers FC         18  6  2 10  39-46  14
28. Bradford City AFC           18  5  4  9  32-42  14
29. Rotherham United FC         18  6  2 10  33-47  14
30. New Brighton FC             18  4  6  8  39-75  14
31. Tranmere Rovers AFC         18  5  3 10  35-60  13
32. York City FC                18  4  4 10  41-55  12
33. Mansfield Town FC           18  6  0 12  29-50  12
34. Bolton Wanderers FC         18  3  5 10  35-48  11
35. Southport FC                18  5  1 12  33-61  11
36. Bury FC                     18  3  3 12  37-59   9
37. Wrexham AFC                 18  2  5 11  40-69   9
38. Stockport County FC         18  2  2 14  34-73   6

League Championship (December 27, 1941 to May 30, 1942)

NB: ranking according to points per 23 matches

 1. Manchester United FC        19 12  4  3  44-25  28  33.895
 2. Blackpool FC                22 14  4  4 108-34  32  33.455
 3. Northampton Town FC         21 14  2  5  70-31  30  32.857
 4. Liverpool FC                21 14  2  5  57-39  30  32.857
 5. Wolverhampton Wanderers FC  20 13  1  6  52-29  27  31.050
 6. Huddersfield Town AFC       20  9  6  5  42-33  24  27.600
 7. Blackburn Rovers FC         22 10  6  6  40-31  26  27.182
 8. West Bromwich Albion FC     18  9  3  6  53-43  21  26.833
 9. Grimsby Town FC             18  8  5  5  31-22  21  26.833
10. Sunderland AFC              22  9  7  6  53-42  25  26.136
11. Cardiff City AFC            20  9  4  7  59-38  22  25.300
12. Preston North End FC        19  6  7  6  41-30  19  23.000
13. Chesterfield Town FC        18  8  2  8  32-31  18  23.000
14. Middlesbrough FC            18  7  4  7  37-36  18  23.000
15. Everton FC                  23  9  5  9  37-41  23  23.000
16. Stoke City                  20  9  2  9  41-49  20  23.000
17. Leicester City FC           18  6  4  8  39-38  16  20.444
18. Bradford Park Avenue AFC    19  5  6  8  35-40  16  19.368
19. Halifax Town AFC            19  4  7  8  30-40  15  18.158
20. Burnley FC                  19  7  1 11  29-53  15  18.158
21. Chester FC                  20  6  3 11  34-41  15  17.250
22. Oldham Athletic AFC         18  4  3 11  30-43  11  14.056
23. Barnsley FC                 15  9  3  3  48-23  21  32.200
24. Norwich City FC             12  7  1  4  27-19  15  28.750
25. Bristol City FC             17  9  3  5  55-29  21  28.412
26. Sheffield United FC         17  8  4  5  39-33  20  27.059
27. Lincoln City FC             13  7  1  5  45-33  15  26.538
28. Manchester City FC          17  9  1  7  33-26  19  25.706
29. York City FC                17  6  7  4  39-37  19  25.706
30. Nottingham Forest FC        16  8  1  7  32-30  17  24.438
31. Southampton FC              12  5  2  5  27-32  12  23.000
32. Newcastle United FC         17  5  6  6  33-40  16  21.647
33. Bury FC                     15  6  2  7  46-39  14  21.467
34. Rotherham United FC         15  6  2  7  32-34  14  21.467
35. Bolton Wanderers FC         15  5  4  6  26-33  14  21.467
36. Bradford City AFC           14  6  1  7  28-25  13  21.357
37. New Brighton FC             11  5  0  6  23-38  10  20.909
38. Southport FC                16  6  2  8  30-38  14  20.125
39. Wrexham AFC                 12  4  2  6  26-32  10  19.167
40. Leeds United AFC            17  7  0 10  33-33  14  18.941
41. Sheffield Wednesday FC      15  5  2  8  22-36  12  18.400
42. Gateshead AFC               13  4  2  7  23-36  10  17.692
43. Rochdale FC                 13  5  0  8  23-39  10  17.692
44. Bournemouth&Boscombe Ath.FC  8  2  2  4  11-21   6  17.250
45. Tranmere Rovers AFC         15  4  3  8  24-55  11  16.867
46. Luton Town FC               16  4  2 10  20-54  10  14.375
47. Walsall FC                  13  4  0  9  14-34   8  14.154
48. Swansea Town FC             11  1  4  6  11-39   6  12.545
49. Stockport County FC         10  1  3  6  12-38   5  11.500
50. Doncaster Rovers FC          9  2  0  7  10-30   4  10.222
51. Mansfield Town FC           11  1  2  8  15-36   4   8.364

League Cup Qualifying Competition (December 27, 1941 to March 28, 1942) 

NB: ranking according to points per 10 matches

 1. Northampton Town FC  	 9  7  1  1  27-14  15  16.667
 2. Blackburn Rovers FC 	10  7  2  1  19- 7  16  16.000
 3. Manchester United FC	10  6  3  1  23-13  15  15.000
 4. Blackpool FC           	10  6  2  2  45-19  14  14.000
 5. Barnsley FC          	10  6  2  2  33-16  14  14.000
 6. Liverpool FC        	10  7  0  3  33-24  14  14.000
 7. Bristol City FC         	10  5  3  2  29-16  13  13.000
 8. Nottingham Forest FC	 9  5  1  3  15- 9  11  12.222
 9. Leicester City FC   	 9  4  3  2  27-19  11  12.222
10. Rotherham United FC 	 9  5  1  3  20-15  11  12.222
11. Grimsby Town FC      	 9  4  3  2  15-12  11  12.222
12. Cardiff City AFC       	10  5  2  3  39-19  12  12.000
13. Sunderland AFC         	10  5  2  3  30-19  12  12.000
14. Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	10  6  0  4  28-19  12  12.000
15. Huddersfield Town AFC	10  5  2  3  23-16  12  12.000
16. Middlesbrough FC       	10  4  4  2  24-17  12  12.000
17. Everton FC          	10  5  2  3  15-16  12  12.000
18. Norwich City FC       	 6  3  1  2  17-11   7  11.667
19. Lincoln City FC        	 9  5  0  4  27-21  10  11.111
20. West Bromwich Albion FC	 9  4  2  3  29-24  10  11.111
21. Preston North End FC	10  4  3  3  26-13  11  11.000
22. Manchester City FC       	10  5  1  4  21-14  11  11.000
23. Stoke City              	10  5  1  4  22-15  11  11.000
24. Sheffield United FC  	10  4  3  3  23-19  11  11.000
25. Southampton FC        	10  5  1  4  25-28  11  11.000
26. Bury FC               	 9  4  1  4  33-24   9  10.000
27. Bradford City AFC            8  4  0  4  14-11   8  10.000
28. Southport FC           	 9  4  1  4  20-19   9  10.000
29. Oldham Athletic AFC 	10  4  1  5  18-17   9   9.000
30. Chester FC              	10  4  1  5  19-20   9   9.000
31. Burnley FC              	10  4  1  5  18-19   9   9.000
32. Bradford Park Avenue AFC	10  3  3  4  22-26   9   9.000
33. York City FC         	10  2  5  3  22-27   9   9.000
34. Chesterfield Town FC	10  4  1  5  15-20   9   9.000
35. Wrexham AFC           	 9  3  2  4  22-23   8   8.889
36. Bolton Wanderers FC 	 9  3  2  4  16-17   8   8.889
37. Leeds United AFC        	10  4  0  6  22-15   8   8.000
38. Newcastle United FC 	10  2  4  4  15-23   8   8.000
39. New Brighton FC        	10  4  0  6  18-38   8   8.000
40. Bournemouth&Boscombe Ath.FC	 8  2  2  4  11-21   6   7.500
41. Swansea Town FC         	 8  1  4  3   9-21   6   7.500
42. Halifax Town AFC         	 9  2  2  5  11-20   6   6.667
43. Rochdale FC            	 9  3  0  6  13-29   6   6.667
44. Gateshead AFC        	10  2  2  6  15-30   6	 6.000
45. Luton Town FC               10  2  2  6  12-30   6	 6.000
46. Tranmere Rovers AFC         10  2  2  6  16-42   6   6.000
47. Doncaster Rovers FC 	 8  2  0  6  10-27   4   5.000
48. Stockport County FC 	10  1  3  6  12-38   5   5.000
49. Mansfield Town FC       	 7  1  1  5  10-19   3   4.286
50. Walsall FC             	10  2  0  8   9-29   4   4.000
51. Sheffield Wednesday FC	 8  1  1  6   8-25   3   3.750

Source:
The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Author Dinant Abbink