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The '''Football League Third Division South''' was a level of [[England|English]] professional [[football (soccer)|football]] which ran in parallel to [[Football League Third Division North|Third Division North]] from 1921 to 1958.
{{Infobox football league
| logo =
| pixels =
| organiser = [[English Football League|The Football League]]
| country = England
| other_countries = [[Wales]]
| founded = 1921
| folded = 1958
| teams = 22 (1921–1950)<br />24 (1950–1958)
| promotion = [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]
| relegation =
| levels = 3
| domest_cup = [[FA Cup]]
| league_cup = [[Football League Third Division South Cup|Third Division South Cup]]<br />(1933–1939, 1945–1946)
| champions = [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]<br>([[1957–58 Football League|1957–58]])
| most successful club =[[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]] (3 titles)
| tv =
| season =
| website =
| current =
}}
The '''Third Division South''' of [[The Football League]] was a tier in the [[English football league system]] from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the [[Football League Third Division North|Third Division North]] with clubs [[Re-election (Football League)|elected to the League]] or [[promotion and relegation|relegated]] from [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] allocated to one or the other according to geographical position. Some clubs in the English [[Midlands]] shuttled between the Third Division South and the Third Division North according to the composition of the two leagues in any one season.


The division was created in 1921 from the '''Third Division''', formed one year earlier when [[the Football League]] absorbed the leading clubs from the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/History/HistoryDetail/0,,10794~1357277,00.html|title=History of The Football League|date=22 September 2010|publisher=The Football League|accessdate=6 July 2012}}</ref>
This division was created in 1921 from the '''Third Division''', formed one year earlier when [[the Football League]] absorbed the leading clubs from the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/History/HistoryDetail/0,,10794~1357277,00.html |title=History of The Football League |date=22 September 2010 |publisher=The Football League |access-date=6 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202161656/http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/History/HistoryDetail/0%2C%2C10794~1357277%2C00.html |archive-date=2 February 2013 }}</ref>


The following season, a Northern section was created, and the original division was renamed Third Division South. The exceptions to this were [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]], who were promoted to the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] who transferred to the Third Division North and [[Aberdare Athletic F.C.|Aberdare Athletic]] and [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] who joined for the first time. Several Midlands-based teams were included in the South division, even though most were geographically closer to their Northern division rivals, such as [[Nottingham Forest]] and [[Notts County]] being included in the Southern division even though nearby [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] spent time in the Northern division.
In 1921, a Northern section was also created called the Third Division North. The Third Division South was formed from the original 22 teams<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1921-22.html|title=England 1921–22|last=Paul Felton and Barry Spencer|date=14 June 2000|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=24 December 2012}}</ref> in the Third Division, with the exceptions of [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]], who were promoted to the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] who were transferred to the Third Division North, and [[Aberdare Athletic F.C.|Aberdare Athletic]] and [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] who joined The Football League for the first time. Several Midlands-based teams were included in the Third Division South from time to time, although most were geographically closer to their Northern division rivals; [[Nottingham Forest]] and [[Notts County]] played in the Southern division although nearby [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] spent time in the Northern division.


For the 1950–51 season the division was expanded to 24 clubs, with [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]] and [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] joining.<ref>{{cite news |title=Four new clubs for the Football League |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19500603/162/0012 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=8 May 2019 |work=[[Coventry Telegraph|The Coventry Evening Telegraph]] |date=3 June 1950 |page=11 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bigger English League |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19500603/141/0005 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=8 May 2019 |work=[[Belfast Telegraph]] |date=3 June 1950 |location=Belfast |page=5 }}</ref>
The division originally had 22 teams, expanding to 24 in 1950. Only one promotion place was available to the Second Division, meaning that many clubs spent long periods of time stuck in the division, and several were never promoted in the division's 31 seasons. At the end of each season, the bottom two clubs were put up for re-election, alongside the bottom two in the Northern section, although most survived the re-election vote. [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]], Nottingham Forest, and [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]] are the only Third Division South champions who became [[English football champions|First Division Champion]]s.


Only one promotion place was available each season from the Third Division South to the Second Division, which made it very difficult to win promotion. Six teams, [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]], [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]], [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]], [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]], [[Swindon Town F.C.|Swindon Town]], and [[Watford F.C.|Watford]], were ever-present in the division for the 30 years of its existence. Of the teams that played in the Third Division South, [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]], [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]], and [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] were later English football champions.
In 1958, the North and South sections were merged to form a single [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] and a new [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]].


Its final season was 1957–58, after which the North and South sections were merged to form a single [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] and a new [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1921-22.html|title=England 1957–58|last=Paul Felton|date=22 July 2001|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=24 December 2012}}</ref> The top 12 clubs in Division Three South, except for the Champions [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]], went into the new Third Division, and the bottom 12 clubs went into the Fourth Division.
From 1934 to the war's outbreak there was a short-lived knockout [[Football League Third Division South Cup]].


==Tournaments between Third Division South and North==
From 1954/55 season until 1957/58 season, there was a series of games between teams representing the Third Division North and the Third Division South. [[Football League Third Division North vs. South Representative Games]].


From 1934 to the war's outbreak, there was a short-lived knockout competition [[Football League Third Division South Cup]].
==Past Champions==
{{Main|List of winners of English Football League One and predecessors}}


From the 1954–55 season until the 1957–58 season, there was a [[Football League Third Division North vs. South Representative Games|series of games]] between teams representing the Third Division North and the Third Division South.
<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3>
<tr style=background:#efefef>
<th>Season</th><th>Champions</tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1921–22</td><td>[[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1922–23</td><td>[[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1923–24</td><td>[[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1924–25</td><td>[[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea Town]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1925–26</td><td>[[Reading F.C.|Reading]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1926–27</td><td>[[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1927–28</td><td>[[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1928–29</td><td>[[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1929–30</td><td>[[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1930–31</td><td>[[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1931–32</td><td>[[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1932–33</td><td>[[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1933–34</td><td>[[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1934–35</td><td>[[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1935–36</td><td>[[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1936–37</td><td>[[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1937–38</td><td>[[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1938–39</td><td>[[Newport County F.C.|Newport County]]</td></tr>
<tr style=background:#efefef align=center>
<td>1939–40</td><td>League abandoned due to [[World War II]]</td></tr>
<tr style=background:#efefef align=center>
<td>1940–46</td><td>League suspended due to [[World War II]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1946–47</td><td>[[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1947–48</td><td>[[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1948–49</td><td>[[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea Town]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1949–50</td><td>[[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1950–51</td><td>[[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1951–52</td><td>[[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1952–53</td><td>[[Bristol Rovers F.C.|Bristol Rovers]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1953–54</td><td>[[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1954–55</td><td>[[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1955–56</td><td>[[Leyton Orient F.C.|Leyton Orient]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1956–57</td><td>[[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]]</td></tr>
<tr>
<td align=center>1957–58</td><td>[[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]</td></tr>
</table>


==Champions==
<small>Source: Statto<ref>{{cite web|title=English Division Three (South) 1957-1958 : Table|url=http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/division-three-south|work=Links to final tables for all seasons|publisher=Statto|accessdate=10 June 2011}}</ref></small>
{{Main|List of winners of English Football League One and predecessors}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Season !! Champions
|-
| [[1921–22 Football League#Third Division South|1921–22]] || [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]
|-
| [[1922–23 Football League#Third Division South|1922–23]] || [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]
|-
| [[1923–24 Football League#Third Division South|1923–24]] || [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]]
|-
| [[1924–25 Football League#Third Division South|1924–25]] || [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea Town]]
|-
| [[1925–26 Football League#Third Division South|1925–26]] || [[Reading F.C.|Reading]]
|-
| [[1926–27 Football League#Third Division South|1926–27]] || [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]
|-
| [[1927–28 Football League#Third Division South|1927–28]] || [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]
|-
| [[1928–29 Football League#Third Division South|1928–29]] || [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]
|-
| [[1929–30 Football League#Third Division South|1929–30]] || [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]
|-
| [[1930–31 Football League#Third Division South|1930–31]] || [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]]
|-
| [[1931–32 Football League#Third Division South|1931–32]] || [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]]
|-
| [[1932–33 Football League#Third Division South|1932–33]] || [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]]
|-
| [[1933–34 Football League#Third Division South|1933–34]] || [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]]
|-
| [[1934–35 Football League#Third Division South|1934–35]] || [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]
|-
| [[1935–36 Football League#Third Division South|1935–36]] || [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]]
|-
| [[1936–37 Football League#Third Division South|1936–37]] || [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]]
|-
| [[1937–38 Football League#Third Division South|1937–38]] || [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]
|-
| [[1938–39 Football League#Third Division South|1938–39]] || [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]]
|- style=background:#efefef
| [[1939–40 Football League#Third Division South|1939–40]] || League abandoned due to [[World War II]]
|- style=background:#efefef
| 1940–46 || League suspended due to [[World War II]]
|-
| [[1946–47 Football League#Third Division South|1946–47]] || [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]]
|-
| [[1947–48 Football League#Third Division South|1947–48]] || [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]
|-
| [[1948–49 Football League#Third Division South|1948–49]] || [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea Town]]
|-
| [[1949–50 Football League#Third Division South|1949–50]] || [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]]
|-
| [[1950–51 Football League#Third Division South|1950–51]] || [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
|-
| [[1951–52 Football League#Third Division South|1951–52]] || [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]
|-
| [[1952–53 Football League#Third Division South|1952–53]] || [[Bristol Rovers F.C.|Bristol Rovers]]
|-
| [[1953–54 Football League#Third Division South|1953–54]] || [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]]
|-
| [[1954–55 Football League#Third Division South|1954–55]] || [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]
|-
| [[1955–56 Football League#Third Division South|1955–56]] || [[Leyton Orient F.C.|Leyton Orient]]
|-
| [[1956–57 Football League#Third Division South|1956–57]] || [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]]
|-
| [[1957–58 Football League#Third Division South|1957–58]] || [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]
|}

<small>Source: Statto<ref>{{cite web|title=English Division Three (South) 1957–1958 : Table|url=http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/division-three-south|work=Links to final tables for all seasons|publisher=Statto|access-date=10 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530045840/http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/division-three-south|archive-date=30 May 2011}}</ref></small>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{UEFA third level leagues}}
[[Category:Football League Third Division South| ]]
[[Category:Defunct Football League divisions|3]]


[[de:Football League Third Division South]]
[[Category:Football League Third Division South| ]]
[[Category:Defunct English Football League divisions|3]]
[[hu:Angol labdarúgó-bajnokság (harmadosztály – dél)]]
[[Category:Defunct third level football leagues in Europe|Eng]]
[[nl:Football League Third Division South]]
[[Category:1921 establishments in England]]
[[ru:Третий южный дивизион Футбольной лиги]]
[[Category:1958 disestablishments in England]]
[[zh:英格蘭足球丙級南部聯賽]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 1921]]
[[Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1958]]

Latest revision as of 02:08, 2 February 2023

Football League Third Division South
Organising bodyThe Football League
Founded1921
Folded1958
CountryEngland
Number of clubs22 (1921–1950)
24 (1950–1958)
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toSecond Division
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
League cup(s)Third Division South Cup
(1933–1939, 1945–1946)
Last championsBrighton & Hove Albion
(1957–58)
Most championshipsBristol City (3 titles)

The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to one or the other according to geographical position. Some clubs in the English Midlands shuttled between the Third Division South and the Third Division North according to the composition of the two leagues in any one season.

This division was created in 1921 from the Third Division, formed one year earlier when the Football League absorbed the leading clubs from the Southern League.[1]

In 1921, a Northern section was also created called the Third Division North. The Third Division South was formed from the original 22 teams[2] in the Third Division, with the exceptions of Crystal Palace, who were promoted to the Second Division, Grimsby Town who were transferred to the Third Division North, and Aberdare Athletic and Charlton Athletic who joined The Football League for the first time. Several Midlands-based teams were included in the Third Division South from time to time, although most were geographically closer to their Northern division rivals; Nottingham Forest and Notts County played in the Southern division although nearby Derby County spent time in the Northern division.

For the 1950–51 season the division was expanded to 24 clubs, with Colchester United and Gillingham joining.[3][4]

Only one promotion place was available each season from the Third Division South to the Second Division, which made it very difficult to win promotion. Six teams, Brighton & Hove Albion, Exeter City, Northampton Town, Southend United, Swindon Town, and Watford, were ever-present in the division for the 30 years of its existence. Of the teams that played in the Third Division South, Portsmouth, Ipswich Town, and Nottingham Forest were later English football champions.

Its final season was 1957–58, after which the North and South sections were merged to form a single Third Division and a new Fourth Division.[5] The top 12 clubs in Division Three South, except for the Champions Brighton & Hove Albion, went into the new Third Division, and the bottom 12 clubs went into the Fourth Division.

Tournaments between Third Division South and North

[edit]

From 1934 to the war's outbreak, there was a short-lived knockout competition Football League Third Division South Cup.

From the 1954–55 season until the 1957–58 season, there was a series of games between teams representing the Third Division North and the Third Division South.

Champions

[edit]
Main article: List of winners of English Football League One and predecessors
Season Champions
1921–22 Southampton
1922–23 Bristol City
1923–24 Portsmouth
1924–25 Swansea Town
1925–26 Reading
1926–27 Bristol City
1927–28 Millwall
1928–29 Charlton Athletic
1929–30 Plymouth Argyle
1930–31 Notts County
1931–32 Fulham
1932–33 Brentford
1933–34 Norwich City
1934–35 Charlton Athletic
1935–36 Coventry City
1936–37 Luton Town
1937–38 Millwall
1938–39 Newport County
1939–40 League abandoned due to World War II
1940–46 League suspended due to World War II
1946–47 Cardiff City
1947–48 Queens Park Rangers
1948–49 Swansea Town
1949–50 Notts County
1950–51 Nottingham Forest
1951–52 Plymouth Argyle
1952–53 Bristol Rovers
1953–54 Ipswich Town
1954–55 Bristol City
1955–56 Leyton Orient
1956–57 Ipswich Town
1957–58 Brighton & Hove Albion

Source: Statto[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "History of The Football League". The Football League. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  2. ^ Paul Felton and Barry Spencer (14 June 2000). "England 1921–22". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  3. ^ "Four new clubs for the Football League". The Coventry Evening Telegraph. 3 June 1950. p. 11. Retrieved 8 May 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Bigger English League". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast. 3 June 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 8 May 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ Paul Felton (22 July 2001). "England 1957–58". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  6. ^ "English Division Three (South) 1957–1958 : Table". Links to final tables for all seasons. Statto. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
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