1999–2000 Football League

The Football League
Season 1999–2000
Champions Charlton Athletic
Promoted Charlton Athletic
Manchester City
Ipswich Town
Relegated Chester City

The 1999–2000 Football League (known as the Nationwide Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 101st completed season of The Football League.

The 1999–2000 season saw the league dispense with the traditional 1–11 numbering of players’ shirts in favour of squad numbers, a system that had been adopted by the Premier League a few seasons before. This also meant that players’ names appeared on the back of their shirts for the first time since the league’s inception.[1]

The three promotion places in Division One went to champions Charlton Athletic, runners-up Manchester City and playoff winners Ipswich Town.

1999–2000 also saw some of Division One’s biggest clubs miss out on promotion — the biggest of these were Blackburn Rovers (11th) and Nottingham Forest (14th). Steve Coppell ended his fourth spell as Crystal Palace manager after doing wonders to keep a virtually bankrupt club clear of the Division One relegation zone.

Going down were Walsall, Port Vale and Swindon Town. West Bromwich Albion just missed out on the drop zone thanks to a late turn-around in form during the final weeks of the season which followed the appointment of Gary Megson as manager.

David Moyes, 37, showed promise as one of the league’s most highly rated young managers after he guided Preston North End to the Division Two championship. Stan Ternent’s two-year rebuilding project at Burnley paid off as they finished runners-up in the division and would establish themselves as a second tier side for nine years until promotion to the Premier League happened at the end of the 2008–09 season. Joining them in Division One were Peter Taylor’s Gillingham, who had reached the upper half of the league for the first time in their history.

Going down were Cardiff City, Blackpool, Scunthorpe United and Chesterfield. Narrowly avoiding the drop were Oxford United, who struggled all season long despite the club’s financial crisis being eased by the arrival of new Tanzanian chairman Firoz Kassam.

Swansea City, Rotherham United, Northampton Town and Peterborough United occupied the four promotion places in Division Three.

Chester City were relegated on the last day of the season, ending their 69-year league career and would be relegated from the League again nine years later while Shrewsbury Town and Carlisle United saved themselves from Conference football.

First Division

Football League, First Division
Season 1999–2000
Champions Charlton Athletic (1st second tier title)
Direct promotion to FA Premier League Charlton Athletic,
Manchester City
Promoted to FA Premier League through play-offs Ipswich Town
Relegated Port Vale,
Swindon Town,
Walsall
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1391 (2.52 per match)
Top goalscorer Andy Hunt (Charlton Athletic), 24 [2]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Charlton Athletic 4615353718127442277945+3491
2 Manchester City 461724481799530237840+3889
3 Ipswich Town 461634391799532257142+2987
4 Barnsley 461544482496840438867+2182
5 Birmingham City 4615533716761028286544+2177
6 Bolton Wanderers 461454432678826246950+1976
7 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4615534520661119286448+1674
8 Huddersfield Town 4614544321761019286249+1374
9 Fulham 4613733313491016284941+867
10 Queens Park Rangers 4691223020761032336253+966
11 Blackburn Rovers 4610943320581022315551+462
12 Norwich City 4611662622391119284550–557
13 Tranmere Rovers 4610853527541422415768–1157
14 Nottingham Forest 4691042918541424375355–256
15 Crystal Palace 4671153326641324415767–1054
16 Sheffield United 4610853824371321475971–1254
17 Stockport County 468873331571122365567–1254
18 Portsmouth 469683627461319395566–1151
19 Crewe Alexandra 469592731541419364667–2151
20 Grimsby Town 4610852725341614424167–2651
21 West Bromwich Albion 4661162526481118344360–1749
22 Walsall 4676102634471226435277–2546
23 Port Vale 4666112730191321394869–2136
24 Swindon Town 4656122337361415403877–3936
Key
Football League Champions, promoted to FA Premier League
Promoted to FA Premier League
Participated in play-offs
Promoted to Premier League through play-offs
Relegated

[3]

Location of clubs

Locations of the Football League First Division London teams 1999–2000

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – May 13th/14th;
2nd leg – May 17th/18th, 2000
Final at Wembley
May 29th, 2000
                     
3rd  Ipswich Town (a.e.t.) 2 5 7  
6th  Bolton Wanderers 2 3 5  
    3rd  Ipswich Town 4
  4th  Barnsley 2
4th  Barnsley 4 1 5
5th  Birmingham City 0 2 2  

[3]

First Division results

Home ╲ Away BAR BIR BLBBOLCHACRECRYFULGRIHUDIPSMCINORNOTPTVPORQPRSHUSTPSWITRAWALWBAWOL
Barnsley 21 51 11 11 02 23 10 30 42 02 21 21 10 31 60 11 20 21 10 30 32 22 12
Birmingham City 31 10 21 10 51 20 22 00 10 11 01 20 01 42 10 20 02 21 11 31 20 11 10
Blackburn Rovers 12 10 31 11 01 11 20 11 20 22 14 11 21 00 11 02 50 20 00 20 20 21 11
Bolton Wanderers 22 33 31 02 22 20 31 20 10 11 01 10 32 21 30 21 20 01 20 23 43 11 21
Charlton Athletic 31 10 12 21 10 21 10 40 01 13 01 10 30 22 11 21 10 40 01 32 21 00 20
Crewe Alexandra 01 23 00 13 02 20 11 11 11 12 11 10 03 21 13 21 10 32 21 02 23 20 10
Crystal Palace 02 02 21 00 01 11 00 30 22 22 11 10 20 11 40 30 11 33 12 22 32 02 11
Fulham 13 00 22 11 21 30 10 01 30 00 00 11 11 31 10 10 40 41 10 10 20 10 01
Grimsby Town 03 11 00 01 25 11 10 11 00 21 11 21 43 20 10 21 22 01 10 12 10 11 10
Huddersfield Town 21 00 32 03 12 30 71 11 31 31 11 10 21 22 01 10 41 02 40 10 11 10 20
Ipswich Town 61 01 00 10 42 21 10 10 20 21 21 02 31 30 01 14 11 10 30 00 20 31 10
Manchester City 31 10 20 20 11 40 21 40 21 01 10 31 10 21 42 13 60 12 30 20 11 21 01
Norwich City 22 01 02 21 03 21 01 12 30 11 00 10 10 00 21 21 21 20 02 11 11 21 10
Nottingham Forest 30 10 01 11 11 10 20 00 21 13 01 13 11 20 20 11 00 11 31 11 41 00 11
Port Vale 22 31 00 01 22 10 22 02 31 12 12 12 01 02 20 11 23 11 20 10 12 12 01
Portsmouth 30 22 12 00 02 02 31 01 12 00 11 22 21 21 00 13 20 20 41 12 51 20 23
Queens Park Rangers 22 22 00 01 00 10 01 00 10 31 31 11 22 11 32 00 31 11 21 21 21 00 11
Sheffield United 33 12 21 12 12 11 31 20 00 01 22 10 00 21 13 10 11 10 22 31 11 60 30
Stockport County 13 20 01 00 13 21 12 21 21 11 01 22 22 23 10 11 33 11 30 21 11 01 32
Swindon Town 12 14 21 04 12 01 24 10 01 20 14 02 00 00 21 11 01 22 11 31 11 12 12
Tranmere Rovers 22 21 21 00 22 20 12 11 32 10 02 11 12 30 21 24 11 13 00 31 11 30 10
Walsall 14 10 11 20 24 14 22 13 10 20 01 01 22 02 00 10 23 21 12 00 12 21 11
West Bromwich Albion 02 03 22 44 20 10 00 00 21 01 11 02 11 11 00 32 01 22 20 11 20 01 11
Wolverhampton Wanderers 20 21 21 10 23 20 21 30 30 01 21 41 10 30 22 11 32 10 22 11 40 12 11

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second Division

Football League, Second Division
Season 1999–2000
Champions Preston North End (2nd third tier title)
Direct promotion Preston North End,
Burnley
Promoted through play-offs Gillingham
Relegated Blackpool,
Cardiff City,
Chesterfield,
Scunthorpe United
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1404 (2.54 per match)
Top goalscorer Andy Payton (Burnley), 27 [2]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Preston North End 4615443723137337147437+3795
2 Burnley 4616344223910427246947+2288
3 Gillingham 461634462197733277948+3185
4 Wigan Athletic 4615353714714235247238+3483
5 Millwall 461472411896835327650+2682
6 Stoke City 4613733718106731246842+2682
7 Bristol Rovers 4613733419104935266945+2480
8 Notts County 46968322795929286155+665
9 Bristol City 4671423118851028395957+264
10 Reading 4610942818651229455763–662
11 Wrexham 469682324851029375261–962
12 Wycombe Wanderers 461148322459924295653+361
13 Luton Town 4610764135731320306165–461
14 Oldham Athletic 468510272887823275055–560
15 Bury 4681053833581023316164–357
16 Bournemouth 4611663719531522435962–357
17 Brentford 468692731571120304761–1452
18 Colchester United 4694103640561223425982–2352
19 Cambridge United 468693833461326326465–148
20 Oxford United 4665122438641319354373–3045
21 Cardiff City 4651082334471222334567–2244
22 Blackpool 4641092637471223404977–2841
23 Scunthorpe United 4646131634561224404074–3439
24 Chesterfield 4657111725281317383463–2936
Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
Relegated

Location of clubs

Locations of the Football League Second Division London teams 1999–2000

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – May 13th; 2nd leg – May 17th, 2000
Final at Wembley Stadium
May 28th, 2000
                     
3rd  Gillingham 2 3 5  
6th  Stoke City 3 0 3  
    3rd  Gillingham (a.e.t.) 3
  4th  Wigan Athletic 2
4th   Wigan Athletic 0 1 1
5th  Millwall 0 0 0  

[3]

Third Division

Football League, Third Division
Season 1999–2000
Champions Swansea City (1st fourth tier title)
Direct promotion Swansea City,
Northampton,
Rotherham United
Promoted through play-offs Peterborough United
Relegated to Conference Chester
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1303 (2.36 per match)
Top goalscorer Marco Gabbiadini (Darlington), 24 [2]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Swansea City 461562321197719195130+2185
2 Rotherham United 4613554317117529197236+3684
3 Northampton Town 461625361895927276345+1882
4 Darlington 461391431587823216636+3079
5 Peterborough United 461445393088724246354+978
6 Barnet 461265362496823295953+675
7 Hartlepool United 4616163217581028326049+1172
8 Cheltenham Town 4613462817761022255042+870
9 Torquay United 4612653520761027326252+1069
10 Rochdale 468782125107636295754+368
11 Brighton & Hove Albion 461076382579726216447+1767
12 Plymouth Argyle 46121013818481117335551+466
13 Macclesfield Town 469773630941030316661+565
14 Hull City 46788262386917204343±059
15 Lincoln City 4611663823481129466769–259
16 Southend United 4611573731461316305361–856
17 Mansfield Town 469683326721417395065–1556
18 Halifax Town 4675112224841122344458–1454
19 Leyton Orient 467792222661125304752–552
20 York City 4671062121561218323953–1452
21 Exeter City 468692730351519424672–2644
22 Shrewsbury Town 4656122027471220404067–2740
23 Carlisle United 466892327341619484275–3339
24 Chester City 4655132036541424434479–3539

[3]

Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
New club in the league
Relegated to Conference

Locations of clubs

Locations of the Football League Third Division London teams 1999–2000

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – May 13th; 2nd leg – May 17th, 2000
Final at Wembley Stadium
May 26th, 2000
                     
4th  Darlington 2 1 3  
7th  Hartlepool United 0 0 0  
    4th  Darlington 0
  5th  Peterborough United 1
5th  Peterborough United 2 3 5
6th  Barnet 1 0 1  

[3]

See also

References

  1. "Put your shirt on squad numbers next season". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. 1999-04-09. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  2. 1 2 3 "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "England 1999–00". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
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