Division Two

1927-28

The long-term significance The legacy of Manchester City’s 1928 side remains to this day. No player made more appearances for City that season than left-half and Scotland international Jimmy McMullan. In 1977, Manchester City Council named streets on a new estate in Moss Side after several former players. Jimmy McMullan Walk remains a good few goal-kicks away from their former home at Maine Road.

Barnsley would continue playing in the Second Division for a further four seasons, until relegation to Division Three North in 1932. This ended 34 consecutive years in the Second Division. Since 1898, the Tykes have played 78 seasons in the second tier, more than any other club.

Story of the season

Having missed out on promotion on goal average to Portsmouth the previous season, Manchester City eventually won the title. Their 40th league game of the season was the pivotal moment, as a Tommy Tait goal was enough to beat Leeds United 1-0 at Elland Road.

City had the highest average home attendance in the Football League with 37,500, marginally ahead of League champions Everton. They drew in more than 52,000 spectators at Maine Road for their loss to Chelsea, who looked in pole position to win promotion before they had an end-of-season wobble, losing four of their last five games. Chelsea’s late collapse included a 3-2 defeat to Leeds, a club founded only nine years earlier following the demise of Leeds City. It was Leeds who secured promotion in second.

At the other end, Fulham lost their first 19 away games. The hoodoo was eventually broken in April with a 1-0 win at Notts County but they were relegated by a point, going down to the third tier for the first time, along with South Shields. Clapton Orient could consider themselves fortunate to stay up. They won five of their first six games but only six more. Fulham later complained to the FA over match-fixing allegations regarding Orient’s manager Peter Proudfoot.

While they proved unfounded for the full punishment, Proudfoot was found to have acted financially irregularly in other matters and was suspended for six months. The club were not punished further and it was still Fulham who played in Division Three (South) in 1928-29.

For the record books

Having joined West Brom in the summer for £2,500 from Chesterfield, Jimmy Cookson scored 38 goals, making him the division’s top scorer, despite having switched from wing-half to centre-forward only two years earlier.

Same place today

Southampton, Stoke, Swansea, West Brom and Wolves all find themselves in the second tier in 2026-27 , along with Bristol City and Preston North End, both now in their 12th consecutive season at this level.

Moved furthest away

Grimsby have since dropped out of the Football League and returned, as have Oldham Athletic. Several clubs in the division, including Barnsley, Blackpool, Reading and Wolves, have since played in the top four tiers of English football. Mark Sanderson

Went on to greater things

Alex James The Preston inside-forward ( pictured ) became an Arsenal great, winning four League titles and two FA Cups while at Highbury in the 1930s. Tommy Johnson Scored 20 goals for Manchester City this season but later joined Everton and played in their 3-0 FA Cup final win over City in 1933 . Fred Tilson The striker joined Manchester City from Barnsley towards the end of the season with team-mate Eric Brook and scored both goals in their 1934 FA Cup final win over Portsmouth.

Disappeared from view

Cyril Hunter The South Shields centre-half’s ( pictured ) six-month suspension for rough play the previous season ran until November. He left in 1928 to play in the US. Harry Wilding The First World War veteran was in his ninth season with Chelsea. He made 265 appearances there before a brief spell with Spurs. South Shields The club relocated in 1930 and became Gateshead AFC, who folded in 1973 . While South Shields would later re-form, it was outside the Football League.