Third Division South

1949-50

The long term significance This is the only season to date when the two Nottingham clubs played each other in the third division. Notts County were in their eighth successive year at this level while Forest had been relegated the year before and were promoted the next season. County were to stay in Division Two for most of the decade but the two clubs’ fortunes then shifted dramatically. In 1958-59, Forest, now in Division One, won the FA Cup for the first and so far only time, and County went down to the fourth level. They have only played each other in seven League seasons in the past 50 years.

Story of the season

County finally reaped the benefit of having spent a League record transfer fee on England striker Tommy Lawton, who had joined them from Chelsea in 1947. With the maximum wage restricting players’ earnings to around £10 perweek, he was said to had been offered a better paid post-football job by County’s manager Arthur Stollery. Lawton’s international career ended shortly afterwards at the age of 28 but he would stay at Meadow Lane until 1952. As was often the case with only one team going up, this season was largely a procession for the best side. With a prolific attack centred on Lawton, inside- forward Jackie Sewell and ex-Forest winger Tom Johnston, County went top in early September and remained there. Torquay overcame losing manager Johnny McNeil to second division Bury in mid-season to be briefly two points behind the leaders during March but then lost four in a row. Forest also had a spell in second place before falling away. County clinched the title with three games to spare through a 2-0 home derby win watched by 46,000.

At the end of the season, the bottom four were not required to go through the usual re-election process due to League expansion. Among the ideas considered by the League Management Committee was a national third division with a fourth level in north and south sections. In the end they settled on admitting four new members. Colchester United and Gillingham were voted in to the Southern section (with Worcester City and Chelmsford Town as the nearest challengers) while Shrewsbury Town and Scunthorpe United joined the North.

For the record books

In an era of record attendances, the average crowd at Notts County, 35,176, was higher than at eight Division One clubs. Aldershot had the lowest support but their gate of 7,038 was still the third best in their League history. Unsurprisingly, Tommy Lawton was the top scorer with 31 goals, nine ahead of Reading’s Ronnie Blackman.

Same place today

Leyton Orient, Notts County and Reading are the only teams who will be in the third division in 2026-27 , with Northampton and Port Vale having dropped down at the end of last season.

Moved furthest away Six of these clubs later played in non-League with four there currently: Scunthorpe, Southend and Aldershot in the National League and Torquay one level lower. Forest have spent the fewest seasons at the third level since, four in total. Mark Tomlinson

Went on to greater things

Geoff Bradford Bristol Rovers’ record scorer ( pictured ) made his debut this season and would go on to win an England cap, though he never played in Division One. Alec Stock Then in his first season as Leyton Orient manager, he won the 1966-67 League Cup with QPR and was an FA Cup finalist with Fulham in 1975. Norman Uprichard The Northern Ireland goalkeeper made his debut for Swindon in 1949-50 then went on to play at the 1958 World Cup while with Portsmouth.

Disappeared from view

Eddie Hapgood The former Arsenal and England full-back (pictured), who won five League titles in the 1930s, left his only management job, at Watford, this season. Exeter City’s shirts After four years, the club ditched red and white hoops in 1950 for plain red then later returned to their more traditional stripes. Bill McCracken Aldershot’s manager stepped down in November 1949 after 12 years in charge. As a defender for Newcastle in the 1920s he had helped to bring about a change in the offside law.