| Continentalcup3: | New club in League |
| Nextseason: | 1952–53 |
The 1951–52 season was the 53rd completed season of The Football League.
The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website[1] and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics separated.
Beginning with the season 1894–95, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded), or more properly put, goal ratio. In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.
From the 1922–23 season, the bottom two teams of both Third Division North and Third Division South were required to apply for re-election.[2]
| Competition: | First Division |
| Season: | 1951–52 |
| Winners: | Manchester United 3rd English title |
| Relegated: | Huddersfield Town Fulham |
| League Topscorer: | George Robledo (33 goals)[3] |
| Biggest Home Win: | (18 August 1951) (15 September 1951) (29 December 1951) (19 January 1952) (26 January 1952) (11 April 1952) (15 April 1952) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (29 September 1951) |
| Highest Scoring: | (1 September 1951) (10 November 1951) (10 November 1951) (15 December 1951) |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1490 |
| Prevseason: | 1950–51 |
| Nextseason: | 1952–53 |
After the title disappointments of the previous five seasons, Manchester United finally ended their 41-year wait for the First Division title, finishing four points ahead of their nearest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
Huddersfield Town and Fulham were relegated to the Second Division.
| Competition: | Second Division |
| Season: | 1951–52 |
| Winners: | Sheffield Wednesday |
| Promoted: | Sheffield Wednesday Cardiff City |
| Relegated: | Coventry City Queens Park Rangers |
| League Topscorer: | Derek Dooley (46 goals) |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1488 |
| Prevseason: | 1950–51 |
| Nextseason: | 1952–53 |
| Competition: | Football League Third Division North |
| Season: | 1951–52 |
| Winners: | Lincoln City (3rd title) |
| League Topscorer: | Andy Graver (Lincoln City), 36 |
| Continentalcup2: | Failed re-election |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | none |
| Continentalcup3: | New club in League |
| Matches: | 552 |
| Total Goals: | 1658 |
| Nextseason: | 1952–53 |
| Competition: | Football League Third Division South |
| Season: | 1951–52 |
| Winners: | Plymouth Argyle (2nd title) |
| League Topscorer: | Ronnie Blackman (Reading), 39 |
| Continentalcup2: | Failed re-election |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | none |
| Matches: | 552 |
| Total Goals: | 1740 |
| Nextseason: | 1952–53 |