List of Middlesbrough F.C. seasons explained

This is a list of seasons played by Middlesbrough Football Club in English and European football, from 1883, when the club first entered the FA Cup, to the most recent completed season. Middlesbrough Football Club were founded on 18 February 1876, by members of Middlesbrough Cricket Club. For the first years of their existence Middlesbrough participated in competitions such as the Sheffield Cup and the Cleveland Association Challenge Cup. The club have won only one major trophy in their professional history, the Football League Cup in 2004. Most of Middlesbrough's League existence has been in the top two tiers; they were relegated to the Third Division twice in 1966 and 1986, but each time they bounced back as runners-up the following season.

This list details the club's achievements in all competitions, and the top scorers for each season. Records of competitions such as the North Riding Senior Cup are not included due to them being played against lower league opposition and reserve sides.

Seasons

SeasonLeague recordFA
Cup
League
Cup
[1]
EuropeOtherTop scorer(s)[2]
Div (Level)PosPldWDLGFGAPtsPlayer(s)Goals
1883–84n/aR1
1884–85n/aR4
1885–86n/aR5
1886–87n/aR2
1887–88n/aQF
1888–89n/aQ1
1889–90NL (n/a)6th18837423719Q1
1890–91NL (n/a)2nd14833331719Q3
1891–92NL (n/a)2nd161303331326R2
1892–93NL (n/a)4th1040617178R2
1893–94NL (n/a)1st141112511623R1
1894–95NL (n/a)1st181251581729R2FA Amateur Cup
Winners
1895–96NL (n/a)3rd16844282220Q2
1896–97NL (n/a)1st161141361526Q1FA Amateur Cup
SF
1897–98NL (n/a)2nd16943422222Q5FA Amateur Cup
Winners
1898–99NL (n/a)3rd16745292718Q1
1899–1900Div 2 (2)14th348818396924Q17
1900–01Div 2 (2)6th3415712504037QF16
1901–02Div 2 (2)2nd342356902451R123
1902–03Div 1 (1)13th3414515435032R18
1903–04Div 1 (1)10th3491213464730QF17
1904–05Div 1 (1)15th349817365626R15
1905–06Div 1 (1)18th38101117567131R324
1906–07Div 1 (1)11th3815617566336R220
1907–08Div 1 (1)6th3817714544541R112
1908–09Div 1 (1)9th3814915595337R118
1909–10Div 1 (1)17th3811918567337R112
1910–11Div 1 (1)16th38111017496332R310
1911–12Div 1 (1)7th3816814564540R219
1912–13Div 1 (1)16th38111017556932R325
1913–14Div 1 (1)3rd[3] 3819514776043R1George Elliott31[4]
1914–15Div 1 (1)12th38131213627438R226
1915–18No competitive football was played between 1915 and 1919 due to World War I
1919NVL (n/a)1st14923281220[5]
1919–20Div 1 (1)13th42151017616540R434
1920–21Div 1 (1)8th42171213535346R126
1921–22Div 1 (1)8th42161412796946R132
1922–23Div 1 (1)18th42131019576336R223
1923–24Div 1 (1)22nd427827376022R18
1924–25Div 2 (2)13th42101913364439R17
1925–26Div 2 (2)9th4221219776844R438
1926–27Div 2 (2)1st4227871226062R563[6]
1927–28Div 1 (1)22nd42111516818837R537
1928–29Div 2 (2)1st4222119925755R433
1929–30Div 1 (1)16th4216620828438R531
1930–31Div 1 (1)7th4219815989046R332
1931–32Div 1 (1)18th4215819648938R320
1932–33Div 1 (1)17th4214919637337R518
1933–34Div 1 (1)16th4216719687739R324
1934–35Div 1 (1)20th42101418709034R314
1935–36Div 1 (1)14th42151017847040QF32
1936–37Div 1 (1)7th4219815747146R322
1937–38Div 1 (1)5th4219815726546R526
1938–39Div 1 (1)4th4220913937449R435
1939–40Div 1 (n/a)n/a[7] 3012383
No competitive football was played between 1939 and 1946 due to World War II
NERL (n/a)20848484326
1940–41LN (n/a)24131106864George Stobbart30
1941–42LN (n/a)186394454J Robinson 9[8]
LN (n/a)187473736PT Taylor 10[9]
1942–43LN (n/a)1844103050George Stobbart8
LN (n/a)1850133169P Bowers 6
1943–44LN (n/a)184683552George Stobbart12
LN (n/a)2164114151George Stobbart11
1944–45LN (n/a)1853103457George Stobbart10
LN (n/a)2472153958George Stobbart23
1945–46LN (n/a)42179167587R5[10] 27[11]
1946–47Div 1 (1)11th4217817746842QF23
1947–48Div 1 (1)16th4214919717337R529
1948–49Div 1 (1)19th42111219465734R312
1949–50Div 1 (1)9th4220715594847R416
1950–51Div 1 (1)6th42181113766547R321
1951–52Div 1 (1)18th4215621648836R417
1952–53Div 1 (1)13th42141117707739R318
1953–54Div 1 (1)21st42101022609130R318
1954–55Div 2 (2)12th4218618738242R317
1955–56Div 2 (2)14th4216818767840R418
1956–57Div 2 (2)6th42191013846048R440
1957–58Div 2 (2)7th4219716837445R442
1958–59Div 2 (2)13th42151017877140R343
1959–60Div 2 (2)5th42191013906448R340
1960–61Div 2 (2)5th42181212837448R3R136
1961–62Div 2 (2)12th4216719767239R5R332
1962–63Div 2 (2)4th4220913868549R4R233
1963–64Div 2 (2)10th42151116675241R3R214
1964–65Div 2 (2)17th4213920707635R5R224
1965–66Div 2 (2)21st42101319588633R3R317
1966–67Div 3 (3)2nd4223914876455R3R130
1967–68Div 2 (2)6th42171213605446R4R329
1968–69Div 2 (2)4th42191112584949R3R218
1969–70Div 2 (2)4th42201012554550QFR2Anglo-Italian Cup
English GS[12]
30
1970–71Div 2 (2)7th42171411604348R4R327
1971–72Div 2 (2)9th4219815504846R5R216
1972–73Div 2 (2)4th42171312464347R3R315
1973–74Div 2 (2)1st4227114773065R4R320
1974–75Div 1 (1)7th42181212544048QFQFTexaco Cup
Q
18
1975–76Div 1 (1)13th42151017464540R3SFAnglo-Scottish Cup
Winners
18
1976–77Div 1 (1)12th42141315404541QFR2Anglo-Scottish Cup
Q
18
1977–78Div 1 (1)14th42121515425439QFR316
1978–79Div 1 (1)12th42151017575040R3R214
1979–80Div 1 (1)9th42161214504444R4R314
1980–81Div 1 (1)14th4216521536137R6R2Kirin Cup
Winners
13
1981–82Div 1 (1)22nd4281519345239R3R35
1982–83Div 2 (2)16th42111516466748R5R213
1983–84Div 2 (2)17th42121317414749R5R115
1984–85Div 2 (2)19th42101022415740R3R114
1985–86Div 2 (2)21st4212921445345R3R112
1986–87Div 3 (3)2nd4628108673094R3R2Associate Members Cup
Northern SF
21
1987–88Div 2 (2)3rd[13] 44221210633678R4R2Full Members Cup
R1
24
1988–89Div 1 (1)18th3891217446139R3R2Full Members Cup
QF
18
1989–90Div 2 (2)21st46131122526350R3R3Full Members Cup
RU
32
1990–91Div 2 (2)7th[14] 4620917664769R4R4Full Members Cup
Northern R2
19
1991–92Div 2 (2)2nd46231112584180R5SFFull Members Cup
Northern QF
24
1992–93Prem (1)[15] 21st42111120547544R4R215
1993–94Div 1 (2)9th46181315665467R3R3Anglo-Italian Cup
GS
20
1994–95Div 1 (2)1st46231310674082R3R3Anglo-Italian Cup
GS
17
1995–96Prem (1)12th38111017355043R4R49
1996–97Prem (1)19th38101216516039[16] RURU31
1997–98Div 1 (2)2nd4627109774191R4RU16
1998–99Prem (1)9th38121511485451R3R318
1999–2000Prem (1)12th38141014465252R3QF14
2000–01Prem (1)14th3891514444442R4R312
2001–02Prem (1)12th3812917354745SFR38
2002–03Prem (1)11th38131015484449R3R39
2003–04Prem (1)11th3813916445248R4WN9
2004–05Prem (1)7th38141311534655R4R4UEFA Cup
L16
16
2005–06Prem (1)14th3812917485845SFQFUEFA Cup
RU
19
2006–07Prem (1)12th38121016444946QFR219
2007–08Prem (1)13th38101216435342QFR310
2008–09Prem (1)19th3871120285732QFR38
2009–10Champ (2)11th46161416585062R3R211
2010–11Champ (2)12th46171118686862R3R214
2011–12Champ (2)7th46181612525170R4R318
2012–13Champ (2)16th4618523617059R5QF13
2013–14Champ (2)12th46161614625064R3R112
2014–15Champ (2)4th[17] 46251011683785R5R319
2015–16Champ (2)2nd4626119633189R3QF11
2016–17Prem (1)19th3851320275328QFR210
2017–18Champ (2)5th46221014674576R4R415
2018–19Champ (2)7th46201313494173R4QF14
2019–20Champ (2)17th46131419486153R3R113
2020–21Champ (2)10th46181018555364R3R29
2021–22Champ (2)7th46201016595070QFR111
2022–23Champ (2)4th4622915845675R3R129[18] [19]
2023–24Champ (2)8th4620917716269R3SF18

Overall

As of 2023–24 season.

Key

League Results

Divisions

Cup Results

Cup Results (cont.)

References

Notes and References

  1. The League Cup was founded in the 1960–61 season.
  2. Includes goals scored in the following competitions: League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Texaco Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup, Full Members Cup, except in wartime situations where all active competitions are included.
  3. Highest league finish to date.
  4. First Division leading goalscorer.
  5. Goals scored in this season do not contribute to player/club records.
  6. Second Division leading goalscorer. Includes 59 league goals, a Division Two record. This remains the second-highest number of league goals scored in one season, behind Dixie Dean's 60 league goals a year later.
  7. Competitive football was abandoned three games into the 1939–40 season and all results were annulled.
  8. Guest player, from Sheffield Wednesday.
  9. Guest player, from Preston North End.
  10. All FA Cup ties played on a two legged basis.
  11. Seven goals were scored in the FA Cup, contributing to records, while 20 goals were scored in the league competition prior to recommencement of the Football League proper the next season.
  12. Second in group.
  13. Entered playoffs, won and promoted. Losing finalists Chelsea relegated from Div 1.
  14. Entered playoffs. Lost first round.
  15. Inaugural season of the Premier League.
  16. Includes three points deduction for failing to fulfil a fixture at Blackburn Rovers.
  17. Entered playoffs. Lost final.
  18. Championship leading goalscorer.
  19. PFA Championship player of the year.
  20. Following World War I, in January 1919 the NVL was introduced as a preliminary to the return of the Football League. Results do not contribute to player/club records.
  21. Wartime competition. Results do not contribute to player/club records.
  22. Wartime competition. There were two competitions a year from 1941–42 season onwards. Results do not contribute to player/club records.