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

Season	League record									FA Cup	League Cup^[1]	Europe	Other	Top scorer(s)^[2]
	Div (Level)	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts					Player(s)	Goals
1883–84	n/a									R1
1884–85	n/a									R4
1885–86	n/a									R5
1886–87	n/a									R2
1887–88	n/a									QF
1888–89	n/a									Q1
1889–90	NL (n/a)	6th	18	8	3	7	42	37	19	Q1
1890–91	NL (n/a)	2nd	14	8	3	3	33	17	19	Q3
1891–92	NL (n/a)	2nd	16	13	0	3	33	13	26	R2
1892–93	NL (n/a)	4th	10	4	0	6	17	17	8	R2
1893–94	NL (n/a)	1st	14	11	1	2	51	16	23	R1
1894–95	NL (n/a)	1st	18	12	5	1	58	17	29	R2			FA Amateur Cup Winners
1895–96	NL (n/a)	3rd	16	8	4	4	28	22	20	Q2
1896–97	NL (n/a)	1st	16	11	4	1	36	15	26	Q1			FA Amateur Cup SF
1897–98	NL (n/a)	2nd	16	9	4	3	42	22	22	Q5			FA Amateur Cup Winners
1898–99	NL (n/a)	3rd	16	7	4	5	29	27	18	Q1
1899–1900	Div 2 (2)	14th	34	8	8	18	39	69	24	Q1					7
1900–01	Div 2 (2)	6th	34	15	7	12	50	40	37	QF					16
1901–02	Div 2 (2)	2nd	34	23	5	6	90	24	51	R1					23
1902–03	Div 1 (1)	13th	34	14	5	15	43	50	32	R1					8
1903–04	Div 1 (1)	10th	34	9	12	13	46	47	30	QF					17
1904–05	Div 1 (1)	15th	34	9	8	17	36	56	26	R1					5
1905–06	Div 1 (1)	18th	38	10	11	17	56	71	31	R3					24
1906–07	Div 1 (1)	11th	38	15	6	17	56	63	36	R2					20
1907–08	Div 1 (1)	6th	38	17	7	14	54	45	41	R1					12
1908–09	Div 1 (1)	9th	38	14	9	15	59	53	37	R1					18
1909–10	Div 1 (1)	17th	38	11	9	18	56	73	37	R1					12
1910–11	Div 1 (1)	16th	38	11	10	17	49	63	32	R3					10
1911–12	Div 1 (1)	7th	38	16	8	14	56	45	40	R2					19
1912–13	Div 1 (1)	16th	38	11	10	17	55	69	32	R3					25
1913–14	Div 1 (1)	3rd^[3]	38	19	5	14	77	60	43	R1				George Elliott	31^[4]
1914–15	Div 1 (1)	12th	38	13	12	13	62	74	38	R2					26
1915–18	No competitive football was played between 1915 and 1919 due to World War I
1919	NVL (n/a)	1st	14	9	2	3	28	12							20^[5]
1919–20	Div 1 (1)	13th	42	15	10	17	61	65	40	R4					34
1920–21	Div 1 (1)	8th	42	17	12	13	53	53	46	R1					26
1921–22	Div 1 (1)	8th	42	16	14	12	79	69	46	R1					32
1922–23	Div 1 (1)	18th	42	13	10	19	57	63	36	R2					23
1923–24	Div 1 (1)	22nd	42	7	8	27	37	60	22	R1					8
1924–25	Div 2 (2)	13th	42	10	19	13	36	44	39	R1					7
1925–26	Div 2 (2)	9th	42	21	2	19	77	68	44	R4					38
1926–27	Div 2 (2)	1st	42	27	8	7	122	60	62	R5					63^[6]
1927–28	Div 1 (1)	22nd	42	11	15	16	81	88	37	R5					37
1928–29	Div 2 (2)	1st	42	22	11	9	92	57	55	R4					33
1929–30	Div 1 (1)	16th	42	16	6	20	82	84	38	R5					31
1930–31	Div 1 (1)	7th	42	19	8	15	98	90	46	R3					32
1931–32	Div 1 (1)	18th	42	15	8	19	64	89	38	R3					20
1932–33	Div 1 (1)	17th	42	14	9	19	63	73	37	R5					18
1933–34	Div 1 (1)	16th	42	16	7	19	68	77	39	R3					24
1934–35	Div 1 (1)	20th	42	10	14	18	70	90	34	R3					14
1935–36	Div 1 (1)	14th	42	15	10	17	84	70	40	QF					32
1936–37	Div 1 (1)	7th	42	19	8	15	74	71	46	R3					22
1937–38	Div 1 (1)	5th	42	19	8	15	72	65	46	R5					26
1938–39	Div 1 (1)	4th	42	20	9	13	93	74	49	R4					35
1939–40	Div 1 (n/a)	n/a^[7]	3	0	1	2	3	8							3
	No competitive football was played between 1939 and 1946 due to World War II
	NERL (n/a)		20	8	4	8	48	43							26
1940–41	LN (n/a)		24	13	1	10	68	64						George Stobbart	30
1941–42	LN (n/a)		18	6	3	9	44	54						J Robinson	9^[8]
	LN (n/a)		18	7	4	7	37	36						PT Taylor	10^[9]
1942–43	LN (n/a)		18	4	4	10	30	50						George Stobbart	8
	LN (n/a)		18	5	0	13	31	69						P Bowers	6
1943–44	LN (n/a)		18	4	6	8	35	52						George Stobbart	12
	LN (n/a)		21	6	4	11	41	51						George Stobbart	11
1944–45	LN (n/a)		18	5	3	10	34	57						George Stobbart	10
	LN (n/a)		24	7	2	15	39	58						George Stobbart	23
1945–46	LN (n/a)		42	17	9	16	75	87		R5^[10]					27^[11]
1946–47	Div 1 (1)	11th	42	17	8	17	74	68	42	QF					23
1947–48	Div 1 (1)	16th	42	14	9	19	71	73	37	R5					29
1948–49	Div 1 (1)	19th	42	11	12	19	46	57	34	R3					12
1949–50	Div 1 (1)	9th	42	20	7	15	59	48	47	R4					16
1950–51	Div 1 (1)	6th	42	18	11	13	76	65	47	R3					21
1951–52	Div 1 (1)	18th	42	15	6	21	64	88	36	R4					17
1952–53	Div 1 (1)	13th	42	14	11	17	70	77	39	R3					18
1953–54	Div 1 (1)	21st	42	10	10	22	60	91	30	R3					18
1954–55	Div 2 (2)	12th	42	18	6	18	73	82	42	R3					17
1955–56	Div 2 (2)	14th	42	16	8	18	76	78	40	R4					18
1956–57	Div 2 (2)	6th	42	19	10	13	84	60	48	R4					40
1957–58	Div 2 (2)	7th	42	19	7	16	83	74	45	R4					42
1958–59	Div 2 (2)	13th	42	15	10	17	87	71	40	R3					43
1959–60	Div 2 (2)	5th	42	19	10	13	90	64	48	R3					40
1960–61	Div 2 (2)	5th	42	18	12	12	83	74	48	R3	R1				36
1961–62	Div 2 (2)	12th	42	16	7	19	76	72	39	R5	R3				32
1962–63	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	20	9	13	86	85	49	R4	R2				33
1963–64	Div 2 (2)	10th	42	15	11	16	67	52	41	R3	R2				14
1964–65	Div 2 (2)	17th	42	13	9	20	70	76	35	R5	R2				24
1965–66	Div 2 (2)	21st	42	10	13	19	58	86	33	R3	R3				17
1966–67	Div 3 (3)	2nd	42	23	9	14	87	64	55	R3	R1				30
1967–68	Div 2 (2)	6th	42	17	12	13	60	54	46	R4	R3				29
1968–69	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	19	11	12	58	49	49	R3	R2				18
1969–70	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	20	10	12	55	45	50	QF	R2		Anglo-Italian Cup English GS^[12]		30
1970–71	Div 2 (2)	7th	42	17	14	11	60	43	48	R4	R3				27
1971–72	Div 2 (2)	9th	42	19	8	15	50	48	46	R5	R2				16
1972–73	Div 2 (2)	4th	42	17	13	12	46	43	47	R3	R3				15
1973–74	Div 2 (2)	1st	42	27	11	4	77	30	65	R4	R3				20
1974–75	Div 1 (1)	7th	42	18	12	12	54	40	48	QF	QF		Texaco Cup Q		18
1975–76	Div 1 (1)	13th	42	15	10	17	46	45	40	R3	SF		Anglo-Scottish Cup Winners		18
1976–77	Div 1 (1)	12th	42	14	13	15	40	45	41	QF	R2		Anglo-Scottish Cup Q		18
1977–78	Div 1 (1)	14th	42	12	15	15	42	54	39	QF	R3				16
1978–79	Div 1 (1)	12th	42	15	10	17	57	50	40	R3	R2				14
1979–80	Div 1 (1)	9th	42	16	12	14	50	44	44	R4	R3				14
1980–81	Div 1 (1)	14th	42	16	5	21	53	61	37	R6	R2		Kirin Cup Winners		13
1981–82	Div 1 (1)	22nd	42	8	15	19	34	52	39	R3	R3				5
1982–83	Div 2 (2)	16th	42	11	15	16	46	67	48	R5	R2				13
1983–84	Div 2 (2)	17th	42	12	13	17	41	47	49	R5	R1				15
1984–85	Div 2 (2)	19th	42	10	10	22	41	57	40	R3	R1				14
1985–86	Div 2 (2)	21st	42	12	9	21	44	53	45	R3	R1				12
1986–87	Div 3 (3)	2nd	46	28	10	8	67	30	94	R3	R2		Associate Members Cup Northern SF		21
1987–88	Div 2 (2)	3rd^[13]	44	22	12	10	63	36	78	R4	R2		Full Members Cup R1		24
1988–89	Div 1 (1)	18th	38	9	12	17	44	61	39	R3	R2		Full Members Cup QF		18
1989–90	Div 2 (2)	21st	46	13	11	22	52	63	50	R3	R3		Full Members Cup RU		32
1990–91	Div 2 (2)	7th^[14]	46	20	9	17	66	47	69	R4	R4		Full Members Cup Northern R2		19
1991–92	Div 2 (2)	2nd	46	23	11	12	58	41	80	R5	SF		Full Members Cup Northern QF		24
1992–93	Prem (1)^[15]	21st	42	11	11	20	54	75	44	R4	R2				15
1993–94	Div 1 (2)	9th	46	18	13	15	66	54	67	R3	R3		Anglo-Italian Cup GS		20
1994–95	Div 1 (2)	1st	46	23	13	10	67	40	82	R3	R3		Anglo-Italian Cup GS		17
1995–96	Prem (1)	12th	38	11	10	17	35	50	43	R4	R4				9
1996–97	Prem (1)	19th	38	10	12	16	51	60	39^[16]	RU	RU				31
1997–98	Div 1 (2)	2nd	46	27	10	9	77	41	91	R4	RU				16
1998–99	Prem (1)	9th	38	12	15	11	48	54	51	R3	R3				18
1999–2000	Prem (1)	12th	38	14	10	14	46	52	52	R3	QF				14
2000–01	Prem (1)	14th	38	9	15	14	44	44	42	R4	R3				12
2001–02	Prem (1)	12th	38	12	9	17	35	47	45	SF	R3				8
2002–03	Prem (1)	11th	38	13	10	15	48	44	49	R3	R3				9
2003–04	Prem (1)	11th	38	13	9	16	44	52	48	R4	WN				9
2004–05	Prem (1)	7th	38	14	13	11	53	46	55	R4	R4	UEFA Cup L16			16
2005–06	Prem (1)	14th	38	12	9	17	48	58	45	SF	QF	UEFA Cup RU			19
2006–07	Prem (1)	12th	38	12	10	16	44	49	46	QF	R2				19
2007–08	Prem (1)	13th	38	10	12	16	43	53	42	QF	R3				10
2008–09	Prem (1)	19th	38	7	11	20	28	57	32	QF	R3				8
2009–10	Champ (2)	11th	46	16	14	16	58	50	62	R3	R2				11
2010–11	Champ (2)	12th	46	17	11	18	68	68	62	R3	R2				14
2011–12	Champ (2)	7th	46	18	16	12	52	51	70	R4	R3				18
2012–13	Champ (2)	16th	46	18	5	23	61	70	59	R5	QF				13
2013–14	Champ (2)	12th	46	16	16	14	62	50	64	R3	R1				12
2014–15	Champ (2)	4th^[17]	46	25	10	11	68	37	85	R5	R3				19
2015–16	Champ (2)	2nd	46	26	11	9	63	31	89	R3	QF				11
2016–17	Prem (1)	19th	38	5	13	20	27	53	28	QF	R2				10
2017–18	Champ (2)	5th	46	22	10	14	67	45	76	R4	R4				15
2018–19	Champ (2)	7th	46	20	13	13	49	41	73	R4	QF				14
2019–20	Champ (2)	17th	46	13	14	19	48	61	53	R3	R1				13
2020–21	Champ (2)	10th	46	18	10	18	55	53	64	R3	R2				9
2021–22	Champ (2)	7th	46	20	10	16	59	50	70	QF	R1				11
2022–23	Champ (2)	4th	46	22	9	15	84	56	75	R3	R1				29^[18] ^[19]
2023–24	Champ (2)	8th	46	20	9	17	71	62	69	R3	SF				18

Overall

• Seasons spent at Level 1 of the football league system: 61
• Seasons spent at Level 2 of the football league system: 51
• Seasons spent at Level 3 of the football league system: 2
• Seasons spent at Level 4 of the football league system: 0

As of 2023–24 season.

Key

League Results

• Div = Division
• Pos = Final position
• Pld = Matches played
• W = Matches won
• D = Matches drawn
• L = Matches lost
• GF = Goals for
• GA = Goals against
• Pts = Points

Divisions

• NL = Northern Football League
• Div 1 = Football League First Division
• Div 2 = Football League Second Division
• Div 3 = Football League Third Division
• Prem = Premier League
• NVL = Northern Victory League^[20]
• NERL = North Eastern Regional League^[21]
• LN = Football League North^[22]
• Champ = EFL Championship
• n/a = Not applicable

Cup Results

• Q = Qualifying round
• Q1 = Qualifying round 1
• Q2 = Qualifying round 2
• Q3 = Qualifying round 3
• Q4 = Qualifying round 4
• Q5 = Qualifying round 5
• R1 = Round 1
• R2 = Round 2
• R3 = Round 3
• R4 = Round 4
• R5 = Round 5

Cup Results (cont.)

• QF = Quarter-finals
• SF = Semi-finals
• RU = Runners-up
• WN = Winners
• GS = Group Stage
• L16 = Last 16

References

• Book: Glasper, Harry. Middlesbrough A Complete Record 1876–1989. 1989 . Breedon Books Sport. 0-907969-53-4.
• Web site: mfc1986.co.uk . 31 May 2007.

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.