| Continentalcup1: | New Club in League |
| Nextseason: | 1971–72 |
The 1970–71 season was the 72nd completed season of The Football League.
Arsenal won the league championship at the home of their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with Ray Kennedy scoring the winner. This would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool. They narrowly overcame Leeds to win the league, with a 12-point gap separating Leeds United from third-placed Tottenham. Wolves and Liverpool joined these two teams in the UEFA Cup. Chelsea missed out on the top five on goal average but compensated for this shortcoming by beating Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Burnley and Blackpool (who won this year's Anglo-Italian Cup) were relegated to the Second Division. Burnley returned from 1973/74 to 1975/76 but it took Blackpool until the 2009–10 season to regain their top flight status after a 3–2 victory over Cardiff City in the Playoff Final (only to be relegated back after the 2010–11 season).
Wilf McGuinness was sacked after 18 unsuccessful months as manager of Manchester United. Sir Matt Busby was re-appointed as manager on a temporary basis, but never considered returning to his old job on a permanent basis. Leicester City manager Frank O'Farrell was appointed at the end of the season.
Leicester City and Sheffield United were promoted to the First Division. Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers, two of the most famous and historic names in English football, were relegated to the Third Division.
Preston North End and Fulham finally had something to shout about by getting promoted to the Second Division. Halifax Town achieved its best ever league position, missing out on the Second Division by one place. Reading, Bury, Doncaster Rovers and Gillingham slid into the Fourth Division.
Notts County, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Oldham Athletic and York City were promoted to the Third Division. The Football League voted for the league's four bottom clubs to maintain their status.
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.[1]
Since the Fourth Division was established in the 1958–59 season, the bottom four teams of that division have been required to apply for re-election.[2]
| Competition: | First Division |
| Season: | 1970–71 |
| Winners: | Arsenal 8th English title |
| Relegated: | Burnley Blackpool |
| Continentalcup1: | European Cup |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Arsenal |
| Continentalcup2: | European Cup Winners' Cup |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Liverpool Chelsea |
| Continentalcup3: | UEFA Cup |
| Continentalcup3 Qualifiers: | Leeds United Tottenham Hotspur Wolverhampton Wanderers Southampton |
| Continentalcup4: | Watney Cup |
| Continentalcup4 Qualifiers: | Manchester United West Bromwich Albion |
| League Topscorer: | Tony Brown (28 goals)[3] |
| Biggest Home Win: | (4 May 1971) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (19 December 1970) |
| Highest Scoring: | (19 September 1970) (26 December 1970) (17 April 1971) |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1089 |
| Longest Wins: | 9 matches Arsenal |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 16 matches Leeds United |
| Longest Losses: | 7 matches Blackpool |
| Prevseason: | 1969–70 |
| Nextseason: | 1971–72 |
Goalscorers are listed order of total goals, then according to the number of league goals, then of FA cup goals, then of League Cup goals. A dash means the team of the player in question did not participate in European competitions.[4]
| width=45 | Rank | width=160 | Scorer | width=175 | Club | width=50 | League goals | width=50 | FA Cup goals | width=50 | League Cup goals | width=50 | Texaco Cup goals | width=50 | Euro competitions | width=50 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Chivers | Tottenham | 21 | 1 | 7 | 5 | — | 34 | |||||||||
| 2 | Tony Brown | West Bromwich Albion | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | |||||||||
| 3 | 19 | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | 26 | |||||||||||
| 4 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 5 | — | 24 | |||||||||||
| 5 | 19 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 23 | |||||||||||
| 6 | 17 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 23 | |||||||||||
| 7 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 22 | |||||||||||
| 8 | 18 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 21 | |||||||||||
| 9 | 17 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 21 | |||||||||||
| 10 | 15 | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 21 | |||||||||||
| 11 | 18 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 20 | |||||||||||
| 12 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | 20 | |||||||||||
| 13 | 14 | 0 | 1 | — | 4 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 14 | 13 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 15 | 5 + 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 + 5 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 16 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 17 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | 19 | |||||||||||
| 18 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | |||||||||||
| 19 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 17 | |||||||||||
| 20 | 15 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 16 | |||||||||||
| = | 15 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 16 | |||||||||||
| 22 | 13 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 16 | |||||||||||
| 23 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 15 | |||||||||||
| = | 13 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 15 | |||||||||||
| 25 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 15 | |||||||||||
| 26 | 5 + 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 14 | |||||||||||
| 27 | 13 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 14 | |||||||||||
| 28 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | |||||||||||
| 29 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 14 | |||||||||||
| 30 | 1 + 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | |||||||||||
| 31 | 3 + 9 | 0 + 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 13 | |||||||||||
| 32 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 13 | |||||||||||
| 33 | 10 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 13 | |||||||||||
| 34 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 13 | |||||||||||
| 35 | 8 | 0 | 5 | — | — | 13 | |||||||||||
| 36 | 11 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 12 | |||||||||||
| 37 | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 12 | |||||||||||
| 38 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | |||||||||||
| 39 | 9 | 0 | 3 | — | — | 12 | |||||||||||
| 40 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 12 | |||||||||||
| 41 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 11 | |||||||||||
| 42 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | |||||||||||
| 43 | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 10 | |||||||||||
| 44 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | |||||||||||
| 45 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 10 |
| Competition: | Second Division |
| Season: | 1970–71 |
| Winners: | Leicester City |
| Promoted: | Leicester City Sheffield United |
| Relegated: | Blackburn Rovers Bolton Wanderers |
| Continentalcup1: | Cup Winners' Cup |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Cardiff City |
| Continentalcup2: | Watney Cup |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Carlisle United Luton Town |
| League Topscorer: | John Hickton (25 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (5 December 1970) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (30 September 1970) (10 October 1970) (10 October 1970) (13 February 1971) (16 January 1971) |
| Highest Scoring: | (26 September 1970) (26 December 1970) |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1141 |
| Prevseason: | 1969–70 |
| Nextseason: | 1971–72 |
Goalscorers are listed order of total goals, then according to the number of league goals, then of FA cup goals, then of League Cup goals. A dash means the team of the player in question did not participate in European competitions.[4]
| width=45 | Rank | width=160 | Scorer | width=175 | Club | width=50 | League goals | width=50 | FA Cup goals | width=50 | League Cup goals | width=50 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malcolm Macdonald | Luton Town | 24 | 4 | 2 | 30 | |||||||
| 2 | John Hickton | Middlesbrough | 25 | 0 | 2 | 27 | |||||||
| 3 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 24 | |||||||||
| 4 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 23 | |||||||||
| 5 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 23 | |||||||||
| 6 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 21 | |||||||||
| 7 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 20 | |||||||||
| 8 | 13 + 6 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |||||||||
| 9 | 15 + 2 | 0 | 0 + 1 | 18 | |||||||||
| 10 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 17 | |||||||||
| 11 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 17 | |||||||||
| 12 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 17 | |||||||||
| 13 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 16 | |||||||||
| 14 | 4 + 9 | 0 + 3 | 0 | 16 | |||||||||
| 15 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 16 | |||||||||
| 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 16 | |||||||||
| 17 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| = | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| = | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| = | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| 21 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| 22 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 15 | |||||||||
| 23 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| 24 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| 25 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 14 | |||||||||
| 26 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 27 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 28 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| 29 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 13 | |||||||||
| 30 | 3 + 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | |||||||||
| 31 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |||||||||
| 32 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |||||||||
| 33 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||
| 34 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 11 | |||||||||
| = | 8 | 0 | 3 | 11 | |||||||||
| 36 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| = | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| 38 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
| = | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
| 40 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Competition: | Third Division |
| Season: | 1970–71 |
| Winners: | Preston North End |
| Promoted: | Preston North End Fulham |
| Relegated: | Reading Bury Doncaster Rovers Gillingham |
| Continentalcup1: | Watney Cup |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Halifax Town Wrexham |
| League Topscorer: | Dudley Roberts Gerry Ingram (22 goals each) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (1 September 1970) (2 September 1970) (10 October 1970) (4 December 1970) (27 March 1971) (24 April 1971) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (4 September 1970) (5 December 1970) (2 January 1971) (19 February 1971) |
| Highest Scoring: | (12 September 1970) |
| Matches: | 552 |
| Total Goals: | 1372 |
| Prevseason: | 1969–70 |
| Nextseason: | 1971–72 |
Goalscorers are listed order of total goals, then according to the number of league goals, then of FA cup goals, then of League Cup goals. A dash means the team of the player in question did not participate in European competitions.[4]
| width=45 | Rank | width=160 | Scorer | width=175 | Club | width=50 | League goals | width=50 | FA Cup goals | width=50 | League Cup goals | width=50 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Gwyther | Swansea City | 18 | 7 | 2 | 27 | |||||||
| 2 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 24 | |||||||||
| 3 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 24 | |||||||||
| 4 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 21 | |||||||||
| 5 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 20 | |||||||||
| 6 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 20 | |||||||||
| 7 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |||||||||
| 8 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 19 | |||||||||
| 9 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 19 | |||||||||
| 10 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 19 | |||||||||
| 11 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 19 | |||||||||
| 12 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 17 | |||||||||
| 13 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 17 | |||||||||
| 14 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| 15 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 15 | |||||||||
| = | 13 | 0 | 2 | 15 | |||||||||
| 17 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 15 | |||||||||
| 18 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 14 | |||||||||
| = | 13 | 0 | 1 | 14 | |||||||||
| 20 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| 21 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| 22 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 23 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| = | 12 | 1 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 25 | 10 + 2 | 0 | 0 + 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| 26 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 27 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| 28 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 | |||||||||
| 29 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 13 | |||||||||
| 30 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 12 | |||||||||
| 31 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 12 | |||||||||
| 32 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 12 | |||||||||
| 33 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 12 | |||||||||
| 34 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| = | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| 36 | 9 + 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| 37 | 5 + 3 | 0 | 0 + 3 | 11 | |||||||||
| 38 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| = | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| 40 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| = | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| 42 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| 43 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
| = | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
| 45 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Competition: | Football League Fourth Division |
| Season: | 1970–71 |
| Winners: | Notts County (1st title) |
| Continentalcup1: | Promoted |
| Continentalcup2: | Failed re-election |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | none |
| Continentalcup3: | New club in the league |
| League Topscorer: | Ted MacDougall (Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic), 42 |
| Matches: | 552 |
| Total Goals: | 1527 |
| Nextseason: | 1971–72 |
Goalscorers are listed order of total goals, then according to the number of league goals, then of FA cup goals, then of League Cup goals. A dash means the team of the player in question did not participate in European competitions.[4]
| width=45 | Rank | width=160 | Scorer | width=250 | Club | width=50 | League goals | width=50 | FA Cup goals | width=50 | League Cup goals | width=50 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ted MacDougall | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 42 | 7 | 0 | 49 | |||||||
| 2 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 32 | |||||||||
| 3 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 31 | |||||||||
| 4 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 26 | |||||||||
| 5 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 25 | |||||||||
| 6 | 11 + 9 | 0 + 1 | 0 + 3 | 24 | |||||||||
| 7 | David Shaw[6] | 23 | 0 | 0 | 23 | ||||||||
| 8 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 23 | |||||||||
| 9 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 22 | |||||||||
| 10 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 22 | |||||||||
| 11 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 21 | |||||||||
| 12 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 19 | |||||||||
| 13 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 19 | |||||||||
| 14 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 18 | |||||||||
| = | 17 | 1 | 0 | 18 | |||||||||
| 16 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 18 | |||||||||
| 17 | 11 + 3 | 4 | 0 | 18 | |||||||||
| 18 | 11 + 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | |||||||||
| 19 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 17 | |||||||||
| = | 16 | 1 | 0 | 17 | |||||||||
| = | 16 | 1 | 0 | 17 | |||||||||
| 22 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 16 | |||||||||
| 23 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 16 | |||||||||
| 24 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 16 | |||||||||
| 25 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 16 | |||||||||
| 26 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| = | 14 | 1 | 0 | 15 | |||||||||
| 28 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 15 | |||||||||
| 29 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 15 | |||||||||
| 30 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| = | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| 32 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| = | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| = | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| = | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||
| 36 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 37 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 38 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||
| 39 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |||||||||
| = | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |||||||||
| 41 | 4 + 7 | 1 | 0 | 12 | |||||||||
| 42 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 | |||||||||
| 43 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 12 | |||||||||
| 44 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| = | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| = | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| = | 9 + 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| 48 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| = | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||
| 50 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||
| = | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||
| 52 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| = | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| 54 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| = | Eddie Rowles | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||
| 56 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
| 57 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |