The 1992–1993 season was the 94th completed season of the Football League. This season saw the birth of the Premier League. In 1992, all of the First Division clubs resigned from the Football League and, on 27 May 1992, the FA Premier League was formed as a limited company, which worked out of an office at the Football Association’s then headquarters, Lancaster Gate. Hence, the 104-year-old Football League was reduced from four divisions to three, with the old Second, Third and Fourth Divisions becoming the new First, Second and Third Divisions respectively. The league was sponsored this season by Barclays.
The tables and results below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website, with home and away statistics separated. Play-off results are from the same website.
First Division">Football League First Division">First Division
Newcastle United, who won their first 10 league games, clinched the Division One title with an impressive 96 points to end a four-year exile from the top flight of English football. West Ham United sealed an instant return to the top flight a year after relegation, edging ahead of Portsmouth to finished second. Portsmouth's promotion bid ended in the playoff semi-finals when they were beaten by Leicester City, who went on to lose the final 4-3 to Swindon Town. The other losing semi-finalists in the playoffs were Tranmere Rovers, playing only their second season at this level in the postwar era. Millwall finished one place outside the playoff zone in the first season in management for Mick McCarthy, while pre-season promotion favourites Derby County could only manage an eighth-place finish despite having the most expensively-assembled squad in the division. Grimsby Town and Peterborough United finished in the top half of the table, comfortably above bigger clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City. Luton Town and Notts County, newly relegated from the top flight, spent the season battling at the wrong end of the division but managed to avoid a second successive relegation, as did a Sunderland side who had been FA Cup finalists one season earlier and members of the top flight two seasons earlier. Bristol Rovers went down in bottom place after a dismal season. Cambridge United, playoff semi-finalists the previous season, struggled after the sale of Dion Dublin and went down on the last day of the season, as did a Brentford side who had been on the fringe of the playoff places at Christmas.
Results
Play-offs">Football League Championship play-offs">Play-offs
Maps
Second Division">Football League Second Division">Second Division
Stoke City sealed promotion as Division Two champions in Lou Macari's second season as manager, as did Bolton Wanderers under their new manager Bruce Rioch. The third promotion place went to playoff winners West Bromwich Albion, who beat Port Vale 3-0 in the Wembley promotion decider. Swansea City and Stockport County were the losing semi-finalists. Leyton Orient missed out on the playoff places as they had scored fewer goals than Stockport. Chester City, Wigan Athletic, Mansfield Town and Preston North End went down to Division Three.
Results
Play-offs">Football League One play-offs">Play-offs
Maps
Third Division">Football League Third Division">Third Division
Cardiff City and Wrexham continued their good progress by occupying Division Three’s top two places. They were joined in third place by Barnet, who had spent most of the season on the brink of expulsion from the league due to financial problems. The final promotion place went to York City, who won the play-offs just weeks after Alan Little was appointed manager. Halifax Town, after 72 years of league membership, finished bottom of the league and were replaced by Conference champions Wycombe Wanderers. Maidstone United went out of business on 17 August after their first game was postponed, and were not replaced.
Results
Play-offs">Football League Two play-offs">Play-offs
