1955–56 in English football

none July 2020 July 2020 July 2020 England 1955–56 First Division Manchester United Second Division Sheffield Wednesday FA Cup Manchester City 1954–55 1956–57 yes The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. Overview Defending league champions Chelsea decided not to compete in the new European Champions Cup, following opposition from the Football League about the participation of English clubs in the competition. The league title is taken by a Manchester United side with an average age of just 22, which finished 11 points ahead of their nearest contenders, Blackpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was a Manchester double for trophies, with Manchester City winning the FA Cup, with goalkeeper Bert Trautmann famously playing on despite suffering what was later diagnosed as a broken neck in a collision with a Birmingham City player. Honours CompetitionWinnerRunner-upFirst DivisionManchester United (4)BlackpoolSecond DivisionSheffield WednesdayLeeds UnitedThird Division NorthGrimsby TownDerby CountyThird Division SouthLeyton OrientBrighton & Hove AlbionFA CupManchester City (3)Birmingham CityCharity ShieldChelseaNewcastle UnitedHome ChampionshipShared by England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition Awards Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year – Bert Trautmann (Manchester City) Top goalscorer Nat Lofthouse (Bolton Wanderers), 33 Football League 1955–56 Football League First Division Manchester United won the First Division title by 11 points, featuring a squad of players with an average age of just 22, with manager Matt Busby's emphasis on youth paying dividends and answering the critics who felt that his policy would not be able to maintain United's place among the game's elite. Second place was occupied by Blackpool, with Stanley Matthews still a dominant presence in the team in his 41st year, while Wolves finished third, FA Cup winners Manchester City finished fourth, and Arsenal completed the top five. Birmingham City finished sixth to record their best ever final position. y First Division Second Division Sheffield Wednesday swapped divisions with their cross city rivals to return to the First Division by winning the Second Division title, joined by runners-up Leeds United. Liverpool narrowly missed out on a First Division comeback by finishing third. y Second Division Third Division North y Third Division North Third Division South y Third Division South Top goalscorers First Division Nat Lofthouse (Bolton Wanderers) – 32 goalshttps://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html English League Leading Goalscorers RSSSF 2017-06-04 Second Division Willie Gardiner (Leicester City) – 34 goals Third Division North Bob Crosbie (Grimsby Town) – 36 goalshttps://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html English League Leading Goalscorers RSSSF 2017-06-04 Third Division South Sammy Collins (Torquay United) – 40 goals References 1955