The 2005–06 Football League (known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 107th completed season of The Football League.

This season saw Reading promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history, after winning the Championship with 106 points – a record for a 46-match season with three points for a win. Southend United were the champions of League One, while Carlisle United, having played in the Conference in 2004–05, completed a double promotion by winning League Two.

Promotion and Relegation

These are the changes that happened last season.

From Premier League

Relegated to Championship

From Championship

Promoted to Premier League

Relegated to League 1

From Football League One

Promoted to Championship

Relegated to League 2

From Football League Two

Promoted to League 1

Relegated to Conference National

From Conference National

Promoted to League 2

Final league tables and results

The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website,[1] with home and away statistics separated. Play-off results are from the same website.

Championship

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Reading (C, P) 46 31 13 2 99 32 +67 106 Promotion to the FA Premier League
2 Sheffield United (P) 46 26 12 8 76 46 +30 90
3 Watford (O, P) 46 22 15 9 77 53 +24 81 Qualification for Championship play-offs
4 Preston North End 46 20 20 6 59 30 +29 80
5 Leeds United 46 21 15 10 57 38 +19 78
6 Crystal Palace 46 21 12 13 67 48 +19 75
7 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 16 19 11 50 42 +8 67
8 Coventry City 46 16 15 15 62 65 3 63
9 Norwich City 46 18 8 20 56 65 9 62
10 Luton Town 46 17 10 19 66 67 1 61
11 Cardiff City 46 16 12 18 58 59 1 60
12 Southampton 46 13 19 14 49 50 1 58
13 Stoke City 46 17 7 22 54 63 9 58
14 Plymouth Argyle 46 13 17 16 39 46 7 56
15 Ipswich Town 46 14 14 18 53 66 13 56
16 Leicester City 46 13 15 18 51 59 8 54
17 Burnley 46 14 12 20 46 54 8 54
18 Hull City 46 12 16 18 49 55 6 52
19 Sheffield Wednesday 46 13 13 20 39 52 13 52
20 Derby County 46 10 20 16 53 67 14 50
21 Queens Park Rangers 46 12 14 20 50 65 15 50
22 Crewe Alexandra (R) 46 9 15 22 57 86 29 42 Relegation to Football League One
23 Millwall (R) 46 8 16 22 35 62 27 40
24 Brighton & Hove Albion (R) 46 7 17 22 39 71 32 38
Updated to match(es) played on 2 December 2011. Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Play-offs

Semi-finals
1st leg – 5/6 May; 2nd leg – 8/9 May 2006
Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
21 May 2006
        
3rd Watford 3 0 3
6th Crystal Palace 0 0 0
3rd Watford 3
5th Leeds United 0
4th Preston North End 1 0 1
5th Leeds United 1 2 3

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1Jamaica Marlon King Watford 21
2England Dave KitsonReading18
=Republic of Ireland Kevin DoyleReading18
=England Cameron JeromeCardiff City18
5England Darius HendersonWatford15
=England Andrew JohnsonCrystal Palace15
=England Gary McSheffreyCoventry15
=Nigeria Ade AkinbiyiSheffield United15
9England Ashley YoungWatford14
=Scotland Steve HowardLuton Town14

[3]

League One

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Southend United (C, P) 46 23 13 10 72 43 +29 82 Promotion to the Championship
2 Colchester United (P) 46 22 13 11 58 40 +18 79
3 Brentford 46 20 16 10 72 52 +20 76 Qualification for the League One play-offs
4 Huddersfield Town 46 19 16 11 72 59 +13 73
5 Barnsley (O, P) 46 18 18 10 62 44 +18 72
6 Swansea City 46 18 17 11 78 55 +23 71
7 Nottingham Forest 46 19 12 15 67 52 +15 69
8 Doncaster Rovers 46 20 9 17 55 51 +4 69
9 Bristol City 46 18 11 17 66 62 +4 65
10 Oldham Athletic 46 18 11 17 58 60 2 65
11 Bradford City 46 14 19 13 51 49 +2 61
12 Scunthorpe United 46 15 15 16 68 73 5 60
13 Port Vale 46 16 12 18 49 54 5 60
14 Gillingham 46 16 12 18 50 64 14 60
15 Yeovil Town 46 15 11 20 54 62 8 56
16 Chesterfield 46 14 14 18 63 73 10 56
17 Bournemouth 46 12 19 15 49 53 4 55
18 Tranmere Rovers 46 13 15 18 50 52 2 54
19 Blackpool 46 12 17 17 56 64 8 53
20 Rotherham United 46 12 16 18 52 62 10 52
21 Hartlepool United (R) 46 11 17 18 44 59 15 50 Relegation to League Two
22 Milton Keynes Dons (R) 46 12 14 20 45 66 21 50
23 Swindon Town (R) 46 11 15 20 46 65 19 48
24 Walsall (R) 46 11 14 21 47 70 23 47
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Play-offs

Semi-finals
1st leg − 13 May; 2nd leg − 17 May 2006
Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
28 May 2006
        
3rd Brentford 1 0 1
6th Swansea City 1 2 3
5th Barnsley (pens.) 2 (4)
6th Swansea City 2 (3)
4th Huddersfield Town 1 1 2
5th Barnsley 0 3 3

[1]

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1England Billy Sharp Scunthorpe United 23
=Wales Freddy Eastwood Southend United 23
3England James HayterAFC Bournemouth20
=England Lee TrundleSwansea City20
5England Luke BeckettOldham Athletic18
6New Zealand Rory FallonSwansea City17
=England Izale McLeodMilton Keynes Dons17
=Scotland Chris IwelumoColchester United17
9England Dean WindassBradford City16
=England Steve BrookerBristol City16
=England Chris GreenacreTranmere Rovers16

[4]

League Two

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Carlisle United (C, P) 46 25 11 10 84 42 +42 86 Promotion to Football League One
2 Northampton Town (P) 46 22 17 7 63 37 +26 83
3 Leyton Orient (P) 46 22 15 9 67 51 +16 81
4 Grimsby Town 46 22 12 12 64 44 +20 78 Qualification for League Two play-offs
5 Cheltenham Town (O, P) 46 19 15 12 65 53 +12 72
6 Wycombe Wanderers 46 18 17 11 72 56 +16 71
7 Lincoln City 46 15 21 10 65 53 +12 66
8 Darlington 46 16 15 15 58 52 +6 63
9 Peterborough United 46 17 11 18 57 49 +8 62
10 Shrewsbury Town 46 16 13 17 55 55 0 61
11 Boston United 46 15 16 15 50 60 10 61
12 Bristol Rovers 46 17 9 20 59 67 8 60
13 Wrexham 46 15 14 17 61 54 +7 59
14 Rochdale 46 14 14 18 66 69 3 56
15 Chester City 46 14 12 20 53 59 6 54
16 Mansfield Town 46 13 15 18 59 66 7 54
17 Macclesfield Town 46 12 18 16 60 71 11 54
18 Barnet 46 12 18 16 44 57 13 54
19 Bury 46 12 17 17 45 57 12 52[a]
20 Torquay United 46 13 13 20 53 66 13 52
21 Notts County 46 12 16 18 48 63 15 52
22 Stockport County 46 11 19 16 57 78 21 52
23 Oxford United (R) 46 11 16 19 43 57 14 49 Relegation to Football Conference
24 Rushden & Diamonds (R) 46 11 12 23 44 76 32 45
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. Bury deducted one point for fielding an ineligible player.[5]

Play-offs

Semi-finals
1st leg − 13 May; 2nd leg – 16/18 May 2006
Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
28 May 2006
        
4th Grimsby Town 1 2 3
7th Lincoln City 0 1 1
4th Grimsby Town 0
5th Cheltenham Town 1
5th Cheltenham Town 2 0 2
6th Wycombe Wanderers 1 0 1

[1]

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1England Rickie Lambert Rochdale 22
=England Karl Hawley Carlisle United 22
3England Richard WalkerBristol Rovers20
4England Tommy MooneyWycombe Wanderers18
=England Richard BarkerMansfield Town18
6England Scott McGleishNorthampton Town17
7Ghana Junior AgogoBristol Rovers16
8England Danny CrowPeterborough United15
=England Gary JonesGrimsby Town15
=England Michael BridgesCarlisle United15

[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "England 2005–06". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  3. scorersleague=eng.2&year=2005&cc=5901 soccernet.espn.go.com[dead link]
  4. scorersleague=eng.3&year=2005&cc=5901 soccernet.espn.go.com[dead link]
  5. "Bury handed one-point deduction". BBC Sport. 25 May 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  6. scorersleague=eng.4&year=2005&cc=5901 soccernet.espn.go.com[dead link]