1968–69 Football League
The 1968–69 season was the 70th completed season of The Football League.
Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool. Newly promoted Queens Park Rangers were relegated after finishing bottom along with Leicester City.
Derby County were runaway winners of the Second Division and they were joined in promotion by runners-up Crystal Palace. Despite still boasting the talents of Johnny Haynes and George Cohen, Fulham finished bottom and were relegated. They were joined in the Third Division by perennial strugglers Bury
Watford won the Third Division title on goal average from Swindon Town and both teams were duly promoted. At the bottom end Northampton Town, Hartlepool, Crewe Alexandra and Oldham Athletic were all relegated.
The Fourth Division was won by Doncaster Rovers, who were promoted along with Halifax Town, Rochdale and Bradford City. No team failed re-election so no new members were admitted to the Football League.
Final league tables and results
Beginning with the season 1894–95, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average, 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.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.
Second Division
Third Division
Results
- With thirteen minutes remaining in the Barrow v Plymouth Argyle match on the 9th of November 1968, the score was 0-0. After Barrow took a corner-kick, the ball was cleared towards Barrow player George Mclean. His shot from outside the penalty area was going wide, but hit referee Ivan Robinson and went into the net. Robinson had no choice but to award the goal. Barrow held on to win 1-0.
Fourth Division
Attendances
Source:Division One
| No. | Club | Average | ± | Highest | Lowest |
| 1 | Manchester United | 51,169 | -11.1% | 63,274 | 36,638 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 47,340 | 1.3% | 54,496 | 40,449 |
| 3 | Everton FC | 45,958 | -2.2% | 63,938 | 36,035 |
| 4 | Arsenal FC | 38,423 | 20.5% | 62,300 | 23,891 |
| 5 | Chelsea FC | 37,613 | 4.5% | 60,436 | 17,639 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 37,455 | -12.1% | 56,280 | 21,608 |
| 7 | Leeds United FC | 36,998 | 0.8% | 48,145 | 24,494 |
| 8 | Newcastle United FC | 34,016 | -8.7% | 48,588 | 20,374 |
| 9 | Manchester City FC | 33,750 | -9.3% | 63,052 | 20,108 |
| 10 | Coventry City FC | 33,223 | -4.3% | 45,402 | 24,126 |
| 11 | West Ham United FC | 31,125 | 4.3% | 41,546 | 24,903 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 30,714 | -12.3% | 44,023 | 24,330 |
| 13 | Leicester City FC | 28,446 | 16.0% | 41,130 | 21,086 |
| 14 | Sheffield Wednesday FC | 26,866 | -14.6% | 50,490 | 18,055 |
| 15 | West Bromwich Albion FC | 25,096 | -2.8% | 38,299 | 16,483 |
| 16 | Sunderland AFC | 24,949 | -19.2% | 49,428 | 15,575 |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest FC | 24,920 | -23.8% | 41,892 | 17,651 |
| 18 | Ipswich Town FC | 23,593 | 26.7% | 30,837 | 17,780 |
| 19 | Southampton FC | 22,492 | -8.8% | 28,147 | 17,957 |
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers FC | 21,579 | 16.9% | 31,138 | 12,489 |
| 21 | Stoke City FC | 18,984 | -13.5% | 30,562 | 8,833 |
| 22 | Burnley FC | 16,073 | -7.8% | 32,935 | 9,597 |
Division Two
| No. | Club | Average | ± | Highest | Lowest |
| 1 | Derby County FC | 27,659 | 32.3% | 34,976 | 21,737 |
| 2 | Birmingham City FC | 26,095 | -7.3% | 40,527 | 18,958 |
| 3 | Aston Villa FC | 24,656 | 24.6% | 53,647 | 12,758 |
| 4 | Middlesbrough FC | 21,063 | 11.4% | 29,824 | 10,417 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace FC | 19,874 | 15.9% | 43,781 | 11,071 |
| 6 | Portsmouth FC | 19,163 | -16.6% | 28,642 | 13,960 |
| 7 | Charlton Athletic FC | 17,973 | 28.9% | 32,768 | 9,270 |
| 8 | Cardiff City FC | 16,870 | 26.8% | 26,210 | 10,809 |
| 9 | Sheffield United FC | 15,480 | -31.2% | 23,609 | 9,645 |
| 10 | Bristol City FC | 15,463 | -3.0% | 20,632 | 9,664 |
| 11 | Millwall FC | 15,388 | 13.9% | 27,913 | 10,227 |
| 12 | Blackpool FC | 15,123 | -12.0% | 27,975 | 9,524 |
| 13 | Fulham FC | 14,221 | -36.0% | 23,132 | 7,154 |
| 14 | Hull City AFC | 14,216 | -9.1% | 24,307 | 8,702 |
| 15 | Norwich City FC | 13,750 | -15.6% | 19,431 | 7,861 |
| 16 | Preston North End FC | 13,215 | -12.2% | 20,711 | 8,224 |
| 17 | Oxford United FC | 11,636 | 39.8% | 18,020 | 7,085 |
| 18 | Blackburn Rovers FC | 10,617 | -21.5% | 21,224 | 4,777 |
| 19 | Bolton Wanderers FC | 10,536 | -8.3% | 16,627 | 5,106 |
| 20 | Huddersfield Town AFC | 10,167 | -12.0% | 18,614 | 5,702 |
| 21 | Carlisle United FC | 9,212 | -11.5% | 13,920 | 5,546 |
| 22 | Bury FC | 7,765 | -6.2% | 15,361 | 3,063 |
Division Three
| No. | Club | Average | ± | Highest | Lowest |
| 1 | Swindon Town FC | 18,055 | 32.4% | 29,106 | 10,787 |
| 2 | Luton Town FC | 14,896 | 20.1% | 25,523 | 10,971 |
| 3 | Watford FC | 13,576 | 52.3% | 22,515 | 6,950 |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 10,840 | 3.3% | 16,229 | 6,395 |
| 5 | Plymouth Argyle FC | 10,599 | -0.6% | 20,810 | 6,603 |
| 6 | Barnsley FC | 9,459 | -12.6% | 14,160 | 5,631 |
| 7 | Rotherham United FC | 9,077 | -12.4% | 15,058 | 6,831 |
| 8 | Torquay United FC | 8,285 | -8.9% | 15,660 | 5,802 |
| 9 | AFC Bournemouth | 7,564 | 26.4% | 12,113 | 3,621 |
| 10 | Stockport County FC | 7,173 | -12.9% | 13,246 | 2,569 |
| 11 | Bristol Rovers FC | 7,118 | -12.2% | 10,614 | 4,768 |
| 12 | Mansfield Town FC | 7,049 | 18.5% | 13,291 | 4,635 |
| 13 | Northampton Town FC | 6,790 | -24.0% | 15,161 | 4,406 |
| 14 | Reading FC | 6,552 | -19.4% | 17,629 | 3,467 |
| 15 | Tranmere Rovers | 6,040 | -18.4% | 8,353 | 2,861 |
| 16 | Walsall FC | 5,867 | -35.7% | 10,654 | 4,412 |
| 17 | Leyton Orient FC | 5,658 | 20.0% | 13,719 | 3,240 |
| 18 | Shrewsbury Town FC | 5,516 | -17.4% | 7,968 | 2,211 |
| 19 | Gillingham FC | 5,387 | -6.6% | 8,227 | 3,860 |
| 20 | Crewe Alexandra FC | 4,804 | -18.8% | 9,053 | 2,331 |
| 21 | Barrow AFC | 4,676 | -22.9% | 7,407 | 2,919 |
| 22 | Hartlepool United FC | 4,200 | -32.1% | 6,791 | 2,035 |
| 23 | Southport FC | 4,188 | -29.1% | 6,578 | 2,461 |
| 24 | Oldham Athletic FC | 3,862 | -32.8% | 6,967 | 2,073 |
Division Four
| No. | Club | Average | ± | Highest | Lowest |
| 1 | Southend United FC | 10,559 | -0.6% | 13,052 | 7,684 |
| 2 | Doncaster Rovers FC | 10,211 | 30.0% | 22,268 | 5,497 |
| 3 | Lincoln City FC | 7,912 | 18.2% | 12,208 | 6,033 |
| 4 | Bradford City AFC | 7,214 | -1.7% | 12,441 | 3,568 |
| 5 | Brentford FC | 6,419 | 3.4% | 9,806 | 3,361 |
| 6 | Colchester United FC | 6,273 | 57.2% | 10,604 | 3,199 |
| 7 | Darlington FC | 6,164 | 53.1% | 11,851 | 4,095 |
| 8 | Aldershot Town FC | 5,882 | 4.7% | 9,280 | 4,001 |
| 9 | Chester City FC | 5,875 | 33.1% | 13,943 | 2,468 |
| 10 | Halifax Town AFC | 5,670 | 26.0% | 17,186 | 2,674 |
| 11 | Swansea City AFC | 5,660 | -3.3% | 11,879 | 1,984 |
| 12 | Peterborough United FC | 5,618 | -18.5% | 8,532 | 3,758 |
| 13 | Wrexham AFC | 5,604 | -16.7% | 13,935 | 3,048 |
| 14 | Rochdale AFC | 5,399 | 135.6% | 12,806 | 2,038 |
| 15 | Exeter City FC | 5,371 | 39.3% | 12,714 | 3,264 |
| 16 | Chesterfield FC | 5,063 | -50.4% | 9,756 | 2,404 |
| 17 | Notts County FC | 4,778 | -15.3% | 9,801 | 3,089 |
| 18 | Port Vale FC | 4,361 | -10.7% | 6,152 | 2,679 |
| 19 | Grimsby Town FC | 3,984 | -7.4% | 7,844 | 1,833 |
| 20 | York City FC | 3,883 | -15.2% | 5,559 | 2,462 |
| 21 | Scunthorpe United FC | 3,644 | -5.2% | 6,650 | 2,080 |
| 22 | Bradford Park Avenue AFC | 3,273 | -9.3% | 10,784 | 1,572 |
| 23 | Newport County AFC | 2,457 | -26.1% | 5,083 | 1,192 |
| 24 | Workington AFC | 2,370 | 13.6% | 4,292 | 1,225 |