2014–15 in English football
The 2014–15 season was the 135th season of competitive association football in England.
Promotion and relegation edit
Pre-season edit
| League | Promoted to league | Relegated from league[1] |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | ||
| Championship | ||
| League One | ||
| League Two |
National teams edit
England national football team edit
UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 | +28 | 30 | Qualify for final tournament | — | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 5–0 | |
| 2 | Switzerland | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 8 | +16 | 21 | 0–2 | — | 3–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 7–0 | ||
| 3 | Slovenia | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 11 | +7 | 16 | Advance to play-offs | 2–3 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | |
| 4 | Estonia | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 10[a] | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 5 | Lithuania | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 18 | −11 | 10[a] | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 6 | San Marino | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 36 | −35 | 1 | 0–6 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | — |
| 8 September 2014 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group E | Switzerland | 0–2 | England[2] | Basel |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Welbeck 58', 90+4' | Stadium: St. Jakob-Park Attendance: 35,500 Referee: Cüneyt Çakir (Turkey) |
| 9 October 2014 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group E | England | 5–0 | San Marino | Wembley, London |
| 19:45 BST | Jagielka 25' Milner 38' Rooney 43' (pen.) Welbeck 49' Townsend 72' Della Valle 78' (o.g.) | Summary | Selva 43' Rinaldi 90' | Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 55,990 Referee: Marcin Borski (Poland) |
| 12 October 2014 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group E | Estonia | 0–1 | England[2] | Tallinn |
| 17:00 BST | Klavan 29' 48' | Summary | Baines 45+1' Henderson 53' Rooney 73' Wilshere 87' | Stadium: A. Le Coq Arena Attendance: 10,195 Referee: Marijo Strahonja (Croatia) |
| 27 March 2015 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group E | England | 4–0 | Lithuania[2] | Wembley, London |
| 19:45 GMT | Rooney 7' Welbeck 45' Sterling 58' 80' Kane 73' | Report | Žaliūkas 41' Kazlauskas 90+1' | Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 83,671 Referee: Pavel Královec (Czech Republic) |
International Friendlies edit
| 3 September 2014 Friendly | England | 1–0 | Norway | Wembley, London |
| 20:00 BST | Rooney 68' (pen.) | Report | Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 40,181 Referee: Jorge Sousa |
| 18 November 2014 Friendly | Scotland | 1–3 | England | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 20:00 BST | Robertson 83' | Report | Oxlade-Chamberlain 32' Rooney 47', 85' | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 55,000 Referee: Jonas Eriksson |
| 31 March 2015 Friendly | Italy | 1–1 | England | Turin, Italy |
| 19:45 BST | Pellè 29' | Report | Townsend 79' | Stadium: Juventus Stadium Attendance: 31,138 Referee: Felix Brych |
England women's national football team edit
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA) edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 1 | +51 | 30 | Women's World Cup | — | 4–0 | 2–0 | 8–0 | 6–0 | 9–0 | |
| 2 | Ukraine | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 9 | +25 | 22 | Play-offs | 1–2 | — | 1–0 | 8–0 | 8–0 | 7–0 | |
| 3 | Wales | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 9 | +9 | 19 | 0–4 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 4 | Turkey | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 31 | −19 | 12 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 1–5 | — | 3–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 5 | Belarus | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 31 | −19 | 6 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–2 | — | 3–1 | ||
| 6 | Montenegro | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 53 | −47 | 0 | 0–10 | 1–4 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 1–7 | — |
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
| 14 June 2014 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Belarus | 0–3 | England[3] | Minsk, Belarus |
| 15:00 BST | Avkhimovich 88' | Report | Aluko 31' Houghton 36' Dowie 66' Bronze 90+5' | Stadium: Traktar Stadium Attendance: 350 Referee: Jana Adamkova |
| 21 August 2014 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Wales | 0–4 | England[3] | Cardiff |
| 19 BST | Summary | Carney 16' Aluko 39' Bassett 44' Sanderson 45' | Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Referee: Efthalia Mitsi |
| 17 September 2014 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Montenegro | 0–10 | England[3] | Petrovac, Budva |
| 19:00 BST | Armisa Kuć 80' Irena Bjelica 84' 86' | Summary | Aluko 8', 31', 64' Carney 22', 51' Bronze 37' Scott 52' Duggan 56', 90+4' Williams 79' Greenwood 90' Potter 90+3' | Stadium: Stadion Pod Malim Brdom Attendance: 300 Referee: Petra Chuda |
UEFA competitions edit
2014–15 UEFA Champions League edit
Play-off Round edit
Group stage edit
Group B edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | RM | BSL | LIV | LUD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | +14 | 18 | Advance to knockout phase | — | 5–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | Basel | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 7 | 0–1 | — | 1–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 3 | Liverpool | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 5 | Transfer to Europa League | 0–3 | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | |
| 4 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 4 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | — |
Group D edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DOR | ARS | AND | GAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 4 | +10 | 13 | Advance to knockout phase | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | |
| 2 | Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 13 | 2–0 | — | 3–3 | 4–1 | ||
| 3 | Anderlecht | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 6 | Transfer to Europa League | 0–3 | 1–2 | — | 2–0 | |
| 4 | Galatasaray | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 19 | −15 | 1 | 0–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | — |
Group E edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BAY | MC | ROM | CSKA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 15 | Advance to knockout phase | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Manchester City | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 8 | 3–2 | — | 1–1 | 1–2 | ||
| 3 | Roma | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 5 | Transfer to Europa League | 1–7 | 0–2 | — | 5–1 | |
| 4 | CSKA Moscow | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 5 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | — |
Group G edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CHL | SCH | SPO | MRB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | +14 | 14 | Advance to knockout phase | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | 6–0 | |
| 2 | Schalke 04 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 14 | −5 | 8 | 0–5 | — | 4–3 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Sporting CP | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 7 | Transfer to Europa League | 0–1 | 4–2 | — | 3–1 | |
| 4 | Maribor | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — |
Knockout phase edit
Round of 16 edit
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | 3–3 (a) | Chelsea | 1–1 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Manchester City | 1–3 | Barcelona | 1–2 | 0–1 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 1–1 (2–3 p) | Atlético Madrid | 1–0 | 0–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Juventus | 5–1 | Borussia Dortmund | 2–1 | 3–0 |
| Schalke 04 | 4–5 | Real Madrid | 0–2 | 4–3 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 0–7 | Bayern Munich | 0–0 | 0–7 |
| Arsenal | 3–3 (a) | Monaco | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| Basel | 1–5 | Porto | 1–1 | 0–4 |
Quarter-finals edit
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1–5 | Barcelona | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| Atlético Madrid | 0–1 | Real Madrid | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| Porto | 4–7 | Bayern Munich | 3–1 | 1–6 |
| Juventus | 1–0 | Monaco | 1–0 | 0–0 |
Semi-finals edit
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 5–3 | Bayern Munich | 3–0 | 2–3 |
| Juventus | 3–2 | Real Madrid | 2–1 | 1–1 |
2014–15 UEFA Europa League edit
Qualifying rounds edit
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braga | 1–6 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 1–2 | 0–4 |
| Villarreal | 6–3 | Sparta Prague | 2–1 | 4–2 |
| Athletic Bilbao | 3–3 (4–5 p) | Sevilla | 1–2 | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Borussia Dortmund | 4–5 | Liverpool | 1–1 | 3–4 |
League season edit
Premier League edit
Despite criticism about their style of play, Chelsea regained the Premier League title after five years and handed manager José Mourinho his first title in his second spell back at the club. In addition, similar to the club's first season under Mourinho in 2004, the Blues also won the League Cup. Manchester City came second; whilst the highest scorers in the league, they never looked like defending their title. A large winless spell in January, not helped by powerhouse midfielder Yaya Touré heading to the Africa Cup of Nations saw their title defense effectively end in mid-March. Arsenal finished third, but missed out on the chance to take the runners-up spot, which was largely owed to a failure to score at home three times in their last six games. In spite of this, they retained the FA Cup title. Manchester United took the final spot for the Champions League, securing a return to the elite competition in Louis van Gaal's first season as manager, despite several defeats that included a shock 5–3 defeat to Leicester City and a 4–0 thrashing at Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur's first season under Mauricio Pochettino saw the impressive emergence of young striker Harry Kane, but was also blighted by the issues of the previous season as their defensive woes continued; because of this, their Champions League hopes evaporated by early March. Liverpool endured a turbulent season as they struggled to adjust to life without controversial striker Luis Suárez, whilst also being without Daniel Sturridge for large portions of the campaign due to injury. Having stood 12th in late November with just fourteen points, the team rallied after New Year's Day as they mounted a late Champions League attempt, with a focus more on defense than goals and impressively made the semi-finals of both club competitions, but ultimately fell short overall. In spite of these issues, however, both Spurs and Liverpool secured Europa League spots.
Southampton were tipped by many for relegation following the loss of Pochettino and many key players over the summer, but they exceeded all expectations by challenging for the Champions League, their challenge continuing into April until a poor run of form against relegation battlers saw them slip out of the race. In spite of this, manager Ronald Koeman received universal praise for his work at the club in his first season and because of Arsenal's FA Cup win, they qualified for the Europa League. Swansea secured their best points total in Garry Monk's first full season, becoming another club to exceed expectations and even complete league doubles over Manchester United and Arsenal, whilst Stoke finished 9th, securing their best points total in the top flight.
Rounding out the top ten were Crystal Palace, who were tipped to struggle following the departure of Tony Pulis just two days before the start of the season; former boss Neil Warnock returned for a second spell, but only lasted four months before being sacked with the club facing another relegation battle. The surprise managerial appointment of former player Alan Pardew saw the Eagles rocket up into mid-table and ultimately survive, securing their highest ever Premier League finish. Another surprise saw pre-season relegation favourites Leicester City achieve survival against all the odds. Despite a reasonable start that included a famous 5–3 victory over Manchester United, their form dropped and they fell to the bottom of the table in November. With relegation looking likely at the beginning of April, the Foxes suddenly came to life and secured 22 points from their last nine games to become the only promoted team to avoid the drop.
West Ham went through some ups and downs; despite sitting in the top four at Christmas, they won just three more games after that, finishing in 12th, which meant Sam Allardyce lost his job after four years, although they did qualify for the Europa League via the Fair Play rankings, ensuring that their last season at the Boleyn Ground will feature European football. Sunderland narrowly avoided relegation for the second year in a row, even though they only spent two match days in the bottom three, a run of eleven points from their last six matches under new manager Dick Advocaat confirming their survival, but 17 draws in the season preventing a top 10 finish. Aston Villa finished 17th, their worst finish in the 20-team Premier League era, though they did manage to reach the FA Cup final.
Queens Park Rangers' return to the Premier League ended in immediate relegation; the club's failure to earn an away point until mid-February proving to be a key factor despite the impressive 18 goals of Charlie Austin. Burnley finished second-bottom, being the lowest goal-scorers in the league and even a shock 1–0 win over Manchester City failing to save them. Hull City filled the last relegation spot, struggling for the majority of the season amidst controversial plans by chairman Assem Allam to change the club's name to Hull Tigers. Newcastle United, whose form sharply plummeted following the departure of Alan Pardew, survived on the last day.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea (C) | 38 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 73 | 32 | +41 | 87 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Manchester City | 38 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 83 | 38 | +45 | 79 | |
| 3 | Arsenal | 38 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 71 | 36 | +35 | 75 | |
| 4 | Manchester United | 38 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 62 | 37 | +25 | 70 | Qualification for the Champions League play-off round |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 58 | 53 | +5 | 64 | Qualification for the Europa League group stage[a] |
| 6 | Liverpool | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 52 | 48 | +4 | 62 | |
| 7 | Southampton | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 54 | 33 | +21 | 60 | Qualification for the Europa League third qualifying round[a] |
| 8 | Swansea City | 38 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 46 | 49 | −3 | 56 | |
| 9 | Stoke City | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 48 | 45 | +3 | 54 | |
| 10 | Crystal Palace | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 47 | 51 | −4 | 48 | |
| 11 | Everton | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 48 | 50 | −2 | 47 | |
| 12 | West Ham United | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 47 | −3 | 47 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round[b] |
| 13 | West Bromwich Albion | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 38 | 51 | −13 | 44 | |
| 14 | Leicester City | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 46 | 55 | −9 | 41 | |
| 15 | Newcastle United | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 40 | 63 | −23 | 39 | |
| 16 | Sunderland | 38 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 53 | −22 | 38 | |
| 17 | Aston Villa | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 31 | 57 | −26 | 38 | |
| 18 | Hull City (R) | 38 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 33 | 51 | −18 | 35 | Relegation to the Football League Championship |
| 19 | Burnley (R) | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 28 | 53 | −25 | 33 | |
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers (R) | 38 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 42 | 73 | −31 | 30 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champion, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).[7]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ a b Since winners of the 2014–15 FA Cup, Arsenal, and winners of the 2014–15 Football League Cup, Chelsea, qualified for the Champions League based on league position, the spot awarded to the FA Cup winners (Europa League group stage) was passed to the sixth-placed team, Liverpool, and the spot awarded to the League Cup winners (Europa League third qualifying round) was passed to the seventh-placed team, Southampton, since those teams were the first teams in the table not already qualified for any European competition.
- ^ England was given an extra qualification berth for the Europa League first qualifying round as one of the top three associations in UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking.[4] The spot was given to West Ham United after finishing on top of the Premier League Fair Play table.[5][6]
Football League Championship edit
In a Championship season marked with constant changes among the top six, AFC Bournemouth completed a turnaround from being within five minutes of liquidation in 2008, to reaching the Premier League for the first time in their history. They remained top for around half the season and snatched the title on the last day to win promotion as champions. This meant that Eddie Howe had achieved the rare feat of taking a club from the fourth tier to the top flight for the first time, an achievement for which he was named the Football League Manager of the Decade.
Despite a spell in which they changed managers four times in 35 days between August and October, Watford found stability under Serbian Slaviša Jokanović and took advantage of slip-ups by other teams to win automatic promotion to the Premier League after an eight-year absence. Securing an immediate return to the Premier League through the play-offs were Norwich City, who beat Middlesbrough in the final; they had topped the standings early on in the season, only to fall to mid-table after a poor run of form within the winter period. Manager Neil Adams ultimately resigned in January, before the appointment of Hamilton boss Alex Neil in January re-invigorated the Canaries' campaign.
Reading endured a season of ups and downs, having first sacked Nigel Adkins in mid-December. This led to former West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Clarke taking over the reins and despite there being an outside chance of relegation going into the last few games, the Royals beat the drop and also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, losing to Arsenal in extra-time. Rotherham United came perilously close to being dropped into the relegation zone in the final weeks after they were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player, though they ultimately stayed up after the teams below them failed to capitalise on the situation.
Blackpool finished in bottom place (having stayed in that place since September until the end of the season), posting the joint-worst points total for a club in a 24-team second tier, failing to win away once and conceding 91 goals overall. Relegation was not helped by fan protests against owner Owen Oyston's running of the club (eventually culminating in an on-field protest that forced their final game of the season to be abandoned), as well as the fact that they had only eight players two weeks before the season started. Wigan Athletic were also relegated, just two years after they had won the FA Cup and played in the Premier League. During the season, they went through three managers and failed to win a home game between September and April as the extra games from the previous season appeared to take its toll on the Latics. Millwall filled the final relegation spot, having sacked Ian Holloway in March and appointed Neil Harris as his replacement, but he could not save them from the drop to the third tier.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bournemouth (C, P) | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 98 | 45 | +53 | 90 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 2 | Watford (P) | 46 | 27 | 8 | 11 | 91 | 50 | +41 | 89 | |
| 3 | Norwich City (O, P) | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 88 | 48 | +40 | 86 | Qualification for Championship play-offs[a] |
| 4 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 68 | 37 | +31 | 85 | |
| 5 | Brentford | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 78 | 59 | +19 | 78 | |
| 6 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 72 | 54 | +18 | 78 | |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 70 | 56 | +14 | 78 | |
| 8 | Derby County | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 85 | 56 | +29 | 77 | |
| 9 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 66 | 59 | +7 | 67 | |
| 10 | Birmingham City | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 54 | 64 | −10 | 63 | |
| 11 | Cardiff City | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 57 | 61 | −4 | 62 | |
| 12 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 60 | |
| 13 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 43 | 49 | −6 | 60 | |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 71 | 69 | +2 | 59 | |
| 15 | Leeds United | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 50 | 61 | −11 | 56 | |
| 16 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 58 | 75 | −17 | 55 | |
| 17 | Fulham | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 62 | 83 | −21 | 52 | |
| 18 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 54 | 67 | −13 | 51 | |
| 19 | Reading | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 48 | 69 | −21 | 50 | |
| 20 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 47 | |
| 21 | Rotherham United | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 46 | 67 | −21 | 46[b] | |
| 22 | Millwall (R) | 46 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 42 | 76 | −34 | 41 | Relegation to Football League One |
| 23 | Wigan Athletic (R) | 46 | 9 | 12 | 25 | 39 | 64 | −25 | 39 | |
| 24 | Blackpool (R) | 46 | 4 | 14 | 28 | 36 | 91 | −55 | 26 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to the Premier League.
- ^ Rotherham United were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player.[8]
Football League One edit
Bristol City ended their two-year absence from the Championship, topping the division for virtually the entire season and becoming the first club in the country to win promotion. Milton Keynes Dons, the top scorers in any of the four divisions, snatched automatic promotion from under the noses of Preston North End on the final day, winning promotion to the Championship for the first time as the current incarnation of the club; they also enjoyed a famous Football League Cup upset over Manchester United in their first ever meeting. Preston made amends for their last-day slip-up by thrashing Swindon Town in the play-off final to end a five-year absence from the second tier, and in the process finally winning a play-off tournament after nine unsuccessful tries.
Despite being hotly tipped to make an immediate return to the Championship, Yeovil Town spent most of the season rooted to the bottom of the table (and in fact, they were glued to the bottom from February) and they suffered their second successive relegation, finding themselves back in League Two for the first time in a decade after only recording ten wins in the whole season. Similarly, Leyton Orient were also among the promotion favourites after their play-off final appearance the previous year but struggled all season after going through four managers and they ultimately finished second bottom. Crawley Town were relegated back to League Two after three years at this level; they had appeared to be well out of the reach of relegation but following manager John Gregory stepping down for heart surgery, their form collapsed under Dean Saunders. Notts County filled the final relegation spot, ultimately being cost dear by a disastrous second half of the season after some promising early form.
Crewe Alexandra survived a second relegation battle in a row despite more heavy thrashings in the season, whilst Colchester United's final day win to deny Preston automatic promotion confirmed their survival having been cut adrift for most of the season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol City (C, P) | 46 | 29 | 12 | 5 | 96 | 38 | +58 | 99 | Promotion to Football League Championship |
| 2 | Milton Keynes Dons (P) | 46 | 27 | 10 | 9 | 101 | 44 | +57 | 91 | |
| 3 | Preston North End (O, P) | 46 | 25 | 14 | 7 | 79 | 40 | +39 | 89 | Qualification for League One play-offs[a] |
| 4 | Swindon Town | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 76 | 57 | +19 | 79 | |
| 5 | Sheffield United | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 66 | 53 | +13 | 71 | |
| 6 | Chesterfield | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 68 | 55 | +13 | 69 | |
| 7 | Bradford City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 55 | 55 | 0 | 65 | |
| 8 | Rochdale | 46 | 19 | 6 | 21 | 72 | 66 | +6 | 63 | |
| 9 | Peterborough United | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 53 | 56 | −3 | 63 | |
| 10 | Fleetwood Town | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 49 | 52 | −3 | 63 | |
| 11 | Barnsley | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 62 | 61 | +1 | 62 | |
| 12 | Gillingham | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 65 | 66 | −1 | 62 | |
| 13 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 58 | 62 | −4 | 61 | |
| 14 | Walsall | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 50 | 54 | −4 | 59 | |
| 15 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 54 | 67 | −13 | 57 | |
| 16 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 62 | 75 | −13 | 56 | |
| 17 | Coventry City | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 49 | 60 | −11 | 55 | |
| 18 | Port Vale | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 55 | 65 | −10 | 54 | |
| 19 | Colchester United | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 58 | 77 | −19 | 52 | |
| 20 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 43 | 75 | −32 | 52 | |
| 21 | Notts County (R) | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 45 | 63 | −18 | 50 | Relegation to Football League Two |
| 22 | Crawley Town (R) | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 53 | 79 | −26 | 50 | |
| 23 | Leyton Orient (R) | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 59 | 69 | −10 | 49 | |
| 24 | Yeovil Town (R) | 46 | 10 | 10 | 26 | 36 | 75 | −39 | 40 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Football League Championship.
Football League Two edit
Just six years after their first ever promotion to the Football League and just missing out on promotion a year earlier, Burton Albion were promoted as champions. While manager Gary Rowett departed for Birmingham City early in the season, his replacement in top-flight legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink guided the club into the top six and then finally promotion. Shrewsbury Town went up in second, securing an instant return to League One; they had actually led the table for much of the season but were made to pay for slip-ups that Burton took advantage of. Taking the third automatic slot in dramatic fashion were Bury, who almost slipped out of the race, but a last-day win over Tranmere Rovers saw the club also promoted. Southend United were forced all the way to extra time and penalties by Wycombe Wanderers, but ultimately scraped past their opponents to take the last promotion spot and secure their place in League One.
Luton Town, on their return to the Football League after five years, just missed out on a playoff place by virtue of Plymouth Argyle's victory over Shrewsbury whilst Portsmouth suffered an even lower league finish than the previous year, finishing in 16th with the club failing to make anything similar to a promotion challenge, but some good run of forms prevented them from being in another relegation battle.
Falling out of the Football League were Tranmere Rovers, who suffered a second relegation in a row and dropped into the Football Conference after 94 years. Cheltenham Town filled the second relegation spot, falling out of the Football League after sixteen years; they had started the season reasonably well with 23 points from 14 games, but imploded disastrously after long-serving manager Mark Yates was sacked in favor of Paul Buckle, with not even the late-season arrival of veteran manager Gary Johnson saving them. Hartlepool United had been in the relegation zone for good chunks of the season, but an impressive March saw the club fight their way to safety.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burton Albion (C, P) | 46 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 69 | 39 | +30 | 94 | Promotion to Football League One |
| 2 | Shrewsbury Town (P) | 46 | 27 | 8 | 11 | 67 | 31 | +36 | 89 | |
| 3 | Bury (P) | 46 | 26 | 7 | 13 | 60 | 40 | +20 | 85 | |
| 4 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 67 | 45 | +22 | 84 | Qualification for League Two play-offs[a] |
| 5 | Southend United (O, P) | 46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 54 | 38 | +16 | 84 | |
| 6 | Stevenage | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 62 | 54 | +8 | 72 | |
| 7 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 55 | 37 | +18 | 71 | |
| 8 | Luton Town | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 54 | 44 | +10 | 68 | |
| 9 | Newport County | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 51 | 54 | −3 | 65 | |
| 10 | Exeter City | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 61 | 65 | −4 | 64 | |
| 11 | Morecambe | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 53 | 52 | +1 | 63 | |
| 12 | Northampton Town | 46 | 18 | 7 | 21 | 67 | 62 | +5 | 61 | |
| 13 | Oxford United | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 61 | |
| 14 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 46 | 17 | 8 | 21 | 58 | 59 | −1 | 59 | |
| 15 | AFC Wimbledon | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 58 | |
| 16 | Portsmouth | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 52 | 54 | −2 | 57 | |
| 17 | Accrington Stanley | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 58 | 77 | −19 | 56 | |
| 18 | York City | 46 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 46 | 51 | −5 | 52 | |
| 19 | Cambridge United | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 61 | 66 | −5 | 51 | |
| 20 | Carlisle United | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 56 | 74 | −18 | 50 | |
| 21 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 38 | 62 | −24 | 48 | |
| 22 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 39 | 70 | −31 | 45 | |
| 23 | Cheltenham Town (R) | 46 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 40 | 67 | −27 | 41 | Relegation to the National League |
| 24 | Tranmere Rovers (R) | 46 | 9 | 12 | 25 | 45 | 67 | −22 | 39 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Football League One.
Conference Premier edit
A close title race saw Barnet return to the Football League after a two-year absence, which also made them the first club to win promotion to the Football League three times. Pushing them all the way and then winning in the playoffs were Bristol Rovers who secured an immediate return to the Football League, despite being pushed themselves all the way to penalties by Grimsby.
Following the departure of manager Kevin Wilkin late in the previous season, Nuneaton were relegated in bottom place. AFC Telford United were immediately relegated back to the Conference North after being in bottom place for most of the season. Dartford finished third-bottom and experienced the relegation that they only avoided the previous season thanks to the demise of Salisbury City. Alfreton Town filled the final relegation spot and went down on goal difference; they were ultimately cost dear by having the worst defensive record in the division, eventually culminating in a 7–0 thrashing by Bristol Rovers on the final day of the season, when a draw would have been sufficient to prevent relegation.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barnet (C, P) | 46 | 28 | 8 | 10 | 94 | 46 | +48 | 92 | Promotion to League Two |
| 2 | Bristol Rovers (O, P) | 46 | 25 | 16 | 5 | 73 | 34 | +39 | 91 | Qualification for Conference Premier play-offs[a] |
| 3 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 74 | 40 | +34 | 86 | |
| 4 | Eastleigh | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 87 | 61 | +26 | 82 | |
| 5 | Forest Green Rovers[b] | 46 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 80 | 54 | +26 | 79 | |
| 6 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 60 | 46 | +14 | 78 | |
| 7 | Woking | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 77 | 52 | +25 | 76 | |
| 8 | Dover Athletic | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 68 | |
| 9 | FC Halifax Town | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 60 | 54 | +6 | 66 | |
| 10 | Gateshead | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 66 | 62 | +4 | 66 | |
| 11 | Wrexham | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 56 | 52 | +4 | 66 | |
| 12 | Chester | 46 | 19 | 6 | 21 | 64 | 76 | −12 | 63 | |
| 13 | Torquay United | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 64 | 60 | +4 | 61 | |
| 14 | Braintree Town | 46 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 56 | 57 | −1 | 59 | |
| 15 | Lincoln City | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 62 | 71 | −9 | 58 | |
| 16 | Kidderminster Harriers | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 51 | 60 | −9 | 57 | |
| 17 | Altrincham | 46 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 54 | 73 | −19 | 56 | |
| 18 | Aldershot Town | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 53 | |
| 19 | Southport | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 47 | 72 | −25 | 51 | |
| 20 | Welling United | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 52 | 73 | −21 | 45 | |
| 21 | Alfreton Town (R) | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 49 | 90 | −41 | 45 | Relegation to National League North |
| 22 | Dartford (R) | 46 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 44 | 74 | −30 | 39 | Relegation to National League South |
| 23 | AFC Telford United[c] (R) | 46 | 10 | 9 | 27 | 58 | 84 | −26 | 36 | Relegation to National League North |
| 24 | Nuneaton Town[d] (R) | 46 | 10 | 9 | 27 | 38 | 76 | −38 | 36 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to League Two.
- ^ Forest Green were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Southport on 9 August 2014.[9]
- ^ Telford were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Lincoln City on 11 April 2015.[10]
- ^ Nuneaton were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Welling United on 28 February 2015.[11]
Cup competitions edit
FA Cup edit
Final edit
| Arsenal | 4–0 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Walcott 40' Sánchez 50' Mertesacker 62' Giroud 90' | Report |
League Cup edit
Final edit
| Chelsea | 2–0 | Tottenham Hotspur |
|---|---|---|
| Terry 45' Costa 56' | Report |
Community Shield edit
| Arsenal | 3–0 | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
| Cazorla 22' Ramsey 43' Giroud 62' | Report |
Football League Trophy edit
Final edit
| Walsall | 0–2 | Bristol City |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Flint 15' Little 51' |
Women's football edit
FA Women's Cup edit
Women's Super League edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool (C) | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 26 | Qualification to Champions League |
| 2 | Chelsea | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 26 | |
| 3 | Birmingham City | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 25 | |
| 4 | Arsenal | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 21 | +3 | 21 | |
| 5 | Manchester City | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 16 | −3 | 19 | |
| 6 | Notts County | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 18 | |
| 7 | Bristol Academy | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 24 | −6 | 16 | |
| 8 | Everton | 14 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 30 | −20 | 4 | Relegation to FA WSL 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions
Women's Super League 2 edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland (C) | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 47 | 15 | +32 | 47 | Promotion to FA WSL 1 |
| 2 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 56 | 14 | +42 | 45 | |
| 3 | Reading | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 60 | 21 | +39 | 41 | |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 30 | |
| 5 | Yeovil Town | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 26 | +1 | 22 | |
| 6 | Durham | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 32 | −13 | 18 | |
| 7 | Watford | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 18 | |
| 8 | Millwall Lionesses | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 36 | −16 | 15 | |
| 9 | Oxford United | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 44 | −28 | 12 | |
| 10 | London Bees | 18 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 57 | −41 | 8 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions
Managerial changes edit
This is a list of changes of managers within English league football:
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of departure | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | Position in table at time of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackpool | Paul Ince | Sacked | 21 January 2014[14] | 14th (2013–14 season) | José Riga | 11 June 2014[15] | Pre-season |
| Nottingham Forest | Billy Davies | Sacked | 24 March 2014[16] | 5th (2013–14 season) | Stuart Pearce | 1 July 2014[a][17] | |
| Tranmere Rovers | Ronnie Moore | Sacked | 9 April 2014[b][18] | 19th (2013–14 season) | Robert Edwards | 27 May 2014[19] | |
| West Bromwich Albion | Pepe Mel | Mutual consent[20] | 12 May 2014[21] | Pre-season | Alan Irvine | 14 June 2014[22] | |
| Shrewsbury Town | Michael Jackson | Appointed as assistant manager | 12 May 2014[23] | Micky Mellon | 12 May 2014[23] | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Óscar García Junyent | Resigned | 12 May 2014[24] | Sami Hyypiä | 6 June 2014[25] | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | Tim Sherwood | Sacked[26] | 13 May 2014[21] | Mauricio Pochettino | 27 May 2014[27] | ||
| Charlton Athletic | José Riga | End of contract | 27 May 2014[28] | Bob Peeters | 27 May 2014[29] | ||
| Southampton | Mauricio Pochettino | Signed by Tottenham Hotspur | 27 May 2014[27] | Ronald Koeman | 16 June 2014[30] | ||
| Leeds United | Brian McDermott | Mutual Consent | 31 May 2014[31] | Dave Hockaday | 19 June 2014[32] | ||
| Oxford United | Gary Waddock | Sacked | 4 July 2014[33] | Michael Appleton | 4 July 2014[33] | ||
| Huddersfield Town | Mark Robins | Sacked | 10 August 2014[34] | 24th | Chris Powell | 3 September 2014[35] | 21st |
| Crystal Palace | Tony Pulis | Mutual Consent | 14 August 2014[36] | Pre-season | Neil Warnock | 27 August 2014[37] | 18th |
| Leeds United | Dave Hockaday | Sacked | 28 August 2014[38] | 21st | Darko Milanic | 24 September 2014[39] | 12th |
| Watford | Giuseppe Sannino | Resigned | 31 August 2014[40] | 2nd | Óscar García Junyent | 2 September 2014[41] | 2nd |
| Colchester United | Joe Dunne | Mutual Consent | 1 September 2014[42] | 23rd | Tony Humes | 1 September 2014 | 23rd |
| Carlisle United | Graham Kavanagh | Sacked | 1 September 2014[43] | 22nd | Keith Curle | 19 September 2014[44] | 24th |
| Accrington Stanley | James Beattie | Mutual consent | 12 September 2014[45] | 21st | John Coleman | 18 September 2014[46] | 20th |
| Port Vale | Micky Adams | Resigned | 18 September 2014[47] | 23rd | Rob Page | 18 September 2014[48][49] | 23rd |
| Cardiff City | Ole Gunnar Solskjær | Mutual consent | 18 September 2014[50] | 17th | Russell Slade | 6 October 2014[51] | 15th |
| Fulham | Felix Magath | Sacked | 18 September 2014[52] | 24th | Kit Symons | 29 October 2014 | 20th |
| Leyton Orient | Russell Slade | Resigned | 24 September 2014[53] | 17th | Mauro Milanese | 26 October 2014 | 18th |
| Watford | Óscar García Junyent | Resigned | 29 September 2014[54] | 4th | Billy McKinlay | 29 September 2014 | 4th |
| Bolton Wanderers | Dougie Freedman | Mutual consent | 3 October 2014[55] | 23rd | Neil Lennon | 12 October 2014[56] | 24th |
| Hartlepool United | Colin Cooper | Resigned | 4 October 2014[57] | 24th | Paul Murray | 23 October 2014[58] | 23rd |
| Watford | Billy McKinlay | Sacked | 6 October 2014[59] | 3rd | Slavisa Jokanovic | 7 October 2014[60] | 3rd |
| Scunthorpe United | Russ Wilcox | Sacked | 8 October 2014[61] | 23rd | Mark Robins | 13 October 2014[62] | 23rd |
| York City | Nigel Worthington | Resigned | 13 October 2014[63] | 22nd | Russ Wilcox | 15 October 2014[64] | 22nd |
| Tranmere Rovers | Robert Edwards | Sacked | 13 October 2014[65] | 24th | Micky Adams | 16 October 2014[66] | 24th |
| Birmingham City | Lee Clark | Sacked | 20 October 2014[67] | 21st | Gary Rowett | 27 October [68] | 23rd |
| Leeds United | Darko Milanic | Sacked | 25 October 2014[69] | 18th | Neil Redfearn | 1 November 2014 [70] | 18th |
| Burton Albion | Gary Rowett | Signed by Birmingham City | 27 October 2014 [71] | 3rd | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank | 13 November 2014 [72] | 5th |
| Blackpool | José Riga | Sacked | 28 October 2014[73] | 24th | Lee Clark | 30 October 2014 [74] | 24th |
| Wigan Athletic | Uwe Rösler | Sacked | 13 November 2014 [75] | 22nd | Malky Mackay | 19 November 2014 [76] | 22nd |
| Mansfield Town | Paul Cox | Mutual consent | 21 November 2014[77] | 19th | Adam Murray | 5 December 2014[78] | |
| Cheltenham Town | Mark Yates | Sacked | 25 November 2014 [79] | 18th | Paul Buckle | 26 November 2014 [80] | 18th |
| Reading | Nigel Adkins | Sacked | 15 December 2014 [81] | 16th | Steve Clarke | 16 December 2014 [82] | 16th |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Sami Hyypiä | Resigned | 22 December 2014 [83] | 22nd | Chris Hughton | 31 December 2014 [84] | 21st |
| Crystal Palace | Neil Warnock | Sacked | 27 December 2014 [85] | 18th | Alan Pardew | 2 January 2015 [86] | 18th |
| West Bromwich Albion | Alan Irvine | Sacked | 29 December 2014[87] | 16th | Tony Pulis | 1 January 2015[88] | |
| Newcastle United | Alan Pardew | Signed by Crystal Palace | 2 January 2015[86] | 10th | John Carver | 26 January 2015[89] | |
| Gillingham | Peter Taylor | Sacked | 31 December 2014 [90] | 19th | Justin Edinburgh | 7 February 2015 [91] | 17th |
| Norwich City | Neil Adams | Resigned | 5 January 2015 [92] | 7th | Alex Neil | 9 January 2015 [93] | 7th |
| Charlton Athletic | Bob Peeters | Sacked | 11 January 2015 [94] | 14th | Guy Luzon | 14 January 2015 [95] | 14th |
| Nottingham Forest | Stuart Pearce | Sacked | 1 February 2015[96] | 12th | Dougie Freedman | 1 February 2015[97] | 12th |
| Queens Park Rangers | Harry Redknapp | Resigned | 3 February 2015 [98] | 19th | Chris Ramsey | 4 February 2015 [99] | 19th |
| Yeovil Town | Gary Johnson | Sacked | 4 February 2015 [100] | 24th | Paul Sturrock | 9 April 2015 [101] | 24th |
| Newport County | Justin Edinburgh | Signed by Gillingham | 7 February 2015 [102] | 6th | Terry Butcher | 30 April 2015 [103] | 8th |
| Aston Villa | Paul Lambert | Sacked | 11 February 2015[104] | 18th | Tim Sherwood | 14 February 2015[105] | 18th |
| Barnsley | Danny Wilson | Sacked | 12 February 2015[106] | 17th | Lee Johnson | 25 February 2015[107] | |
| Cheltenham Town | Paul Buckle | Mutual consent | 13 February 2015[108] | 22nd | Gary Johnson | 30 March 2015[109] | |
| Peterborough United | Darren Ferguson | Sacked | 22 February 2015[110] | 15th | Dave Robertson | 22 May 2015[111] | 9th |
| Coventry City | Steven Pressley | Sacked | 22 February 2015[112] | 21st | Tony Mowbray | 3 March 2015[113] | |
| Oldham Athletic | Lee Johnson | Signed by Barnsley | 25 February 2015[107] | 9th | |||
| Millwall | Ian Holloway | Sacked | 10 March 2015[114] | 23rd | Neil Harris | 29 April 2015[115] | |
| Sunderland | Gus Poyet | Sacked | 16 March 2015[116] | 17th | Dick Advocaat | 17 March 2015[117] | |
| Notts County | Shaun Derry | Sacked | 23 March 2015 | 20th | Ricardo Moniz | 7 April 2015 | |
| Wigan Athletic | Malky Mackay | Sacked | 6 April 2015[118] | 23rd | Gary Caldwell | 7 April 2015[119] | |
| Portsmouth | Andy Awford | Mutual Consent | 13 April 2015[120] | 14th | Paul Cook | 12 May 2015[121] | |
| Tranmere Rovers | Micky Adams | Mutual Consent | 19 April 2015[122] | 24th | Gary Brabin | 5 May 2015[123] |
Diary of the season edit
- 8 August: Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City play out a 1–1 draw in the opening game of the season, with Kenwyne Jones getting the season's first goal.[124]
- 16 August: The Premier League's first fixture sees Swansea defeat Manchester United 2–1. Swansea end the day joint-top with Arsenal, who won their own game against Crystal Palace by the same margin.[125]
- 21 August: Crystal Palace sporting director Iain Moody is forced to resign from his position after a team investigating accusations of fraud made by his previous club Cardiff City discover numerous e-mails containing apparently racist, homophobic and anti-semitic insults, sent to and from former Cardiff manager Malky Mackay. The discovery also causes Crystal Palace to confirm that they will not appoint Mackay as their new manager, the position having been vacant since the resignation of Tony Pulis a week prior.[126] Coventry City confirm that they will return to their former Ricoh Arena ground starting with their home game against Gillingham on 5 September, ending a spell of a little over a year playing at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium due to a rent dispute.[127]
- 26 August: In the League Cup second round, Manchester United lose 4–0 to League One side Milton Keynes Dons. Three other Premier League sides fall to lower-league opposition, as Burnley are knocked out by Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester City by Shrewsbury Town, and West Ham by Sheffield United.[128]
- 28 August: Wayne Rooney is confirmed as the new England captain, following Steven Gerrard's decision to retire from international football.[129]
- 31 August: The first month of the Premier League ends with Chelsea leading the table and Swansea and Aston Villa in second and third respectively. Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur complete the top six. Newly promoted Burnley, stand at the bottom of the table with one point, behind Crystal Palace due to goals scored and one point behind West Bromwich Albion. Nottingham Forest lead the Championship, a point ahead of Watford and newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers. The other three play-off spots are occupied by Norwich City, Millwall and Charlton Athletic. The relegation zone is occupied by Bolton Wanderers, Fulham and Blackpool.
- 8 September: England's European Championship qualifying campaign begins with a 2–0 away win over Switzerland, with new Arsenal signing Danny Welbeck scoring both goals.
- 20 September: Arsenal score three goals inside four minutes to defeat Aston Villa, with new £16 million striker Danny Welbeck getting his first goal for the club. Newcastle Utd, whose manager Alan Pardew faced a barrage of protests from fans wanting him out of the club, recover from 2–0 down to claim a point against Hull, with Papiss Cissé coming of the bench to score twice in the final 15 minutes. In the evening game, West Ham score twice in the opening seven minutes on their way to defeating Liverpool 3–1. In the Championship, Nottingham Forest remain unbeaten at the top after a 0–0 draw with Millwall. Leeds United, who have now claimed 10 points out of a possible 12 under caretaker manager Neil Redfearn, beat local rivals Huddersfield Town 3–0 at Elland Road. Newly promoted Wolves are now just a point behind Forest after another home win, their third in a row, this time 1–0 over Bolton.
- 21 September: West Bromwich Albion secure their first win under Alan Irvine, defeating Tottenham 1–0 at White Hart Lane. Leicester, trailing 3–1 with 20 minutes remaining, defeat Manchester United 5–3 in front of a full house at the King Power stadium. Crystal Palace defeat Everton at Goodison Park 3–2, after falling behind 1–0 inside the opening 15 minutes. Frank Lampard, now on loan at Manchester City, scores an 84th-minute equaliser against his former club, to give ten-men City a point against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.
- 30 September: The month ends with Chelsea continuing to lead the Premier League, three points ahead of Southampton. Defending champions Manchester City are a further two points behind Southampton, and a point ahead of a clutch of sides including Arsenal, Swansea and Aston Villa. Burnley and Newcastle United, both of whom are without a single win this season, sit bottom of the table, with Newcastle ahead on goals scored alone. Queens Park Rangers make up the bottom three. In the Championship, Norwich have taken over the top of the table, though Nottingham Forest are unbeaten and behind on goal difference. Wolves, Watford, Ipswich and Derby occupy the play-off spots. The bottom three remains unchanged from the previous month, with Blackpool bottom and still winless, and Fulham and Bolton Wanderers ahead of them by only one and two points respectively.
- 31 October: October ends with Chelsea still leading the Premier League, four points ahead of Southampton. Manchester City remain in third, while West Ham United stand in fourth. Arsenal, Swansea and Liverpool are behind in the European chase. Newcastle United have moved above QPR and out of the relegation zone, at the expense of their northern rivals Sunderland. Winless Burnley remain at the bottom of the table. Derby County have moved to the top of the Championship, though only goal difference is separating them Watford, Norwich and Wolves. AFC Bournemouth and Middlesbrough are two points behind in fifth and sixth. Blackpool remain bottom of the Championship. Birmingham City have moved below Bolton, while Fulham has escaped the relegation zone under new manager Kit Symons.
- 12 November: The news that Ched Evans, who was convicted of rape in 2012 and given a five-year prison sentence, is being allowed to train with his former club Sheffield United results in TV presenter Charlie Webster resigning as a club ambassador,[130] and sponsors DBL Logistics threatening to terminate their deal with immediate effect should Evans be offered any form of contract by the club.[131]
- 30 November: At the end of November, Chelsea continue to lead the Premier League, now six points ahead of second place, which is occupied by Manchester City. Sou