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The Third Division was replaced by Football League Two prior to the start of the 2004/05 season.
Prior to the formation of the Premiership in 1992, the Third Division was the third highest level in English football. Up until this time, teams were relegated to what was called the Fourth Division.
The third and fourth divisions were only formed in 1958, with the merger of Third Division North and Third Division South. Instead of being divided by regional location, the teams at this level became divided by ability.
At the end of each season the top three teams were promoted to Second Division, along with the winners of a play-off between the next four teams. Also, the bottom two teams were relegated to the Football Conference.
Note: A team could be spared from relegation if one or both of the Conference teams nominated for promotion did not fulfil the required criteria for entering the League.
Plymouth Argyle hold the record points total for this division. In their 2001/02Major events November 20 2001 Despite a managerial climate that has already seen more than 20 changes this season, Dario Gradi celebrates his 1,000th game in charge of Crewe Alexandra. 16 March 2002 In an ugly First Division match, Sheffield United has th championship season they amassed 102 points.| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1959Events January-February January 1 Cultivars of plants named after this date must be named in a modern language, not in Latin. January 1 Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when forces of Fidel Castro advance January 2 CBS Radio cuts four soap operas: Bac | Plymouth Argyle |
| 1960Events January-February January 1 Independence of Cameroon January 9 Aswan High Dam construction begins in Egypt January 11 Chad declares its independence. January 14 Ralph Chubb, the gay poet and printer, dies at Fair Oak Cottage in Hampshire. January 23 | SouthamptonSouthampton F. originally St. Mary's YMA is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints''. Based in the city of Southampton in Hampshire, the team was formed in November 1885. In 1898 the team moved into The Dell, the ground which was to be their home |
| 19611961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first "upside-down" year i. one that looked the same upside down since 1881, and the last until 6009. Events January January 1 The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, cease | Bury |
| 1962 | Portsmouth |
| 1963 | Northampton Town |
| 1964 | Coventry City |
| 1965 | Carlisle United |
| 1966 | Hull City |
| 1967 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 1968 | Oxford United |
| 1969 | Watford |
| 1970 | Leyton Orient |
| 1971 | Preston North End |
| 1972 | Aston Villa |
| 1973 | Bolton Wanderers |
| 1974 | Oldham Athletic |
| 1975 | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1976 | Hereford United |
| 1977 | Mansfield Town |
| 1978 | Wrexham |
| 1979 | Shrewsbury Town |
| 1980 | Grimsby Town |
| 1981 | Rotherham United |
| 1982 | Burnley |
| 1983 | Portsmouth |
| 1984 | Oxford United |
| 1985 | Bradford City |
| 1986 | Reading |
| 1987 | AFC Bournemouth |
| 1988 | Sunderland |
| 1989 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| 1990 | Bristol Rovers |
| 1991 | Cambridge United |
| 1992 | Brentford |