Football League Fourth Division facts for kids

The Football League Fourth Division was an important professional football league in England and Wales. It was the fourth-highest level of football in the English league system. This league helped many clubs grow and move up the football ladder. It ran for 34 seasons, from 1958 until 1992.

What Was the Fourth Division?

The Football League Fourth Division was created in 1958. It was formed by combining the bottom half of the old Third Division North and Third Division South. This made a new, single fourth tier for English football clubs. Teams played each other to win the league or earn promotion.

Promotion and Relegation

In football, leagues often have a "pyramid" system. This means teams can move between different levels.

• Promotion means a team moves up to a higher division.
• Relegation means a team moves down to a lower division.

At the end of each season, the top teams in the Fourth Division would get promoted. They would move up to the Football League Third Division. The teams at the very bottom of the Fourth Division had to try and get re-elected to stay in the league. If they weren't re-elected, they would drop out of the Football League entirely.

The End of the Fourth Division

The Football League Fourth Division stopped existing in 1992. This happened because of a big change in English football. The top clubs broke away to form the Premier League. This created a new top division.

When the Premier League started, the old First Division became the second tier. The Second Division became the third tier. And the Third Division became the fourth tier. This meant the Fourth Division was no longer needed. The teams that were in the Fourth Division at the time moved into the new Third Division. This division later became known as EFL League Two.

Champions

Many different clubs won the Football League Fourth Division title over the years. Winning the league meant they were the best team in that division for the season. It also usually meant they earned promotion to the next level. Here is a list of all the champions: