1919-1939 Inter-war years

From 1920 to 1923 the Football League expanded further, gaining a new Third Division (expanding quickly to Division Three South and Division Three North), with all leagues now containing 22 clubs, making 88 in total. In addition, in 1923 Wembley Stadium opened, and hosted its first Cup final, between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United, known today as the "White Horse Final"; Bolton won 2-0.

During the interwar years, Arsenal and Everton were the two most dominant sides in English football, although Huddersfield Town did make history in 1926 by becoming the first team to complete a hat-trick of successive league titles. Arsenal would do the same in 1935.

Everton had hit the headlines in 1928 by winning the league championship thanks largely to the record breaking 60 league goals of 21-year-old centre-forward Dixie Dean. He was helped by the new rules of the 1920s, including the allowing of goals from a corner kick, and the relaxing of the offside rule. Everton also won the league twice more, in 1932 and 1939, and the FA Cup in 1933. Their neighbours Liverpool had earlier won back-to-back titles in 1922 and 1923, but were unable to sustain this success.

Huddersfield Town and Arsenal's successes were largely down to manager Herbert Chapman, who first managed Huddersfield in their first two championship seasons in 1923-24 and 1924-25, before accepting the offer to manage Arsenal. With Arsenal, he won the FA Cup once and the League twice in the 1930s, before his sudden death during what would be a third title-winning season in 1933-34. Arsenal went on to win the title twice more during the 1930s, as well as another FA Cup.

Sheffield Wednesday were also successful during the 1930s, winning the 1929-30 title, the FA Cup in 1935 and finishing in the top three in all but one season in the period 1930-36. In addition, it was during this time that a Welsh side won the FA Cup for the only time; Cardiff City beating Arsenal 1-0 in the 1927 Final.

The national team remained strong, but lost their first game to a non-British Isles country in 1929 (against Spain in Madrid) and refused to compete in the initial World Cups.

1945 - 1959 The end of English Dominance >