The 2008–09 Football League (known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2008 and concluded in May 2009, with the promotion play-off finals.
The Football League is contested through three Divisions: the Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner-up of the League Championship are automatically promoted to the Premier League and they are joined by the winner of the Championship play-off. The bottom two teams in League Two are relegated to the Conference Premier.
Promotion and relegation
As a consequence of results in the 2008–09 English football season, the following promotions and relegations involving teams within, or entering or exiting the Football League occurred. These changes take effect for the 2009–10 season.
From Premier League Relegated to Championship West Bromwich Albion Middlesbrough Newcastle United
From Championship Promoted to Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers Birmingham City Burnley
Relegated to League One Norwich City Southampton Charlton Athletic
From Football League One Promoted to Championship Leicester City Peterborough United Scunthorpe United
Relegated to League Two Northampton Town Crewe Alexandra Cheltenham Town Hereford United
From Football League Two Promoted to League One Brentford Exeter City Wycombe Wanderers Gillingham
Relegated to Conference Premier Chester City Luton Town
From Conference Premier Promoted to League Two Burton Albion Torquay United
Championship
Table
Play-offs
Results
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Queens Park Rangers Iain Dowie Contract terminated 24 October 2008 Paulo Sousa 19 November 2008 9th Watford Aidy Boothroyd Mutual consent 3 November 2008 Brendan Rodgers 24 November 2008 21st Charlton Athletic Alan Pardew Mutual Consent 22 November 2008 Phil Parkinson 31 December 2008 22nd Blackpool Simon Grayson Signed by Leeds United (Mutual Consent) 23 December 2008 Ian Holloway 21 May 200916th Nottingham Forest Colin Calderwood Contract terminated 26 December 2008 Billy Davies 1 January 200922nd Derby County Paul Jewell Resigned 28 December 2008 Nigel Clough 6 January 2009 18th Norwich City Glenn Roeder Contract terminated 14 January 2009 Bryan Gunn 21 January 2009 21st Southampton Jan Poortvliet Resigned 23 January 2009 Mark Wotte 23 January 2009 23rd Queens Park Rangers Paulo Sousa Contract terminated 9 April 2009 10th Ipswich Town Jim Magilton Contract terminated 22 April 2009 Roy Keane 23 April 2009 9th Reading Steve Coppell Resigned 13 May 2009 4th
Top scorers PosPlayerTeamGoals1Sylvan Ebanks-BlakeWolverhampton Wanderers252Jason ScotlandSwansea City21Ross McCormackCardiff City4Kevin DoyleReading185Tommy SmithWatford176Rob HulseDerby County157Chris IwelumoWolverhampton Wanderers14Kevin PhillipsBirmingham CityMarcus TudgaySheffield Wednesday10Dexter BlackstockNottingham Forest13Nicky BaileyCharlton AthleticPaul GallagherPlymouth Argyle
League One
Table
Play-offs
Results
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Milton Keynes Dons Paul Ince Signed by Blackburn Rovers (Mutual Consent) 22 June 2008 Roberto Di Matteo 2 July 2008 Pre-season Cheltenham Town Keith Downing Mutual consent 13 September 2008 Martin Allen 15 September 2008 24th Colchester United Geraint Williams Mutual consent 22 September 2008 Paul Lambert 9 October 2008 23rd Carlisle United John Ward Mutual consent 3 November 2008 Greg Abbott 5 December 2008 20th Huddersfield Town Stan Ternent Contract terminated 4 November 2008 Lee Clark 11 December 2008 16th Swindon Town Maurice Malpas Mutual consent 14 November 2008 Danny Wilson 26 December 2008 17th Crewe Alexandra Steve Holland 18 November 2008 Guðjón Thórðarson 24 December 2008 24th Hartlepool United Danny Wilson Contract terminated 15 December 2008 13th Leeds United Gary McAllister Contract terminated 21 December 2008 Simon Grayson 23 December 2008 9th Walsall Jimmy Mullen Contract terminated 10 January 2009 Chris Hutchings 20 January 2009 12th Leyton Orient Martin Ling Mutual Consent 18 January 2009 Geraint Williams 5 February 2009 21st Yeovil Town Russell Slade Mutual Consent 16 February 2009 Terry Skiverton 18 February 2009 16th Brighton & Hove Albion Micky Adams Mutual Consent 21 February 2009 Russell Slade 6 March 2009 21st Oldham Athletic John Sheridan Mutual Consent 15 March 2009 Joe Royle 15 March 2009 8th
Top scorers Pos Player Club Goals1Rickie LambertBristol Rovers29Simon CoxSwindon Town3Jermaine BeckfordLeeds United27Matty FryattLeicester City5Gary HooperScunthorpe United246Craig Mackail-SmithPeterborough United237Aaron McLeanPeterborough United18Joel PorterHartlepool United9Paul HayesScunthorpe United1710Aaron WilbrahamMilton Keynes Dons16
League Two
Table
Play-offs
Results
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table AFC Bournemouth Kevin Bond Contract terminated 1 September 2008 Jimmy Quinn 2 September 2008 23rd Grimsby Town Alan Buckley Contract terminated 15 September 2008 Mike Newell 6 October 2008 20th Port Vale Lee Sinnott Mutual consent 22 September 2008 Dean Glover 6 October 2008 16th Chester City Simon Davies Contract terminated 11 November 2008 Mark Wright 14 November 2008 19th Barnet Paul Fairclough Resigned 28 December 2008 21st AFC Bournemouth Jimmy Quinn Contract terminated 31 December 2008 Eddie Howe 31 December 2008 23rd
Top scorers PosPlayerTeamGoals1Simeon Jackson Gillingham212Grant HoltShrewsbury Town20Jack LesterChesterfield4Reuben ReidRotherham United185Paul BensonDagenham & Redbridge17John O'FlynnBarnetAdam Le FondreRochdalePeter ThorneBradford CityBrett PitmanAFC Bournemouth10Andy BishopBury16Ryan LoweChester CityCharlie MacDonaldBrentford
Notes Luton (−30), Bournemouth (−17) and Rotherham (−17) began the League Two season on negative points.
References
External links Football League website Soccerbase results database BBC Sport football pages