The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive association football in England.
Overview Chelsea land their second Premier League title in as many seasons. They headed the table virtually all season long and amassed 91 points in retaining the trophy. The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether Wembley would be ready. The doubts were confirmed on 21 February 2006, when The FA announced that the final would indeed be held at Millennium Stadium. On 31 March 2006 The FA confirmed that the new Wembley would not be opened until 2007. Two clubs opened new stadiums at the beginning of this season: Coventry City – Ricoh Arena. Swansea City – Liberty Stadium. F.C. United of Manchester, formed by disgruntled Manchester United fans, played their first competitive season, competing in the North West Counties Football League Division Two (level 10 of the English football league system), from which they gained promotion at the first time of asking.BBC. Reading broke the previous points record of 105 points, taking 106 points from 46 games, scoring 99 goals to earn promotion to the Premier League. Wigan Athletic, who earned promotion to the Premier League by finishing second in the Football League Championship, played their first ever season in the top division of English football and comfortably stayed up, staying clear from the threat of relegation all season. Wigan were the first club to play an inaugural season in the top tier of English football since Barnsley in 1997–98, and the first to avoid relegation in an inaugural top tier season since Millwall in 1988–89.
Diary of the season 29 June 2005 — Chelsea sell Mateja Kezman to Atlético Madrid for £5.3 million. 1 July 2005 — Tottenham Hotspur sign 18-year-old Leeds United winger Aaron Lennon for £1 million. 4 July 2005 — Liverpool sign goalkeeper Pepe Reina from Villarreal for £6 million and Mark González from Albacete for £4.5 million. 5 July 2005 — Park Ji-Sung becomes Manchester United's first Asian player in a £4 million move from PSV Eindhoven. 8 July 2005 — Blackburn Rovers sign Craig Bellamy from Newcastle United for £5 million. 12 July 2005 — Arsenal sign Stuttgart and Belarus midfielder Alexander Hleb for £11.2 million. 15 July 2005 — Patrick Vieira ends nine years at Arsenal in a £13.7 million move to Juventus. 18 July 2005 — Chelsea sign Shaun Wright-Phillips from Manchester City for £21 million. 20 July 2005 — Liverpool sign Peter Crouch from Southampton for £7 million. 27 July 2005 — Manchester City sign Darius Vassell from Aston Villa for £2 million. 4 August 2005 — Phil Neville, who has spent his entire 12-year career at Manchester United, is sold to Everton for £3.5 million. 7 August 2005 — Chelsea claim the first silverware of the season when they beat Arsenal 2–1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to win the FA Community Shield. 8 August 2005 — Manchester United misfit Kléberson is sold to Beşiktaş of Turkey for £2.5 million. 17 August 2005 — Liberty Stadium hosts its first game; a friendly between Wales and Slovenia. It is the new stadium of Swansea City (replacing 93-year-old Vetch Field), as well as the Ospreys rugby union team. 18 August 2005 — Tottenham Hotspur sell Frédéric Kanouté to Sevilla for £4.4 million. 19 August 2005 — Chelsea pay a club record £24.4 million to Lyon for Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien. 20 August 2005 — Coventry City take on Queens Park Rangers in their first game at the new 32,500-seat Ricoh Arena. 23 August 2005 — Tiago Mendes leaves Chelsea for Lyon in a £6.5 million deal, while Milan Baroš moves from Liverpool to Aston Villa for the same fee. 26 August 2005 — Liverpool win the UEFA Super Cup beating CSKA Moscow 3–1. 31 August 2005 — August draws to a close with Chelsea looking well placed to defend their Premier League title having won their first four games of the season. Stuart Pearce's Manchester City have made an impressive start to the season as they occupy second place. Charlton Athletic, Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers complete the top five. Newly promoted Sunderland are bottom after losing their first four games of the league season, with Newcastle United and Portsmouth completing the bottom three. Newcastle United break their club transfer record by paying £17 million to Real Madrid for Michael Owen. In the Championship, Sheffield United lead the table with Reading in second place, ahead of newly promoted Luton Town on goal difference. Watford, Southampton and Wolves complete the playoff places. Norwich City, narrowly relegated from the Premier League the previous season, have made a poor start to a campaign thought by many to be a challenge for an immediate return to England's elite and stand one place off the bottom of the Championship, sandwiched by Millwall (bottom) and Sheffield Wednesday. 7 September 2005 — Northern Ireland take a historic 1–0 win over England at Windsor Park, Belfast, strengthening calls for Sven-Göran Eriksson's resignation. 30 September 2005 — Chelsea's 100% start to the season continues after seven games as they finish September with their Premier League leadership intact. Charlton Athletic are their nearest challengers in second place, with Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United (newly promoted) and Manchester United completing the top five. Sunderland remain bottom with just one point so far this season, while Everton and West Bromwich Albion complete the bottom three. In the Championship, Sheffield United hold a six-point advantage over Reading. Luton, Wolves, Watford and Leeds make up the rest of the top six. Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle and Crewe Alexandra prop up the table. 8 October 2005 — England defeat Austria 1–0 at Old Trafford, with the Netherlands defeating the Czech Republic the same night, thus assuring England automatic qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, either as the top team in their qualifying group or one of the top two second-placed European teams. 12 October 2005 — England defeat Poland 2–1 at Old Trafford to finish top of their World Cup qualifying group. 17 October 2005 — Middlesbrough defender Abel Xavier is banned from all football after failing a drugs test. 27 October 2005 — England legend Paul Gascoigne, 38, is named manager of Conference North club Kettering Town. 28 October 2005 — Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott gives final approval for Brighton & Hove Albion to build Falmer Stadium, now scheduled to open in 2008. 29 October 2005 — Manchester United become the first team to score 1,000 Premier League goals, in its 14th season. 31 October 2005 — October draws to a close with Chelsea now runaway leaders with 10 wins and a draw from their first 11 games, while their nearest challengers are Wigan Athletic, playing their first top-division season and only their 28th as a professional league club. Tottenham Hotspur, Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic complete the top five, while a disappointing Manchester United and Arsenal are sixth and seventh respectively. Sunderland have at last recorded their first league win of the season but still occupy bottom place, with Birmingham City and Everton completing the bottom three. In the Championship, Reading have closed the gap between them and Sheffield United to three points, with Luton, Watford, Leeds and Crystal Palace completing the top six and Brighton, Crewe and Millwall in the relegation zone. 6 November 2005 — Manchester United become the first team to beat Chelsea in 41 Premier League games, with a Darren Fletcher header securing a 1–0 victory at Old Trafford. 18 November 2005 — Roy Keane leaves Manchester United by mutual consent, ending his 12-year association with the club. 24 November 2005 — Alain Perrin is sacked as manager of Portsmouth after eight months in charge. 30 November 2005 — November ends with Chelsea still top of the Premier League, their nearest contenders now being Manchester United who are 10 points behind and with a game in hand. Arsenal, Wigan Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur complete the top five. Sunderland remain bottom with a mere five points and one win so far, with Birmingham City and Portsmouth completing the bottom three. In the Championship, Reading have overtaken Sheffield United with a four-point advantage. Watford, Leeds, Luton and Cardiff complete the top six, while Crewe, Brighton and Millwall remain in the relegation zone. 3 December 2005 — Harry Redknapp walks out of Southampton after being refused permission to discuss terms with Portsmouth over returning as manager. 5 December 2005 — Paul Gascoigne resigns after just over a month in charge of Kettering Town, during which time they won two, lost two and drew two of their six games. 7 December 2005 — Harry Redknapp is appointed manager of Portsmouth for the second time under contract until the end of the season. 22 December 2005 — George Burley is appointed Harry Redknapp's replacement at Southampton. 31 December 2005 — Chelsea's Premier League continues into 2006 by 11 points over Manchester United, while Liverpool's good run of form has taken them into third place. Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan Athletic complete the top five. Sunderland, Birmingham City and Portsmouth occupy the relegation places. Reading still lead the Championship, with Sheffield United, Leeds, Watford, Crystal Palace and Wolves completing the top six. Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall and Crewe finish the year in the relegation zone. 4 January 2006 — Alexandre Gaydamak takes a 50% stake in Portsmouth alongside Milan Mandarić. Manchester United pay Spartak Moscow £7 million for Serbian defender Nemanja Vidić. 6 January 2006 — Portsmouth sign Benjani from Auxerre for £4.1 million. 8 January 2006 — Burton Albion of the Conference National hold Manchester United to a 0–0 draw in the FA Cup third round, earning a lucrative replay at Old Trafford on 18 January 2006 which they lose 5–0. 10 January 2006 — Manchester United sign French defender Patrice Evra from AS Monaco for £5.5 million. 12 January 2006 — Liverpool sign Daniel Agger from Brøndby for £5.8 million. 13 January 2006 — Arsenal sign Emmanuel Adebayor from AS Monaco for £7 million. 20 January 2006 — The Premier League formally charges Portsmouth with "tapping up" Harry Redknapp. Arsenal pay £5 million to Southampton for striker Theo Walcott, who turns 17 on 16 March. 22 January 2006 — West Ham United pay £7.25 million for Norwich City striker Dean Ashton. 23 January 2006 — The FA announces that Sven-Göran Eriksson will leave his post as England national coach after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. 25 January 2006 — Craig Levein is sacked as manager of Leicester City. 30 January 2006 — Phil Brown is sacked as manager of Derby County. Academy boss Terry Westley is appointed interim manager, with player Paul Peschisolido acting as his assistant. Manchester City sign Greek midfielder Georgios Samaras from Heerenveen for £6 million. 31 January 2006 — Chelsea now lead the Premier League by 14 points ahead of Manchester United and 18 points ahead of Liverpool, with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal completing the top five. Sunderland, Portsmouth and Birmingham City occupy the three relegation places. Reading lead the Championship by ten points and look almost certain to gain promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history, while Sheffield United (with a game in hand) are eleven points clear of Leeds and Watford in joint third place. Preston North End and Cardiff City complete the top six. Brighton, Millwall and Crewe prop up the table. 2 February 2006 — Graeme Souness is sacked as manager of Newcastle United, and Glenn Roeder was made caretaker manager with Alan Shearer his assistant manager.