who then would have thought tat the Reds and Man Utd would
become rivals 80 years down the road.
if john mckenna's still alive, i believe he would have regretted
his decision then to throw away the match.
In 1919, the First Division was extended from 20 to 22 clubs.
During previous expansions, the relegated clubs from the previous
season were re-elected, while the top Second Division sides were
promoted as usual.
So Derby and Preston, the two top Second Division sides in 1915
- there had been a break for the War - did indeed move on up. And
Chelsea, who had finished 19th that season, were, as expected,
re-elected.
But the reason for Chelsea's escape were somewhat arbitrary. In
1915, Manchester United had, to avoid relegation, fixed their last
game (against Liverpool of all people). They won 2-0 and sent
Chelsea into the relegation places instead, but Liverpool chairman
John McKenna must have felt some guilt, because at the League's AGM
in 1919 he gave a speech insisting on the continued presence in the
top flight of the Stamford Bridge club.
For some reason however, he also suggested that lowly Arsenal,
who had finished fifth in the Second, should be rewarded for their
long service to the League. They should replace the team which came
20th in 1915, he argued.
And so it came to pass. The unfairly relegated club? Why,
Tottenham Hotspur.
