1893-94 Football League Division 1 Preview
Aston Villa
Having won 3 of the 5 Football League titles, Aston Villa are now looking to continue their role as England's top club, Villa will surely be looking to bring the title back to Wellington Road for a fourth straight season. Those in the know about club signs seem to think they've got on of the better squads heading into this season.
Birmingham St. George's
Having over come recent issues around their finances, the Dragons continue to have the same issue that they've been suffering for years now as the richer Aston Villa have a stronger pull on all the best players within Birmingham. Despite challenging for the title a couple of years ago, they're expected to return to the lower half of the table where they have usually ended up.
Blackburn Rovers
Having spent years in a middle pack of the table Blackburn Rovers have been moving towards the top in recent years with two consecutive top half finishes and sitting just outside the top 3 by goal difference at the end of last season. Believed to be within the 4 best squads for the season, expect a good season for the side.
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton have been one of those teams that have struggled to keep up with the newer sides getting elected into the Football League following the first season as they have slowly been falling towards the playoff places, staying above by a single point last season and surviving re-election the season before. Bolton's side doesn't look to have enough quality this season to avoid this battle.
Bootle
Having some of the best investment over the summer, some are arguing Bootle's squad looks to be better this season than even Aston Villa's. While it remains to be seen whether this is actually the case, it can hardly be argued they are one of the best sides elected to the league, having consistently finished in the top 5 places every season since they were first elected into the division.
Darwen
Darwen look set to have a solid season this year, having one of the better sides in the league. They're not expected to compete for the title, but are expected to be able to have their best season yet, with the squad looking better than it has in previous years.
Derby County
Having won the FA Cup last season, you'd think Derby County's squad would be able to attract better talent to progress up the table but it appears they've been unable to achieve this. Their squad looks to be at a similar level to last season and should perform at a similar level. Unlikely to be threaten with the playoff places, but also not likely to do much better than that.
Everton
One of the less impressive squads, it seems like the former Football Alliance champions are unable to compete with some of the competition in Merseyside for players as while their squad should be competitive, on paper it appears to be one of the worst teams in the league.
Middlesbrough Ironopolis
Following behind the scenes issues, Middlesbrough Ironopolis and Middlesbrough FC end their partnership with Ironopolis being able to successfully gain the Football League license over Middlesbrough, who join the Northern League. Due to this turmoil and the loss of a few key players, Ironopolis's side looks worse than it did previously, although they should still be able to perform at a reasonable level.
Preston North End
The origin Football League champions and two time winners, Preston have been a top side within the league for many years and it does not look set to change this season as once again Preston have assembled one of the better sides in the league. They're predicted to be outside contenders for the title and are expected to be able to retain their position within the top 3 teams for the 6th year running.
Sheffield United
The first of the promoted sides this season, Sheffield United are the only side making their debut in the first division this season and are expected to be a solid side within the league, with one of the better squad lists coming into the season. A major match to look forward to this season will be when they take on local rivals in The Wednesday in league games with both teams looking to be at a similar level.
Sunderland AFC
Certainly some of the worst business coming into the season, a few of Sunderland's best players have been lost to nearby teams while they've failed to attract many top names. Most view Sunderland as the clear favourites to end up in the playoff positions ahead of this season with many saying their squad is not equip to compete at this level.
Sunderland Albion
For Sunderland Albion, it's expected to be a fairly middling season. Neither good nor bad the side have had two middle of the road seasons recently and this year is expected to add a third to that list with a solid squad list for the level.
The Wednesday
While The Wednesday look to be one of the better sides within the division, the last ever Football Alliance champion don't look too likely to threaten for the title but should be a tough side to beat on their day.
West Bromwich Albion
Arguably the most middling team in the Football League, West Bromwich Albion have never been within 5 points of either the title or re-election (or play-off) places within their 5 seasons in the Football League and this does not look set to change this season as they come in with a side that looks set to finish around 8th place.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Having stormed through the 2nd Division most expected Wolves to have a better side coming into this season than they have and the reasons why do not seem to be apparent to most. While the side looks strong enough to be competitive in the league, it seems they're struggling to keep up with the increasing quality in the league and are expected to take the final play-off position by many, although some believe they possess the quality required to maintain their spot in the 1st Division.