1895-96 Division 1 Preview
Bootle
Once again the favourites to win, Bootle continue to have the strongest side on paper. Last season the side was only able to get themselves into 2nd place after a slightly rough start to the season saw them left constantly trying to play catch-up on the title and unable to actually reach the top of the table. Having been well clear of any team but Blackburn, they certainly should be expecting another good season.
The Wednesday
Probably slightly surprising second favourites, but since their joining the Football League, The Wednesday have consistently been a solid side that could be relied on to finish with 33 or 34 points come the end of the season. This year many expect their squad to have been built in such a way that they will end up being the strongest competition for whoever leads the table.
Blackburn Rovers
Despite being the reigning champions, Blackburn are not the leading favourites to win the league, but are still expected to have a high finish following their title. A strong side heading into next season, Blackburn have consistently managed to show quality in the league across the last few years and it should be expected that we will see the same.
Aston Villa
Arguably the biggest let down of last season, Aston Villa are normally a team that you would expect to be challenging for titles, rather than falling into the midtable. However it appears as if the Villains era at the top of the league could be coming to an end as some of their older star players have started to age. Still, it should be expected that Villa will be a strong side for the up-coming season.
Darwen
One side that have made some major movements between seasons, Darwen have added a lot of strong players to the side across the off-season to help build on the strong form that kept them out of the playoffs last season. Darwen will need to avoid having the poor start they had last season however if they actually hope to finish in the top 5.
Walsall Town Swifts
It is expected to be another good season for Walsall, although they are not expected to reach the dizzying heights of 3rd place and an FA Cup that they reached next season. Excitement of fans in the area is high following a very strong return to Division One and they should be expected to have another strong campaign.
Derby County
Derby County have made big moves during the off-seasons, having clearly not been pleased about almost falling into the playoff spots. A particular big move has been leaving Derby Cricket Ground to head to Baseball Ground, which they will make their new permanent home. Alongside this, a number of signings are positive signs for the Rams' season.
Preston North End
Preston's side has just slowly been deteriorating over the years and it looks like this year could be the culmination of all this as the side are expected to just hang onto the top half spot. This would be a disappointment to Preston fans who have surely become accustomed to their side being one of the league's best.
Sunderland Albion
A side that comes and goes in terms of quality, the Sunderland Albion of this year do not appear to be as good as last year and are more likely to find their spot within the middle of the table this year. Whatever happens, they will be the best side in the area as the only one in the top flight.
Middlesbrough Ironopolis
A strong debut season to Middlesbrough Ironopolis have since fallen away to being a reliable side in the lower-mid area of the table, consistently clear of safety but not really being notable for much else. Coming into the new season, nothing is expected to change at Paradise Ground.
Liverpool
It should not be understated that Liverpool had a good debut in Division One last season, managing to finish in the top half of the league. This year however the side are expected to struggle with the higher expectations of fans heading into another season in the league and other teams looking to push forwards.
West Bromwich Albion
Sitting alongside Villa, Blackburn and Preston as the league's 4 constant teams, West Brom stand out as a side that have not been a title contender but have just been consistently average within the league. West Brom really have little notable happen and have just consistently been a team in the league.
Sheffield United
After ending up in the relegation playoff last season, Sheffield United look to be in a better position to avoid going down, but not by safely as they side hold a similar overall quality of player as last season, but do have less playoff spots to potentially fall into.
Newton Heath
Newly promoted back to Division One, many people are debating whether Newton Heath or the next side will be the one who will fall into playoffs. The Manchester side will surely be looking to avoid finishing in third-last for the first time, but most expect it will be more of the same.
Birmingham St. George's
Despite being a side that keeps threatening to make title runs, the Dragons seem to just keep running into issues when it comes to getting a side together that will be consistently competitive. This season, the side just does not look to be the quality needs and could end up competing in the playoffs if they want to continue their 7 season run in Division One.
Woolwich Arsenal
The other promoted side this season, Arsenal are bringing Division One football to London this season. While the side has made strides forwards during the off-season, building up their side so that it will be competitive within the division, it is not expected to be enough as many expect them to end up the worst side in the Division this year.
Structure Changes:
The bottom two sides will now go into a series, where they will face both of the top 2 sides in Division Two home and away. From these 4 matches, teams will be ranked using the same methods as the league table and the top 2 sides will gain the spots in Division One.
- DinoKea
