Football League Third Division

==Early attempts==

==Early attempts==

Following the close of the [[1910-11 Football League|1910-1911]] season, the Football League initiated proceedings to add a new division, having received the approval of more than thirty of the forty member clubs. At least sixteen teams would have been required to apply for this to proceed.{{cite news | newspaper = Coventry Reporter | title = Third Division of Football League to be formed | date = 3 June 1911 | page = 6}} Representatives from a number of prominent non-league clubs - among them [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], recently voted out of the League - agreed to form a twenty-team Third Division.{{cite news | newspaper = The Scotsman | title = A Third Division to be formed | date = 8 June 1911 | page = 5}} This was ultimately rejected by the Football League, who were concerned with the impact it would have on other leagues but were receptive to hearing a more detailed proposal for the following season.{{cite news | newspaper = Sheffield Independent | title = Third Division scheme rejected | date = 17 June 1911 | page = 10}} Seventeen clubs pledged themselves definitively to the new league: [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]], [[Chesterfield F.C.|Chesterfield]], [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]], [[Croydon Common F.C.|Croydon Common]], [[Darlington F.C.|Darlington]], [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]], [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]], [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]], [[Rochdale F.C.|Rochdale]], [[Rotherham Town F.C. (1899)|Rotherham Town]], [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]], [[South Liverpool F.C.|South Liverpool]], [[South Shields F.C.|South Shields]], [[Southport Central F.C.|Southport Central]], [[St Helens Town A.F.C. (1901)|St. Helens Town]], [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]]. Six further clubs are known to have been invited to make up the numbers{{cite news | newspaper = Empire News | title = Proposed Third Division | date = 11 June 1911 | page = 5}}: [[Barrow F.C.|Barrow]], [[Castleford Town F.C.|Castleford Town]], [[Kidderminster Harriers F.C.|Kidderminster Harriers]], [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]], [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] and [[Worcester City F.C.|Worcester City]] In the event, following objections from the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]], the existing clubs rejected the scheme by 26 votes to 12 (with two abstentions) in December 1911.{{cite news | newspaper = Daily Mirror | title = No Third Division of the league | date = 18 December 1911 | page = 14}} All but six of the rejected clubs did eventually go on to play League football.

Following the close of the [[1910-11 Football League|1910-1911]] season, the Football League initiated proceedings to add a new division, having received the approval of more than thirty of the forty member clubs. At least sixteen teams would have been required to apply for this to proceed.{{cite news | newspaper = Coventry Reporter | title = Third Division of Football League to be formed | date = 3 June 1911 | page = 6}} Representatives from a number of prominent non-league clubs - among them [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], recently voted out of the League - agreed to form a twenty-team Third Division.{{cite news | newspaper = The Scotsman | title = A Third Division to be formed | date = 8 June 1911 | page = 5}} This was ultimately rejected by the Football League, who were concerned with the impact it would have on other leagues but were receptive to hearing a more detailed proposal for the following season.{{cite news | newspaper = Sheffield Independent | title = Third Division scheme rejected | date = 17 June 1911 | page = 10}} Seventeen clubs pledged themselves definitively to the new league: [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]], [[Chesterfield F.C.|Chesterfield]], [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]], [[Croydon Common F.C.|Croydon Common]], [[Darlington F.C.|Darlington]], [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]], [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]], [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]], [[Rochdale F.C.|Rochdale]], [[Rotherham Town F.C. (1899)|Rotherham Town]], [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]], [[South Liverpool F.C. (1890s)|South Liverpool]], [[South Shields F.C.|South Shields]], [[Southport Central F.C.|Southport Central]], [[St Helens Town A.F.C. (1901)|St. Helens Town]], [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]]. Six further clubs are known to have been invited to make up the numbers{{cite news | newspaper = Empire News | title = Proposed Third Division | date = 11 June 1911 | page = 5}}: [[Barrow F.C.|Barrow]], [[Castleford Town F.C.|Castleford Town]], [[Kidderminster Harriers F.C.|Kidderminster Harriers]], [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]], [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] and [[Worcester City F.C.|Worcester City]] In the event, following objections from the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]], the existing clubs rejected the scheme by 26 votes to 12 (with two abstentions) in December 1911.{{cite news | newspaper = Daily Mirror | title = No Third Division of the league | date = 18 December 1911 | page = 14}} All but six of the rejected clubs did eventually go on to play League football.

==Founder clubs of the Third Division (1920)==

==Founder clubs of the Third Division (1920)==