1993–94 Football League

Alan Smith kicked off his management career by guiding Crystal Palace to the Division One title and back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Nottingham Forest, now managed by Frank Clark following Brian Clough's retirement, also made a swift return to the Premier League by finishing runners-up to Palace.

Mark McGhee won the Division Two title for Reading, with John Rudge's Port Vale taking the other automatic promotion place.

Shrewsbury Town, Chester City and Crewe Alexandra claimed the three automatic promotion places in Division Three, while Martin O'Neill's Wycombe Wanderers won the play-offs in their first season of league football.

Middlesbrough, another side who missed out on the playoffs, prepared for a promotion push in 1994-95 by appointing former Manchester United and England captain Bryan Robson as player-manager following the resignation of Lennie Lawrence at the end of the season.

Port Vale, the previous season's losing playoff finalists, went up as runners-up - their third promotion under the management of long-serving John Rudge.

Plymouth Argyle and Stockport County missed out on automatic promotion and had to contest the playoffs with York City and Burnley.