Previous seasons were, in a sense, bit-part leagues with clubs only playing teams that were generally local.
An example of this is that in the 1942 Football League North Leeds United played Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Newcastle United, Doncaster Rovers, Sunderland, Bradford Park Avenue, York City, Halifax Town and Huddersfield Town, which they played Home and Away in succession.
The 1945–46 full season was instituted as a precursor to the resumption of the previous divisional split in force prior to World War II.
As the war had only just finished travel was sometimes difficult to arrange, many of the players were still away and the teams often included guests.
Results and players' contributions do not tend to be included in official statistics.