1962–63 in English football

Everton won the League Championship, their first post-war title. Manchester United won the FA Cup, their first major trophy since the Munich Air Disaster in 1958. Birmingham City won the League Cup. Tottenham Hotspur won the European Cup Winners' Cup, thereby becoming the first English side to win a European cup competition. Oxford United were elected to the Football League to replace the defunct Accrington Stanley, who had resigned from the league the previous season. Much of the season was postponed for several months because of the Big Freeze of 1963.

10 July 1962: Manchester United pay a national record fee of £115,000 for Torino and Scotland forward Denis Law, a year after he joined the Italian club from Manchester City for the same fee and more than five years after manager Matt Busby first tried to sign a teenage Law for United from Huddersfield. Law, 22, has now totaled fees of £285,000 in his career.[1]

11 August 1962: FA Cup holders Tottenham Hotspur beat defending First Division champions Ipswich Town 5-1 in the FA Charity Shield at Portman Road.[2]

18 August 1962: The Football League season commences. The biggest in the First Division sees Wolves beat local Manchester City 8-1 at home. Ipswich Town begin their defence of the First Division title with a 3-3 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers. Among the title hopefuls, Tottenham Hotspur beat Birmingham City 3-0 at White Hart Lane, Denis Law scores on his Manchester United debut in a 2-2 draw at home with West Bromwich Albion, and Everton beat Burnley 3-1 at home. Leyton Orient's first game in the First Division ends in a 2-1 home defeat to Arsenal. Liverpool's First Division comeback sees them lose 2-1 at home to Blackpool.[3]

25 August 1962: Wolves, Aston Villa and Everton all have a 100% record in the First Division after three games. The highest league crowd so far this season sees more than 62,000 pack into Highbury to watch Arsenal lose 3-1 at home to Manchester United. London rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur meet at Upton Park, with Bill Nicholson's men winning 6-1.[4]

29 August 1962: More than 63,000 fans pack Old Trafford to see a Roy Vernon goal give Everton a 1-0 win over Manchester United to stretch their winning start to the season to four games. Wolves drop points for the first time when West Ham hold them to a goalless draw at home, while Aston Villa go down 4-2 at Tottenham.[5]

1 September 1962: Wolves knock Everton off the top of the First Division with a 4-2 home win over Blackburn Rovers, while Harry Catterick's men go down 1-0 to Fulham at Craven Cottage. Tottenham Hotspur keep up the pressure with a 4-2 home win over Manchester City.[6]

5 September 1962: Everton go back to the top of the First Division with a 3-0 home win over Leyton Orient.[7]

8 September 1962: Manchester City's dismal start to the First Division continues with a 6-1 home defeat to West Ham United sending them to the bottom of the table. Derek Kevan scores four goals at home for West Bromwich Albion, who beat Fulham by the same scoreline. Leyton Orient achieve a famous 1-0 home win over Manchester United in front of nearly 25,000 fans at Brisbane Road. Everton remain top of the table with a 3-2 win over Leicester City at Goodison Park.[8]

10 September 1962: Aston Villa keep up their challenge for a first league title triumph in more than 50 years by beating Arsenal 3-1 at Villa Park.[9]

12 September 1962: Leyton Orient claim another famous victory by beating Everton 3-0 at Brisbane Road, allowing Wolves to move top of the table with a 2-1 away win over Tottenham Hotspur.[10]

15 September 1962: Denis Law scores twice against his old club in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford but City still win 3-2 to climb off the bottom of the table. Everton beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Burnden Park but Wolves remain top on goal average with a 1-1 draw at home to Nottingham Forest.[11]

18 September 1962: Ipswich Town begin their European Cup challenge with a 4-1 away win over Maltese champions Floirana FC in the premilinary round first leg.[12]

22 September 1962: The highest league crowd of the season sees nearly 72,500 fans pack into Goodison Park to see the Merseyside derby end in a 2-2 draw, allowing Wolves to establish a two-point lead at the top of the First Division with a 3-2 away win over Ipswich Town. John Connelly gives Burnley's title hopes a major boost with a hat-trick in their 5-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Nottingham Forest go third with a 3-1 home win over Aston Villa. Derek Kevan's prolific scoring for West Bromwich Albion continues as he gets a hat-trick in their 5-4 home win over Bolton Wanderers.[13]

25 September 1962: Ipswich town go through to the European Cup first round by winning the premilinary round return leg 10-0 against Floriana FC at Portman Road.[14]

29 September 1962: Jimmy Greaves scores four goals for Tottenham in their 9-2 home win over Nottingham Forest, sending them third in the First Division and sending the visitors four places down to seventh. Wolves maintain their two-point lead of the table with a 3-2 home win over Liverpool, although Everton keep up the pressure with a 4-2 home win over West Bromwich Albion.[15]

3 October 1962: The England national football team competes in the European Football Championships for the first time, beginning the qualifiers for the 1964 European Nations' Cup with a 1-1 draw against France in the qualifying round first leg at Hillsborough. Ron Flowers of Wolverhampton Wanderers scores England's only goal.

6 October 1962: Everton go top of the First Division on goal average in a top of the table clash with Wolves at Molineux. The North London derby at White Hart Lane attracts 61,749 fans through the gates and produces an eight-goal thriller as Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal draw 4-4. A Sheffield derby at Bramall Lane is watched by over 40,000 fans and ends in a 2-2 draw.[16]

13 October 1962: Everton extend their lead of the First Division to a point after drawing 1-1 at home to Aston Villa, while Wolves squander the chance to return to the top of the league by losing 3-0 at Bolton. Burnley are now level on points with Wolves in third place with a 5-1 home win over Sheffield United. Manchester United are now third from bottom after a 3-0 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers.[17]

20 October 1962: With England travelling to Windsor Park to beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in a friendly international, just six out of 11 First Division fixtures are played.[18]

24 October 1962: Manchester United crash to the bottom of the First Division with a 6-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, with Jimmy Greaves scoring a hat-trick. Wolves squander another chance to return to the top of the First Division by losing 2-0 at home to local rivals Birmingham City, who climb off the bottom of the table.[19]

25 October 1962: Alf Ramsey, the Ipswich Town manager, accepts The Football Association's offer to succeed Walter Winterbottom as England manager with effect from 1 May 1963, after agreeing taking charge of two earlier matches from 27 February 1963.[20]

27 October 1962: A nine-goal thriller at Highbury sees Arsenal beat Wolves 5-4. A local derby at St Andrew's sees Birmingham City beat Aston Villa 3-2 in front of more than 42,000 fans. Nearly 31,000 fans pack into Brisbane Road to see Tottenham Hotspur go top of the First Division on goal average with a 5-1 win over Leyton Orient.[21]

3 November 1962: Manchester United climb off the bottom of the table with a 5-3 away win over Ipswich Town, with Denis Law scoring four goals. The result sends the defending champions into the last but one position in the First Division. A 10-goal thriller at Ewood Park sees Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal battle out a 5-5 draw. Tottenham Hotspur are a point ahead at the top of the table with a 4-0 home win over Leicester City, as Everton are held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester City at Maine Road.[22]

10 November 1962: Fred Pickering gets a hat-trick for Blackburn Rovers in a 5-2 win over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. Manchester United and Liverpool battle out a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford. The gap between first and second at the top of the table stays at one point as leaders Tottenham Hotspur beat Fulham 2-0 in front of almost 40,000 fans at Craven Cottage, while Everton keep up the pressure with a 5-0 home win over Blackpool.[23]

13 November 1962: Everton take advantage of their game in hand and go back to the top of the First Division with a 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.[24]

14 November 1962: Ipswich Town are beaten 3-0 by AC Milan at the San Siro in the European Cup first round first leg.[25]

17 November 1962: Tottenham Hotspur return to the top of the First Division on goal average by drawing 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday, while Everton go down 3-2 at Blackburn. Wolves drop to seventh in the table despite two goals from Barry Stobart, as Denis Law puts two past them and David Herd nets another as Manchester United beat them 3-2 at the Molineux. Roger Hunt scores a hat-trick in Liverpool's 5-0 home win over Leyton Orient, which ensures that Orient remain rooted to the bottom of the table.[26]

24 November 1962: Everton go back to the top of the First Division with a 3-0 home win over Sheffield United, while Tottenham Hotspur lose 2-1 to Burnley in front of 44,478 fans at Turf Moor. Roger Hunt has another good game for Liverpool, scoring both goals in their 2-0 away win over Birmingham City. Albert Quixall scores twice for Manchester United in a 2-2 home draw with Aston Villa. Wolves bounce back from their recent slump with a 4-0 win over Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road.[27]

28 November 1962: Ipswich Town are knocked out of the European Cup 4-2 on aggregate, despite winning the Portman Road return leg of their clash with AC Milan 2-1.[28]

1 December 1962: The top-two clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton ends in a goalless draw at White Hart Lane in front of a crowd of more than 60,000.[29]

8 December 1962: Leaders Everton draw 1-1 at home to West Ham United in the First Division. Burnley go second with a 3-1 home win over Ipswich Town. Tottenham Hotspur's title hopes are hit by a 1-0 defeat at Bolton.[30]

22 December 1962: Wing-half Dave Mackay gets a hat-trick in Tottenham's thrilling 4-4 home draw with London rivals West Ham. The gap between themselves and Everton stays at three points after Harry Catterick's men are held to a 2-2 draw by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Just four out of 11 fixtures are played in the First Division due to heavy snow.[31]

26 December 1962: The continuing severe weather wipes out more fixtures as just 24 out of 46 Football League fixtures are played on Boxing Day. First Division leaders Everton are among the teams whose fixtures are postponed, but their nearest rivals Tottenham Hotspur are able to host their fixture at home to Ipswich Town, which they win 5-0 with Jimmy Greaves scoring a hat-trick to cut Everton's lead to a single point. Fulham's survival hopes are hit by a Bobby Charlton goal giving Manchester United the only goal of the game at Craven Cottage. Leicester City go third with a 5-1 home win over Leyton Orient. Down in the Fourth Division, leaders Oldham Athletic record one of the biggest wins in Football League history by beating Southport 11-0 at Boundary Park.[32]

29 December 1962: The worsening weather means that a mere 12 out of 46 scheduled Football League fixtures can be played. The only First Division fixtures played are at Turf Moor, where Burnley keep up their title push with a 4-0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday, and at the City Ground, where a seven-goal thriller sees West Ham United triumph 4-3 over Nottingham Forest.[33]

5 January 1963: The Big Freeze of 1963 impacts the third round of the FA Cup with only 3 of 32 fixtures played.[34]West Bromwich Albion are the only First Division team whose fixture goes ahead, with almost 22,000 fans braving the severe weather to watch them beat Plymouth Argyle 5-1. Nearly 26,000 fans watch Sunderland draw 2-2 with Preston North End at Deepdale, while Fourth Division underdogs Tranmere Rovers hold Second Division promotion contenders [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea] 2-2 at Prenton Park in front of a crowd of more than 17,000 to force a replay.[35]

8 January 1963: The only action of the day sees Leicester City beat Grimsby Town 3-1 at Blundell Park in the FA Cup third round.[36]

9 January 1963: Two more FA Cup third round ties are played. More than 30,000 fans pack the Racecourse Ground to watch Liverpool triumph 3-0 over Wrexham. Mansfield Town give Ipswich Town a serious run for their money at Field Mill but the defending First Division champions still manage to grind out a 3-2 victory.[37]

12 January 1963: A mere five Football League fixtures and one Football League Cup tie are played as the severe weather shows no sign of easing. Aston Villa beat Sunderland 3-1 in front of a crowd of more than 33,000 in the League Cup semi-final first leg at Roker Park. The only First Division match played sees Sheffield Wednesday beat West Bromwich Albion 3-0 at The Hawthorns. The Second Division fixtures are all wiped out. Among the three Third Division matches which go ahead, Swindon Town climb from eighth to second place with a 5-0 home win over QPR.[38]

15 January 1963: A 30,000-strong crowd pack into Oakwell, the home of Third Division side Barnsley, to watch double-chasing Everton win 3-0 over the South Yorkshire side.[39]

16 January 1963: Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of a second double in three seasons are ended by a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley in the FA Cup third round tie at White Hart Lane. Bristol City and Aston Villa draw 1-1 in their third round clash at Ashton Gate.[40]

19 January 1963: Just six out of 46 Football League fixtures are played. Just one out of three First Division fixtures see a goal scored, as two goals from Jimmy Greaves give Tottenham Hotspur a 2-0 home win over Blackpool to send them top of the league, although Everton are a point behind them with a game in hand.[41]

23 January 1963: The Pools Panel is used to forecast the results of postponed matches for the first time.[34]

26 January 1963: Only one fixture of the fourth round of the FA Cup - a 1-1 draw between Burnley and Liverpool at Turf Moor - is played as most of the third round ties have not been completed. There is one fixture each played in the Third and Fourth Divisions.[42]

28 January 1963: FA Cup fifth round draw is postponed for a week.

29 January 1963: Amidst the continuing severe winter and match postponements, three more FA Cup ties are played. Non-league Gravesend and Northfleet perform a giant-killing feat away to Third Division strugglers Carlisle United at Brunton Park with a 1-0 victory. Nottingham Forest win the other third round tie 4-3 at home to Wolves. A fourth round tie is hosted in front of more than 26,000 fans at Swindon, where Everton keep up their push for the double with a 5-1 win.[43]

30 January 1963: Oxford United, in their first season as a Football League team, travel to Highbury for an FA Cup third round clash with Arsenal, who beat them 5-1 in front of a crowd of 14,649. Chelsea beat Tranmere Rovers 3-1 in their third round replay at Stamford Bridge. Leicester City beat Ipswich Town 3-1 in the fourth round tie at Filbert Street.[44]

2 February 1963: All but four of today's the Football League fixtures are cancelled due to the continuing severe winter, with two games each being played in the Third and Fourth Divisions.[45]

4 February 1963: The FA postpone the fifth and sixth rounds of the FA Cup for a week.

7 February 1963: Seven out of 46 scheduled Football League matches are played. The only action to go ahead in the First Division is at Filbert Street, where two Ken Keyworth goals give Leicester City a 2-0 home win over Arsenal. There is a nine-goal thriller at Home Park in the Second Division promotion race, with Middlesbrough beating Plymouth Argyle 5-4.[46]

9 February 1963: Only seven League fixtures are played due to the bad weather.[47]

12 February 1963: The FA postpone the fifth and sixth rounds of the FA Cup further. The only First Division action of the day is a 3-1 home win for Leicester City over Everton, which puts the East Midlanders just two points off the top of the table.[48]

13 February 1963: Roger Hunt and Ian St John score two goals each in Liverpool's 4-0 home win over Aston Villa in today's solitary First Division match. Bill Shankly's team now stand fifth in the First Division and on the fringes of the title race just one season after promotion.[49]

16 February 1963: In one of just four scheduled First Division fixtures to go ahead today, Liverpool continue to home in on the title challengers with a 4-1 home victory of Wolves.[50]

18 February 1963: The FA Cup semi-finals are postponed four weeks and the final three weeks. Gravesend and Northfleet's FA Cup adventure comes to an end in a fourth round replay defeat in front of nearly 30,000 fans to Sunderland at Roker Park.[51]

19 February 1963: Leicester City are now level on points with leaders Tottenham Hotspur with Ken Keyworth once again the hero, grabbing both goals in a 2-0 away win over local rivals Nottingham Forest.[52]

23 February 1963: With the severe weather conditions finally starting to ease after two months, 24 out of 46 Football League fixtures go ahead. Tottenham Hotspur stay top of the First Division with a 3-2 win over Arsenal in front of almost 60,000 fans at Highbury. Leicester City remain level on points with the leaders by beating Ipswich Town 3-0.[53]

27 February 1963: England are knocked out of the European Nations' Cup with a 5-2 defeat to France in Paris in the second leg of the qualifying round.[54]

2 March 1963: Bobby Smith scores both of Tottenham Hotspur's goals as a 2-1 home win over West Bromwich Albion keeps them on top of the First Division, with Leicester City's 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield keeping them level with the leaders.[55]

4 March 1963: Manchester United begin their FA Cup challenge two months behind schedule, beating Huddersfield Town 5-0 at Old Trafford.[56]

5 March 1963: Liverpool's hopes of making a late run for the First Division title are dented when Ipswich Town hold them to a 2-2 draw at Portman Road.[57]

7 March 1963: Bradford City finally play their third round FA Cup tie against Newcastle United, losing 6-1.

9 March 1963: The first fully completed First Division round of matches since before Christmas are played. The pick of the action includes a 4-3 win for Wolves at Birmingham City, a 6-1 home win for West Bromwich Albion against Ipswich Town with a Derek Kevan hat-trick and David Layne getting a hat-trick in Sheffield Wednesday's 4-1 home win over Manchester City.[58]

11 March 1963: Middlesbrough beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1 to become the last team into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

16 March 1963: The first fifth round ties of the FA Cup are finally played. Liverpool, Leicester City, Norwich City, Manchester United, Southampton and West Ham United all secure victories to go through to the quarter-finals. In the First Division, a Black Country derby clash at the Molineux sees Wolves beat Albion 7-0. Tottenham Hotspur take advantage of their game in hand over Leicester City by beating Ipswich Town 4-2 at Portman Road and going two points ahead of second placed Ipswich Town, although third placed Everton are six points behind them with three games in hand. A crowd of 46,680 sees Aston Villa beat Birmingham City 4-0 in another midlands derby.[59]

19 March 1963: Alex Young scores twice as Everton win 3-0 at Ipswich Town to eat into Tottenham Hotspur's lead of the First Division.[60]

20 March 1963: In a Second Division promotion crunch game at Roker Park, Sunderland go level on points with leaders Chelsea by defeating Norwich City 7-1.[61]

23 March 1963: Filbert Street's largest crowd of the season sees second placed Leicester City draw 2-2 with leaders Tottenham Hotspur. Everton, who still have two games in hand, keep up the pressure with a 2-1 home win over Manchester City. Liverpool's more distant challenge is kept alive with a 3-1 away with over Burnley.[62]

26 March 1963: Everton drop two points with a 4-3 defeat to Arsenal at Highbury, meaning they are still three points off the top of the table with just one game now in hand.[63]

27 March 1963: First Division leaders Tottenham Hotspur keep their hold on pole position with a 2-0 home win over Leyton Orient.[64]

30 March 1963: The FA Cup quarter-finals ties are played. Manchester United go through to the semi-finals for the second successive season, beating Coventry City 3-1 in front of a 44,000-strong crowd at Highfield Road. Liverpool go through with a 1-0 home win over West Ham United. Leicester City remain in the hunt for the double with a 2-0 win over Norwich City at Carrow Road. Second Division underdogs Southampton hold Nottingham Forest to a 1-1 draw at the City Ground. Everton's title hopes are hit by a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, while leaders Tottenham Hotspur are held to a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley.[65]

1 April 1963: Fulham's surge up the table continues as they climb to 11th place in the First Division, having been bottom of the table mid-season, with a 2-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Everton remain in contention for the title with a 2-0 away win over Aston Villa.[66]

3 April 1963: The FA Cup quarter-final tie between Southampton and Nottingham Forest goes to a second replay after the first replay at The Dell ends in a 3-3 draw in front of nearly 30,000 fans.[67]

8 April 1963: The Dell hosts one of its largest ever crowds when more than 42,000 fans watch Southampton reach the semi-finals with a 5-0 win the second FA Cup quarter-final replay. On the same day, Birmingham City reach the Football League Cup final with a 4-3 aggregate win over Bury in the semi-final, putting the midlands team in with a chance of winning their first ever major trophy. The First Division title race takes another dramatic turn as Tottenham Hotspur go down 3-1 at Sheffield Wednesday, allowing Leicester City to go ahead by a point despite being held to a 1-1 draw at Blackpool, although Bill Nicholson's team still have a game in hand over the new leaders. Everton's title hopes are dented when Liverpool hold them to a goalless draw in front of more than 56,000 fans in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.[68]

9 April 1963: Manchester United move closer to First Division safety with Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles getting a goal each in a 2-1 away win over Aston Villa.[69]

12 April 1963: Tottenham Hotspur squander their chance to go back to the top of the First Division, losing their game in hand 5-2 to Liverpool at Anfield. Leyton Orient slide closer to an immediate return to the Second Division as they lose 1-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers which leaves them eight points adrift of safety with nine games remaining.[70]

13 April 1963: Burnley's First Division title hopes are hit hard by a 7-2 away defeat to Wolves, who boost their own title hopes in the process. Alan Sealey scores both of West Ham's goals in a 2-0 home win over Leicester City, which allows their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to go back to the top of the league on goal average despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham. Everton's title hopes are boosted by a 2-1 away win over Blackpool. Ivor Allchurch scores a hat-trick as Sheffield United hold Arsenal to a 3-3 draw at Bramall Lane.[71]

15 April 1963: Jimmy Greaves scores four goals for First Division leaders Tottenham Hotspur in a 7-2 home win over Liverpool, while Leicester City drop a point as Manchester United hold them to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. Wolves keep their title hopes alive with a 3-1 home win over local rivals Aston Villa.[72]

16 April 1963: The day after being beaten 3-1 by them at the Molineux, Aston Villa host their local rivals Wolves in the First Division and are defeated again, this time 2-0. Denis Law scores a hat-trick for Manchester United but still finds himself on the losing side as Matt Busby's go down 4-3 to Leicester City at Filbert Street. Everton keep up their title push with a 1-0 away win over Birmingham City.[73]

20 April 1963: Manchester City boost their push for First Division survival with a 3-2 away win over Arsenal, as do Ipswich Town when a Ray Crawford hat-trick gives them a 3-0 away victory over Sheffield Wednesday. A nine-goal thriller at St Andrew's sees Blackpool beat Birmingham City 6-3. Everton go top of the league with a 1-0 win over title rivals Tottenham Hotspur, while Leicester City can only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves.[74]

22 April 1963: Aston Villa go through to the League Cup final with a 3-1 aggregate win over Sunderland in the semi-finals, setting the scene for an all-Birmingham cup final. On the same day, their local rivals Wolves are left with virtually no hope of winning the First Division title after losing 2-1 at Manchester United.[75]

27 April 1963: The FA Cup semi-finals are played, with Leicester City beating Liverpool 1-0 at Hillsborough to reach their third final, while Manchester United triumph 1-0 over Southampton at Villa Park to reach the final for the fifth time. In the First Division, Everton remain top with three games left to play after beating West Ham United 2-1 at Upton Park. Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of winning the title are still very much alive after a 4-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers. League Cup finalists Birmingham City are still in the bottom two after crashing 6-1 at Blackburn, but their survival hopes are boosted when their local rivals West Bromwich Albion beat 20th-placed Manchester City 5-1 at Maine Road.[76]

30 April 1963: Wolves are now out of the First Division title race after losing 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.[77]

1 May 1963: Birmingham City climb out of the bottom two with a 3-2 home win over West Ham United, at the expense of a Manchester City side who go down 4-1 at Blackburn.[78]

2 May 1963: Leyton Orient keep their slim First Division survival hopes alive with a 2-1 home win over Liverpool, the team who were promoted alongside them last season.[79]

4 May 1963: Leyton Orient's First Division relegation is confirmed by a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. Leaders Everton win 1-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers, but Tottenham Hotspur keep up the pressure with a 4-2 home win over Sheffield United. Leicester City's title hopes are virtually ended by a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion. Down in the Second Division, Stoke City and Chelsea lead the way in the promotion race but Leeds United, Newcastle United, Bury and Huddersfield Town are still in close contention.[80]

6 May 1963: Manchester United are still in danger of relegation from the First Division after losing 3-2 at home to Arsenal.[81]

7 May 1963: Everton beat West Bromwich Albion 4-0 away from home and only need to win their final game of the season to seal the title, although Tottenham Hotspur are still in contention with two games in hand.[82]

11 May 1963: Everton seal the First Division title with a 4–1 home win over Fulham on the final day of the league season, with top scorer Roy Vernon scoring a hat-trick. In the Second Division, the season's largest crowd of more than 66,000 watches a promotion crunch game at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea drop out of the top two with a 1-0 defeat at home to leaders Stoke City, as Sunderland go second with a 4-3 win over Swansea Town at Vetch Field. Newcastle United's promotion bid is over after they can only manage a 2-2 draw at home to Preston in their final game. However, Huddersfield Town, Leeds United and Bury are still in with a chance of promotion.[83]

13 May 1963: Fred Pickering scores his second league hat-trick of the season for Blackburn Rovers in a 5-1 win over Wolves at Ewood Park. Huddersfield Town's promotion hopes in the Second Division are hit hard as they lose 3-1 at home to Portsmouth, while Sunderland's are boosted by a 3-0 win over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, which leaves the hosts on the brink of the relegation zone.[84]

15 May 1963: Tottenham Hotspur become the first British club to win a European trophy, defeating Atlético Madrid 5–1 in the European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Rotterdam. Jimmy Greaves and Terry Dyson score twice each, with the other goal coming from John White. In the First Division, Manchester City miss the chance to climb out of the relegation zone when United hold them to a 1-1 draw in the Manchester derby at Maine Road.[85]

17 May 1963: One season after being First Division champions, Ipswich Town seal survival by beating Bolton Wanderers 4-1 in the penultimate league game of their campaign at Portman Road.[86]

18 May 1963: With just three First Division fixtures left to be played, the last issue in the top flight is settled when Manchester City finish the season relegated with a 6-1 defeat to West Ham United at Upton Park. Birmingham City make sure of their survival with a 3-2 home win over Leicester City, as do Manchester United with a 3-1 home win over already doomed Leyton Orient. Stoke City seal the Second Division and promotion with a 2-0 win over Luton Town at the Victoria Ground, sending the visitors down in the process. Chelsea keep their promotion hopes alive with a 1-0 away win over second-placed Sunderland in front of nearly 48,000 fans at Roker Park, meaning that they will be promoted on goal average in three days time if they beat Portsmouth in their last remaining fixture.[87]

18 May 1963: Stoke secure the Second Division Championship with a win over Luton Town, while Sunderland in second leave the door open for third-placed Chelsea by losing at home to the West Londoners. This result completes Sunderland's league programme, while Chelsea have one match remaining.[88]

21 May 1963: The First Division campaign is completed with a 1-1 draw between Ipswich Town and Aston Villa at Portman Road. Chelsea seal the second promotion place in the Second Division with a 7-0 home win over Portsmouth, with 54,558 fans watching the promotion clincher at Stamford Bridge. Middlesbrough beat Norwich City 6-2 in a dead rubber match at Ayresome Park. 20th placed Walsall kick off against bottom of the table Charlton Athletic at Fellows Park, knowing that victory will keep them up and defeat will send them down, but the match is abandoned due to a thunderstorm and will be played again in three days time.[89]

22 May 1963: The Second Division campaign concludes with a 2-0 defeat for Stoke City at 11th placed Southampton.[90]

23 May 1963: Birmingham City take a big step to winning the first major trophy of their history by defeating Aston Villa 3–1 at St Andrew's in the Football League Cup final first leg.

24 May 1963: England draw with the Football League XI at Arsenal Stadium. Jimmy Greaves, Alan Hinton and Johnny Byrne score for the Three Lions, while Roger Hunt, Geoff Hurst and Tony Kay score for the League.[91][92] Elsewhere, Charlton preserve their Third Division status, relegating opponents Walsall in the process with a 2-1 win at Fellows Park, which hosted its largest crowd of the season (16,761).[93]

25 May 1963: Manchester United win their first major trophy for six years and their first FA Cup for 15 years with a 3–1 win over Leicester City in the final at Wembley Stadium. David Herd scores twice for United and Denis Law scores the other goal. Ken Keyworth scores the consolation goal for Leicester City, who have yet to win the final after three attempts.

27 May 1963: A goalless draw in the Football League Cup final second leg at Villa Park gives the trophy to Birmingham City, who in doing so win the first major trophy of their history.

31 May 1963: West Ham United, England's representative in the International Soccer League of 1963, begin their campaign by drawing 3–3 with Scottish club Kilmarnock in New York.[94]

Football Writers' Association

• Footballer of the Year – Stanley Matthews (Stoke City)

Top goalscorer

• Jimmy Greaves, (Tottenham Hotspur), 37

Competition	Winner	Runner-up
First Division	Everton (6)	Tottenham Hotspur
Second Division	Stoke City	Chelsea
Third Division	Northampton Town	Swindon Town
Fourth Division	Brentford	Oldham Athletic
FA Cup	Manchester United (3)	Leicester City
League Cup	Birmingham City (1)	Aston Villa
Charity Shield	Tottenham Hotspur	Ipswich Town
Home Championship	Scotland	England

Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition