Record of league scores

[Sleafordblade]

Love the losing 2-4 one !

In all, 113 different score lines have been achieved in more than 135 years of league football (when considering, for example, winning 12-2 being different from losing 2-12). Before the start of the 2024/25 season, the following clubs have achieved the most of these score lines:

Winning 1-0 (33,957 matches): 442 times - Burnley
Winning 2-0 (24,262 matches): 382 times - Liverpool
Winning 2-1 (30,503 matches): 418 times - Sheffield United
Winning 3-0 (12,947 matches): 227 times - Liverpool
Winning 3-1 (15,320 matches): 253 times - Manchester City
Winning 3-2 (9,525 matches): 158 times - Manchester United
Winning 4-0 (5,614 matches): 131 times - Liverpool
Winning 4-1 (6,555 matches): 117 times - Arsenal
Winning 4-2 (3,888 matches): 75 times - Manchester City
Winning 4-3 (1,671 matches): 32 times - Liverpool
Winning 5-0 (2,338 matches): 59 times - Manchester United
Winning 5-1 (2,533 matches): 54 times - Manchester City
Winning 5-2 (1,573 matches): 33 times - Everton
Winning 5-3 (608 matches): 15 times - Arsenal, Sheffield United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Winning 5-4 (205 matches): eight times - Leicester City
Winning 6-0 (791 matches): 20 times - Liverpool
Winning 6-1 (964 matches): 22 times - Manchester United
Winning 6-2 (515 matches): 15 times - Aston Villa
Winning 6-3 (212 matches): eight times - West Bromwich Albion
Winning 6-4 (68 matches): five times - Plymouth Argyle, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Winning 6-5 (17 matches): two times - Grimsby Town
Winning 7-0 (292 matches): eight times - Arsenal, Fulham
Winning 7-1 (341 matches): 12 times - Aston Villa
Winning 7-2 (168 matches): seven times - Newcastle United, Sunderland
Winning 7-3 (71 matches): four times - Stockport County
Winning 7-4 (29 matches): three times - Liverpool, Watford
Winning 7-5 (seven matches): two times - Blackburn Rovers
Winning 7-6 (one match): one time - Charlton Athletic
Winning 8-0 (103 matches): six times - Arsenal
Winning 8-1 (94 matches): five times - Wolverhampton Wanderers
Winning 8-2 (49 matches): three times - Chester City
Winning 8-3 (19 matches): two times - Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United
Winning 8-4 (five matches): one time - Accrington Stanley, Barnsley, Blackpool, Everton, Leicester City
Winning 8-5 (three matches): one time - Burton Swifts, Derby County, Stockport County
Winning 9-0 (37 matches): four times - Manchester United
Winning 9-1 (34 matches): three times - Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Winning 9-2 (25 matches): two times - Mansfield Town, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest
Winning 9-3 (10 matches): one time - Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Darwen, Derby County, Everton, Hartlepool United, Luton Town, Manchester City, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur
Winning 9-4 (two matches): one time - Bristol City, Gillingham
Winning 10-0 (16 matches): two times - Aston Villa, Sheffield United
Winning 10-1 (11 matches): one time - Birmingham City, Fulham, Gateshead, Hartlepool United, Huddersfield Town, Hull City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wrexham
Winning 10-2 (six matches): one time - Birmingham City, Darwen, Fulham, Luton Town, Norwich City, Reading
Winning 10-3 (three matches): one time - Hull City, Middlesbrough, Stoke City
Winning 10-4 (one match): one time - Tottenham Hotspur
Winning 11-0 (one match): one time - Oldham Athletic
Winning 11-1 (seven matches): one time - Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Bradford City, Hull City, Lincoln City, Notts County, Tranmere Rovers
Winning 11-2 (two matches): one time - Oldham Athletic, Sheffield United
Winning 11-3 (one match): one time - Manchester City
Winning 12-0 (eight matches): two times - Birmingham City
Winning 12-1 (one match): one time - Barrow
Winning 12-2 (one match): one time - Aston Villa
Winning 13-0 (two matches): one time - Newcastle United, Stockport County
Winning 13-4 (one match): one time - Tranmere Rovers

Drawing 0-0 (14,992 matches): 397 times - Preston North End
Drawing 1-1 (24,161 matches): 624 times - Nottingham Forest
Drawing 2-2 (10,715 matches): 298 times - Leicester City
Drawing 3-3 (2,336 matches): 72 times - Wolverhampton Wanderers
Drawing 4-4 (321 matches): 14 times - Tottenham Hotspur
Drawing 5-5 (39 matches): three times - Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Grimsby Town, West Ham United
Drawing 6-6 (two matches): one time - Arsenal, Charlton Athletic, Leicester City, Middlesbrough

Losing 0-1 (33,957 matches): 461 times - Birmingham City
Losing 0-2 (24,262 matches): 339 times - Port Vale
Losing 0-3 (12,947 matches): 183 times - Leyton Orient
Losing 0-4 (5,614 matches): 81 times - Lincoln City
Losing 0-5 (2,338 matches): 38 times - Burnley
Losing 0-6 (791 matches): 18 times - Notts County
Losing 0-7 (292 matches): 10 times - Barnsley
Losing 0-8 (103 matches): four times - Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Tranmere Rovers
Losing 0-9 (37 matches): three times - Darwen
Losing 0-10 (16 matches): three times - Darwen
Losing 0-11 (one match): one time - Southport
Losing 0-12 (eight matches): two times - Walsall
Losing 0-13 (two matches): one time - Halifax Town, Newport County
Losing 1-2 (30,503 matches): 408 times - Notts County
Losing 1-3 (15,320 matches): 212 times - Notts County
Losing 1-4 (6,555 matches): 102 times - Grimsby Town
Losing 1-5 (2,533 matches): 52 times - Notts County
Losing 1-6 (964 matches): 20 times - Crewe Alexandra
Losing 1-7 (341 matches): eight times - Birmingham City, Burnley, Derby County, Port Vale
Losing 1-8 (94 matches): four times - West Bromwich Albion
Losing 1-9 (34 matches): three times - Notts County
Losing 1-10 (11 matches): two times - Blackpool
Losing 1-11 (seven matches): one time - Carlisle United, Charlton Athletic, Crewe Alexandra, Durham City, Glossop, Newport County, Rotherham United
Losing 1-12 (one match): one time - Gateshead
Losing 2-3 (9,525 matches): 144 times - Wolverhampton Wanderers
Losing 2-4 (3,888 matches): 65 times - Sheffield Wednesday
Losing 2-5 (1,573 matches): 29 times - Blackburn Rovers
Losing 2-6 (515 matches): 13 times - Leicester City
Losing 2-7 (168 matches): eight times - York City
Losing 2-8 (49 matches): four times - Leicester City
Losing 2-9 (25 matches): two times - Lincoln City
Losing 2-10 (six matches): two times - Torquay United
Losing 2-11 (two matches): one time - Cardiff City, Chester City
Losing 2-12 (one match): one time - Accrington
Losing 3-4 (1,671 matches): 32 times - Bolton Wanderers
Losing 3-5 (608 matches): 16 times - Middlesbrough
Losing 3-6 (212 matches): nine times - Cardiff City
Losing 3-7 (71 matches): four times - Darlington, Everton
Losing 3-8 (19 matches): two times - Burnley, Leicester City
Losing 3-9 (10 matches): one time - Lincoln City, Loughborough, Port Vale, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City, Swindon Town, Tranmere Rovers, Walsall, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Losing 3-10 (three matches): one time - Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Losing 3-11 (one match): one time - Lincoln City
Losing 4-5 (205 matches): five times - Arsenal, Sheffield Wednesday, Stockport County, West Ham United
Losing 4-6 (68 matches): three times - Derby County, Preston North End
Losing 4-7 (29 matches): two times - Ashington, Gillingham, Manchester United, Portsmouth, Swansea City
Losing 4-8 (five matches): one time - Charlton Athletic, Fulham, Lincoln City, Manchester City, Plymouth Argyle
Losing 4-9 (two matches): one time - Exeter City, Gillingham
Losing 4-10 (one match): one time - Everton
Losing 4-13 (one match): one time - Oldham Athletic
Losing 5-6 (17 matches): two times - Crewe Alexandra, Newcastle United, Sunderland
Losing 5-7 (seven matches): one time - Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Mansfield Town, Millwall, Reading, Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur
Losing 5-8 (three matches): one time - Blackburn Rovers, Chester City, Walsall
Losing 6-7 (one match): one time - Huddersfield Town

(Pictured, Oldham Athletic’s Bert Lister slides in past Southport goalkeeper Bert Harris to score the first of his in all six goals against Southport in a Division Four match at a snow-covered Boundary Park on Boxing Day, 26th December 1962. Despite taking place more than 60 years ago, the 11-0 score line from the match is still the latest new score line in a league match).

 

[SRBlade]

Love this.

We can rightfully say any 2-1 win is a proper Sheff Utd performance

 

[Geordie Blade]

I love stuff like this!

 

[PrestwichBlade]

3-10?!

 

[WorkingtonBlade]

A weird concept but fascinating stuff.

I had assumed that the teams who would have won the most by a given scoreline would almost entirely be teams which have spent most of their existence at the top end of the top division - the fact they can’t get promoted meaning they can’t ‘find their level’ and start losing in the division above, so they are the teams with the most wins throughout history.

Mostly that’s true, but we and Burnley have snuck into the list as most often achieving two of the most common winning scorelines. I’m not quite sure how that’s happened. How have we managed to win 2-1 more often than (say) Liverpool, given that they’ve won so many more games than us?

I suppose we have the advantage of being more often outside the top division, so playing more games in total, but it still surprises me.

 

[MadDad38]

65 bouncing day massacres…

 

[bruce]

There must be a mistake.

I cannot see Sheffield Wednesday's name next to any of the winning score records.

Surely such a huge club would be the sole name against all of the winning scores.

 

[DifferentClass]

3-10?!

Pretty sure it was last season, blanked most of it aht!

 

[Ned the Donkey]

3-10?!

This was a delayed kick off which confused everyone. We actually won the game 2-1. As usual.

 

[Ned the Donkey]

In all, 113 different score lines have been achieved in more than 135 years of league football (when considering, for example, winning 12-2 being different from losing 2-12). Before the start of the 2024/25 season, the following clubs have achieved the most of these score lines:

<snip>

Out of curiosity how did you put this together?

 

[Bath Blade]

A weird concept but fascinating stuff.

I had assumed that the teams who would have won the most by a given scoreline would almost entirely be teams which have spent most of their existence at the top end of the top division - the fact they can’t get promoted meaning they can’t ‘find their level’ and start losing in the division above, so they are the teams with the most wins throughout history.

Mostly that’s true, but we and Burnley have snuck into the list as most often achieving two of the most common winning scorelines. I’m not quite sure how that’s happened. How have we managed to win 2-1 more often than (say) Liverpool, given that they’ve won so many more games than us?

I suppose we have the advantage of being more often outside the top division, so playing more games in total, but it still surprises me.

It’s currently about 20% more games if you play outside the top flight which will skew the results considerably (although was 10% for a lot of history when the top division had 22 teams).

 

[rompodebailey]

First result i went to
"Losing 2-4 (3,888 matches): 65 times - Sheffield Wednesday"

65 fucking times

 

[Sleafordblade]

Out of curiosity how did you put this together?

Pinched from someone else I’m afraid

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

Disappointed that I can't see the picture of Oldham Athletics Bert Lister sliding in past Southport goalkeeper Bert Harris to score the first of his in all six goals against Southport in a Division Four match at a snow-covered Boundary Park on Boxing Day, 26th December 1962.

 

[jim2007]

Winning 2-1 three times a season seems lower than I would have imagined.

 

[mattbianco1]

I love shit like this.

 

[coaxingstar71]

3-10?!

We lost 10-3 to Middlesbrough 18.11.1933. Not surprisingly we were relegated from Div 1 that season.

A lot of these scorelines happened in the years after the offside law changed before the 1925-26 season.

Between 1925-26 and 1929-30 we beat :

Cardiff 11-2
Man City 8-3
Blackburn 5-3
Burnley 5-2
West Ham 6-2
Arsenal 6-4
Man Utd 6-1
Burnley 10-0
Bury 6-1
Leicester 7-1
Newcastle 5-3

And lost :

Sunderland 1-6
Bury 4-7
Arsenal 1-6
Huddersfield 1-7
Burnley 3-5
Wednesday 2-5 (surprised they're not still singing about this)
Huddersfield 1-6
Blackburn 5-7
Arsenal 1-8

In 1929-30 our goals for was 91 and against 96.

 

[Silent Blade]

Cardiff 11-2

A friend of mine (1909 -1989) who played chess for my club told me he saw us beat Cardiff 11-2 in 1926. After we scored the 10th goal, spectators threw their caps in the air and then seconds later they had to find where their caps had landed!

 

[1973Blade]

Preston being the Kings Of The Goalless Draw isn't a surprise.

 

[PrestwichBlade]

We lost 10-3 to Middlesbrough 18.11.1933. Not surprisingly we were relegated from Div 1 that season.

A lot of these scorelines happened in the years after the offside law changed before the 1925-26 season.

Between 1925-26 and 1929-30 we beat :

Cardiff 11-2
Man City 8-3
Blackburn 5-3
Burnley 5-2
West Ham 6-2
Arsenal 6-4
Man Utd 6-1
Burnley 10-0
Bury 6-1
Leicester 7-1
Newcastle 5-3

And lost :

Sunderland 1-6
Bury 4-7
Arsenal 1-6
Huddersfield 1-7
Burnley 3-5
Wednesday 2-5 (surprised they're not still singing about this)
Huddersfield 1-6
Blackburn 5-7
Arsenal 1-8

In 1929-30 our goals for was 91 and against 96.

Thank you for that, very interesting!

 

[Brian Blessed]

Preston being the Kings Of The Goalless Draw isn't a surprise.

Seemed half of those 397 0-0s came in their start to the season a couple of years ago.

United were the first team to score twice in a Preston league game that season, in their 10th game.

 

[BladesOnToast]

Preston being the Kings Of The Goalless Draw isn't a surprise.

There's also something very Birmingham City about losing 0-1

 

[coaxingstar71]

A friend of mine (1909 -1989) who played chess for my club told me he saw us beat Cardiff 11-2 in 1926. After we scored the 10th goal, spectators threw their caps in the air and then seconds later they had to find where their caps had landed!

The game was played on New Years Day 1926, less than 8 months before that we'd beaten Cardiff 1-0 in the FA Cup Final.