The Retro-League

The Retro-League is an exercise in nostalgia, and started as an experimental dice league that was originally intended to use LOGacta rules, but with a 20-team league instead of 16. The first season was based on the 1955-56 season of the Football League in real life, with initial ratings based on the final positions in that season. In Season 2 the league changed to a 22 club format comprising the 22 clubs that took part in the Football League Division One in the 1956-57 season. In the third season (1957-58) a reduction to 16 teams was made and the season was played strictly according to the LOGacta Super League rules and using LOGacta dice values.

From season 4 the league reverted to a 20-team format, using LOGacta dice and with the teams rated according to their real-life final positions. For the first 8 matches the real-life champions and the champions of the previous season's Retro League have the form die thrown in addition to the usual dice, and from match 9 onwards form is re-calculated every 4 matches as per the original LOGacta. There is also a League Cup, an F.A. Cup and a European Cup. Once there is enough real-life data (i.e. enough teams and seasons to rate teams properly) I may add a Fairs Cup, but at the present time I do not intend to add a Cup-Winners' Cup, though that may change in time.

Points are awarded on the old system of 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw and ties are resolved initially by goal average (goals for divided by goals against). Two teams are relegated each season and the two highest placed teams in the following season's real life table are promoted in their place.

From Season 8 the league reverted to 22 teams so that it more closely resembles the real First Division of the time.

Honours List

The following table shows the winners of each competition in the Retro League setup so far. More details of each season played can be obtained by clicking the link in the "SEASON" column.

SEASON LEAGUE CHAMPIONS FA CUP FL CUP EUR CUP ECW CUP FAIRS CUP
01 (1955-56) SUNDERLAND TOTTENHAM H REAL MADRID
02 (1956-57) TOTTENHAM H LEEDS UTD REAL MADRID
03 (1957-58) PRESTON GRIMSBY T BURNLEY REAL MADRID
04 (1958-59) WOLVES ASTON VILLA WEST BROM SPORTING LISBON
05 (1959-60) WOLVES ARSENAL WOLVES REAL MADRID
06 (1960-61) TOTTENHAM H LEICESTER C WEST BROM BENFICA
07 (1961-62) BURNLEY BOLTON W TOTTENHAM H TOTTENHAM H
08 (1962-63) EVERTON NOTTINGHAM F EVERTON BENFICA OFK BELGRADE HIBERNIAN
09 (1963-64) LIVERPOOL CHELSEA LEEDS UTD INTERNAZIONALE DINAMO ZAGREB REAL ZARAGOZA
10 (1964-65) LIVERPOOL EVERTON ASTON VILLA DUKLA PRAHA TORINO AS ROMA
11 (1965-66) MANCHESTER UTD BURNLEY LEEDS UTD LIVERPOOL EVERTON REAL ZARAGOZA
12 (1966-67) TOTTENHAM H LIVERPOOL ARSENAL LIVERPOOL REAL MADRID SPARTAK BRNO
13 (1967-68) LEEDS UTD TOTTENHAM H LEEDS UTD LIVERPOOL VALENCIA ATL MADRID
14 (1968-69) CHELSEA STOKE CITY DERBY CO REAL MADRID TORINO RANGERS
15 (1969-70) EVERTON NEWCASTLE DERBY CO REAL MADRID AS ROMA FC PORTO
16 (1970-71) ARSENAL TOTTENHAM H ARSENAL FEYENOORD AS ROMA LIVERPOOL

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