Football League test matches
Football League test matches were a series of post-season football play-off matches organised by the Football League, to determine the membership of each division, between the worst finishers of the First Division and the best of the Second Division. They were first contested at the end of the 1892–93 season, following the inaugural season of the Second Division, and were replaced with automatic promotion and relegation from 1898–99.
Unlike the modern-day English Football League play-offs, which is only contested between the four teams below the automatic promotion places in each division, test matches involved the bottom teams of the First Division and the top teams of the Second Division going head-to-head. This meant that the Second Division champions were not guaranteed top-flight football, as was the case with Small Heath in 1893. On no occasion has all of the Second Division and First Division sides been either respectively promoted and relegated or remained in the same division in any season through this system.
From 1893 to 1895, six teams competed for three places in the top division. Each team played one match against the corresponding team from the other division at a neutral venue, usually close to the designated home team. The winners of each game were considered for election for First Division membership for the following season, whilst the losers were invited to the Second Division.
From 1896 until 1898, the series was revamped with into a mini league format, with four teams competing for two First Division places. The Second Division sides played both First Division teams on a home-and-away basis. When the proceedings have concluded, the top two finishers were elected into the First Division and the bottom two were invited to the Second Division for the following season. As the 1898–99 First Division was expanded to include two more teams, the 1898 test match series was ultimately a dead rubber as all four competing teams were elected into the league.
List of test matches
1893">1892–93 Football League">1893
Newton Heath remain in the First Division, Small Heath remain in the Second Division.Darwen elected to the First Division, Notts County invited to the Second Division.
Sheffield United elected to the First Division, Accrington invited to the Second Division.
1894">1893–94 Football League">1894
Liverpool elected to the First Division, Newton Heath invited to the Second Division.Small Heath elected to the First Division, Darwen invited to the Second Division.
Preston North End remain in the First Division, Notts County remain in the Second Division.
1895">1894–95 Football League">1895
Bury elected to the First Division, Liverpool invited to the Second Division.Derby County remain in the First Division, Notts County remain in the Second Division.
Stoke remain in the First Division, Newton Heath remain in the Second Division.
1896">1895–96 Football League">1896
Table
| Key | Note |
| Bold | Second Division champions |
| Italic | Second Division team |
| Elected to play in the First Division | |
| Invited to play in the Second Division |
1897">1896–97 Football League">1897
Table
| Key | Note |
| Bold | Second Division champions |
| Italic | Second Division team |
| Elected to play in the First Division | |
| Invited to play in the Second Division |
1898">1897–98 Football League">1898
Table
| Key | Note |
| Bold | Second Division champions |
| Italic | Second Division team |
| Elected to play in the First Division |
All teams were elected to the 1898–99 Football League First Division as the league was expanded by two teams.