The 1973–74 season was the 94th season of competitive football in England.
Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to the league championship, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national team manager, with England having failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup. Revie's Leeds side beat Liverpool to the title by five points to win it for the second time in their history. Newly promoted Burnley finished in sixth place.
Manchester United were relegated from the First Division just six years after winning the European Cup at the end of a season which had seen goalkeeper Alex Stepney as joint top scorer with two goals at Christmas. United's 37-year stay at the top ended after their penultimate game of the season, a 1–0 home defeat against Manchester City; former United striker Denis Law scored City's winning goal. Despite this, the board kept faith in manager Tommy Docherty as the man to regain the club's top flight place.
Joining United in the Second Division were Norwich City and Southampton. This was the first season in which the League introduced three relegation places from the top division.
Former Leeds United player Jack Charlton had managed Middlesbrough to the Second Division title and a place in the First Division. Second in the table were Luton Town, who finished 15 points behind the champions. Third-placed Carlisle United, managed by Alan Ashman, gained a place in the First Division for the first, and so far only, time in their history, completing a rapid rise from the Fourth Division to the First Division. Crystal Palace, Preston North End and Swindon Town were all relegated.