Football League Third Division 1972/73
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 73 | 39 | 1.872 | 61 | ▲Champions |
| 2nd | Notts County | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 67 | 47 | 1.426 | 57 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 57 | 47 | 1.213 | 55 | - |
| 4th | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 72 | 54 | 1.333 | 54 | - |
| 5th | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 77 | 56 | 1.375 | 53 | - |
| 6th | Port Vale | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 56 | 69 | 0.812 | 53 | - |
| 7th | AFC Bournemouth | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 66 | 44 | 1.500 | 50 | - |
| 8th | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 74 | 66 | 1.121 | 50 | - |
| 9th | Grimsby Town | 46 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 67 | 61 | 1.098 | 48 | - |
| 10th | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 56 | 52 | 1.077 | 46 | - |
| 11th | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 69 | 67 | 1.030 | 45 | - |
| 12th | Wrexham | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 55 | 54 | 1.019 | 45 | - |
| 13th | Rochdale | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 48 | 54 | 0.889 | 45 | - |
| 14th | Southend United | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 61 | 54 | 1.130 | 44 | - |
| 15th | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 46 | 54 | 0.852 | 44 | - |
| 16th | Chesterfield | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 57 | 61 | 0.934 | 43 | - |
| 17th | Walsall | 46 | 18 | 7 | 21 | 56 | 66 | 0.848 | 43 | - |
| 18th | York City | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 42 | 46 | 0.913 | 41 | - |
| 19th | Watford | 46 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 43 | 48 | 0.896 | 41 | - |
| 20th | Halifax Town | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 43 | 53 | 0.811 | 41 | - |
| 21st | Rotherham United | 46 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 51 | 65 | 0.785 | 41 | ▼Relegated |
| 22nd | Brentford | 46 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 51 | 69 | 0.739 | 37 | ▼Relegated |
| 23rd | Swansea City | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 51 | 73 | 0.699 | 37 | ▼Relegated |
| 24th | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 10 | 10 | 26 | 33 | 72 | 0.458 | 30 | ▼Relegated |
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End of Season Notes |
| ▼Huddersfield Town were Relegated from the Football League Second Division |
| ▼Brighton & Hove Albion were Relegated from the Football League Second Division |
| ▲Bolton Wanderers were Promoted to the Football League Second Division |
| ▲Notts County were Promoted to the Football League Second Division |
| ▼Rotherham United were Relegated to the Football League Fourth Division |
| ▼Brentford were Relegated to the Football League Fourth Division |
| ▼Swansea City were Relegated to the Football League Fourth Division |
| ▼Scunthorpe United Relegated to the Football League Fourth Division |
| ▲Southport were Promoted from the Football League Fourth Division |
| ▲Hereford United were Promoted from the Football League Fourth Division |
| ▲Cambridge United were Promoted from the Football League Fourth Division |
| ▲Aldershot were Promoted from the Football League Fourth Division |