by NEStag » Tue Jun 14, 2022 4:53 pm
From the club website (seems to be a combination of post-war boom in attendances and moving into the Northern Section of Division 3):
"So the war was over, and for 1946-47, the Football League would restart with the Stags in the Southern Section of Division Three. The same fixture list was used as had been drawn up for the aborted 1939-40 season. The first three matches were far more fruitful than those of seven years before as Mansfield won the first two versus Crystal Palace and Watford and then drew with Torquay.
From then on in, it was downhill all the way, as Town performed terribly and finished bottom of the division, below Norwich City on goal average. At the Football League's AGM, the Stags sought re-election, however, it was proposed that as this was the first season after the war and with so many players still in the services, that all four clubs seeking re-election should be returned unopposed without putting the matter to a vote.
This proposal was passed and the Stags lived to fight another day, although at the meeting they were transferred into the Northern Section. There was no FA Cup success either as Northampton were triumphant in the first round tie at the County Ground.
Back in what was traditionally thought to be the weaker of the two regional sections of the third division, the Stags fared particularly better than the previous term, finishing in a comfortable eighth place. There was also some excitement in the FA Cup as the Stags reached the Third Round, disposing of Wimbledon (then a non league outfit) and Oldham in the earlier rounds.
Both were beaten by the only goal on their own grounds. In round three, Stoke City were the visitors to Field Mill and they took the honours from a 4-2 scoreline. In common with most clubs, the Stags' average attendances reached record proportions in what has become known as the 'post war boom.' This term, an average of 11,545 went through the turnstiles for each home game, the best being the 18,863 who attended Field Mill for the visit on Lincoln City.
There was no improvement on the pitch in the 1948-49 campaign, as Mansfield managed a mid-table position all season to finish in a no more than respectable 10th position. Once again, the third round of the FA Cup was reached. Gloucester City (4-0) and Northampton Town (2-1) were beaten in the first and second rounds, respectively.
The third round brought an exciting tie at Deepdale against Preston North End, Tom Finney and all. In front of a crowd of 33,000, the Stags were a little unfortunate to go down by the odd goal in three. League attendances were on a par with the previous year as the average once again surpassed 11,000, 11,292 to be exact.
Doncaster Rovers proved to be the most popular visitors with 16,749 attending the opening match of the season."