|
The Football League is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football. It was the top level football league in England from its foundation in the 19th century until 1992, when the top 22 clubs split away to form the FA Premier League. Since 1992 it has had 72 clubs evenly divided into three divisions, which are currently known as The Championship, League One, and League Two. Promotion and relegation between these divisions is a central feature of the League and is further extended to allow the top Championship clubs to exchange places with the lowest placed clubs in the Premier League, and the bottom clubs of League Two to switch with the top clubs of the Football Conference, thus integrating the League into the English football league system. Although primarily a competition for English clubs, three clubs from Wales also take part. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...
Image File history File links Logo of The Football League File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ...
Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short, or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League. ...
Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons) is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system. ...
Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for sponsorship reasons) is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system. ...
In many sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions), relegation (or demotion) means the mandated transfer of the least successful team(s) of a higher division into a lower division at the end of the season. ...
For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see list of professional sports leagues. ...
In many sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions), relegation (or demotion) means the mandated transfer of the least successful team(s) of a higher division into a lower division at the end of the season. ...
The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of non-League football in England. ...
A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport that teams (usually) can be promoted or relegated between, depending on finishing positions or playoffs. ...
This article is about the English FA Cup. ...
The Carling Cup Trophy The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ...
The Football League Trophy is the generic name of an English football competition for clubs in the two lower divisions of The Football League and, in some seasons, the leading sides in the Conference National. ...
The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ...
The Football League is contested through three Divisions. ...
British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB - formerly two companies, Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting, which merged) is a company that operates the most popular subscription television service in the Ireland. ...
For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ...
Image File history File links Soccerball_current_event. ...
The Football League is contested through three Divisions. ...
Soccer redirects here. ...
For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...
This article is about the country. ...
Most European countries have two principal football (soccer) competitions: a more prestigious league which is typically a double round-robin tournament restricted to the elite clubs, and a cup which is a single-elimination tournament open to both the elite and lesser clubs. ...
For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system...
The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short, or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League. ...
Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons) is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system. ...
Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for sponsorship reasons) is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system. ...
For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see list of professional sports leagues. ...
The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of non-League football in England. ...
The English football league system, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ...
The Football League is also the name of the governing body of the league competition and this body also organises two knockout cup competitions, the Football League Cup and the Football League Trophy. The Carling Cup Trophy The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ...
The Football League Trophy is the generic name of an English football competition for clubs in the two lower divisions of The Football League and, in some seasons, the leading sides in the Conference National. ...
For sponsorship reasons, the Football League's league competition is currently known as the Coca-Cola Football League, the Football League Cup as the Carling Cup, and the Football League Trophy as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Corporate sponsorship of major English football competitions dates back to the early 1980s. ...
Overview The Football League consists of 72 professional football clubs in England and Wales, and runs the oldest professional football league competition in the world. It also organises two knockout cup competitions. The Football League was founded in 1888 by William McGregor, originally with 12 member clubs. Steady growth and the addition of more divisions meant that by 1950 the League had 92 clubs. Financial considerations led to a major shake-up in 1992 when, in a step to maximise their revenue, the leading members of the Football League broke away to form their own competition, the FA Premier League, which was renamed in 2007 as the Premier League. The Football League therefore no longer includes the top 20 clubs who belong to this group, although promotion and relegation between the Football League and the Premier League continues. In total, 130 teams have played in the Football League [1] up to 2007 (including those in the Premier League, since clubs must pass through the Football League before reaching the former). Soccer redirects here. ...
For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...
This article is about the country. ...
For the Canadian businessman and political figure, see William McGregor (politician) William McGregor (1847 – 1911) was Director of Aston Villa. ...
For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see list of professional sports leagues. ...
In many sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions), relegation (or demotion) means the mandated transfer of the least successful team(s) of a higher division into a lower division at the end of the season. ...
Competition
League The Football League's 72 member clubs are grouped into three divisions: the Football League Championship, Football League One, and Football League Two (previously the Football League First Division, Football League Second Division and Football League Third Division respectively; they were renamed for sponsorship reasons). Each division has 24 clubs, and in any given season a club plays each of the others in the same division twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. This makes for a total of 46 games played each season. The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short, or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League. ...
Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons) is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system. ...
Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for sponsorship reasons) is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system. ...
From 1889 until 1992, this was the highest division overall of organized football in England. ...
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. ...
From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest division in the overall English football league system. ...
Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a defeat. At the end of the season, clubs at the top of their division may win promotion to the next higher division, while those at the bottom may be relegated to the next lower one. At the top end of the competition, three Championship clubs win promotion from The Football League to the Premier League, with the bottom three Premier League clubs taking their places. At the lower end, two League Two clubs lose their Football League status with relegation to the National division of the Football Conference, while two teams from Conference National join League Two of The Football League in their stead. Conference National (currently billed as the Blue Square Premier for sponsorship reasons) [1] is the top division of the Football Conference. ...
The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of non-League football in England. ...
| Division | Promoted | Relegated | | Directly Up | Via Playoff | | The Championship | Top 2 clubs | One from 3rd to 6th
place finishers | Bottom 3 clubs | | League One | Top 2 clubs | One from 3rd to 6th
place finishers | Bottom 4 clubs | | League Two | Top 3 clubs | One from 4th to 7th
place finishers | Bottom 2 clubs | Promotion and relegation are determined by final league positions, but to sustain interest for more clubs over the length of the season one promotion place from each division is decided according to a playoff between four clubs, which takes place at the end of the season. It is therefore possible for a team finishing sixth in the Championship or League One, or seventh in League Two, to be promoted rather than the clubs finishing immediately above them in the standings.
Three professional football clubs from Wales, Cardiff City, Wrexham, and Swansea City, play in The Football League. This disqualifies them from participation in the League of Wales and the Welsh Cup, and so also deprives them of the chance to qualify for UEFA competitions by this route. One English club, Berwick Rangers, plays in the Scottish football league system. Current season Cardiff City Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a football team based in Cardiff. ...
Wrexham Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) are a football team based in Wrexham in north-east Wales. ...
Swansea City AFC (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Abertawe) is a Welsh football team currently playing in the Football League League One. ...
The Welsh Premiership is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. ...
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales. ...
The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ...
Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, currently playing in the Scottish Football League. ...
The Scottish football league system (or pyramid) is a series of partially interconnected leagues for Scottish Association football clubs. ...
Reserve teams of Football League clubs usually play in the Pontin's Holidays League (for the Midlands and North) or the Pontin's Holidays Combination (for the South). The Central League (more commonly known as the Pontins League after its main sponsor) is a football league in England for reserve teams of Football League clubs. ...
The Football Combination (commonly referred to as the Pontins Holidays Combination for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Avon Insurance Combination) is a football competition for the reserve teams of English Football League clubs from Southern England and Wales. ...
Cup The Football League organises two knockout cup competitions, the Football League Cup (currently called the Carling Cup) and the Football League Trophy (or for sponsorship reasons, the Johnstone's Paint Trophy). The League Cup was established in 1960 and is open to all Football League and Premier League clubs, with the winner eligible to participate in the UEFA Cup. The Football League Trophy is for clubs belonging to League One and League Two and the Football League celebrated its 100th birthday in 1988 with a Centenary Tournament at Wembley between 16 of its member clubs. The Carling Cup Trophy The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ...
The Football League Trophy is the generic name of an English football competition for clubs in the two lower divisions of The Football League and, in some seasons, the leading sides in the Conference National. ...
The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ...
The Football League is an organisation representing 72 professional football clubs in England and Wales, and runs the oldest professional football league competition in the world. ...
The Football League Centenary Tournament was held from April 15 to April 16, 1988 at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Football League. ...
History
 William McGregor, founder of The Football League After four years of debate, The Football Association finally legalised professionalism on 20 July 1885. Before that date many clubs made illegal payments to "professional" players to boost the competitiveness of their teams, arousing the contempt of those clubs abiding by the laws of the amateur Football Association code. As more and more clubs became professional the ad-hoc fixture list of FA Cup, inter-county, and 'friendly' matches was seen by many as an unreliable stream of revenue, and ways were considered of ensuring a consistent income. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ...
is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
A Scottish draper and director of Aston Villa, William McGregor, was the first to set out to bring some order to a chaotic world where clubs arranged their own fixtures. On 2 March 1888, he wrote to the Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, West Bromwich Albion and to the secretary of Aston Villa about the formation of a football league. Aston Villa redirects here. ...
For the Canadian businessman and political figure, see William McGregor (politician) William McGregor (1847 – 1911) was Director of Aston Villa. ...
is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ...
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Lostock, in the Borough of Bolton, England. ...
Preston North End Football Club are an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the second tier of English league football, The Championship. ...
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or W.B.A.) are an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands. ...
The first meeting was held at Anderson's Hotel in London on 23 March 1888 on the eve of the FA Cup Final with the name of the Football League being settled at a further meeting on 17 April at Manchester's Royal Hotel. The first season of the Football League began a few months later on 8 September with 12 member clubs. is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Each club played the other twice, once at home and once away, and two points were awarded for a win and one for a draw. This points system was not agreed upon until after the season had started; the alternative proposal was one point for a win only. Preston won the first league title without losing a game, and completed the first league-cup double by also taking the FA Cup. For the novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky, see The Double: A Petersburg Poem. ...
This article is about the English FA Cup. ...
Every original Football League club has at least one relegation to their credit, unlike some European leagues such as Spain, Scotland or Republic of Ireland. This article is about the country. ...
Original Football League clubs, 1888-89 | | | The early years of the League saw the addition of more clubs, and a new Second Division was formed in 1892 with the absorption of the rival Football Alliance. The bottom clubs of the lower division were required to apply for re-election to the League at the end of each season. Automatic promotion and relegation for two clubs was introduced after the League expanded to two divisions of eighteen in 1898; this came into effect when the previous system of test matches between the bottom two clubs of the First Division and the top two clubs of the Second Division was brought in to disrepute when Stoke and Burnley colluded in the final match to ensure they were both in the First Division the next season. Accrington Football Club were one of the founder members of the Football League in England. ...
Aston Villa redirects here. ...
Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ...
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Lostock, in the Borough of Bolton, England. ...
Burnley Football Club, nicknamed The Clarets, is a professional football club based in Burnley, in east Lancashire, England. ...
Current season Derby County Football Club are an English football club based in Derby. ...
Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ...
Notts County Football Club is a football club based in Nottingham, England, and are the oldest of all the clubs that are now professional[1]. The team currently plays in Football League Two, of the Coca-Cola league section of the English football league system. ...
Preston North End Football Club are an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the second tier of English league football, The Championship. ...
Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. ...
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or W.B.A.) are an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands. ...
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club are an English professional football club based in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. ...
The Football Alliance was an association football league in England from 1889 to 1892. ...
A test match in football is a match played at the end of a season between a team that has done badly in a higher league and one that has done well in a lower league of the same football league system. ...
 The original logo of The Football League Aston Villa and Sunderland dominated the early years of the game, but after a few years other northern clubs began to catch up, with the likes of Newcastle United and Manchester United joining the League and having success. Liverpool won the first of their record 18 League titles in 1901. It was not until the early years of the 20th century that southern clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur established themselves in the League, and there would be a further wait until 1931 before a southern club, Arsenal, would win the League for the first time. Image File history File links The_Football_League_logo_until_1988. ...
Aston Villa redirects here. ...
Current season Sunderland Association Football Club is a professional association football team based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in North-East England. ...
For the Australian club, see Newcastle United Jets. ...
MUFC redirects here. ...
Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ...
Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ...
Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ...
Current season Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. ...
The League was suspended for four seasons during World War I and resumed in 1919 with the First and Second Divisions expanded to 22 clubs. The following year, 1920, leading clubs from the Southern League joined the League to form a new Third Division, which in 1921 was renamed the Third Division South upon the further addition of more clubs in a new Third Division North. One club from each of these divisions would gain promotion to the Second Division, with the two relegated clubs being assigned to the more appropriate Third Division. To accommodate potential difficulties in this arrangement, clubs in the Midlands such as Mansfield Town or Walsall would sometimes be moved from one Third Division to the other. “The Great War †redirects here. ...
For other uses, see Southern Football League (disambiguation). ...
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958. ...
The Third Division North of The Football League was a level in English association football, which ran parallel to Third Division South from 1921 to 1958. ...
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club who currently play in League Two of the Football League. ...
Walsall Football Club are an English football club based in Walsall, West Midlands, currently playing in League One. ...
Following this burst of postwar growth, the League entered into a prolonged period of relative stability with few changes in the membership, although there were changes on the pitch. A new offside law in 1925 reducing the number of opponents between the player and the goal from three to two led to a large increase in goals. Numbers on shirts were introduced in 1939 and white balls in 1951. The first floodlit game was played between Portsmouth and Newcastle United in 1956, opening up the possibility of midweek evening matches. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. ...
For the Australian club, see Newcastle United Jets. ...
The League was suspended once more in 1939 with the outbreak of World War II, this time for seven seasons. The Third Divisions were expanded to 24 clubs each in 1950, bringing the total number of League clubs to 92, and in 1958 the decision was made to end the regionalisation of the Third Divisions and reorganise the clubs into a new nationwide Third Division and Fourth Division. To accomplish this the clubs in the top half of both the Third Division North and South joined together to form the new Third Division, and those in the bottom half made up the Fourth Division. Four clubs were promoted and relegated between these two lower divisions, while two clubs exchanged places in the upper divisions until 1974, when the number increased to three. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...
From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest division in the overall English football league system. ...
The Fourth Division or Division Four of The Football League was the fourth highest league division in the English football league system from 1958 until the creation of the FA Premier league prior to the 1992/93 season. ...
A new cup competition open to all the members of the League, the Football League Cup, was held for the first time in 1960-61 to provide clubs a new source of income. Aston Villa won the inaugural League Cup and, despite an initial lack of enthusiasm on the part of some of the bigger clubs, the competition became firmly established in the footballing calendar. The Carling Cup Trophy The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ...
Aston Villa redirects here. ...
Substitutes were first allowed for injured players in 1965, and for any reason the next year.
Beginning with the 1976-77 season, clubs finishing level on points began to be separated according to goal difference (the difference between goals scored and goals conceded) rather than goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). This was an effort to prevent overly defensive play encouraged by the greater advantage in limiting goals allowed. In the event that clubs had equal points and equal goal differences, priority was given to the club that had scored the most goals. There has been only one season, 1988-89, when this level of differentiation was necessary to determine the League champion, and this was the occasion of one of the most dramatic nights in League history, when Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield in the last game of the season to win the League on this tiebreaker. Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ...
Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ...
This article is about the football stadium. ...
 The logo of The Football League from 1988 until 2004 Another important change was made in 1981, when it was decided to award three points for a win instead of two, a further effort to increase attacking football. (This scoring rule was not added by FIFA to the World Cups until the 1994 cup.) In a similar vein, playoffs to determine promotion places were introduced in 1987 so that more clubs remained eligible for promotion closer to the end of the season, and at the same time to aid in the reduction over two years of the number of clubs in the First Division from 22 to 20. At the same time, automatic promotion and relegation between the Fourth Division and the Football Conference was introduced for one club, replacing the annual application for re-election to the League of the bottom four clubs and linking the League to the developing National League System pyramid. Emblematic of the confusion that was beginning to envelop the game, the number of clubs at the top of the league would return to 22 for the 1991-92 season, before once more dropping to 20 for 1995-96. The issues creating the uncertainty in the game all centered on money. Image File history File links The_Football_League_logo_1988-2004. ...
This article is about the international association football organization. ...
The FIFA World Cup Trophy, which has been awarded to the world champions since 1974. ...
Qualifying countries The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. ...
The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of non-League football in England. ...
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the FA Premier League and The Football League. ...
The increasing influence of money in English football was evident with such events as the first £1m transfer in the game, that of Trevor Francis from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in February 1979. The first £2million player was Tony Cottee (West Ham United to Everton, July 1988). Prior to the formation of the FA Premier League, the highest transfer fee paid was £2.9million for the transfer of Dean Saunders from Derby County to Liverpool during the 1991 close season. The first £3million player was Alan Shearer, who moved from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers in July 1992, the summer prior to the first Premier League season. Trevor John Francis (born April 19, 1954 in Boxhill, Plymouth, England), was a noted footballer and Englands first £1 million player. ...
Current season Birmingham City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Birmingham. ...
This article is about the English football club. ...
Dean Saunders (born 21 June 1964 in Swansea) was a Welsh footballer and was a prolific forward. ...
Current season Derby County Football Club are an English football club based in Derby. ...
Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ...
Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. ...
Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ...
Since 1983 the League has accepted lucrative sponsorships for its main competition. Below is a list of sponsors and the League's name under their sponsorship:
The League's cup competitions have different sponsors (see English football sponsorship for more information). Canon Inc. ...
Today was a national newspaper in the United Kingdom. ...
Barclays Bank headquarters One Churchill Place, Canary Wharf Barclays plc (LSE: BARC, NYSE: BCS, TYO: 8642 ) is the fourth largest bank in the United Kingdom. ...
Endsleigh Insurance is a Cheltenham based UK insurance company specialising in the student and graduate markets. ...
Nationwide Building Society is a major UK building society, the largest one in the world, and has its headquarters in Swindon, Wiltshire. ...
The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ...
Corporate sponsorship of major English football competitions dates back to the early 1980s. ...
The other major source of revenue is television. The 1980s saw competition between terrestrial broadcasters for the rights to show League matches, but the arrival on the scene of satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting (Sky TV), eagerly searching for attractive programming to build its customer base and willing to pay huge sums, changed the picture entirely. The League's top tier clubs had been agitating for several years to be able to keep more of the League's revenue for themselves, threatening to break away and form their own league if necessary. In 1992 the threat was realised as the First Division clubs left to establish the FA Premier League and signed a contract for exclusive live coverage of their games with Sky TV. The FA Premier League agreed to maintain the promotion and relegation of three clubs with The Football League, but The League was now in a far weaker position — without its best clubs and without the clout to negotiate high revenue TV deals. This problem was exacerbated with the collapse in 2002 of ITV Digital, holder of TV rights for The Football League, which cost League clubs millions of pounds in revenue. British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB — formerly two companies, Sky Television and BSB) is a company that operates Sky Digital, a subscription television service in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. ...
For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see list of professional sports leagues. ...
This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
The new, slimmed down League, 70 clubs until 1995 and 72 clubs since, renamed its divisions to reflect the changes. The old Second Division became the new First Division, the Third Division became the Second Division, and the Fourth Division became the Third Division. The financial health of its clubs has become perhaps the highest League priority due to the limited resources available. However there are some promising signs for the future, as the League planned to announce new initiatives beginning with the 2004-05 season, coinciding with the start of a new sponsorship agreement with Coca-Cola. The first of these changes was a rebranding of the League with the renaming of the First Division to The Championship, the Second Division to League One and the Third Division to League Two. The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ...
The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short, or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League. ...
The Football League's collection is held by the National Football Museum. The National Football Museum is a museum in Preston, England, founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of Association Football memorabilia. ...
Media rights In 2001 the league signed a £315 million deal with ITV Digital, but in March 2002 the channel was put into administration by its parent companies when the league refused to accept a £130 million reduction in the deal. As of 2007, UK television rights are held by Sky Sports. In November 2007 the league announced a new domestic rights deal worth £264 million with Sky and the BBC for the three seasons from 2009-2012. It covers Football League, Carling Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy matches and the full range of media: terrestrial and pay television, broadband internet, video-on-demand and mobile services. The deal represents a 135% increase on the previous deal and works out at an average of over £1.2 million per club per season, though some clubs will receive more than others. Sky will provide the majority of the coverage, but the BBC will have some of the higher profile matches, namely 10 exclusively live matches from the Coca-Cola Championship per season and the semi-finals and finals of the Carling Cup. [1] This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of 9 channels. ...
The Football League Trophy is the generic name of an English football competition for clubs in the two lower divisions of the Football League and, in some seasons, the leading sides in the Conference National. ...
Football League clubs Below are listed the member clubs of The Football League for the 2007–08 season. Former Football League clubs include all 20 of the current members of the Premier League along with various relegated, removed or defunct clubs. Although the competition is primarily for English clubs, three of the sides competing in 2007–08 are from Wales—Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. ...
Since its formation in 1888 many clubs have competed in The Football League and several have dropped out of it. ...
For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see list of professional sports leagues. ...
Current season Cardiff City Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a football team based in Cardiff. ...
Swansea City F.C. are a Welsh football team currently playing in the English Football League, specifically in Football League Two. ...
Wrexham Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) are a football team based in Wrexham in north-east Wales. ...
Barnsley Football Club are an English football league team, based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire and nicknamed the Tykes (a Tyke is a traditional Yorkshire character rugged, hardworking and with great pride in their roots). ...
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 and located in the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. ...
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England, (the other being rivals Bristol Rovers). ...
Burnley Football Club, nicknamed The Clarets, is a professional football club based in Burnley, in east Lancashire, England. ...
Current season Cardiff City Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a football team based in Cardiff. ...
Current season Charlton Athletic Football Club (also known as The Addicks) is a professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. ...
Colchester United Football Club is an English football team who play in the Championship. ...
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, is an association football club based in Coventry, England. ...
Crystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football team based in the London Borough of Croydon. ...
Hull City Association Football Club is an English football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. ...
Ipswich Town Football Club (also known as Ipswich, The Blues, Town or The Tractor Boys) are an English professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk. ...
Leicester City Football Club, (also known as The Foxes) is an English professional football club based in the city of Leicester. ...
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. ...
For details of the current season, see Plymouth Argyle F.C. season 2007-08 Plymouth Argyle Football Club (commonly known as the Pilgrims, the Greens, the Green Army or simply Argyle) are an English football team, playing in the Football League Championship. ...
Preston North End Football Club are an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the second tier of English league football, The Championship. ...
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English football club, based at Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London. ...
Scunthorpe United F.C. are an English football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. ...
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. ...
SWFC redirects here. ...
Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. ...
Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. ...
It has been suggested that Harry the Hornet be merged into this article or section. ...
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or W.B.A.) are an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands. ...
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club are an English professional football club based in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. ...
For the non League club, see Bournemouth F.C.. AFC Bournemouth are an English football team currently playing in Football League One. ...
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club is an English football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. ...
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football team, based in Bristol. ...
Carlisle United F.C. are an English football team based in Carlisle, Cumbria, play in the Football League One this season, after gaining promotion from the Football League Two at the end of the 2005-06 season. ...
Cheltenham Town Football Club are a football team based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. ...
Crewe Alexandra Football Club are an English football team based at Gresty Road in Crewe, Cheshire, England and nicknamed The Railwaymen due to that towns links with the rail industry. ...
Doncaster Rovers Football Club (or Donny as they are often known) are an English professional football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. ...
For the team based in Dorset, see Gillingham Town F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent, currently playing in the Football League One. ...
Hartlepool United Football Club are an English football team currently playing in League One. ...
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. ...
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. ...
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football team from east London, currently playing in League One of the Football League. ...
Luton Town Football Club are an English football team based in the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. ...
Millwall Football Club are an English professional football team based at the New Den Stadium in Bermondsey, South East London. ...
Northampton Town Football Club is a football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. ...
This article is about the English football club. ...
Rochdale Road stand Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane, Oldham. ...
Port Vale are an English association football club who currently play in Football League One. ...
Southend United Football Club is an English football team based at Roots Hall Stadium in Prittlewell, in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, which plays in the Football League One. ...
Swansea City AFC (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Abertawe) is a Welsh football team currently playing in the Football League League One. ...
Swindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire. ...
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is an English football club, currently playing in Football League One and based at Prenton Park, Prenton, Birkenhead - just across the River Mersey from the two Premiership Clubs of Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C. // The club was founded as Belmont F.C. by a...
Walsall Football Club are an English football club based in Walsall, West Midlands, currently playing in League One. ...
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. ...
Accrington Stanley is a football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, formed in 1968. ...
Barnet Football Club are an English football team from High Barnet in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. ...
Bradford City Association Football Club (also known as The Bantams, and previously The Paraders or The Citizens) are an English football club based in Bradford, Yorkshire, playing in League Two. ...
Brentford Football Club are an English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. ...
For the team from Bury St Edmunds, see Bury Town F.C.. Bury Football Club are an English association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. ...
For the Local Government District of Chester, see Chester (district). ...
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. ...
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. are an English football team based in Dagenham, Essex, currently playing in the Football League Two having been promoted as champions from the Football Conference in the 2006-07 season. ...
Darlington Football Club (also known as Darlo or The Quakers) are an English football team based in the English town of Darlington, currently playing in Football League Two. ...
This article is about Grimsby town football club. ...
Hereford United Football Club is a football club based in Hereford, England. ...
Lincoln City F.C. are an English football team currently playing in Football League Two (the fourth tier of the English football league system). ...
Macclesfield Town Football Club are an English football team. ...
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club who currently play in League Two of the Football League. ...
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is a football club from Milton Keynes, England. ...
It has been suggested that Morecambe F.C. Transfer History be merged into this article or section. ...
Notts County Football Club is a football club based in Nottingham, England, and are the oldest of all the clubs that are now professional[1]. The team currently plays in Football League Two, of the Coca-Cola league section of the English football league system. ...
Peterborough United Football Club are an English football team currently playing in League Two for the 2007-08 season. ...
Rochdale Association Football Club are an English football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. ...
Rotherham United F.C. is an English football club from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, that plays in Football Leagues fourth tier, League Two. ...
Shrewsbury Town Football Club are an English football club currently playing in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football. ...
Stockport County Football Club are an English football club based in Stockport, England. ...
Wrexham Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) are a football team based in Wrexham in north-east Wales. ...
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club are an English football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, currently playing in Football League Two. ...
Past League winners NB: League and FA Cup Double winners are highlighted in bold. This article is about the English FA Cup. ...
1888-1892 When the Football League was first established, all 12 clubs played in just one division. The founder members were; In 1890 Stoke were not re-elected, and were replaced by Sunderland. Stoke joined the Football Alliance. In 1891 the League expanded from 12 to 14 clubs by electing Stoke and Darwen, both from the Football Alliance. Accrington Football Club were one of the founder members of the Football League in England. ...
Aston Villa redirects here. ...
Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ...
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Lostock, in the Borough of Bolton, England. ...
Burnley Football Club, nicknamed The Clarets, is a professional football club based in Burnley, in east Lancashire, England. ...
Current season Derby County Football Club are an English football club based in Derby. ...
Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ...
Notts County Football Club is a football club based in Nottingham, England, and are the oldest of all the clubs that are now professional[1]. The team currently plays in Football League Two, of the Coca-Cola league section of the English football league system. ...
Preston North End Football Club are an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the second tier of English league football, The Championship. ...
Stoke City F.C. (known as Stoke F.C. until 1925) is a football club from Stoke-on-Trent in England. ...
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or W.B.A.) are an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands. ...
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club are an English professional football club based in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. ...
Stoke City F.C. (known as Stoke F.C. until 1925) is a football club from Stoke-on-Trent in England. ...
Sunderland Association Football Club is a football club based in Sunderland, on Wearside in the North-East of England. ...
The Football Alliance was an association football league in England from 1889 to 1892. ...
Stoke City F.C. (known as Stoke F.C. until 1925) is a football club from Stoke-on-Trent in England. ...
Darwen F.C. are a football club from Darwen in the north west of England. ...
The Football Alliance was an association football league in England from 1889 to 1892. ...
The champions were:
Preston North End Football Club are an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the second tier of English league football, The Championship. ...
Preston North End Football Club are an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the second tier of English league football, The Championship. ...
Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ...
Current season Sunderland Association Football Club is a professional association football team based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in North-East England. ...
1892-1920 In 1892 the Football League absorbed 11 of the 12 clubs in the rival Football Alliance after it folded, meaning the League now had enough clubs to form another division. The existing division was renamed the First Division and the new division was called the Second Division. The Football Alliance was an association football league in England from 1889 to 1892. ...
These 11 clubs were:
- Elected to First Division:
- Elected to Second Division:
Along with Darwen who became the first club to be relegated from the First Division, the other three new clubs in the 14-team Second Division were: MUFC redirects here. ...
This article is about the English football club. ...
SWFC redirects here. ...
Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. ...
Bootle F.C. are an English football club from Bootle, Merseyside. ...
Burton United |
