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Professional football teams in the UK :
English premier football teams generally do quite well in the European football championships, with English football teams featuring quite heavily in the football contests mentioned below
and in fact, some of them actually winning quite a few as well,
and so do some of the Scottish football teams! However, the England football
team themselves, usually
don't do so well in the world cup, (apart from winning the World cup in 1966!!!)
Football teams in the UK
|
Name |
Details |
|
Name |
Details |
| A |
Accrington Stanley |
The Interlink Express Stadium
Livingstone Road
Accrington
Lancashire
BB5 5BX
Telephone +44 (0) 1254 356 950
The name of Accrington Stanley was made famous
by a milk advert involving Ian Rush in the 1980's, which played on the
obscurity of the club. In fact
Accrington Stanley is a name that goes back a long way in connection with
Association Football. The current Accrington Stanley team is, however, not
connected with previous Football League clubs with the same or similar names.
When the league formed in 1888, one of the founding members was Accrington F.C.
They withdrew from the league and another team in the town Stanley F.C. took on
the Accrington name to become Accrington Stanley. This version of Accrington
Stanley played in the Football League from 1921 to 1962, with the club folding
due to financial problems in 1966. Whilst not connected with these two clubs,
the new Accrington Stanley team feels it is built on the legacy of the former
clubs. They were formed at a meeting at the town library in 1968 and having
played in non-league football for 44 years, finally gave Accrington a Football
League club again after winning the Conference championship in 2006. Ironically
they replaced Oxford United, the team that replaced the older Accrington Stanley
team in 1962.
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| |
Aldershot Town Football Club |
Recreation Ground
High Street
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1TW
Telephone +44 (0) 1252 320 211
Aldershot Town Football Club is a Football League club
based in Aldershot, England, formed in the spring of 1992 just after the
closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division Aldershot F.C.. The latter, formed in 1926, had been a League member since 1932 and a founder member of the fourth
division.
Aldershot Town plays at The Recreation Ground in Aldershot, which for
sponsorship reasons is now called 'The EBB Stadium at The Recreation Ground'.
|
| |
Arsenal Football Club |
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove
Highbury
London
N5 1BU
Telephone +44 (0) 2077 044 000
FA Cup Winners -
1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005
League Cup Winners -
1987, 1993
formed in 1886 by workers of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich in South East
London, Arsenal was originally known as Dial Square. The club was renamed first
Royal Arsenal then Woolwich Arsenal before becoming Arsenal Football Club.
Nowadays the club is known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners. The club
turned professional in 1891. In 1913 Arsenal relocated to Highbury in North
London from their original location in Woolwich. The club remained at Highbury
until moving to the Emirates Stadium in nearby Holloway in 2006, with its
capacity of 60,355.
Arsenal fans often refer to themselves as "Gooners", the name being derived from
the team's nickname, "The Gunners".
The official nickname for Arsenal football club, is "The Gunners", because, at
one stage, they had local links to a military arsenal at Woolwich.
|
| |
Aston Villa Football Club |
Villa Park
Trinity Road
Birmingham
West Midlands
B6 6HE
Telephone +44 (0) 1213 272 299
FA Cup Winners -
1887, 1895, 1897, 1905, 1913, 1920, 1957
League Cup Winners -
1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996
European Champions League Cup Winners - 1982
Aston Villa was formed in 1874 by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel in
Aston (now a district of Birmingham). It was formed by members of a cricket team
who wanted something to occupy them during the winter months. They saw a
football match in the local park and decided to form a team. They played there
first game against a local Rugby team, playing one half under Rugby rules and
one half under Football rules. Aston Villa quickly became the dominant midlands team,
on one occasion beating Small Heath Alliance by an incredible 22-0. Small Heath
Alliance went on to become arch rivals Birmingham City!
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| |
|
|
| B |
Barnet FC |
Underhill Stadium
Barnet
Herts
EN5 2DN
Telephone +44 (0) 2084 416 932
Although Barnet F.C.club existed from 1882 under two
previous names, Woodville F.C. and New Barnet F.C., they were officially formed
as Barnet football club in 1888.
They played their early
football in the London leagues and entered cup competitions where they would
regularly face the more well known London teams. They once beat Tottenham
Hotspur 5-0 and Thames Ironworks, better known as West Ham United, were another loval team they lined up against in those early days. Barnet F.C. has played
most of its football outside of the Football League, being members of the
Athenian League from 1965 to 1991. The club enjoyed a lot of success as amateurs
and won the Athenian League Championship and FA Amateur Cup during this time. In
the early 1970's the club enjoyed some good FA Cup runs. They beat the then
Fourth Division side Newport County 6-1, equalling the record victory margin for
a non-league side over a Football League side in the FA Cup. In 1991 the team
won the Conference championship and were promoted to the Football League.
|
| |
Barnsley Football Club |
Oakwell
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S71 1ET
Telephone +44 (0) 1226 211 211
FA Cup Winners -
1912
Barnsley F.C., also known as 'The Tykes', were first formed as Barnsley St
Peters in 1887. They were founder members of the Sheffield and District League
in 1890, before moving to the Midland League from 1895. They were subsequently
elected to the Football League in 1898. The first ten years in the Football
League Second Division were a struggle, mostly due to financial difficulties. In
1910, however, things began to improve with Barnsley Football Club reaching the FA Cup finals,
only to lose in a replay to Newcastle United.
The official nickname for the Barnsley football club, is "The Tykes", which is
the colloquial name for a Yorkshireman.
|
| |
Birmingham City Football Club |
St. Andrews
Birmingham
West Midlands
B9 4NH
Telephone +44 (0) 121 772 0101
League Cup Winners - 1963
Carling Cup Winners - 2011
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2010
Bimingham City formed in 1875 under the name Small Heath Alliance. In 1888 they
became Small Heath, in 1905 Birmingham F.C. and finally in 1943 Birmingham City
F.C. In the 1892-1893 season they were founder members and inaugural champions
of the Football League Second Division. Unfortunately, promotion was not
automatic and a test match system was used, resulting in Small Heath failing to
gain promotion until the following year. The club originally played its home
fixtures on waste ground, eventually moving to a fenced off field in Ladypool
Road, Sparbrook so that they could charge for admission. A year later they moved
again to Muntz Street, Small Heath. The new ground had a capacity for about
10,000 spectators, which was eventually raised to 30,000. When thousands of fans
scaled the walls for a game against arch rivals Aston Villa, plans for a new
stadium were drawn up. In 1906 the club moved to its current stadium at St
Andrews, reputed to have originally held 75,000 spectators.
|
| |
Blackburn Rovers Football Club |
Ewood Park
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB2 4JF
Telephone +44 (0) 1254 698 888
FA Cup Winners -
1884, 1885, 1886, 1890, 1891, 1928
League Cup Winners -
2002
Blackburn Rovers was formed in 1875 during a meeting in a hotel in
Blackburn. John Lewis, one of the founder members and also a player, later
refereed the Gold Medal match in the 1920 Olympics. Blackburn Rovers is one of only
three clubs to be founder members of both the football league in 1888 and the
Premier League in 1992. Blackburn Rovers had no ground until they rented a piece of
farmland at Oozehead in 1876, eventually moving to Ewood Park in 1890.
|
| |
Blackpool Football Club |
Bloomfield Road
Blackpool
Lancashire
FY1 6JJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1253 404 331
FA Cup Winners -
1953
Blackpool Football Club history began in 1877 when the Victoria Football Club
was founded. Victoria was disbanded during the next decade to be replaced by
Blackpool St Johns. A dispute between players led to a meeting on the 26th July
1887 at the Stanley Arms Hotel. At this meeting it was resolved 'that a club be
formed to be known as Blackpool Football Club'. The following year Blackpool
joined the Lancashire League as founder members, winning the championship in
1893-94. In 1896 the club became a limited company and made a successful
application to join the Football League Second Division.
The official nickname for the Blackpool football club, is "The Seasiders", as
Blackpool is on the coast.
|
| B |
Bolton Wanderers Football Club |
Reebok Stadium
Burnden Way
Lostock
Bolton
BL6 6JW
Telephone +44 (0) 1204 673 673
FA Cup Winners -
1923, 1926, 1929, 1958
Originally formed in 1874 as Christ Church FC, the club later changed its name
to Bolton Wanderers. They were one of the founder members of The Football League
in 1888. Bolton Wanderers reached the FA Cup Final in 1894 and again in 1904, but were
beaten on both occasions. In 1923 they finally won 2-0 over West Ham in what was
the first ever Wembley Cup Final, in front of 127,000 fans.
The home home ground
for Bolton Wanderers, is The Reebok Stadium, with a capacity of 28,101.
The nickname for Bolton Wanderers is The Trotters.
|
| |
Bournemouth Association Football Club |
Dean Court
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH7 7AF
Telephone +44 (0) 1202 726 300
A.F.C. Bournemouth was formed in 1899 as Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic. It
should not be confused with Bournemouth F.C., who were formed earlier in 1875,
but have never been members of the Football League. The club became A.F.C.
Bournemouth in 1972, which for many years made them notable as the club with the
longest name in the Football League. The club made their initial steps to
professionalism in 1910, signing their first paid player from Southampton for
£10. They joined the Southern League in 1920 and joined the Third Division
(South) of the Football League for the 1923-24 season.
|
| |
Bradford City Football Club |
Valley Parade
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD8 7DY
Telephone +44 (0) 1254 773 355
FA Cup Winners -
1911
Bradford City was formed in 1903. However, to find the true beginnings of the
club, one has to look at Manningham Rugby Club, established in 1880. In 1895
Manningham became one of the leading founders of the new breakaway code Rugby
League, winning the first championship played under the new code. After this,
however, the club's fortunes went into a decline. With finances in a precarious
situation, the club began to look at the idea of housing a football team on the
Valley Parade ground. The idea attracted a lot of interest and support from
other Football League teams in the area, and in 1903 Bradford City was born.
Amazingly they signed a completely new team and were admitted to the Football
League without playing a match. The team could still have been wound up by
members of the Rugby team, who voted instead to continue with the new sport.
Bradford found their feet quickly in the Football League Second Division,
winning the division and gaining promotion to Division One in 1908. In 1911 the
team tasted FA Cup glory, beating Newcastle in the final, following a replay. |
| |
Brentford Football Club |
Griffin Park
Braemar Road
Brentford
London
TW7 6RD
Telephone +44 (0) 208 847 2511
Many of the older teams in the Football League were formed to provide a winter
sport for established cricket teams. Brentford F.C. has a similar story,
Brentford football club was formed in 1889 to provide a winter pursuit for an established sports
club. The sport on this occasion sport wasn't the usual cricket but instead
rowing. At the crucial meeting, it was decided to start a football team and call
the new club 'Brentford Football Club'. There was one small matter to be
decided, however, which had been put on the agenda for the next meeting a week
later. This was the question 'Association Football or Rugby Football?'
Association Football got the vote.
Brentford football club has played since 1904 at Griffin
Park, which has the unique feature of having a pub in every corner of the
ground. One of the pubs is owned by the team. Since 2002, however, moves have
been afoot to relocate the team to a new state of the art complex in Lionel
Road. After mixed fortunes in the Southern League the team joined the Football
League as founder members of the new Third Division (South) in 1920.
|
| |
Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club |
Withdean Stadium
Tongdean Lane
Brighton
Sussex
BN1 5JD
Telephone +44 (0) 1273 778 855
Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. were formed in 1901
and joined the Football League in 1920. Prior to this they had played in the
Southern League. During this time they won the FA Charity Shield in 1910 by
defeating Football League champions Aston Villa in the final. The club had to
wait until 1979 before reaching the top tier of the League. A 4-0 home defeat by
Arsenal provided a rather unpleasant welcome to the top flight for Brighton but
they managed to rally the season later on and finished safely. They hung on for
four years before finally succumbing to relegation. Much of the clubs recent
history has been dogged by Stadium troubles. With the club struggling to stay on
in the Football League in 1996-97, a 1-1 draw against Hereford was just enough
to consign Hereford to relegation instead of Brighton on goals scored. This was
the last season at the Goldstone Ground. The Directors made the decision to sell
the ground, leaving the club homeless and forcing them to ground share with
Gillingham in Kent. This lasted for two years, before the team moved to Withdean
Stadium. A major campaign continues with the fans to provide a new purpose built
stadium at Falmer.
The official nickname for The Brighton and Hove football club, is "The
Seagulls".
|
| |
Bristol City Football Club |
Ashton Gate
Bristol
BS3 2EJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1179 630 630
In 1897 the amateur team Bristol South End turned professional and changed their
name to Bristol City. In 1900 the team merged with another local team Bedminster
F.C. They joined the Football League Second Division in 1901 and were promoted
to the First Division as Champions in 1906. In 1909 they reached the cup final,
losing to Manchester United.
|
| |
Bristol Rovers Football Club |
The Memorial Ground
Filton Avenue
Horfield
Bristol
BS7 0BF
Telephone +44 (0) 1179 096 648
Bristol Rovers F.C. was formed in 1883 as Black Arabs F.C. This name came from
the Arabs Rugby team and the predominantly Black kit the team wore in its early
years. The name only lasted one season and was changed to Eastville Rovers F.C.
in a bid to attract more fans from the local area. The club is nicknamed the
Pirates due to their maritime connections. In 1897 the team then turned
professional and became Bristol Eastville Rovers. This was shortened in 1899 to
Bristol Rovers. Later that year the team joined the Southern League, where they
remained until joining the Football League in 1920 when many of the Southern
League teams joined the newly formed Division Three (South). This was after the
team were crowned Southern League Champions in 1905.
|
| |
Burnley Football Club |
Turf Moor
Burnley
Lancashire
BB10 4BX
Telephone +44 (0) 1282 700 000
FA Cup Winners - 1914
Burnley Football Club was formed in 1882 after Burnley Rovers Football Club
decided to switch from Rugby Union to Association Football. In 1888 they were
amongst the founder members of the Football League. The early years saw the team
hovering between the First and Second Division. The team was the centre of a
scandal when their goalkeeper attempted to bribe members of the opposition team
on the last day of the 1899-00 season, which saw Burnley relegated for the
second time to the Second Division. 1911-12 marked the beginnings of an upturn
in the clubs fortunes. By now the club had changed to their now familiar Claret
and Blue colours giving them the nickname 'The Clarets'.
The official nickname for the Burnley football club, is, "The Clarets".
|
| |
Bury Football Club |
Gigg Lane
Bury
Lancashire
BL9 9HR
Telephone +44 (0) 161 764 4881
FA Cup Winners - 1900, 1903
Bury F.C. was formed in 1885 when the club took on the lease at Gigg Lane,
still the club's home today. They were founder members of the Lancashire League
in 1889, before joining the Football League Division Two in 1894. They won the
Second Division title at the first attempt, gaining promotion to the top flight,
where they remained until 1912. Whilst in the First Division, they tasted FA Cup
glory twice, in 1900 and 1903, on one occasion beating Southampton 4-0 in the
final. Amazingly, the 1903 cup success was achieved without having conceded a
goal in the entire competition. There was a brief return to the top flight in
the 1920's, with the team recording its highest ever Football League finish of
fourth in 1926.
The official nickname for the Bury football club, is, "The Shakers", the Bury
football clubs first chairman, JT Ingham, said before a Lancashire Cup game with
Blackburn Rovers, "We will shake them. In fact, we are the Shakers."
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|
|
| C |
Cardiff City Football Club |
Cardiff Park
Ninian Park
Cardiff
South Wales
CF1 8SX
Telephone +44 (0) 2920 221 001
FA Cup Winners - 1927
Cardiff City Football Club, or 'Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd' in their native
Welsh tongue, were formed in 1899. Cardiff were admitted to the Football League
in 1920 and the newcomers showed they were more than ready, winning promotion to
the First Division in their first year. The Cardiff fans responded too, 25,000
turned up to watch their first league match at Ninian Park, with a season
average gate of over 29,000.
The official nickname for the Cardiff City Football Club, is "The Bluebirds",
based on the colours of their home football strip.
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| |
Carlisle United Football Club |
Brunton Park
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA1 1LL
Telephone +44 (0) 1228 526 237
Carlisle United was formed in 1903 from the merger of two local clubs, Carlisle
Red Rose and Shaddongate United. The name was actually changed following the
Annual General Meeting of Shaddongate United in 1904. Carlisle joined the
Lancashire Combination League in 1905 having previously achieved a league and
cup double in the Cumberland League. They entered the North Eastern League in
1910, following restructuring of the Lancashire league. At first this had a
negative effect, with the locals showing less interest until after the end of
World War One when interest in football began to increase. In 1921-22 they won
the North Eastern League championship for the first time. In 1928 they were
elected to the Football League Third North.
The official nickname for the Carlisle United football club, is "The Cumbrians",
because Carlisle United are in Cumbria.
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| |
Charlton Athletic Football Club |
The Valley
Floyd Road
Charlton
London
SE7 8BL
Telephone +44 (0) 208 333 4000
FA Cup Winners -
1947
Charlton Athletic F.C., known as 'The Addicks' were first formed in 1905 by a
group of local 15-17 year olds. The early development of the club was
overshadowed by the presence of near neighbours Woolwich Arsenal. This hampered
the growth of the club until Arsenal moved to North London in 1913. Charlton
football club turned professional in 1920, joining the Southern League for just one season
before being elected to the Football League.
The official nickname for the Charlton Athletic football club, is "The Addicks",
a corruption of the word 'haddocks', named after a local fish and chip shop.
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Chelsea Football Club |
Stamford Bridge Stadium
Fulham Road
Chelsea
London
SW6 1HS
Telephone +44 (0) 2078 356 000
Formed 1905
FA Cup Winners -
1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012
League Cup Winners -
1965, 1998, 2005, 2007
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2004
European Champions League Cup Winners - 2012
Chelsea football club was formed in 1905, but their official history began
in 1896, when Henry Augustus "Gus" Mears, football
enthusiast and businessman, along with his brother, Joseph Mears, purchased the
Stamford Bridge Athletics Ground in Fulham, West London, with the intention of
staging first-class football matches there, though they had to wait until 1904
to buy the freehold, when the previous owner died. They failed to persuade
Fulham Football Club to adopt the ground as their home after a dispute over the
rent, so Mears considered selling to the Great Western Railway Company, who
wanted to use the land as a coal-dumping yard. There is an unconfirmed story
regarding the incident that claims Mears was on the verge of selling, and was
being persuaded by his colleague Fred Parker not to, when Mears' scotch terrier
bit Parker on the leg. Parker took the incident in good spirit so Mears,
impressed by this, decided to take his colleague's advice and found a new
football club to play at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea F.C. was founded on March
14, 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook) opposite today's main
entrance to the ground on the Fulham Road. Since there was already a team named
Fulham in the borough, the name of the adjacent borough, the Royal Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea, was settled on after London FC, Kensington FC and
Stamford Bridge FC had been rejected. Chelsea were denied entry to the Southern
League following objections from Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, so instead,
applied for admission to the Football League. Their candidacy was endorsed at
the Football League AGM on May 29, 1905, with a speech by Parker, which
emphasised the new club's financial stability and its impressive new stadium and
team playing an important part. Blue shirts were adopted by Mears, after the
racing colours of Lord Chelsea, along with white shorts and dark blue socks. The
club's first league match took place away at Stockport County on September 2,
1905. They lost the game 1-0.
Their first home match was against Liverpool in a
friendly. They won 4-0.
Chelsea Football Club, as one of the most famous
Association Football clubs in England, has a long, unique and idiosyncratic
history, and has experienced both the highs and the lows of the game. From its
early days as the butt of a music hall jokes for their lack of success, to being
1954-55 Champions following a revamp. From the glamorous, talented and
flamboyant team which emerged in swinging London in the mid-1960s to put the
club on the footballing map for the first time, to the financial and on-pitch
woes that almost forced its extinction in the early 1980s. From the rejuvenated
side of the mid-1980s that returned it to stability, to the cosmopolitan
renaissance of the late-1990s, which saw it challenge for honours again, to a
takeover in June 2003 which contributed to its current status as one of the
dominant teams in the country.
The official nickname for the Chelsea football club, is, "The Blues", relating
to the colours of their home strip.
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| |
Cheltenham Football Club |
Whaddon Road
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL52 5NA
Telephone +44 (0) 1242 573 558
There are reports of football going on in Cheltenham from as early as the first
half of the 19th century. The first known instance of using three officials
(albeit two in the field of play and one off field official) was recorded in
Cheltenham in 1849. The modern club dates back to 1887, when Albert White
returned from his studies in London. He had discovered Association Football
whilst at college and decided to start a team in his native Cheltenham. Cheltenham
football club turned professional in 1932 and joined the Southern League in
1935.
The official nickname for the Cheltenham football club, is "The Robins", as
their home colours (red and white), are the same as a robin's chest.
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Chester City Football Club |
Chester City Football Club
The Deva Stadium
Bumpers Lane
Chester
Cheshire
CH1 4LT
Telephone +44 (0) 1244 371 376
Chester City F.C. was formed in 1885 when Chester Rovers and Old King's
Scholars decided to amalgamate. Originally the team was just known as Chester F.C., but changed its name to Chester City F.C. in 1983. The team played only
friendlies in its early years, joining the Combination League in 1890. Problems
with their home ground caused a temporary halt to operations in 1899-1900, but
in 1901 the club relocated to Whipcord Lane. This was the start of a successful
period for the club, culminating in the Combination League Championship in 1909,
following five consecutive years as runners-up. Chester joined the Football
League in 1931 and enjoyed moderate success, finishing in the top ten of
Division Three (North) throughout the thirties.
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Chesterfield Football Club |
Recreation Ground
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
S40 4SX
Telephone +44 (0) 1246 209 765
Chesterfield F.C. is the fourth oldest Football League club in England, having
been formed in 1867. There is some evidence of a notion being presented but
rejected, by Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, for creating a football team in
Chesterfield way back in 1435. The team plays football at the 8,500 capacity
Recreation Ground though the stadium is often known as Saltergate, after the
road it is situated in. It is one the oldest football grounds in England that is
still in use today. Despite their long history, Chesterfield has never been in
the top flight of the Football League. The team joined the Football League
Division Two in 1899, but failed to gain re-election and had to rejoin the
Midland League in 1909. After becoming Midland League champions on two
occasions, they rejoined the Football League as founder members of Division
Three (North) in 1921.
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Colchester United Football Club |
Layer Road
Colchester
Essex
CO2 7JJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1206 508 800
Colchester United F.C. was formed in 1937, the same year that the local amateur
club Colchester Town F.C. folded. The club briefly shared the ground Layer Road
with the amateur club, but were never actually affiliated. The team count
Ipswich Town and Southend United as their biggest rivals, although a rivalry
with Wycombe Wanderers grew for a while following some crowd trouble at a match
between the two in the 1985-86 season. The club played in various leagues, such
as the Eastern Counties League and the Southern League before joining the
Football League in 1950.
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Coventry City Football Club |
Highfield Road Stadium
King Richard Street
Coventry
West Midlands
CV2 4FW
Telephone +44 (0) 2476 234 000
FA Cup Winners - 1987
Coventry City F.C. was formed in 1883 by employees of local cycle manufacturer
Singers, which became the team name. In 1893 the club turned professional after
winning three cups, the Walsall Cup, the Wednesbury Cup and the Birmingham Cup
in the previous year. They changed the name to Coventry City F.C. and moved to
Highfield Road in 1898.
Coventry City football club originally picked up the nickname 'The Bantams'
as they were considered lightweights of the Southern League. In 1962 the club
adopted the sky blue colours and were renamed 'The Sky Blues' by Jimmy Hill. The
club were elected to the Football League after the First World War.
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Crewe Alexandra Football Club |
Gresley Road
Crewe
Cheshire
CW2 6EB
Telephone +44 (0) 1270 213 014
Crewe Alexandra F.C. was formed in 1877. They played in the Football Alliance (a
rival to the Football League) briefly, before joining the Football League
Division Two as founder members in 1892. They only stayed there for five years,
however, before being relegated to non-league football. Crewe then proceeded to
sign its players as professionals and finally returned to the football league in
the 1920's. They won the Welsh cup in 1936 and 1937 before being barred from
entering the competition, mostly for not being Welsh. The team struggled in the
lower reaches of the league from the 1950's to the 1980's leading to Michael
Palin's 1979 comment in a railway documentary, "like those other railway towns …
perpetually propping up the bottom of the Fourth Division".
The official nickname for the Crewe Alexandra football club, is "The
Railwaymen", for their local links to railways.
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Crystal Palace Football Club |
Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace
London
SE25 6PU
Telephone +44 (0) 2087 686 000
Crystal Palace F.C. was formed in 1905 by workers at Crystal Palace (formerly
the site of The Great Exhibition in the time of Queen Victoria). The team played
on the Cup Final ground at Crystal Palace. After a brief stay at 'The Nest' in Selhurst, they moved into Selhurst Park in 1924. Palace joined the Football
League Division Three in 1921 and finished as champions.
The official nickname for the Crystal Palace football club, is "The Eagles",
as Crystal Palaces logo features eagles.
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| D |
Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club |
Glyn Hopkin Stadium
Victoria Road
Dagenham
Essex
RM10 7XL
Telephone +44 (0) 2085 927 194
Dagenham and Redbridge F.C. is a very new club, having formed in 1992 out of a
merger of Dagenham F.C. and Redbridge Forest F.C. However, the club can trace
its roots back to four, much older, amateur clubs; Ilford (1881), Leytonstone
(1886), Walthamstow Avenue (1900) and Dagenham (1949). All four clubs achieved
success as amateur teams, particularly Leytonstone, who won the FA Amateur Cup
three times and the Isthmian League nine times. In 1979, Ilford and Leytonstone
merged and in 1988 struggling Walthamstow was amalgamated with the club to form
Redbridge Forest. In 1992 Redbridge merged with Dagenham. The club was initially
in the Conference but was relegated in 1996 to the Isthmian League. They won
promotion again in 2000 and for the next three years challenged for promotion to
the Football League.
The official nickname for Dagenham and Redbridge football club, is "The
Daggers", based on their club name.
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Darlington Football Club |
Feethams Ground
Darlington
County Durham
DL1 5JB
Telephone +44 (0) 1325 240 240
Darlington F.C. was formed in 1883 at Darlington Grammar School. The club are
nicknamed 'Darlo' or 'The Quakers', the latter due to the town's connections
with the religious movement. The club badge features a Quaker style hat. They
joined the Northern League in 1886 and won the league on two occasions before
turning professional and joining the North Eastern League in 1908. In 1920 they
finished as runner-up and won the championship the next year. This coincided
with the formation of the new Football League Third Division (North) and they
were elected as founder members. Since joining the league in 1921, Darlington
has spent all of its time in the lower divisions of the Football League, apart
from two seasons spent in Division Two in the 1920's.
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Derby County Football Club |
Pride Park Stadium
Derby
Derbyshire
DE24 8XL
Telephone +44 (0) 1332 202 202
FA Cup Winners -
1946
Derby County is a football club with a long history, formed in 1884 as an
offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Club. They competed initially mostly in
informal competitions, but also entered the FA Cup. They were amongst the
founder members of the Football League in 1888. In the early days the club
played at The Racecourse Ground but in 1895 they moved to The Baseball Ground,
which was to be the clubs home for the next 102 years. Also at this time, the
team adopted its now traditional colour scheme of black and white.
The official nickname for Derby County football club, is "The Rams", from the
folk song "The Derby Ram", and by extension, an emblem of the city.
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Doncaster Rovers Football Club |
Keepmoat Stadium
Stadium Way
Doncaster
South Yorkshire
DN4 5JW
Telephone +44 (0) 1302 764 664
Doncaster Rovers were formed in 1879 by apprentices from the local railway
works. Following a one-off match, the lads agreed to form a club whilst walking
home, as they had enjoyed the experience. They even decided there and then on
the name Doncaster Rovers. Rovers played in the Midland Alliance and Midland
League successfully before joining the Football League in 1901. It was a
roller-coaster ride until World War I, however, with regular relegation and
re-election to and from the Midland League during this time. In 1914 the club
went into voluntary liquidation and was reformed a month later. Shortly
afterwards the team had to suspend operations as they failed to raise a team and
their ground was in use by the army. After resuming operations, the club were
elected to the Football League again in 1923.
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Everton Football Club |
Goodison Park
Liverpool
Merseyside
L4 4EL
Telephone +44 (0) 1513 302 200
FA Cup Winners -
1906, 1933, 1966, 1984, 1995
Everton was formed in 1878, as St Domingo F.C., to allow people in the local
parish to play sport outside of the summer cricket season. In 1879 the club was
renamed Everton. The club has a long standing rivalry with fellow Merseyside
club Liverpool. Everton originally played at Anfield, the ground now associated
firmly with Liverpool. Liverpool was actually formed after a dispute over rent
caused Everton to move to Goodison Park which has a capacity of 40,216. In
recent years Everton have been very much in the shadow of Liverpool. In 1925
Everton signed Dixie Deans who set the long running goal scoring record for 60
goals in 39 league matches in 1927-28. Everton are one of only three clubs to
have been founder members of both the Football League in 1888 and the Premier
League in 1992. The club are one of the most successful in English football
history, having spent more years in the top flight than any other English club.
The team has also enjoyed considerable success in terms of major trophies such
as the League Championship, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, being in
the top five for English clubs to have won such honours.
The official nickname for the Everton football club, is "The Toffees", why
Everton are called the Toffees, is unknown. Possibly named after a local toffee
shop, or the nickname for the local Irish population.
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Exeter City Football Club |
St. James Park
Exeter
Devon
EX4 6PX
Telephone +44 (0) 1392 411 243
Exeter City FC were formed in 1904 and began playing on an old field used
for fattening pigs, St James Park (not to be confused with the home of Newcastle
United or Brackley Town) Exeter remain at St James Park to this day. The club is
nicknamed "The Grecians". City's home kit consists of red and white shirts,
black shorts, and black socks. Their away kit is blue. City's record league
victories are their 8-1 triumphs against Coventry City in 1926 and Aldershot in
1935 (the score was 0-0 against Aldershot at half-time!). In the FA Cup, they
beat Aberdare Athletic 9-1 in 1927. City's record league defeats are the 9-0
defeats against Notts County in 1948 and Northampton Town in 1958.
Exeter City Football Club are an English football club, based in Exeter, who
were members of the Football League from 1920 to 2003, and rejoined the league
for the 2008-09 season, after 5 seasons in the Conference National.
Exeter City's record home attendance at St. James' Park is 20,984 who
witnessed Exeter lose 4-2 to Sunderland in an FA Cup Sixth Round Replay in 1931.
Exeter City's record away attendance was 67,551 in January 2005 at Old Trafford,
watching City draw 0-0 with Manchester United in the FA Cup Third Round. The
highest number of City fans watching an Exeter City game was probably at the
Conference play-off final in 2007, when over 30,000 Grecians made it to the
Wembley Stadium.
Exeter City FC was formed from two predecessor clubs: - Exeter United and St
Sidwell's United. Exeter United were a football club from Exeter, Devon, who
played between 1890 and 1904. In 1904, Exeter United lost 3-1 to local rivals St
Sidwell's United and after the match, it was agreed that the two clubs should
become one. The new team took the name Exeter City and continued to play at
Exeter United's ground, St James Park, where Exeter City still play today. The
team formed from the cricket team of the same name and thus the first football
team with the moniker 'United'. St Sidwell's United (which had also been known
as St Sidwell's Wesleyans and St Sidwell's Old Boys) was a club that had formed
from the regulars who frequented the Foresters Inn in Sidwell Street, Exeter;
although the public house was always known as the Drum and Monkey. They played
in St Sidwell's old colours of green and white.
On September 10 1904, Exeter City played their first ever competitive match:
- a 2-1 victory at St James's over 110th Battery of the Royal Artillery, in the
East Devon League. The attendance was 600, and the winning goal scored by Sid
Thomas, who was to serve the club in various capacities for 70 years. City
topped the East Devon League with 11 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat in their 1st
season, and transferred to the Plymouth and District League for next 3 seasons.
In 1908, Exeter City AFC became a limited company. City become a full-time
professional team, and applied successfully for membership of the Southern
League, replacing Tottenham Hotspur. A wooden grandstand was erected, and the
club entered into a leasing arrangement over the ground.
The official nickname for Exeter City football club, is "The Grecians" which
was, for centuries, the nickname for people from the St Sidwells parish of
Exeter where the ground is situated.
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Fulham Football Club |
Craven Cottage
Stevenage Road
Fulham
London
SW6 6HH
Telephone +44 (0) 8704 421 222
Fulham FC are the oldest professional football team in London. They formed in 1879
as Fulham St Andrew's Church Sunday School and celebrated their 125th
anniversary in 2004. The name was shortened to just Fulham in 1888. The team
play at Craven Cottage, which has a capacity of 24,525 and has been the club's
home since 1896.
The official nickname for Fulham football club, is "The Cottagers", which comes
from Fulhams club's ground, Craven Cottage.
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Gillingham Football Club |
Priestfield Stadium
Redfern Avenue
Gillingham
Kent
ME7 4DD
Telephone +44 (0) 1634 850 986
Gillingham F.C. was formed in 1893 under the name New Brompton F.C. Starting
with share capital of £1500, the team purchased the land that was to become its
lifelong home of Priestfield Stadium for £600. New Brompton turned professional
a year later and were founder members of the Southern League. In 1913 the team
changed their name to Gillingham and they joined the Football League in 1920.
There was little success to enjoy in the years leading up to World War II and in
1938 the club failed in a bid for re-election and were relegated from the
Football League. They rejoined the Southern League and enjoyed considerable
success, culminating in their elevation to the newly expanded Football League
Third Division South in 1950. The team had to wait a long time before
progressing beyond the third tier of the Football League.
In 1999, they were two
minutes away from achieving their dream, leading Manchester City 2-0 in the
Play-off final at Wembley. As time appeared to be running out, City scored and
after five minutes of injury time, equalised to send the game to extra time. In
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Grimsby Town Football Club |
Blundell Park
Cleethorpes
Lincolnshire
DN35 7PY
Telephone +44 (0) 1472 605 050
Grimsby Town F.C. was formed, like many of the early Football League teams, by
members of a local cricket team (Worsley Cricket Club) who were looking for a
winter pastime. In 1878 a meeting was held at the Wellington Arms in Freeman
Street and Grimsby Town F.C. was born, although for the first year team name was
Grimsby Pelham. Grimsby first played league football in the Combination League
in 1888, soon after joining the Football Association, the rival set up to the
new Football League. In 1892 they were accepted into the Football League Second
Division. League football was a turbulent ride for Grimsby, soon reaching the
heights of the First Division only to fail in a bid for re-election to the
League and drop to the Midland League a few years later. They returned to the
League before long, and recovered considerably in the inter war years, regaining
top flight status in 1929. They remained in top flight for the majority of the
1930's, gaining their highest ever Football League finish in 1935 with fifth
place.
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Hartlepool United Football Club |
Victoria Park
Clarence Road
Hartlepool
Cleveland/Teesside
TS24 8BZ
Telephone +44 (0) 1429 272 584
Hartlepool United F.C. was formed in 1881 as West Hartlepool Amateur Football
Club. They won the FA Amateur Cup in 1905 and took the opportunity to turn
professional in 1908 when the local Rugby team folded leaving the Victoria
Ground vacant and in need of investment. Hartlepools (sic) United Football
Athletic Company was formed and the stadium bought. The team was actually only
renamed Hartlepool United in 1967 after the districts of Old Hartlepool and West
Hartlepool were merged. Hartlepool have played their home matches at the
Victoria Ground (now Victoria Park) ever since. In 1921 Hartlepool joined the
newly formed Football League Division Three North.
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Huddersfield Town Football Club |
McAlpine Stadium
Leeds Road
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
HD1 6PX
Telephone +44 (0) 1484 484 100
FA Cup Winners - 1922
The popularity of Rugby League in Huddersfield may well have accounted for the
relatively late development of a serious Association Football Club in the town.
In 1907, moves were begun to develop a professional football club in
Huddersfield and in 1908, Huddersfield
Town A.F.C. was born. It was not too long before Huddersfield had established
themselves as one of the power house teams in Yorkshire and indeed the country
as a whole. This was all despite going into liquidation in 1912 and only
reforming in 1919. Somehow, by 1920 the club had become strong enough to reach
the FA Cup final, finishing runners-up.
The official nickname for the Huddersfield Town football club, is "The
Terriers", named after the Yorkshire Terrier breed of dog.
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Hull City Football Club |
Boothferry Park
Hull
East Yorkshire
HU4 6EU
Telephone +44 (0) 1482 575 263
Hull City F.C. was formed in 1904. Several earlier attempts to found a
professional football club ended in failure, mostly due to the strength of Rugby
League in the city. Hull F.C. and Hull Kingston Rovers were well established and
already very strong Rugby League clubs by this time. They were unable to join
the Football League in time for the 1904-05 season, so the first season of
professional football at Hull consisted only of friendlies, 44 in all! The
team's early games were played at the Rugby League ground used by Hull F.C.
Hull's first season in the Football League Second Division and finished fifth in
their first season. In 1930 the club had its greatest cup run, reaching the
semi-finals and claiming many big scalps along the way. The nickname for Hull
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Ipswich Town Football Club |
Portman Road,
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP1 2DA
Telephone +44 (0) 1473 400 500
EUFA Football Cup Winners - 1981
FA Cup Winners -
1978
Ipswich Town F.C. was formed in 1878 but did not turn until 1936. They were
admitted to the Football League in 1938. Originally known as Ipswich Association F.C. the team merged in 1888 with Ipswich Rugby Club and was renamed Ipswich
Town Football Club. The team played in Division Three (South) until finally
gaining promotion to Division Two in 1954. They lasted only one season before
relegation, but fortunes improved after Sir Alf Ramsey was appointed manager in
August 1955.
The nickname for Ipswich Town Football Club is The Tractor Boys.
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Leeds United Football Club |
Elland Road
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS11 0ES
Telephone +44 (0) 1132 266 000
FA Cup Winners -
1972
League Cup Winners - 1968
Leeds United A.F.C. was formed in 1919 following the demise of Leeds City. Leeds
United established their home at Elland Road in 1919, where they have played
ever since. They joined the Midland League in 1919 and were loaned £35,000 by
the chairman of local rivals Huddersfield Town, to be repaid when Leeds reached
Division One. In 1920 they were elected to the football league Division Two,
gaining promotion to Division One as champions in 1924. Leeds United had to wait
until the arrival of Don Revie as manager in 1961 before the glory years began.
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Leicester City Football Club |
The Walkers Stadium
Filbert Way
Leicester
Leicestershire
LE2 7GL
Telephone +44 (0) 1162 915 000
League Cup Winners - 1964, 1997, 2000
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2005, 2007
Leicester City Football Club was formed in 1884 as Leicester Fosse Football Club.
The club was somewhat nomadic in
its early years, playing at some six different grounds before settling on
Filbert Street in 1891. This was to be the club's home for 111 years until they
moved to the 32,500 seat Walkers Stadium for the start of the 2002-03 season. In
1891 the club joined the Midland League. After some very successful seasons,
they were elected to the Football League Second Division in 1894. Up until the
First World War, the club enjoyed mixed success having to apply for re-election
in 1904 and being promoted briefly to the First Division in 1908. After the war,
Leicester Fosse was wound up due to financial problems and replaced by Leicester
City Football Club, so named as Leicester had just been granted city status
earlier in the year.
The nickname for the Leicester football club is the Foxes.
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Leyton Orient Football Club |
Leyton Stadium
Brisbane Road
Leyton
London
E10 5NE
Telephone +44 (0) 2089 261 111
Leyton Orient F.C. is simply known as Orient or the 'Os' to its fans. Formed in
1881 by members of Glyn Cricket Club, the team has had many name changes in its
history including Eagle Cricket Club, Orient Football Club and Clapton Orient.
The name Orient was originally chosen in 1888 following the suggestion of one of
the players, who was an employee of the Orient Shipping Line. The team moved to
Leyton in 1937, prompting the name change to Leyton Orient. In 1966 they changed
the name again to just Orient, before reverting to Leyton Orient in 1987 after a
campaign by fans. The team joined the Football League in 1905.
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Lincoln City Football Club |
Sincil Bank
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN5 8LD
Telephone +44 (0) 152 288 011
Lincoln City football club was officially formed in 1884 as an amateur association,
following the disbanding of Lincoln Rovers. Lincoln City turned professional in
1891-92, having already had some impressive FA Cup runs, twice finishing in the
last 16. The club moved to its current home at Sincil Bank in 1895, having
played originally at the John O'Gaunts ground. The club joined the Football
League Division Two in 1892 as founder members, achieving their best ever
Football League finish in the 1901-02 season when they finished fifth in the
Second Division. A notable period in the club's history was from the 1930's to
the 1950's, when they were crowned Division Three (North) champions three times.
In 1975-76 they won the Division 4 championship under the guidance of England
manager-to-be Graham Taylor, setting a number of league records in the process.
Lincoln City F.C. are nicknamed the 'Red Imps', after a creature from local
legend.
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Liverpool Football Club |
Anfield Road
Liverpool
Merseyside
L4 0TH
Telephone +44 (0) 1512 632 361
FA Cup Winners -
1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006
League Cup Winners -
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2012
EUFA Football Cup Winners - 1973, 1976, 2001
European Champions League Cup Winners - 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2001, 2002
Liverpool F.C. was formed 1892 by John Holding. Holding had been the leaseholder
of Anfield stadium and purchased the ground outright in 1891. He then proposed a
rent increase to Everton F.C., who were using the ground back then, from £100 to
£250 per year. Everton refused and moved to Goodison Park. So Liverpool Football
Club were
formed and took their place at Anfield, beginning one of the oldest rivalries in
English Football. Anfield is still the club's home and has a capacity of 45,276.
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Luton Town Football Club |
Kenilworth Road Stadium
1 Maple Road
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU4 8AW
Telephone +44 (0) 1582 411 622
League Cup Winners - 1988
Luton Town F.C. was created in 1885 from the merger of Luton Wanderers and Luton
Excelsior. They were the first team in the south of England to turn
professional. Luton had a brief spell in the Football League between 1897 and
1900 but then resigned and rejoined the Southern League. They returned when many
Southern League teams created the new Football League Third Division in 1920.
After 17 seasons in the Third Division, Luton were promoted to Division Two as
runners-up. In 1954-55 they made it to the top flight for the first time. This
period of success ended with an FA Cup final loss in 1959. The team then went
into decline, even dropping to Division Four. During the late 60's and early
70's fortunes revived and the team managed to get back briefly into the top
flight. The arrival of David Pleat as manager bought renewed success and a
return to the top flight, this time for a longer spell. His successor Ray
Harford took the team to League Cup glory in 1988 with an amazing come from
behind victory over favourites Arsenal. They were in the final again the year
after, this time finishing as runners-up. Luton's most famous fan was comedian
Eric Morecambe.
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Macclesfield Town Football Club |
The Moss Rose Ground
London Road
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK11 7SP
Telephone +44 (0) 1625 264 686
Macclesfield Town F.C. was formed in 1874, when the local Rugby Football club
decided to adopt Association Football rules. They played under a variety of
names between 1874 and 1940, including Macclesfield F.C., Hallifield F.C. and
Macclesfield Football and Athletic Club. Macclesfield Town F.C. Ltd was formed
when football resumed after World War II, and the team joined the Cheshire
League. They won the Cheshire League title several times in the 1950's. In 1968
they reached the FA Cup third round for the first time, facing First Division
Fulham at Craven Cottage. They lost 4-2, but the Macclesfield goalkeeper, Keith
Goalen, became the first non league player ever to be named Player of the Month
by the Evening Standard. In the same year Macclesfield were founder members of
the Northern Premier League, which they won for the first two years in a row.
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Manchester City Football Club |
City of Manchester Stadium
SportCity
Manchester
M11 3FF
Telephone +44 (0) 8700 621 894
FA Cup Winners -
1904, 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011
League Cup Winners -
1970, 1976
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2003
Manchester City F.C. was formed in 1880 as St Marks (West Gorton), in the Gorton
district of Manchester. They moved to Hyde Road in nearby Ardwick in 1887,
changing their name to Ardwick F.C. After experiencing financial difficulties in
the 1893-94 campaign the team was renamed Manchester City F.C. They joined the
Football League as founder members of the Second Division in 1892, and gained
promotion to the First Division in 1899.
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Manchester United Football Club |
Old Trafford Stadium
Sir Matt Busby Way
Manchester
M16 0RA
Telephone +44 (0) 1618 688 000
FA Cup Winners -
1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup Winners -
1992, 2006, 2009, 2010
European Champions League Cup Winners - 1968, 1999, 2008
Manchester United F.C. was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire
and Yorkshire Railway) F.C., the works
team of the local depot of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. The team played
on a small field in North Road before moving to Bank Street in 1893. A year
earlier the team had entered the Football League, leading it to gradually sever
its ties with the railway and become an independent company. Unfortunately, this
almost led to the club going bankrupt, with the ground being closed by bailiffs at
one point. The club was saved by a sizeable investment from J H Davies, the
managing director of Manchester Breweries. The club then looked for a new name.
The suggestion of Manchester United came from Louis Rocca, a young Italian
immigrant. The team won its first League title in 1908 and its first FA Cup in
1909.
Manchester United are often referred to as Man United, Man Utd or just Man U. The official nickname for Manchester United is The Red Devils.
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Middlesbrough Football Club |
Cellnet Riverside Stadium
Middlesbrough
Cleveland/Teesside
TS3 6RS
Telephone +44 (0) 844 499 6789
League Cup Winners -
2004
Middlesbrough was formed in 1876 and, like many of the older football clubs, it
was started by members of the local cricket club as a means of staying in shape
during the winter. The club was elected to the Football League in 1899, their
first ever win in the league being recorded against Grimsby Town. The club began
its life playing at Linthorpe Road, before moving to Ayresome Park in 1903. They
stayed at Ayresome Park for 92 years before moving to the Riverside Stadium,
which holds 35,100. The club had financial difficulties in the 1980's, coming
within ten minutes of failing to raise the necessary fee for the league
registration in the 1986-87 season. They were saved by a consortium organised by
board member Steve Gibson and the official company name changed to Middlesbrough
Football and Athletic Club (1986) Ltd.
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Millwall Football Club |
The New Den
Zampa Road
Bermondsey
London
SE16 3LN
Telephone +44 (0) 2072 321 222
Millwall Rovers, as they were then called, were formed in 1885 by the workers
of J T Morton, a cannery and food processing plant on The Isle of Dogs.
Originally a Scottish company, it attracted many of its workers from the East
Coast of Scotland. The majority of the club's founding members were Scottish.
Enjoying a great deal of success in the East London Senior Cup, they joined the
Southern League as founder members in 1894; indeed the club was the main driving
force behind the formation of the league. By this time known as Millwall
Athletic, they were champions for each of the first two seasons of the new
league. In 1903 they earned the nickname 'The Lions' for a heroic FA Cup run
where they reached the semi-final. They joined the Football League in 1920 with
the creation of the Third Division.
The official nickname for the Millwall football club, is "The Lions", as
featured on their football club badge.
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Milton Keynes Dons Football Club |
National Hockey Stadium
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire
MK9 1FA
Telephone +44 (0) 1908 607 090
Milton Keynes Dons F.C. was originally connected to Wimbledon F.C. who moved to
Milton Keynes in 2004 and shortly afterwards re-launched under the current name.
Despite the struggles faced by Wimbledon at the time, the move was a highly
controversial one for Wimbledon fans and few of the original fans still support
the new club. This is not too surprising seeing as the club moved some 62 miles
to the north of its old home! In fact the supporters of the original Wimbledon
team formed their own club A.F.C. Wimbledon, after the original club moved.
After negotiations with the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association, the
club agreed to sever its claims to the honours and record of Wimbledon and
return the club memorabilia to the London Borough of Merton. The club moved to a
new stadium, the 22,000 seat stadium mk (known locally as Denbigh Stadium) in
2007.
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Morecambe Football Club |
Christie Park
Lancaster Road
Morecambe
Lancashire
LA4 5TJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1524 411 797
There were a number of attempts to start up football in Morecambe at the
beginning of the 1900s, all failing in what was strong Rugby territory. Finally
in 1920 Morecambe F.C. was formed following a meeting at the West View Hotel and
the team joined the Lancashire Combination League for 1920-21. The early years
proved to be a struggle for survival, however, with poor results and low
revenue. The club enjoyed a visit to the third round of the FA Cup in 1961-62
and in 1974 they beat Dartford in the final of the FA Trophy. Another barren
period followed until the mid-1980s. This was the start of a period of steady
improvement which saw them eventually find their way into the Conference. After
their promotion to the Conference in 1995-96, Morecambe established themselves
as one of the leading Conference clubs, finishing near the top on many occasions
and having a few unsuccessful play-off appearances. In 2007, however, Morecambe
went one better, seeing off York City in the play-off semi final to set up a
Wembley appearance against Exeter City. They won 2-1 in front of 40,000
spectators to gain entrance to the Football League for the first time in the
club's history.
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Newcastle United Football Club |
St. James' Park
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE1 4ST
Telephone +44 (0) 1912 018 400
FA Cup Winners -
1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952, 1955
Newcastle United Football club was formed in 1892 from the merger of Newcastle
East End and Newcastle West End. The two clubs that formed the merger had both
been originally formed from local cricket teams. Since their formation,
Newcastle United has always played at St James Park. Newcastle United have enjoyed
fanatical support through good times and bad. After some initially worrying
times with financial difficulties and low attendances, the Geordie team
developed into one of the most successful English teams in the Edwardian Era,
with five FA Cup appearances (but only one win) prior to the start of World War
1.
The official nickname for the Newcastle United football club, is "The
Magpies", but sometimes, unofficially, as "The Toon".
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Northampton Town Football Club |
Sixfields Stadium
Upton Way
Northampton
NN5 5QA
Telephone +44 (0) 1604 757 773
Northampton Town F.C. was originally formed by teachers from the town. The local
schoolboy football scene was strong, largely due to the enthusiasm of the
teachers for the game. They wanted to be able to demonstrate practical examples
to their students and decided that forming a team would enable them to do this.
So in 1897 Northampton's first professional football team was formed after a
meeting with a local solicitor. Northampton Town football club enjoyed
success in the early years and joined the Southern League in 1901. In 1902 they
made the headlines when they beat Portsmouth F.C. 1-0 at Fratton Park. This was
the first time in 66 attempts that any team had managed victory over Portsmouth
at Fratton Park! Northampton Town FC won the Southern League championship in 1908-09.
They joined the Football League in 1920.
The official nickname for the Northampton football club, is "The Cobblers", due
to local links to the shoe making industry. |
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Norwich City Football Club |
Carrow Road
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 1JE
Telephone +44 (0) 1603 760 760
League Cup Winners - 1962, 1985
Norwich City was formed at a meeting in the Criterion Café in Norwich in 1902.
In 1905 the FA deemed the club professional and ousted them from the amateur
leagues. They were admitted to the Southern League later that year. The club
then faced some tough years financially, being voluntarily wound up in 1917 and
reformed in 1919. By this time the club nickname had become 'The Canaries'
(canary breeding being a popular local pastime) and the team was wearing yellow
and green. The club joined the Football League Third Division in 1920.
The official nickname for Norwich City football club, is "The Canaries", this
was initially due to popularity of canary breeding in Norfolk, later home strips
are the same colour as the bird, and is now used in the club's logo.
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Nottingham Forest Football Club |
City Ground
Nottingham
NG2 5FJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1159 824 444
European Champions League Cup Winners - 1979, 1980
FA Cup Winners -
1898, 1959
League Cup Winners - 1978, 1979, 1989, 1990
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2000
Nottingham Forest F.C. also known as Notts Forest, was formed in 1865, making them one of the oldest
surviving professional football clubs in the world. They were formed shortly
after their neighbours Notts County, who are the oldest professional football
club still in existence. Unlike many older football clubs, the team was not
formed by cricket players but by players of a Scottish game known as shinty,
which bears some resemblance to the Irish game of hurling. After winning the
rival Football Alliance in 1892, Nottingham Forest was elected to the Football League.
They distinguished themselves early on, reaching the 1898 FA Cup final and
defeating Derby County 3-1, all the more remarkable as Derby had beaten them 5-1
in a league match the week before
The nickname for Nottingham Forest is usually The Tricky Trees, but nicknames of
Forest and The Reds, have also been used as nicknames for Nottingham Forest FC.
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Notts County Football Club |
Meadow Lane
Nottingham
NG2 3HJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1159 529 000
FA Cup Winners - 1894
Notts County F.C. is known as 'the oldest Football League club in the world',
due to its original formation in 1862. It is probable that the rules used back
then were rather different from those we know today, especially as the newspaper
report from 1862 which tells of the clubs first game mentions the team scoring
goals and 'rouges'. Notts County were founder members of the Football League in
1888 and achieved their highest ever league finish in 1890-91 with third place,
a feat they repeated a decade later. In 1891 they also reached the FA Cup final,
losing on that occasion to Blackburn Rovers. They returned in 1894, however, and
this time beat Bolton Wanderers 4-1 to win the trophy.
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Oldham Athletic Football Club |
Boundary Park
Oldham
Lancashire
OL1 2PA
Telephone +44 (0) 8707 532 000
Oldham Athletic F.C. was formed in 1895 under the name Pine Villa F.C.,
changing to the current name and turning professional in 1899. They joined the
Football League Second Division in 1907. They finished third, having been
unbeaten at home in their first season in the league. The following year they
went one better and were promoted to the First Division. They continued to be
competitive at this level and often finished high up the table, including ending
as runners-up just prior to World War I. They also reached the FA Cup semi final
in 1913. The team never really recovered from the break for the war and in 1923
they were relegated from Division One. Things did not improve for Oldham after
this with the team finally slipping as far as Division Four. In 1969-70 Jimmy
Frizzel took over as player manager and the club almost instantly began to
revive.
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Oxford United FC |
Grenoble Road
Oxford
OX4 4XP
Telephone +44 (0) 1865 337 500
League Cup Winners - 1986
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Peterborough United Football Club |
London Road
Peterborough
Cambridgeshire
PE2 8AL
Telephone +44 (0) 8700 550 442
Peterborough United F.C. is nicknamed 'The Posh'. Their main rivals are
Northampton Town and Cambridge United, according to whether you are an older or
younger fan (respectively). Their home ground is the London Road Stadium which
holds over 15,000 fans. The club was formed relatively recently compared to many
Football League Clubs, being formed in 1934. The decision was made to start a
new professional club to fill the void left by the collapse of Peterborough and Fletton United two years earlier. The team played its early football in the
Midland League. They almost didn't get into the league after it was found that
the delegation from Peterborough did not have the required entry fee and £20
deposit. In the end Grantham Town loaned the team enough money to pay the fees
and the problem was solved. In 1960 Peterborough finally managed their dream of
Football League status (which meant the return of the original £20 deposit from
the Midland League!), replacing Gateshead.
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Plymouth Argyle Football Club |
Home Park
Plymouth
Devon
PL2 3DQ
Telephone +44 (0) 1752 562 561
Plymouth Argyle F.C. was formed in 1886 as Argyle Football Club. The name is
connected with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, an army regiment who were
once stationed in Plymouth and whose football team had impressed the founding
members of the club. The team is nicknamed 'The Pilgrims' in connection with the
English Separatists that left from Plymouth for Massachusetts. The club badge
includes The Mayflower, the ship which carried the pilgrims to Massachusetts. On
joining the Southern League in 1903, the club changed its name to Plymouth
Argyle F.C. In 1920 they joined the Football League Division Three in its
inaugural year.
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Port Vale Football Club |
Hamil Road
Burslem
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST6 1AW
Telephone +44 (0) 1782 655 800
Port Vale F.C. took its name from Port Vale House, the venue of its inaugural
meeting in 1876. The team moved to nearby Burslem in 1884 and became Burslem
Port Vale. They spent a few years in the Midland league before joining the
Football League Division Two in 1892 as founder members. They struggled in the
football league and after a roller coaster ride of relegation and re-election
they almost went out of existence due to financial troubles in 1907 and resigned
from the league. After many years in the Central League they returned to the
Football League in 1919 to finish the fixtures left over by the expulsion of
Leeds City. By this time they had dropped the Burslem prefix and were just Port
Vale. In 1931 the team achieved its highest ever league position, 5th place in
the Second Division. The club have a very famous fan in Robbie Williams, now a
major shareholder in the club, having bought over 95% of the available shares in
the club. He provided an original theme song for the video game FIFA 2000 'Its
only us', on the provision that Port Vale was included as a team in the game.
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Portsmouth Football Club |
Fratton Park
Frogmore Road
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO4 8RA
Telephone +44 (0) 2392 731 204
FA Cup Winners -
1939, 2008
Portsmouth Football Club was formed in 1898 with local brewery owner John Brickwood as Chairman. The club joined the Southern League in 1899. Their first
match was played at Chatham Town, which they won 1-0. The following match was
against Southampton, who became the team's local rivals. The match was the debut
of Fratton Park, which has been the club's home ever since. The team's first
title in the Southern League came in 1901-02.
The official nickname for the Portsmouth football club, is "Pompey".
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Preston North End Football Club |
Deepdale
Sir Tom Finney Way
Preston
Lancashire
PR1 6RU
Telephone +44 (0) 1772 902 020
FA Cup Winners -
1889, 1938
Originally formed as a Cricket Club in 1862, Preston North End played its first
Association Football match in 1878. The club was guided by Major William Sudell,
who had a clear vision of how to make the club successful. He imported players
from other areas, mostly Scotland. They were paid match fees and given high-paid
jobs outside of Football. This led to accusations of professionalism and in 1884
Preston was expelled from the FA Cup. In 1885, however, a revolt by northern
clubs forced the league to accept professionalism.
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Queens Park Rangers Football Club |
Loftus Road Stadium
South Africa Road
Shepherds Bush
London
W12 7PA
Telephone +44 (0) 2087 430 262
League Cup Winners - 1967
Queens Park Rangers F.C. was formed in 1882, following the merger of two clubs,
St. Jude's and Christchurch Rangers. The team was the most nomadic in the
history of English Football, playing home games in 20 different grounds before
settling at Loftus Road in 1917. The team achieved several successes in the
early years, winning the West London Observer cup three times in the 1890's and
the London Cup once. Spurred on by their success the team turned professional in
1898 and joined the Southern League, finally winning the championship in
1907-08. They expected election to the Football League, but eighth place
Tottenham were elected instead. In 1920 they joined the newly formed Football
League Third Division.
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Reading Football Club |
Madejski Stadium
Reading
Berkshire
RG2 0FL
Telephone +44 1189 681 100
Originally nicknamed "The Biscuitmen" after the town's main trade, Reading was
originally formed in 1871 but did not turn professional until 1895. They were
founder members of the Southern League in 1894. The connection with biscuits
also led to the unofficial fanzine to be named 'Hob Nob Anyone?' The club
nickname changed to the Royals when the local biscuit factory closed down in the
1970's. In 1913 the team went on a tour of Italy. The club played a five match
tour in which they only lost one game and that narrowly. They beat the full
Italian national side 2-0. Reading joined the football league in 1920 in
Division Three, where they have spent the majority of their history.
The official nickname for the Reading football club, is, "The Royals", because
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Rochdale Football Club |
Spotland
Sandy Lane
Rochdale
Lancashire
OL11 5DS
Telephone +44 (0) 1706 644 648
Rochdale F.C. was formed in 1907 and joined the Manchester League for one year
before becoming members of the Lancashire Combination in 1908. The team tried on
a few occasions to join the Football League but was unsuccessful until 1921 when
they were invited to join the Football League Third Division (North). The first
Football League game in the club's history was a 6-3 victory against Accrington
Stanley on August 27th 1921. Unfortunately, the rest of the season did not go as
well, with the team finishing bottom and having to apply for re-election. In
1962, Rochdale became the first team in the bottom division of the Football
League to reach a major cup final when they got to the final of the League Cup.
Unfortunately they could not finish the job and were beaten by Norwich for the
cup. Since 1974 the team has been in the bottom division of the Football League,
making it the longest spell in the lowest division for any club in Football
League history. Rochdale F.C. is nicknamed 'The Dale' and plays its home games
at Spotland, with a capacity of 10,249. The team normally wears blue as its home
strip but swapped back to black and white stripes for its centenary season in
2007-08.
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Rotherham United Football Club |
Millmoor
Rotherham
South Yorkshire
S60 1HR
Telephone +44 (0) 1709 512 434
Rotherham United F.C. was formed as a merger of Rotherham Town and Rotherham
County in 1925. Rotherham Town formed in 1870 as just Rotherham; Rotherham
County formed in 1877 under the name Thornhill. The two teams had vied for the
title as Rotherham's top team prior to the merger, taking in turns to claim the
top dog slot. At the time of the merger, Rotherham County had made it into the
Football League but were struggling to hang on to their league status. Things
did not really improve for the club, however, until after World War II.
Rotherham United found its way back into the Football League Division Two after
winning the Division Three (North) championship in 1951. The team achieved its
best ever Football League finish in 1955, third place in the second tier.
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Scunthorpe United Football Club |
Glanford Park
Scunthorpe
Lincolnshire
DN15 8TD
Telephone +44 (0) 1724 848 077
Scunthorpe United F.C. has existed under various names, including Scunthorpe and
Lindsey United, since 1899. The club is nicknamed 'The Iron' due to the fact
that iron and (later on) steel are the mainstay industries of the town of
Scunthorpe. Despite having existed since 1899, the club did not join the
Football League until 1950. The club has played in the lower two divisions for
most of its time in the Football League, reaching the second tier between 1958
and 1964. Following relegation in 1964, the club has had to wait until 2007 to
finally return to the former Second Division, now called The Championship. The
club played at The Old Showground until 1988 when new fire regulations forced
them to become the first club in the modern era to move to a new purpose built
stadium. The new stadium Glanford Park, was officially opened on August 14th
1988.
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Sheffield United Football Club |
Bramall Lane
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
S2 4SU
Telephone +44 (0) 114 221 5757
FA Cup Winners -
1899, 1902, 1915, 1925
Like many of the older clubs in the Football League, Sheffield United
football club was formed
by a local cricket club as a way of keeping the team together during the winter
months and helping the players stay fit.
Formed in 1889, the Sheffield United football club was one of
the most successful teams in the early years of the Football League. 'The
Blades', as they are known, captured the Football League title in 1897-98 and
finished runners-up in 1896-97 and 1899-00.
The official nickname for Sheffield United football club, is "The Blades".
Referring to Sheffield United's local links with steel and cutlery. Used to be
the nickname of Sheffield Wednesday until they became The Owls in 1899.
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Sheffield Wednesday Football Club |
Hillsborough Stadium
Sheffield
S6 1SW
Tel: +44 (0) 1142 212 121
FA Cup Winners -
1896, 1907, 1935
League Cup Winners - 1991
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional Association football club
based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who currently compete in the
Football League Championship, in England. Sheffield Wednesday, formed in 1867, is one of the
oldest professional football clubs in the world and the fifth oldest in the English
league. The Wednesday, as they were named until 1929, were founding members of
The Football Alliance in 1889, and its first champions that inaugural season.
The Wednesday joined The Football League three years later when the leagues
merged. Sheffield Wednesday were also one of the founding members of The Premier
League in 1992. Their main rivals are Sheffield United, the two clubs have
contested the Steel City derby on a regular basis for some 100 years. Barnsley,
Leeds United, Bradford City, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United, Chesterfield
and Doncaster Rovers are also rivals.
The Owls have spent the majority of their history in the top flight of
English football since joining the Football League in 1892. They have won four
League titles, three FA Cups and one League Cup, but their League Cup triumph in
1991 is their only major trophy since 1935. They did reach both domestic cup
finals in 1993, but lost 2-1 to Arsenal at Wembley on both occasions.
They play their home matches at Hillsborough Stadium in the north-western
suburb of Hillsborough. It is a 39,814 all-seater stadium built in 1899 when the
lease expired at their previous ground of Olive Grove.
Sheffield Wednesday are the only English League club with a day of the week
in their name.
The club was initially a cricket club named The Wednesday Cricket Club after
the day of the week on which they played their matches. The footballing side of
the club was established to keep the team together and fit during the winter
months.
The reason the games were played on a Wednesday were due to the team being
formed by local craftsman who had a half day finishing on a Wednesday.
The club was formerly known as "The Wednesday Football Club" until 1929, when
the club was officially renamed "Sheffield Wednesday Football Club" under the
stewardship of manager Robert Brown. The club is sometimes still referred to as
simply 'The Wednesday'. However the name Sheffield Wednesday dates back as
far as 1883: the former ground at Olive Grove had the name Sheffield Wednesday
painted on the stand roof.
Sheffield Wednesday's original nickname was "The Blades", a common name for Sheffield
clubs during the 19th century due to the city's links to the cutlery industry
and now the nickname of their long-term local rivals Sheffield United. At the
start of the 20th century, when a player presented them with an owl mascot to
honour their stadium at Owlerton, adjacent to Hillsborough, the club became
known as "The Owls".
Sheffield Wednesday are sometimes known as the Wednesdays, but the official
nickname for Sheffield Wednesday is the Owls.
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Shrewsbury Town Football Club |
New Meadow
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY2 6AB
Telephone +44 (0) 1743 360 111
Shrewsbury Town F.C. was formed in 1886. Its formation followed, though not
directly, the demise of the Castle Blues a successful local team. Castle Blues
were known for their success on the field but had something of a rough
reputation, known for violence both on and off the field. This led to the demise
of the Blues and paved the way for the new club, hoping to emulate the success
without the negative points. The team played in the Shropshire and District
League before joining the Birmingham League. In the late thirties the team took
the step up to the more competitive Midland League winning the Midland League
title on two occasions and joining the Football League Third Division (North) in
1950. It took the team until the late 1970s to progress to the second tier.
Manager Graham Turner took the team to the Third Division Championship and
promotion to the Second Division in his first season in charge in 1978-79. This
was followed by a successful FA Cup run two years later, when Shrewsbury reached
the quarter finals. Since then fortunes have waned, and the team even spent
2003-04 season out of the Football League, in the Conference. The club recently
moved from its traditional home 'Gay Meadow' to its new stadium 'New Meadow'.
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Southampton Football Club |
St. Mary's Stadium
Britannia Road
Southampton
Hampshire
SO14 5FP
Telephone +44 (0) 8456 889 448
FA Cup Winners - 1976
Southampton F.C. began life in 1885 as St Mary's Young Men's Association F.C. In
1887 this was shortened to St Mary's F.C. and then became Southampton St Mary's
F.C. when the team joined the Southern League in 1894. In 1897, after wining
their first Southern League Championship, they changed to Southampton F.C. The
team played many of its early matches on The Common, meaning that they were
sometimes interrupted by pedestrians. The team moved to the newly built stadium
'The Dell' in 1898, where they stayed for 103 years. The new all seat St Mary's
stadium became their new home in 2001. Southampton enjoyed great success in the
Southern League before being elected to the Football League Division Three in
1920.
The official nickname for Southampton football club is 'The Saints", due to them
being originally called Southampton St Marys.
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Southend United Football Club |
Roots Hall Football Ground
Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-sea
Essex
SS2 6NQ
Telephone +44 (0) 1702 304 050
Southend United F.C. was formed in 1906 at a meeting convened by the Landlord of
the Blue Boar, a local Pub. They joined the Southern League Second Division,
winning the division championship in 1908 and promotion to the Southern League
First Division. In 1920 Southend United joined the Football League Third
Division as founder members. They remained in the Third Division (or during
regionalisation Third Division South) for 46 years until they were relegated to
Division Four in 1966. For over 20 years the Southend fans had to endure a
rollercoaster ride of promotion and relegation. At one point the clubs very
existence was threatened, both on and off the field. In 1991, however, the team
achieved promotion to the second tier of the Football League for the first time
in its history.
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Stockport County Football Club |
Edgeley Park
Hardcastle Road
Edgeley
Stockport
Cheshire
SK3 9DD
Telephone +44 (0) 1612 868 888
Stockport County F.C. was originally formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers F.C.,
who merged shortly after formation with Heaton Norris F.C. In May 1890 the club
changed the name to Stockport County F.C. to reflect the fact that Stockport had
become a County Borough. Stockport played in The Combination and the Lancashire
League, before joining the Football League in 1900 after winning the Lancashire
League championship.
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Stoke City Football Club |
Britannia Stadium
Stanley Matthews Way
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 7EG
Telephone +44 (0) 1782 592 222
League Cup Winners - 1972
Stoke City F.C. are believed to be the second oldest Football League club. They
were formed in 1863 as Stoke Ramblers by apprentices at the North Staffordshire
Railway Works, although there is no record of any matches by the team until
1868. Stoke achieved early success when in 1877 the Staffordshire FA was formed
and the County Cup created. Stoke won the trophy in its first two years, in one
tie recording the clubs record win of 26-0 over Mow Cop. In 1878 the team merged
with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club and moved to what became known as the Victoria
Ground. Stoke City supporters have adopted the song Delilah by Tom Jones as
their anthem.
The official nickname for the Stoke City football club, is "The Potters",
because of the local links to the pottery industry in Stoke.
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Sunderland Football Club |
Stadium of Light
Sunderland
Tyne and Wear
SR5 1SU
Telephone +44 (0) 8719 111 200
FA Cup Winners - 1937, 1973
Sunderland A.F.C. started life in 1879 as the Sunderland and District Teachers
Association Football Club. In 1890 they were the first club to be elected to the
Football League following its inauguration in 1888. Sunderland was one of the
most successful English clubs in the early years of the Football League, having
won five league titles prior to World War I. Sunderland football club are based
in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
The official nickname for the Sunderland
Football Club is The Black Cats, but they're also sometimes known as The Rokerites (referring to the link with Roker Park).
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Swansea City Football Club |
Vetch Field
Swansea
South Wales
SA1 3SU
Telephone +44 (0) 1792 474 114
Swansea City F.C. was formed in 1912 as the professional club, Swansea Town. The
name was changed to city when Swansea itself was granted city status in 1971.
Swansea Town played at Vetch Field near the city centre. Vetch Field took its
name from the cabbage-like plant that grew wild on the field. The Swans, as they
are known, joined the Southern League Second Division, winning promotion to the
Southern League First Division just prior to the outbreak of World War I. This
led to them becoming founder members of the new Football League Third Division
in 1920.
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Swindon Town Football Club |
County Ground
County Road
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN1 2ED
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 333 700
League Cup Winners - 1969
There's a certain mystery surrounding the date of the exact founding of Swindon
Town F.C. Recent research suggests that the club was formed in 1879, possibly
as Swindon A.F.C., before becoming Spartans and later merging with local rivals
the Young Man's Friendly Society. In 1883 they became Swindon Town F.C. They
turned professional in 1894 the team turned professional and joined the Southern
League Division One. In 1920 they joined the Football League Third Division,
where they played until 1963 when they won promotion and entered the Second
Division.
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Tottenham Hotspur Football Club |
White Hart Lane
748 High Road
Tottenham
London
N17 0AP
Telephone +44 (0) 2083 655 000
FA Cup Winners -
1901, 1921, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1982, 1991
League Cup Winners -
1971, 1973, 1999, 2008
EUFA Football Cup Winners - 1972, 1984
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. was formed in 1882 as Hotspur F.C. by members of Hotspur
Cricket Club. It's believed that the name Hotspur is associated with Sir Harry
Hotspur the character from Shakespeare's 'King Henry IV - part one', who had
lived locally. In 1884 the team changed to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The
club is often known as 'Spurs'. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club joined the Football League 1908, but in
1901 became the only non-league side to win the FA Cup since the formation of
the Football League.
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Tranmere Rovers Football Club |
Prenton Park
Prenton
Wirral
Merseyside
CH42 9PY
Telephone +44 (0) 1516 084 194
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2009
Tranmere Rovers were formed in 1884 as Belmont F.C., formed from the merger of
two cricket clubs, Belmont Cricket Club and Lyndhurst Wanderers. The team
changed the name to Tranmere Rovers a year later. In the early years Tranmere
played in the Liverpool and District League, followed by the Lancashire
Combination, where they won their first silverware. In 1919 they stepped up to
the Central League, which led to them joining the newly formed Third Division
(North) of the Football League in 1921.
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Walsall Football Club |
Bescot Stadium
Bescot Crescent
Walsall
West Midlands
WS1 4SA
Telephone +44 (0) 1922 622 791
Walsall Town were formed in 1877 and their fierce rivals, Walsall Swifts, were
formed a tear later in 1878. In the 1887/88 season, they decided to end the
rivalry and merged to make Walsall F.C (originally know as the Walsall Town
Swifts). They are nicknamed The Saddlers. Walsall did not gain entry to the
Football League as founder members but showed their strength that year by
beating one of the founders, Burnley, in the new leagues debut season. They also
had defender Albert Aldridge capped for England twice that year. They joined the
newly formed Football League Second Division in 1892 where they struggled to
maintain their status. Walsall failed to gain re-election in 1895 but bounced
back into the league the next year.
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Watford Football Club |
Vicarage Road Stadium
Vicarage Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 0ER
Telephone +44 (0) 1923 496 000
Watford F.C. was formed in 1881 by Henry Grover. They did not join the Football
League, however, until 1920 when they were inaugural members of the Third
Division. They had played in the Southern League prior to this, winning the
championship in 1915. The team moved to Vicarage Road, their home ever since, in
1922. They currently share the ground with Saracens Rugby Club. The club spent
most of its time in Divisions Three and Four, with only three years in Division
Two prior to 1979. The revolution in the club's history began when pop superstar
Elton John took over as Chairman in 1976 and Graham Taylor was appointed
manager.
The official nickname for the Watford Football club, is "The Hornets", due to the
colour of their home strip.
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West Bromwich Albion Football Club |
The Hawthorns
Halfords Lane
West Bromwich
West Midlands
B71 4LF
Telephone +44 (0) 8700 668 888
FA Cup Winners -
1888, 1892, 1931, 1954, 1968
League Cup Winners - 1966
West Bromwich Albion F.C, or the full name of West Bromwich Albion Football
Club. is also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Albion, The Throstles and W.B.A. They were formed in 1878 by workers at the local
spring works as the West Bromwich Strollers and changed to Albion in 1880.
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West Ham United Football Club |
Boleyn Ground
Green Street
Upton Park
London
E13 9AZ
Telephone +44 (0) 2085 482 748
FA Cup Winners -
1964, 1975, 1980
West Ham United, known as 'The Hammers', were formed in 1895 as 'Thames
Ironworks F.C.'. They changed the name to West Ham United five years later after
severing their links with the Ironworks. In 1989 they turned professional and
joined the Southern League, having won the London League as amateurs the year
before. The team went through a number of colours before winning their now
traditional colours of claret and blue from members of Aston Villa F.C. in a
wager. After becoming West Ham United, the team went through some difficult
years, at some points having no stable ground until the team moved to the Boleyn
Ground at Upton Park in 1904.
The official nickname for West Ham United, is, "The Hammers", although this may
initially appear to be based on a simple shortening of the name, observation of
the club's crest will reveal crossed metalworking hammers, indicating the club's
origins as the football team of Thames Ironworks.
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Wigan Athletic Football Club |
JJB Stadium
Robin Park
Wigan
Lancashire
WN5 0UZ
FA Cup Winners - 2013
Telephone +44 (0) 1942 774 000
Wigan Athletic F.C., also known as 'The Latics', were the sixth attempt at a
stable club in Wigan. Previously, there had been Wigan County, Wigan United,
Wigan Town, Wigan Rovers and finally Wigan Borough who folded the year before
Wigan Athletic was formed in 1932.
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Wimbledon Football Club |
AFC Wimbledon Football Club
Kingsmeadow Stadium
Jack Goodchild Way
422a Kingston Road
Kingston-upon-Thames
Surrey
England
KT1 3PB
FA Cup Winners - 1988
Wimbledon Football Club is an English professional football club, originally
from Wimbledon, south west London. Formed in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Centrals,
the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League
football before a rapid ascent to the top-flight of English football in the late
1970s and early 1980s. Wimbledon stayed in the First Division and then the FA
Premier League from 1986 until 2000. Most famously, in 1988, Wimbledon beat the
then-champions Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup final, thus becoming only the second
football club (after Old Carthusians) to have won both the FA Cup and the FA
Amateur Cup, having won the latter in 1962-63.
Following the publication of the Taylor Report, which recommended that all
top-flight clubs play in all-seater stadiums, the club decided that it needed to
move from its Plough Lane home in 1991. Wimbledon began to groundshare with
nearby Crystal Palace, an originally temporary arrangement that ended up lasting
over ten years. In May 2002, after considering a variety of new sites, the club
was granted permission to relocate 56 miles (90 km) north to Milton Keynes in
Buckinghamshire. The move away from south London was deeply unpopular both with
the majority of the club's established fan base and football supporters
generally. The majority of supporters responded to the planned relocation by
forming a new club, AFC Wimbledon. Wimbledon moved in September 2003, and became
Milton Keynes Dons in June 2004.
The club's mascot between 2000 and 2003 was a Womble, named Wandle the Womble.
However, following the relocation, the owners of the Wombles brand refused to
renew the license agreement. Three years later, a deal was agreed that saw a
similar character named Haydon the Womble appear at AFC Wimbledon.
The club's nickname is the Dons, though the club is also occasionally referred
to as the Wombles. Following the FA Cup victory in 1988, the Wimbledon football
club was also starting to be known as the Crazy Gang.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club |
Molineux
Waterloo Road
Wolverhampton
West Midlands
WV1 4QR
Telephone +44 (0) 1902 655 000
FA Cup Winners - 1893, 1908, 1949, 1960
League Cup Winners - 1974, 1980
Masters Football Tournament Cup Winners - 2008
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. started life in 1877 as St Luke's, after the
headmaster of St Luke's School in Blakenhall presented some of the school's
pupils with a football. The team merged with a local cricket team The Wanderers
in 1879, becoming Wolverhampton Wanderers football club. In 1888 Wolves, as they are more
commonly known, were founder members of the Football League. They finished third
and were also beaten finalists in the FA Cup that year.
The official nickname for Wolverhampton Wanderers is the Wolves.
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Wrexham Football Club |
Racecourse Ground
Mold Road
Wrexham
North Wales
LL11 2AH
Telephone +44 (0) 1978 262 129
In 1872, members of Wrexham Cricket Club met at the Turf Hotel in Wrexham to
discuss proposals for a winter pastime to keep the team fit. At this meeting
Wrexham Football Club was formed, despite the fact that the club's modern badge
states 1873! Wrexham were one of the leading campaigners for a rule restricting
the number of players to eleven. Football rules were rather flexible in the
early days, and some games were played with as many as seventeen per side. After
many years in the Football Combination and Birmingham and District Leagues,
Wrexham were invited to join the newly formed Football League Division Three
(North) in 1921. The team had to wait until the late 1970's before reaching the
second tier of the Football League, when new manager Arfon Griffiths, who took
the team to a four year spell in the Second Division. Wrexham has won the Welsh
Cup 23 times to date and been runners-up on a further 22 occasions. They reached
the quarter final of the European Cup Winner's Cup in 1976.
Wrexham F.C. is
nicknamed 'The Red Dragons' or 'The Robins' and plays its home fixtures at the 15,500 seat
racecourse ground in Wrexham.
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Wycombe Wanderers Football Club |
Adams Park
Hillbottom Road
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP1 4HJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1494 472 100
Wycombe Wanderers F.C. was formed in 1887 by a group of local furniture makers,
hence the club nickname 'The Chairboys'. They joined the Southern League, but
struggled as an amateur team in a mainly professional league. After a couple of
league changes they ended up in the Isthmian League in 1921. It was some time
before they enjoyed any real success in the Isthmian league, although they did
win the FA Amateur Cup in 1931. In 1956 Wycombe won the first of its eight
Isthmian League titles. The Chairboys joined the Football Conference in 1985 and
after an initially difficult ride, began to enjoy some success. The appointment
of Martin O'Neill as manager was a key moment, leading to two FA Trophy wins and
promotion to the Football League for the first time in the team's history in
1993. This was followed by more success as the team won promotion to the third
tier in its first season in the Football League.
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Yeovil Town FC |
Huish Park Stadium
Lufton Way
Yeovil
Somerset
BA22 8YF
Telephone +44 (0) 1935 423 662
Yeovil Town FC was formed in 1890 and for many years shared a ground with the
local Rugby Club. In 1895 the club was reborn as the Yeovil Casuals, moving away
from the Rugby team to play at its own ground, the Pen Mill Athletic Club. The
club became Yeovil Town FC during the 1907-08 season. In 1908, another football
team was formed in Yeovil, Petters United. Within a couple of years an intense
rivalry grew up between the clubs. This ended in 1914 when the two teams
amalgamated and moved up to the Western League, where they became champions in
1921-22. Yeovil then joined the Southern League, Western section and shortly
after this began to make a name for themselves as a giant killing FA Cup side.
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England
Englands national football team
Football World Cup winners - 1966
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