List of football clubs in England and Wales by year formed

List of football league clubs in the English football league system, as of the 2017–18 season. This represents the top four divisions of English football.

Different sources offer alternative dates for club foundation dates, and therefore given dates can vary. Reasons for differentiation include:

  • Informal status: Clubs can originate as an unincorporated association; clubs may include this relatively informal period as part of their history.
  • Mergers: Clubs can form from a merger of two clubs with the date of one of the origin clubs being used as the foundation date.
  • Liquidation: Some clubs were liquidated, with a present club claiming themselves as the continuation of the previous one
  • Historicity: Some dates are based on non-contemporary accounts with sources of uncertain provenance
  • Continuity: Contemporary newspaper reports may use club names where the direct connection to modern day clubs is not established.

The year in the left hand column is the year claimed by the club itself

Year given by clubClub(s)Notes
1862Notts County1862 date based on a press account of the "Nottingham Football Club".[1] The organisational link between the 1862 club and "Notts Football Club" of 1864 (the Notts County of today) is unclear.[2]
1863Stoke CityThe formation of Stoke Ramblers (a forerunner of Stoke City) was reported in contemporary news reports in 1868. Two 1906 football history books stated that the Stoke Ramblers' founders had started the club in 1863, which was the date subsequently adopted by the current club for anniversary celebrations in 1963 and 2013, and in the current crest. However this earlier date was never universally accepted, and the factual detail in the books' accounts of the 1863 formation was disproved by modern research.

This club underwent a merger in 1878 and was liquidated in 1908, with the current club founded shortly after.[3][4]

1865Nottingham Forest[5]
1866ChesterfieldSeveral Chesterfield clubs with unknown links existed in the 19th century, current club founded 1919[6]
1867Sheffield Wednesday[7]Founded as The Wednesday Football Club in 1867; adopted current name in 1929.
1871Reading[8]Some doubt on whether 1871 or 1872 [9]
1874Aston Villa[10]
1874Bolton Wanderers[11]
1875Birmingham City[12]
1875Blackburn Rovers[13]
1876MiddlesbroughOriginal club founded in 1876,[14] club merged then demerged from another club in 1892.
1876Port ValeDisputed whether original club foundation is 1876 or 1879,[15] this club was wound up, with the name used by another club in 1909
1877Crewe Alexandra[16]
1877Wolverhampton WanderersMerged with another club in 1879[17]
1878Everton[18]
1878Grimsby Town[19]
1878Ipswich TownMerged with a rugby club in 1888[20]
1878Manchester United [21]founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR F.C. Renamed in 1902, liquidation was avoided[22]
1878West Bromwich AlbionFormation in 1879, any football in 1878 on an informal basis[23]
1879Doncaster RoversLiquidated and reformed in 1914[24]
1879Fulham[25]
1879SunderlandFirst recorded competitive game was against Ferryhill Athletic on 13 November 1880. In 1881 the club's name was changed to Sunderland Association Football Club.[26]
1879Swindon TownDispute on whether formation was in 1879 or 1881. Merged with another club in 1881[27]
1880Manchester City[28]
1880Preston North End[29]
1881Watfordunderwent merger in 1898, the 1881 date is for one of the two merged clubs[30]
1882Burnley [31]
1882Tottenham Hotspur[32]
1883Bristol Rovers[33]
1883Coventry City[34]
1884Derby County[35]
1884Leicester CityOriginal club, Leicester Fosse, closed down in 1919 to be replaced by Leicester City[36]
1884Lincoln City[37]
1885Bury[38]
1885Luton Town[39]
1885Millwall[40]
1885Southampton[41]
1886Queens Park RangersAmalgamation of two clubs, 1882 sometimes claimed[42]
1886Arsenal, Plymouth Argyle, Shrewsbury Town
1887BlackpoolFormed by breakaway from another club[43] 1877 sometimes claimed
1887Barnsley, Cheltenham Town, Wycombe Wanderers
1888Barnet, Walsall
1889Brentford, Forest Green Rovers, Sheffield United[44]
1892Liverpool, Newcastle United
1893Gillingham, Oxford United
1894 Bristol City[45]
1895Oldham Athletic, West Ham United, Yeovil Town
1896Crawley Townplayed informally from 1890[46]
1896Carlisle UnitedRenaming rather than previously thought merger in 1904. Liquidation and reform in 1911.
1897Mansfield Town, Northampton Town
1898PortsmouthWound up and reformed in 1911[47]
1899Bournemouth, Cardiff City, Scunthorpe United
1901Brighton & Hove AlbionClaims of connection to previous clubs[48]
1901Exeter CityAdopted current name in 1904,[49] previously thought to be a merger
1902Norwich City[50]Original club liquidated 1917 and reformed 1919
1903Bradford Cityformed from Manningham FC after a switch from Rugby League [51]
1904Hull City[52]
1905Charlton Athletic[53]
1905Chelsea[54]
1905Crystal Palace[55]
1906Southend United[56]
1907Rochdale[57]
1908Huddersfield TownLiquidated and reformed in 1912[58]
1912Newport CountyLiquidated and reformed in 1989[59]
1912Cambridge United[60]
1912Swansea CityOriginal club wound up in 1985[61]
1919Leeds United[62]
1920Morecambe[63]
1925Rotherham Unitedbased on clubs that were involved in the 1925 merger, 1870 is sometimes claimed[64]
1932Wigan AthleticSeveral teams created and wound up prior to current club[65]
1934Peterborough United[66]
1937Colchester UnitedReplaced an amateur club which folded the previous year[67]
1950Burton Albionsucceeded other clubs in the town[68]
1968Accrington StanleyReformed, following the demise of a previous club of the same name in 1963[69]
1976Stevenagefounded following bankruptcy of a previous club[70]
1997Fleetwood TownSeveral previous versions[71]
2002AFC Wimbledonviewed as a new club and not a continuation of Wimbledon FC[72]
2004MK DonsAlthough the club was a continuation of Wimbledon FC (formed 1889), moving from Wimbledon to Milton Keynes in 2003, the club considers its foundation from when the club was renamed in 2004[73]

References

In the book "Forever Forest" by Don Wright, the "official Nottingham Forest club historian" states "Nottingham Forest are the second oldest football league club in the world (after Notts County, which began in 1862)". This is due to there being actual records of this date.

  1. ↑ "Outside the Box: Warning to managers - quadruple jeopardy of signing the double-jointed".
  2. ↑ "Calls for plaque to recognise meeting at city hotel which created Notts County FC".
  3. ↑ "Classic clubs:Stoke City".
  4. ↑ "1863-1888 In the Beginning". Stoke City F.C. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "The forgotten story of … Sam Weller Widdowson: footballer, cricketer, innovator".
  6. ↑ "Four clubs for Chesterfield".
  7. ↑ http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/150-years-of-sheffield-wednesday-a-night-in-the-adelphi-where-it-all-began-1-8735374. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ↑ "Pictures: Reading FC rubbishes rumours these could be next season's kits".
  9. ↑ "Reading forgotten history".
  10. ↑ "Rise and Fall of Aston Villa".
  11. ↑ "New book re-lives the story of lost Bolton Wanderers heroes and an age when the club was a giant of football".
  12. ↑ "Ghost Grounds: Leicester Fosse's playing days at the Dog & Duck".
  13. ↑ "Blackburn Rovers".
  14. ↑ "Happy birthday Middlesbrough - fans are the stars as Boro celebrate milestone match".
  15. ↑ "Vale Park: Port Vale".
  16. ↑ "Crewe Alex FC history".
  17. ↑ "Wolves history".
  18. ↑ "Everton's original home uncovered for the first time in half-a-century=".
  19. ↑ "GRIMSBY TOWN FC".
  20. ↑ "Gallery - Kindred Spirits: Portman Road stadium puts Ipswich on the world map".
  21. ↑ "Manchester United and its IPO".
  22. ↑ "Man Utd's turbulent business history".
  23. ↑ "West Bromwich Albion".
  24. ↑ "Doncaster Rovers".
  25. ↑ "Fulham FC".
  26. ↑ "1879 or 1880: Sunderland AFC's disputed foundation date; a fresh perspective".
  27. ↑ "Swindon Town".
  28. ↑ "How resilient district rose out of industrial decline".
  29. ↑ "Invincible team's march into football's history books".
  30. ↑ "Watford".
  31. ↑ "Exciting plans for Turf Moor memorial garden".
  32. ↑ "Tottenham fans will continue to walk in footsteps of club's history after White Hart Lane is gone".
  33. ↑ "Bristol Rovers".
  34. ↑ "Coventry City: The Sky Blues' unhappy anniversary".
  35. ↑ "Anton Rippon: Immense pride at seeing local boys succeeding Derby County".
  36. ↑ "Leicester City".
  37. ↑ "Lincoln City".
  38. ↑ "How Bury FC ended up guaranteeing 138% annual interest on a £1m loan".
  39. ↑ "Luton celebrates 125th anniversary".
  40. ↑ "HOW MILLWALL FC BECAME THE PRIDE OF BERMONDSEY".
  41. ↑ "Ghost Grounds: A world away from the comforts of today's gleaming stadia".
  42. ↑ "Plaque marks football club's west London birthplace".
  43. ↑ "Blackpool's glory days".
  44. ↑ "on this day:1889".
  45. ↑ BCFC. "A Potted History". www.bcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-10.
  46. ↑ "Crawley Town history".
  47. ↑ "Portsmouth".
  48. ↑ "Brighton and Hove Albion football history bought for £750".
  49. ↑ "Exeter City".
  50. ↑ "The dates which shaped our city explored in new book".
  51. ↑ "Bradford City]]".
  52. ↑ "Hull City drop name from redesigned club crest".
  53. ↑ "Why I Sold Charlton - The Inside Track".
  54. ↑ "Chelsea launch home and away kits for 2017/18: These shirts are stunning!".
  55. ↑ "CRYSTAL PALACE FC".
  56. ↑ "Keep Southend United's history alive".
  57. ↑ "Rochdale FC".
  58. ↑ "Huddersfield".
  59. ↑ "Newport County: What next for Exiles after their greatest escape?".
  60. ↑ "Former Cambridge United secretary Paul Daw honoured with testimonial at Saffron Walden Town".
  61. ↑ "Swansea City".
  62. ↑ "Ill health forces Fell out".
  63. ↑ "Profile on Morcambe FC".
  64. ↑ "Rotherham United".
  65. ↑ "Wigan Athletic".
  66. ↑ "Meet Eric Heath".
  67. ↑ "NOSTALGIA: 48 old pictures of Colchester United fans and players".
  68. ↑ "Living the impossible dream".
  69. ↑ "Axed Stanley".
  70. ↑ "Stevenage facts".
  71. ↑ "Fleetwood Town reach Football League for first time".
  72. ↑ "ONLY ONE DON AFC Wimbledon refuse to recognise MK Dons in their official match-day programme as the two clash tonight at the Cherry Red Records Stadium".
  73. ↑ "MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon: Stuart Murdoch's story".
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