List of football league clubs in the top four tiers of English football (i.e. the Premier League and the English Football League), as of the 2023–24 season, by year formed. To provide a consistent methodology, the year used is that published by the clubs themselves. Where month and day are also published, these are recorded in the notes.
Different sources offer alternative dates for club foundation dates, and the date attributed to a club can be disputed.[1] Reasons for differences include:
Other listings of club foundation dates using different criteria are available.[3]
| Year published by club | width=150pt | Club | Season 2023–24 | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1862 | 1862 date based on a press account of the "Nottingham Football Club".[4] | League Two | The organisational link between the 1862 club and "Notts Foot-ball Club" of 1864 (the Notts County of today) unclear.[5] | |
| 2 | 1863[6] | Stoke City | Championship | Prior to Notts County rejoining the League in 2023, Stoke City stated they were the oldest professional Football League Club in the world, existing since 1863. Evidence for foundation in 1863 is provided by "The Book of Football"(1905), which names four founder players, and a date of 1863 while discussing Stoke City.[7] That date was adopted by the current club for anniversary celebrations in 1963[8] and 2013,[9] and included in the current crest.[10] However the 1863 date is disputed.[11] The earliest known newspaper reports of Stoke City under the name Stoke Ramblers, in 1868, stated that Stoke Ramblers had been formed that season,[12] [13] and some of the details in these reports may have been used in the 1905 book in the description of the events claimed to be in 1863.[14] The club underwent a merger in 1878, when it became known simply as Stoke, and was liquidated in 1908, but refounded shortly after.[15] Contemporary reports called this refounded club, "new"[16] | |
| 3 | 1864 | League Two | Wrexham Football and Athletic Club founded in 1864, renamed as Wrexham Football Club in 1872 and wound up in 1883, to be replaced by Wrexham Olympic Football Club. This club was renamed to Wrexham Football Club in 1888.[17] | ||
| 4 | 1865[18] | Nottingham Forest[19] | Premier League | Nottingham Forest state that a group of shinney players founded the club in 1865. The exact date of the club's formation is unknown, but returns from the club to the 1870s Alcock's Football Annual stated October 1865 as the month of formation,[20] and football matches were documented from 1866.[21] A late Victorian source described the date of formation of Forest as "a matter of some uncertainty, but most probably as far back as 1864".[22] Former league club Notts County claim an earlier foundation date of 1862;[23] following their relegation from the fourth tier of the English Football League in 2019, the EFL stated that Nottingham Forest were now the oldest professional football league club. This was contested by Stoke City, who claim 1863 as their foundation year. | |
| 5 | 1867[24] | Sheffield Wednesday[25] | Championship | The club state a foundation date of 4 September 1867.The club were founded as The Wednesday Football Club in 1867 as an offshoot of The Wednesday Cricket Club formed 1820.[26] The exact date of formation is disputed, with both 4 and 5 September 1867 reported as the date of formation in newspapers published in the same week.[27] The first reported practice match was on 12 October 1867;[28] their first competitive fixtures were in February 1868 in the Cromwell Cup. The club formally adopted its current name in 1929, previously it was referred to variously as Wednesday,[29] The Wednesday[30] and Sheffield Wednesday. | |
| 6 | 1871[31] | Reading[32] | League One | Uncertainty whether formed in 1871 or 1872[33] | |
| 7 | 1874[34] | Aston Villa[35] | Premier League | Some debate over March or November 1874[36] [37] Villa say 21 November 1874 is a legend.[38] | |
| 8 | 1874[39] | Bolton Wanderers[40] | League One | Formed as Christ Church FC, no exact date known though possibly June. Renamed Bolton Wanderers in 1877 | |
| 9 | 1875[41] | Birmingham City[42] | Championship | Founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875, exact date unknown | |
| 10 | 1875[43] | Blackburn Rovers[44] | Championship | Founded at a meeting on 5 November 1875 | |
| 11 | 1876[45] | Championship | Original club founded in 1876,[46] though date stated as vague. Other source says 20 October 1876.[47] Club merged then demerged from another club in 1892. | ||
| 12 | 1876[48] | League One | Disputed whether original club foundation is 1876 or 1879,.[49] Exact date in 1876 not known. The club was wound up, with the name used by a successor club in 1909. | ||
| 13 | 1877[50] | Crewe Alexandra[51] | League Two | No date for formation in 1877. | |
| 14 | 1877[52] | Premier League | Originally called St Lukes, date not recorded. Merged with another club in 1879.[53] | ||
| 15 | 1878[54] | Everton[55] | Premier League | Formed as St Domingo's, 1 January 1878 | |
| 16 | 1878[56] | Championship | Founded 16 October 1878. Merged with a rugby club in 1888.[57] | ||
| 17 | 1878[58] | Manchester United[59] | Premier League | Founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR F.C. Renamed in 1902; liquidation was avoided.[60] | |
| 18 | 1878[61] | Championship | Disputed whether 1878 or 1879, any football in 1878 on an informal basis.[62] Club states 1878. | ||
| 19 | 1878[63] | League Two | |||
| 20= | 1879[64] | League Two | Liquidated and reformed in 1914.[65] | ||
| 21 | 1879[66] | Fulham[67] | Premier League | Primarily cricket in its early days. | |
| 22 | 1879[68] | Championship | First recorded competitive game was against Ferryhill Athletic on 13 November 1880. In 1881 the club's name was changed to Sunderland Association Football Club. Dispute over 1879 and 1880.[69] | ||
| 23 | 1879[70] | League Two | Dispute on whether formation was in 1879 or 1881. Merged with another club in 1881.[71] Club only states 1879. | ||
| 24 | 1880[72] | Manchester City[73] | Premier League | Started as a church team, exact date not known | |
| 25 | 1880[74] | Preston North End[75] | Championship | Given in club history as May 1880, not clear when football started to be played. | |
| 26 | 1881[76] | Championship | West Herts (formerly Watford Rovers, founded 1881) absorbed rivals Watford St Mary's in 1898 and were renamed Watford.[77] | ||
| 27 | 1882[78] | Burnley[79] | Premier League | ||
| 28 | 1882[80] | Tottenham Hotspur[81] | Premier League | 5 September 1882 as Hotspur Football Club | |
| 29 | 1882[82] | Championship | Amalgamation of two clubs in 1886 with the older formed in 1882, 1882 is in the club crest.[83] The club states 1882 "signifies the very earliest roots of our club's beginnings" | ||
| 30 | 1883[84] | Bristol Rovers[85] | League One | September 1883 | |
| 31 | 1883[86] | Coventry City[87] | Championship | Coventry City formed as Singers F.C. in 1883 at an unknown date before adopting their current name in 1898. | |
| 32 | 1883[88] | League Two | |||
| 33 | 1884[89] | Derby County[90] | League One | An offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Club | |
| 34 | 1884[91] | Championship | Original club, Leicester Fosse, closed down in 1919 to be replaced by Leicester City.[92] Club's history states first football match 1 November 1884. | ||
| 35 | 1884[93] | League Two | Original club, Belmont FC, closed down in 1884 to be replaced by Tranmere. | ||
| 36 | 1884[94] | Lincoln City[95] | League One | The club state they were officially formed as an amateur association in 1884, though there had been a team playing since the 1860s | |
| 37 | 1885[96] | Luton Town[97] | Premier League | Merger between local clubs, Wanderers and Excelsior, announced on 11 April 1885 | |
| 38 | 1885[98] | Millwall[99] | Championship | No exact date supplied by club | |
| 39 | 1885[100] | Southampton[101] | Premier League | ||
| 40 | 1886[102] | Premier League | No exact date given, described as 'late 1886' | ||
| 41 | 1886[103] | Championship | The club state 1886 was the year "the original Argyle was formed". | ||
| 42 | 1886[104] | League One | Club views 1886 as the origin, though says roots go back to 1879. | ||
| 43 | 1887[105] | League One | Formed by breakaway from another club[106] 1877 sometimes claimed, however club states "founded in 1887 on the back of a breakaway from local outfit St John's FC" | ||
| 44 | 1887[107] | League One | Founded as "Barnsley St. Peter's" on 17 September 1887, but subsequently dropped the "St. Peter's" in 1897. | ||
| 45 | 1887[108] | League One | Club states previously thought to be 1892, moved back to 1887 due to evidence of football being played earlier in the town. | ||
| 46 | 1887[109] | League One | |||
| 47 | 1888[110] | League Two | Amalgamation of two older clubs as Walsall Town Swifts | ||
| 48 | 1888[111] | League Two | Founded in 1881 as the Glyn Cricket Club; the club began playing football as Orient in 1888. Club state the existing Cricket Club adopted football on 3 March 1888. | ||
| 49 | 1889[112] | Premier League | Club states 10 October 1889. | ||
| 50 | 1889[113] | League Two | Founded October 1889 | ||
| 51 | 1889[114] | Sheffield United[115] | Premier League | Club state foundation on 22 March 1889 | |
| 52 | 1892[116] | Premier League | The club state that nn 15 March 1892, John Houlding broke from the board of Everton to form Liverpool FC, and that the club was formally recognised by the Board of Trade on 3 June. | ||
| 53 | 1892[117] | Premier League | Began in May 1892 when two clubs joined. | ||
| 54 | 1893[118] | League Two | Formed as New Brompton Football Club in 1893 before being renamed Gillingham in 1912. The 1893 date was displayed on the club badge from 1995 to 2007 however, the club celebrated 2012 as '100 years since the birth of the Gills'.[119] | ||
| 55 | 1893[120] | League One | History includes a merger in 1911. | ||
| 56 | 1894[121] | Championship | |||
| 57 | 1896[122] | League Two | Played informally from 1890.[123] | ||
| 58 | 1897[124] | League Two | Club states "many dates have been given, however most are apocryphal or at the very least wildly inaccurate" | ||
| 59 | 1897[125] | League One | Went into administration in 1992 but escaped liquidation.[126] Club states foundation on 6 March 1897. | ||
| 60 | 1898[127] | Sutton United | League Two | Club was formed on 5 March 1898 after Sutton Guild Rovers F.C and Sutton Association F.C agreed to merge. | |
| 61 | 1898[128] | League One | Wound up and immediately reformed in July 1912 to evade debts of the original 1898 club. Club state 1898 in their history without the winding-up. | ||
| 62 | 1899[129] | AFC Bournemouth | Premier League | Formed as Boscombe FC in 1899 from an earlier club; some give 1890 as original date.[130] | |
| 64 | 1899[131] | Championship | Formed as Riverside. | ||
| 64 | 1895[132] | Premier League | Forerunner was Thames Ironworks in 1895. | ||
| 65 | 1901[133] | Premier League | Claims of connection to previous clubs.[134] Club states date of 24 June 1901. | ||
| 66 | 1901[135] | Barrow AFC | League Two | ||
| 67 | 1901[136] | League One | Adopted current name in 1904,[137] previously thought to be a merger. | ||
| 68 | 1902[138] | Norwich City[139] | Championship | Original club liquidated 1917 and reformed 1919. | |
| 69 | 1903[140] | League Two | formed from Manningham FC after a switch from Rugby League [141] | ||
| 70 | 1904[142] | League One | Liquidation and reform in 1911. | ||
| 71 | 1904[143] | Hull City[144] | Championship | ||
| 72 | 1905[145] | Crystal Palace[146] | Premier League | The club previously published a foundation date of 1905, however they released research in 2020 suggesting an 1861 date, stating that they were "staking a claim to be recognised as the world's oldest league club in existence still playing professional football." This asserts a continuity between a club named Crystal Palace Football Club founded in 1861 and the club in 1905, even though the 1861 club ceased to play fixtures after 1876. The continuity claim is based on the "Crystal Palace Club", which ran the overall site, continuing in existence after the original Crystal Palace Football club stopped playing in 1876, and also a 1906 Crystal Palace handbook including players prior to 1876 in the listing of previous players[147] The 1861 date was added to the club crest in June 2022, replacing 1905.[148] This claim is however disputed. For example, some historians claim the link between the modern club and the 1861 club is not established, with newspapers in 1905 reporting this as a new club, and the registration with the Football Association lapsing in 1876. In addition, Stoke City and Fulham respectively make competing claims to be the oldest league club (1863)[149] and oldest club in London (1879)[150] with later dates. Also, the EFL have stated that Nottingham Forest are the oldest current League club (1865).[151] | |
| 73 | 1905[152] | Charlton Athletic[153] | League One | ||
| 74 | 1905[154] | Chelsea[155] | Premier League | Date given by club 10 March 1905. | |
| 75 | 1908[156] | Championship | Liquidated and reformed in 1912[157] | ||
| 76 | 1912[158] | Cambridge United[159] | League One | ||
| 77 | 1912[160] | Swansea City | Championship | Original club wound up in 1985[161] | |
| 78 | 1914[162] | Harrogate Town | League Two | Harrogate AFC joined the Northern Football League in 1914, but the First World War meant that fixtures were postponed. Harrogate AFC would play their first game in 1919. Adopted the name Harrogate Town in 1948. | |
| 79 | 1919[163] | Leeds United[164] | Championship | Formed 17 October 1919 following disbanding of a previous club. | |
| 80 | 1920[165] | Morecambe[166] | League Two | Club states 7 May 1920 | |
| 81 | 1925[167] | Championship | 1925 merger[168] | ||
| 82 | 1932[169] | League One | Several teams created and wound up prior to current club.[170] | ||
| 83 | 1934[171] | Peterborough United[172] | League One | Club created 17 May 1934. | |
| 84 | 1937[173] | League Two | Replaced an amateur club which folded the same year[174] Club announced 14 July 1937 | ||
| 85 | 1940[175] | League Two | [176] | ||
| 86 | 1950[177] | League One | Succeeded other clubs in the town.[178] Club states 6 July 1950. | ||
| 87 | 1968[179] | League Two | Reformed, following the demise of a previous club of the same name in 1963.[180] | ||
| 88 | 1976[181] | League One | |||
| 89 | 1989[182] | League Two | Liquidated and reformed in 1989.[183] Club states "It is important to distinguish between Newport County (the Ironsides) a club of the past and Newport County AFC (the Exiles) the club of the present and the future)." | ||
| 90 | 1997[184] | Fleetwood Town | League One | Several previous versions. The club site states "The club reformed as Fleetwood Wanderers in 1997" | |
| 91 | 2002[185] | League Two | viewed as a new club and not a continuation of Wimbledon FC | ||
| 92 | 2004[186] | League Two | Although 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. |