| Founded | 1888 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Level on pyramid | 2–5 |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
| Current champions | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Most championships | Aston Villa (Eleven titles) |
The Football League is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. It was founded in 1888 and it's the oldest such competition in world football.
History[]
Note: The history is the same until 1904. The first expansion would happen during the 1908-09 season where the two divisions expanded to twenty teams in the division with the two teams to be promoted for that season being Bradford City and Middlesbrough
Champions[]
Note: The champions are the same in this TL up until 1904 with OTL. League and FA Cup Double winners are highlighted in bold.
1892–1920[]
In 1892 the Football League absorbed 11 of the 12 clubs in the rival Football Alliance after it folded, meaning the League now had enough clubs to form another division. The existing division was renamed the First Division and the new division was called the Second Division.
| No. | Season | First Division Champions | Second Division Champions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | 1903–04 | The Wednesday | Bristol City |
| 17. | 1904–05 | Aston Villa | Liverpool |
| 18. | 1905–06 | The Wednesday | Bristol City |
| 19. | 1906–07 | Newcastle United | Nottingham Forest |
| 20. | 1907–08 | Aston Villa | Bradford City |
| 21. | 1908–09 | Sunderland | Derby County |
| 22. | 1909–10 | Aston Villa | Hull City |
| 23. | 1910–11 | Everton | Notts County |
| 24. | 1911–12 | Everton | Burnley |
| 25. | 1912–13 | Sunderland | Blackburn Rovers |
| 26. | 1913–14 | Aston Villa | Bradford Park Avenue |
| 27. | 1914–15 | Sunderland | Arsenal |
| 1915–19 | League suspended due to World War I | ||
| 28. | 1919–20 | West Bromwich Albion | Bradford City |
1920–1921[]
In 1920 the Football League admitted the clubs from the first division of the Southern League (the Southern League continued with its remaining clubs) and Grimsby Town, who had failed to be re-elected to the Second Division the season before and been replaced by Cardiff City (of the Southern League). The clubs were placed in the new Third Division:
| No. | Season | First Division Champions | Second Division Champions | Third Division Champions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29. | 1920–21 | Bolton Wanderers | Bristol City | Southampton |
1921–1950[]
After just one season under the old format, the League expanded again. This time it admitted a number of clubs from the north of England to balance things out, as the last expansion brought mainly clubs from the south. The existing Third Division was renamed the Third Division South, and the new division was named the Third Division North. Grimsby Town transferred to the new northern division. Both divisions ran in parallel, with clubs from both Third Divisions being promoted to the national Second Division at the end of each season:
| No. | Season | First Division Champions | Second Division Champions | Third Division (North) Champions | Third Division (South) Champions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30. | 1921–22 | Bolton Wanderers | Cardiff City | Stockport County | Portsmouth |
| 31. | 1922–23 | Newcastle United | Liverpool | Walsall | Plymouth Argyle |
| 32. | 1923–24 | West Ham United | Huddersfield | Stoke | Rochdale |
| 33. | 1924–25 | West Bromwich Albion | Derby County | Darlington | Swansea Town |
| 34. | 1925–26 | Sunderland | Bury | Grimsby Town | Reading |
| 35. | 1926–27 | Huddersfield | Burnley | Stoke | Millwall |
| 36. | 1927–28 | Chelsea | Leicester City | Preston North End | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 37. | 1928–29 | Derby County | Middlesbrough | Stockport County | Northampton |
| 38. | 1929–30 | Derby County | Plymouth Argyle | Leeds United | Port Vale |
| 39. | 1930–31 | Aston Villa | Northampton Town | Crystal Palace | Everton |
| 40. | 1931–32 | Sheffield Wednesday | Stoke | Chester | Lincoln City |
| 41. | 1932–33 | Aston Villa | Hull City | Wrexham | Exeter City |
| 42. | 1933–34 | Arsenal | Bradford City | Barnsley | Reading |
| 43. | 1934–35 | Arsenal | Blackpool | Halifax Town | Brentford |
| 44. | 1935–36 | Sheffield Wednesday | Brighton & Hove Albion | Tranmere Rovers | Luton Town |
| 45. | 1936–37 | Manchester City | Leicester City | Oldham Athletic | Charlton Athletic |
| 46. | 1937–38 | Arsenal | Aston Villa | Tranmere Rovers | Millwall |
| 47. | 1938–39 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Charlton Athletic | Everton | Watford |
| 48. | 1946–47 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Liverpool | Doncaster Rovers | Cardiff City |
| 49. | 1947–48 | Newcastle United | Sheffield Wednesday | Rotherham United | Walsall |
| 50. | 1948–49 | Derby County | Reading | Darlington | Swansea Town |
| 51. | 1949–50 | Tottenham Hotspur | Northampton | Rochdale | Gateshead |
1950–[]
For the beginning of the 1950–51 season, the third division regional was split into the renamed Third and Fourth Division:
| No. | Season | First Division Champions | Second Division Champions | Third Division Champions | Fourth Division Champions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52. | 1950–51 | Tottenham Hotspur | Cardiff City | Nottingham Forest | Norwich City |
| 53. | 1951–52 | Tottenham Hotspur | Plymouth Argyle | Lincoln City | Grimsby Town |
| 54. | 1952–53 | Arsenal | Millwall | Luton Town | York City |
| 55. | 1953–54 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Blackburn Rovers | Everton | Bradford City |
| 56. | 1954–55 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Portsmouth | Chelsea | York City |
| 57. | 1955–56 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Manchester City | Derby County | Hartlepool United |
| 58. | 1956–57 | Tottenham Hotspur | Nottingham Forest | Burnley | Accrington Stanley |
| 59. | 1957–58 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Preston North End | York City | Bradford City |
External links[]
Template:The Football League Seasons Template:Football in England