This is a 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 2024–25 season, by year formed. 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. Reasons for differences include: Informal status: Clubs can originate as an unincorporated association; sources may include this relatively informal period as part of their history. Mergers: Clubs can form by a merger of two clubs, with the date of one of the original clubs being selected as the foundation date. Liquidation: Some clubs were liquidated, with a new club adopting the history of the liquidated club. Historicity: Some dates are based on non-contemporary accounts with sources of uncertain provenance. Continuity: Contemporary newspaper reports may give club names whose direct connection to modern-day clubs is not established. Viewing a relocation as a foundation: This applies to MK Dons
Other listings of club foundation dates using different criteria are available.
# Year published by clubClub Season 2025-26Notes1 1862 Notts County League TwoThe organisational link between the 1862 club and "Notts Foot-ball Club" of 1864 (the Notts County of today) unclear. Upon the club's promotion from the National League in 2023, the club reclaimed the status of the world's oldest football league club.2 1863 Stoke CityChampionship 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. That date was adopted by the current club for anniversary celebrations in 1963 and 2013, and included in the current crest. However the 1863 date is disputed. The earliest known newspaper reports of Stoke City under the name Stoke Ramblers, in 1868, stated that Stoke Ramblers had been formed that season, 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.
The club underwent a merger in 1878, when it became known simply as Stoke, and was liquidated in 1908, but refounded shortly after. Contemporary reports called this refounded club, "new"3 1864 Wrexham AFC Championship 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. 4 1865 Nottingham Forest 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, and football matches were documented from 1866. 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".
Former league club Notts County claim an earlier foundation date of 1862; 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 Sheffield Wednesday 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. 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. The first reported practice match was on 12 October 1867; 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, The Wednesday and Sheffield Wednesday.6 1867Basson, Stuart (6 June 2010). "Four clubs for Chesterfield". Chesterfield F.C. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. "Although there is a widely-held belief that the first Chesterfield club was formed in 1866, no contemporary documentary evidence has been found to substantiate a claim for formation earlier than October 19th., 1867... The Chesterfield Town FC (1899) Ltd was put into voluntary liquidation in 1915... Chesterfield Borough Council formed of the Chesterfield Municipal FC on April 24th, 1919... That Chesterfield FC is the one that we watch today...." Retrieved 5 August 2025. ChesterfieldLeague Two19 October 18677 1871 Reading League OneReading Football Club was formed during the festive period of late 1871 by a group of young townsmen, most notably Joseph Edward Sydenham who met with his co-founders to form the club at the Bridge Street Rooms. The club’s first match was played two months later. On 21 February 1872 Reading played out a 0-0 draw against Reading School at the Reading Recreation Ground (now King’s Meadow).8 1874 Aston Villa Premier League Some debate over March or November 1874 Villa say 21 November 1874 is a legend.9 1874 Bolton Wanderers League One Formed as Christ Church FC, no exact date known though possibly June. Renamed Bolton Wanderers in 187710 1875 Birmingham City Championship Founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875, exact date unknown11 1875 Blackburn Rovers Championship Founded at a meeting on 5 November 187512 1876 Middlesbrough Championship Original club founded in 1876, though date stated as vague. Other source says 20 October 1876. Club merged then demerged from another club in 1892.13 1876 Port Vale League Two Disputed whether original club foundation is 1876 or 1879. Exact date in 1876 not known. The club was wound up, with the name used by a successor club in 1909.14 1877 Crewe AlexandraLeague Two August 1877; Crewe played their first match against a side from Basford in North Staffordshire on 1 December 1877.15 1877 Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League Originally called St Lukes, date not recorded. Merged with another club in 1879.16 1878 EvertonPremier League Formed as St Domingo's, 1 January 187817 1878 Ipswich Town EFL Championship Founded 16 October 1878. Merged with a rugby club in 1888.18 1878 Manchester United Premier League Founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR F.C. Renamed in 1902; liquidation was avoided.19 1878 West Bromwich Albion Championship Disputed whether 1878 or 1879, any football in 1878 on an informal basis. Club states 1878.20 1878 Grimsby Town League Two Formed in 1878 after a meeting held at the Wellington Arms public house in Freeman Street, Grimsby.21 1879 Doncaster Rovers League One Liquidated and reformed in 1914.22 1879 Fulham Premier League Primarily cricket in its early days.23 1879 Sunderland Premier League 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 1880.24 1879 Swindon Town League Two Dispute on whether formation was in 1879 or 1881. Merged with another club in 1881. Club only states 1879.25 1880 Manchester CityPremier League Started as a church team, exact date not known261880 Preston North End Championship Given in club history as May 1880, not clear when football started to be played.27 1881 Newcastle United Premier League Founded in November 1881 as Stanley, which then adopted the name of Newcastle East End in October 1882. The club then changed name to Newcastle United in 1892 following the demise of city rivals West End Football Club, taking over certain assets including West End's remaining lease on St James' Park in the process.28 1881 Watford Championship West Herts (formerly Watford Rovers, founded 1881) absorbed rivals Watford St Mary's in 1898 and were renamed Watford.29 1882 BurnleyPremier League30 1882 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League 5 September 1882 as Hotspur Football Club31 1882 Queens Park Rangers Championship Amalgamation of two clubs in 1886 with the older formed in 1882, 1882 is in the club crest. The club states 1882 "signifies the very earliest roots of our club's beginnings"32 1883 Bristol Rovers League Two September 188333 1883 Coventry City Premier LeagueCoventry City formed as Singers F.C. in 1883 at an unknown date before adopting their current name in 1898.34 1883 Stockport County League OneStockport County Football Club founded in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers. A group of teenage boys and young men founded the club. They were students at the Wycliffe Congregational Chapel Sunday school on Wellington Road North and the historic Stockport Sunday School.35 1884 Derby County Championship An offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Club36 1884 Leicester City EFL Championship Original club, Leicester Fosse, closed down in 1919 to be replaced by Leicester City. Club's history states first football match 1 November 1884.37 1884 Tranmere Rovers League Two Original club, Belmont FC, closed down in 1884 to be replaced by Tranmere.38 1884 Lincoln City League One The club state they were officially formed as an amateur association in 1884, though there had been a team playing since the 1860s39 1885 Luton TownLeague One Merger between local clubs, Wanderers and Excelsior, announced on 11 April 188540 1885 MillwallChampionship No exact date supplied by club41 1885 Southampton EFL Championship41 1886 Arsenal Premier League No exact date given, described as 'late 1886'43 1886 Plymouth Argyle Championship The club state 1886 was the year "the original Argyle was formed".44 1886 Shrewsbury Town League One Club views 1886 as the origin, though says roots go back to 1879.45 1887 Blackpool League One Formed by breakaway from another club 1877 sometimes claimed, however club states "founded in 1887 on the back of a breakaway from local outfit St John's FC"46 1887 Barnsley League One Founded as "Barnsley St. Peter's" on 17 September 1887, but subsequently dropped the "St. Peter's" in 1897.47 1887 Cheltenham Town League TwoClub states previously thought to be 1892, moved back to 1887 due to evidence of football being played earlier in the town.48 1887 Wycombe Wanderers League One49 1888