The oldest professional football clubs in England

English football’s history goes back more than 150 years, and some of its current professional clubs have been around for just as long.

Here, we run through the oldest of the bunch – including most of the Football League’s original 12-team line-up.

Between them, they’ve won nearly 50 top-flight titles – and a few of them have even gone on to be crowned champions of Europe.

Manchester United began life as Newton Heath LYR Football Club – set up by Liverpool-born Frederick Attock, Carriage Superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.

In 1902, having been served a winding-up order, Newton Heath was bought by four local businessmen – who changed the club’s identity by giving it the name under which it would go on to become the biggest brand in world football and win numerous major domestic and continental titles.

Initially called Grimsby Pelham, Grimsby Town were founded at the Wellington Arms pub in the Lincolnshire port town.

Once one of just two professional clubs in England allowed to play on Christmas Day due their association with the local fishing trade (the other being Hull City), the Mariners have played in nearby Cleethorpes – rather than Grimsby itself – for most of their existence.

The older of Liverpool’s two biggest clubs, Everton were founder members of the Football League 10 years after their own formation as St. Domingo’s FC – a club for members of the congregation at St. Domingo Methodist New Connexion Chapel in the suburb of Everton.

Originally based at Anfield, the Blues relocated to Goodison Park in 1892 amid a dispute with landowner John Houlding – who established Liverpool FC.

Another original Football League club, West Bromwich Albion started out as West Bromwich Strollers.

Champions of England in 1920, the Black Country outfit’s Albion suffix came from the area of town where some of their early players lived or worked – largely for spring manufacturer Salter, whose name you might see today on a set of kitchen or bathroom scales.

Formed out of the cricket club of the same name – the Alexandra being in honour of Princess Alexandra, wife of Prince Edward (later King Edward VII) – Crewe Alexandra played their first game in December 1877.

Founder members of the Second Division in 1892, the Railwaymen – whose Gresty Road home sits beside Crewe station – won back-to-back Welsh Cups in 1936 and 1937 (English clubs close to Wales used to be invited to enter the competition).

The oldest professional club in the North East of England, Middlesbrough spent most of their first quarter-of-a-century in existence as an amateur outfit, turning professional for good in 1899.

Despite spending a good chunk of their history in the top flight, Boro had to wait until 2004 to finally lift their first major trophy in the form of the League Cup.

Hailing from Burslem, one of the six towns which comprise Stoke-on-Trent, Port Vale are a rarity in English football: there is no such place as Port Vale.

Per their official website, the Valiants were established in 1876 (although this date is disputed) – and their name is said to derive from the valley of canal ports in the local area.

Having contested their first match a week before Christmas Day 1875, Blackburn Rovers joined 11 other clubs in forming the Football League in 1888.

FA Cup winners on five occasions between 1884 and 1891, Rovers were crowned champions of England for the first of three times in 1912 – claiming the First Division title again two years later and, famously, triumphing in the 1994/95 Premier League season.

Established in the inner-city Birmingham district of Small Heath, Birmingham City were originally known as Small Heath Alliance.

The first football club to operate as a limited company with a board of directors, the Blues were the inaugural Second Division champions in 1893 and won their first League Cup in 1963.

Formed the year before their arch-rivals Birmingham, Football League originals Aston Villa were set up by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel and started out playing at Aston Park.

Curiously, the 1982 European Champions’ first-ever game was a half-rugby, half-football contest against the Aston Brook St Mary’s rugby team – as there weren’t enough local football clubs at the time.

North West England’s oldest professional club, Bolton Wanderers adopted their current name in 1877 – having ‘wandered’ across three home grounds during their first three years as Christ Church FC, following their founding by priest Joseph Farrall Wright.

Football League founders and Second Division champions on multiple occasions, Bolton lifted their first of four FA Cups in 1923 – beating West Ham in the famous ‘White Horse Final’, the first to be held at Wembley.

Established on Christmas Day 1871, Reading are the oldest professional club in the south of England.

Nicknamed the Royals due to being based in the Royal County of Berkshire, Reading were one of the earliest British clubs to tour overseas – travelling to Italy 1913 and winning four of their five matches (including a 5-0 thrashing of Milan!).

Sheffield Wednesday emerged out of the Wednesday Cricket Club – so named because their six founders had a half-day off work on Wednesdays.

FA Cup winners and First Division champions on multiple occasions – the first coming in 1896 and 1903 respectively – Wednesday played some of their early home matches at Bramall Lane – before their arch-rivals Sheffield United, formed in 1889, moved in – relocating to their current Hillsborough abode in 1899.

The third-oldest professional club in England (yet not quite the oldest in their own city…), Nottingham Forest was the brainchild of a group of shinty players (shinty being a traditional Scottish sport which was also played in northern England).

Hailing from the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Forest won the 1897/98 FA Cup – 80 years before claiming their sole top-flight title, and 81 years before lifting their first of back-to-back European Cups.

Stoke City’s foundation date has been disputed – even the EFL claimed that Nottingham Forest were formed earlier, when Forest laid claim to the title of oldest Football League club following Notts County’s relegation in 2019 – but we’re not going to question the year given by the club themselves: 1863.

Second Division champions for the first time in 1933, the Football League founder members lifted their maiden major trophy in 1972 – when they defeated Chelsea in the final of the League Cup.

Not just the oldest professional club in England but the oldest professional club in the world, Notts County’s existence pre-dates that of even the FA.

Playing at Meadow Lane – just across the River Trent from Forest’s City Ground – the Magpies were among the Football League’s original 12 sides and won the 1893/94 FA Cup.