| List of English football champions | |
|---|---|
| Football League (1888–1892) | |
| Football League First Division (1892–1992) | |
| Premier League (1992–present) | |
| Country | |
| England | |
| Founded | |
| 1888 | |
| Number of teams | |
| 24 winners | |
| Current champions | |
| Liverpool (20th title) (2024–25) | |
| Most successful club(s) | |
| Liverpool Manchester United (20 titles each) |
The English football champions are the annual winners of the top-tier competition in the English football league system. Following the codification of professional football by the Football Association in 1885,[1] the Football League was established in 1888, after meetings initiated by Aston Villa director William McGregor.[2]
The new league's inaugural season was 1888–89, and the first club to be crowned champions was Preston North End, whose team completed its fixtures unbeaten.[3] In its first four seasons, with only twelve to fourteen clubs involved, the league was a single entity in which all the teams were from the North or the Midlands. Professionalism had been embraced more readily in those areas than in the South of England.[4] The Football League expanded its membership in 1892 when it absorbed the rival Football Alliance. With 28 members, the league was split into two divisions. Most of the former Alliance clubs joined the new Second Division, while the original league became the First Division, with promotion and relegation between the two.[5]
Rules stipulating a maximum wage for players were abolished in 1961. This resulted in a shift of power towards bigger clubs with more financial means.[6] Financial considerations became an even bigger influence from 1992, when the clubs then in the First Division defected to form the FA Premier League, which became the new top tier.[7] A series of progressively larger television contracts has put unprecedented wealth into the hands of top flight clubs.[8]
A total of 24 different clubs have won the English top-flight league since 1888. Only five clubs have won the title in three consecutive seasons: Huddersfield Town, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United (twice) and Manchester City, with the latter being the only club to have won four successive titles.
List of champions by season
| ‡ | Winning team won the Double (League title and FA Cup) |
| † | Winning team also won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League that season |
| ₮ | Winning team won the Domestic Treble (League title, FA Cup and League Cup) |
| # | Winning team won the Continental Treble (League title, FA Cup and European Cup/Champions League) |
- (In bracket, title count):
List of champion clubs by titles won
24 clubs which have won the English top level title, including 7 which have won the Premier League (1992–present). The most recent to join the list were Leicester City (2015–16 champions) and before that, Nottingham Forest (1977–78) and Derby County (1971–72).
Seven teams have at some point held first or joint first place in the number of titles won: Preston North End (1889–1895), Sunderland (1893–1899 and 1936–1953), Aston Villa (1897–1953), Arsenal (1948–1976), Liverpool (1966–1971, 1973–2011, 2025–present), Manchester United (1967–1971 and 2009–present) and Everton (1970–1971).
Eight teams have finished as runners-up without ever finishing top: Bristol City (1906–07), Oldham Athletic (1914–15), Cardiff City (1923–24), Charlton Athletic (1936–37), Blackpool (1955–56), Queens Park Rangers (1975–76), Watford (1982–83) and Southampton (1983–84). Of these, Cardiff City came closest to winning the league, matching champions Huddersfield Town in points but losing out on goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded), the precursor to goal difference.
| Rank | Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 20 | 17 | 1907–08, 1910–11, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
| Liverpool | 20 | 15 | 1900–01, 1905–06, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1946–47, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2019–20, 2024–25 | |
| 3 | Arsenal | 13 | 12 | 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 10 | 6 | 1936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| 5 | Everton | 9 | 7 | 1890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1986–87 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 7 | 10 | 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1909–10, 1980–81 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 6 | 5 | 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1935–36 |
| Chelsea | 6 | 4 | 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17 | |
| 9 | Newcastle United | 4 | 2 | 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–27 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 4 | 1 | 1902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, 1929–30 | |
| 11 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3 | 5 | 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59 |
| Leeds United | 3 | 5 | 1968–69, 1973–74, 1991–92 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 3 | 3 | 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 3 | 1 | 1911–12, 1913–14, 1994–95 | |
| 15 | Preston North End | 2 | 6 | 1888–89, 1889–90 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 5 | 1950–51, 1960–61 | |
| Derby County | 2 | 3 | 1971–72, 1974–75 | |
| Burnley | 2 | 2 | 1920–21, 1959–60 | |
| Portsmouth | 2 | 0 | 1948–49, 1949–50 | |
| 20 | Sheffield United | 1 | 2 | 1897–98 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1 | 2 | 1919–20 | |
| Ipswich Town | 1 | 2 | 1961–62 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 1 | 2 | 1977–78 | |
| Leicester City | 1 | 1 | 2015–16 |
By region
| Region | Championships | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 66 | Manchester United (20), Liverpool (20), Manchester City (10), Everton (9), Blackburn Rovers (3), Preston North End (2), Burnley (2) |
| London | 21 | Arsenal (13), Chelsea (6), Tottenham Hotspur (2) |
| Yorkshire | 11 | Sheffield Wednesday (4), Huddersfield Town (3), Leeds United (3), Sheffield United (1) |
| West Midlands | 11 | Aston Villa (7), Wolverhampton Wanderers (3), West Bromwich Albion (1) |
| North East | 10 | Sunderland (6), Newcastle United (4) |
| East Midlands | 4 | Derby County (2), Leicester City (1), Nottingham Forest (1) |
| South East | 2 | Portsmouth (2) |
| East | 1 | Ipswich Town (1) |
| South West | 0 | |
| Wales | 0 |
By historic county
| Historic County | Championships | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 66 | Manchester United (20), Liverpool (20), Manchester City (10), Everton (9), Blackburn Rovers (3), Preston North End (2), Burnley (2) |
| Middlesex | 21 | Arsenal (13), Chelsea (6), Tottenham Hotspur (2) |
| Yorkshire | 11 | Sheffield Wednesday (4), Huddersfield Town (3), Leeds United (3), Sheffield United (1) |
| Warwickshire | 7 | Aston Villa (7) |
| County Durham | 6 | Sunderland (6) |
| Northumberland | 4 | Newcastle United (4) |
| Staffordshire | 4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (3), West Bromwich Albion (1) |
| Derbyshire | 2 | Derby County (2) |
| Hampshire | 2 | Portsmouth (2) |
| Suffolk | 1 | Ipswich Town (1) |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | Nottingham Forest (1) |
| Leicestershire | 1 | Leicester City (1) |
By city/town
| City / Town | Championships | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 30 | Manchester United (20), Manchester City (10) |
| Liverpool | 29 | Liverpool (20), Everton (9) |
| London | 21 | Arsenal (13), Chelsea (6), Tottenham Hotspur (2) |
| Birmingham | 7 | Aston Villa (7) |
| Sunderland | 6 | Sunderland (6) |
| Sheffield | 5 | Sheffield Wednesday (4), Sheffield United (1) |
| Newcastle | 4 | Newcastle United (4) |
| Blackburn | 3 | Blackburn Rovers (3) |
| Huddersfield | 3 | Huddersfield Town (3) |
| Leeds | 3 | Leeds United (3) |
| Wolverhampton | 3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (3) |
| Burnley | 2 | Burnley (2) |
| Derby | 2 | Derby County (2) |
| Portsmouth | 2 | Portsmouth (2) |
| Preston | 2 | Preston North End (2) |
| Ipswich | 1 | Ipswich Town (1) |
| Leicester | 1 | Leicester City (1) |
| Nottingham | 1 | Nottingham Forest (1) |
| West Bromwich | 1 | West Bromwich Albion (1) |
See also
- List of football clubs in England by competitive honours won
- List of English football championship-winning managers
Notes
- Completed the season unbeaten.
- Also won the FA Cup
- Sheffield Wednesday were known as The Wednesday until 1929.
- Also won the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League.
- Also won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League.
- Also won the League Cup/EFL Cup.
- From the 1981–82 season onwards three points were awarded for a win. Prior to this a win was worth two points.
- Also won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
- Manchester United won a continental treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in 1999.
- Also won the Intercontinental Cup
- Also won the FIFA Club World Cup
- Manchester City won a domestic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2019.
- Manchester City won a continental treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in 2023. Also won the FIFA Club World Cup that same year.
References
Specific
- "The History of the Football League". The Football League. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007.
- Inglis 1988, pp. 6–8.
- Titford, Roger (November 2005). "Football League, 1888–89". When Saturday Comes. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009.
- Goldblatt, David (2007). The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football. London: Penguin. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-14-101582-8.
- Inglis 1988, p. 25.
- Dart, Tom (25 May 2009). "Burnley: little town, big traditions". The Times. London.
- "A History of The Premier League". Premier League. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011.
- Harris, Nick (7 February 2009). "£1.78bn: Record Premier League TV deal defies economic slump". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017.
Sources
- Inglis, Simon (1988). League Football and the Men Who Made It. Willow Books. ISBN 978-0-00-218242-3.
General
- "Past winners". The Football League. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014.
- "England – List of Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020.
- "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019.