List of English football champions
| English League (1st tier) |
|---|
| Football League (1888–1892) Football League First Division (1892–1992) Premier League (1992–present) |
| Country |
 England
|
| Founded |
| 1888 |
| Number of teams |
| 20 (since 1995–96 season) |
| Current champions |
| Manchester City (2020–21) |
| Most successful club |
| Manchester United (20 championships) |
The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English men's football, which since 1992–93 is the Premier League.
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] At the end of the 1888–89 season, Preston North End were the first club to be crowned champions after completing their fixtures unbeaten.[3]
The league's early years were dominated by teams from the North and Midlands, where professionalism had been embraced more readily than in the South of England.[4] Its status as the country's pre-eminent league was strengthened in 1892, when the rival Football Alliance was absorbed into the Football League.[5] Former Alliance clubs comprised the bulk of a new Second Division, from which promotion to the top level could be gained. It was not until 1931 that a Southern club were crowned champions, when Herbert Chapman's Arsenal secured the title.[6]
Rules stipulating a maximum wage for players were abolished in 1961. This resulted in a shift of power towards bigger clubs.[7] Financial considerations became an even bigger influence from 1992, when the teams then in the First Division defected to form the FA Premier League. This supplanted the Football League First Division as the highest level of football in England,[8] and due to a series of progressively larger television contracts, put unprecedented wealth into the hands of top flight clubs.[9] The first five champions in the Premier League era – Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United – had all won the title at least once prior to 1992. Leicester City were champions for the first time in 2016, becoming the first team to win the Premier League without having previously won the First Division.
All the clubs which have ever been champions are still in existence today and all take part in the top four tiers of the English football league system. Sheffield Wednesday are the only club who have ever changed their name after winning a league title having been known as The Wednesday for the first three of their four titles.
Manchester United have won twenty titles, the most of any club.[10] United's rivals Liverpool are second with nineteen. Liverpool dominated during the 1970s and 1980s (winning eleven league titles between 1973 and 1990), while Manchester United dominated in the 1990s and 2000s under manager Sir Alex Ferguson (eleven league titles between 1993 and 2009). Arsenal are third with thirteen titles, having dominated during the 1930s (five league titles between 1931 and 1938). Everton are fourth with nine titles. Aston Villa (seven) and Sunderland (six) secured the majority of their titles before World War I. Manchester City (seven titles) and Chelsea (six titles) secured the majority of their titles in the 21st century. Manchester City have won five league titles between 2012 and 2021, whilst Chelsea won five titles between 2005 and 2017.
Huddersfield Town (1923–24 to 1925–26), Arsenal (1932–33 to 1934–35), Liverpool (1981–82 to 1983–84) and Manchester United (1998–99 to 2000–01 and 2006–07 to 2008–09) are the only sides to have won the league title in three consecutive seasons.[11]
List of champions[]
Football League (1888–1892)[]
| Season | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Winning manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888–89 | Preston North End[a] | Aston Villa | Wolverhampton Wanderers | William Sudell (secretary manager)
|
| 1889–90 | Preston North End (2) | Everton | Blackburn Rovers | William Sudell (secretary manager)
|
| 1890–91 | Everton | Preston North End | Notts County | Dick Molyneux (secretary manager)
|
| 1891–92 | Sunderland | Preston North End | Bolton Wanderers | Tom Watson
|
Football League First Division (1892–1992)[]
| Season | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Winning manager | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892–93 | Sunderland (2) | Preston North End | Everton | Tom Watson
| ||
| 1893–94 | Aston Villa | Sunderland | Derby County |  George Ramsay
| ||
| 1894–95 | Sunderland (3) | Everton | Aston Villa | Tom Watson
| ||
| 1895–96 | Aston Villa (2) | Derby County | Everton | George Ramsay
| ||
| 1896–97 | Aston Villa (3) | Sheffield United | Derby County | George Ramsay
| ||
| 1897–98 | Sheffield United | Sunderland | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Joseph Wostinholm
| ||
| 1898–99 | Aston Villa (4) | Liverpool | Burnley | George Ramsay
| ||
| 1899–1900 | Aston Villa (5) | Sheffield United | Sunderland | George Ramsay
| ||
| 1900–01 | Liverpool | Sunderland | Notts County | Tom Watson
| ||
| 1901–02 | Sunderland (4) | Everton | Newcastle United | Alex Mackie
| ||
| 1902–03 | The Wednesday[b] | Aston Villa | Sunderland | Arthur Dickinson
| ||
| 1903–04 | The Wednesday[b] (2) | Manchester City | Everton | Arthur Dickinson
| ||
| 1904–05 | Newcastle United | Everton | Manchester City | Frank Watt (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1905–06 | Liverpool (2) | Preston North End | The Wednesday | Tom Watson
| ||
| 1906–07 | Newcastle United (2) | Bristol City | Everton | Frank Watt (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1907–08 | Manchester United | Aston Villa | Manchester City | Ernest Mangnall
| ||
| 1908–09 | Newcastle United (3) | Everton | Sunderland | Frank Watt (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1909–10 | Aston Villa (6) | Liverpool | Blackburn Rovers | George Ramsay
| ||
| 1910–11 | Manchester United (2) | Aston Villa | Sunderland | Ernest Mangnall
| ||
| 1911–12 | Blackburn Rovers | Everton | Newcastle United |
| ||
| 1912–13 | Sunderland (5) | Aston Villa | The Wednesday |  Bob Kyle
| ||
| 1913–14 | Blackburn Rovers (2) | Aston Villa | Middlesbrough |
| ||
| 1914–15 | Everton (2) | Oldham Athletic | Blackburn Rovers | Will Cuff (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1915–16 to 1918–19 | League suspended due to World War I | |||||
| 1919–20 | West Bromwich Albion | Burnley | Chelsea | Fred Everiss
| ||
| 1920–21 | Burnley | Manchester City | Bolton Wanderers | John Haworth
| ||
| 1921–22 | Liverpool (3) | Tottenham Hotspur | Burnley | David Ashworth
| ||
| 1922–23 | Liverpool (4) | Sunderland | Huddersfield Town | Matt McQueen
| ||
| 1923–24 | Huddersfield Town | Cardiff City | Sunderland | Herbert Chapman
| ||
| 1924–25 | Huddersfield Town (2) | West Bromwich Albion | Bolton Wanderers | Herbert Chapman
| ||
| 1925–26 | Huddersfield Town (3) | Arsenal | Sunderland | Cecil Potter
| ||
| 1926–27 | Newcastle United (4) | Huddersfield Town | Sunderland | Frank Watt (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1927–28 | Everton (3) | Huddersfield Town | Leicester City | Thomas McIntosh (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1928–29 | The Wednesday[b] (3) | Leicester City | Aston Villa | Robert Brown
| ||
| 1929–30 | Sheffield Wednesday (4) | Derby County | Manchester City | Robert Brown
| ||
| 1930–31 | Arsenal | Aston Villa | Sheffield Wednesday | Herbert Chapman
| ||
| 1931–32 | Everton (4) | Arsenal | Sheffield Wednesday | Thomas McIntosh (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1932–33 | Arsenal (2) | Aston Villa | Sheffield Wednesday | Herbert Chapman
| ||
| 1933–34 | Arsenal (3) | Huddersfield Town | Tottenham Hotspur | Joe Shaw (caretaker)
| ||
| 1934–35 | Arsenal (4) | Sunderland | Sheffield Wednesday | George Allison
| ||
| 1935–36 | Sunderland (6) | Derby County | Huddersfield Town | Johnny Cochrane
| ||
| 1936–37 | Manchester City | Charlton Athletic | Arsenal | Wilf Wild
| ||
| 1937–38 | Arsenal (5) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Preston North End | George Allison
| ||
| 1938–39 | Everton (5) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Charlton Athletic | Theo Kelly (secretary manager)
| ||
| 1939–40 to 1945–46 | League suspended due to World War II | |||||
| 1946–47 | Liverpool (5) | Manchester United | Wolverhampton Wanderers | George Kay
| ||
| 1947–48 | Arsenal (6) | Manchester United | Burnley | Tom Whittaker
| ||
| 1948–49 | Portsmouth | Manchester United | Derby County | Bob Jackson
| ||
| 1949–50 | Portsmouth (2) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Sunderland | Bob Jackson
| ||
| 1950–51 | Tottenham Hotspur | Manchester United | Blackpool | Arthur Rowe
| ||
| 1951–52 | Manchester United (3) | Tottenham Hotspur | Arsenal | Matt Busby
| ||
| 1952–53 | Arsenal (7) | Preston North End | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Tom Whittaker
| ||
| 1953–54 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | West Bromwich Albion | Huddersfield Town | Stan Cullis
| ||
| 1954–55 | Chelsea | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Portsmouth | Ted Drake
| ||
| 1955–56 | Manchester United (4) | Blackpool | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Matt Busby
| ||
| 1956–57 | Manchester United (5) | Tottenham Hotspur | Preston North End | Matt Busby
| ||
| 1957–58 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (2) | Preston North End | Tottenham Hotspur | Stan Cullis
| ||
| 1958–59 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (3) | Manchester United | Arsenal | Stan Cullis
| ||
| 1959–60 | Burnley (2) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Tottenham Hotspur | Harry Potts
| ||
| 1960–61 | Tottenham Hotspur (2) | Sheffield Wednesday | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Bill Nicholson
| ||
| 1961–62 | Ipswich Town | Burnley | Tottenham Hotspur | Alf Ramsey
| ||
| 1962–63 | Everton (6) | Tottenham Hotspur | Burnley | Harry Catterick
| ||
| 1963–64 | Liverpool (6) | Manchester United | Everton | Bill Shankly
| ||
| 1964–65 | Manchester United (6) | Leeds United | Chelsea | Matt Busby
| ||
| 1965–66 | Liverpool (7) | Leeds United | Burnley | Bill Shankly
| ||
| 1966–67 | Manchester United (7) | Nottingham Forest | Tottenham Hotspur | Matt Busby
| ||
| 1967–68 | Manchester City (2) | Manchester United | Liverpool | Joe Mercer
| ||
| 1968–69 | Leeds United | Liverpool | Everton | Don Revie
| ||
| 1969–70 | Everton (7) | Leeds United | Chelsea | Harry Catterick
| ||
| 1970–71 | Arsenal (8) | Leeds United | Tottenham Hotspur | Bertie Mee
| ||
| 1971–72 | Derby County | Leeds United | Liverpool | Brian Clough
| ||
| 1972–73 | Liverpool[c] (8) | Arsenal | Leeds United | Bill Shankly
| ||
| 1973–74 | Leeds United (2) | Liverpool | Derby County | Don Revie
| ||
| 1974–75 | Derby County (2) | Liverpool | Ipswich Town | Dave Mackay
| ||
| 1975–76 | Liverpool[c] (9) | Queens Park Rangers | Manchester United | Bob Paisley
| ||
| 1976–77 | Liverpool[d] (10) | Manchester City | Ipswich Town | Bob Paisley
| ||
| 1977–78 | Nottingham Forest[e] | Liverpool | Everton | Brian Clough
| ||
| 1978–79 | Liverpool (11) | Nottingham Forest | West Bromwich Albion | Bob Paisley
| ||
| 1979–80 | Liverpool (12) | Manchester United | Ipswich Town | Bob Paisley
| ||
| 1980–81 | Aston Villa (7) | Ipswich Town | Arsenal | Ron Saunders
| ||
| 1981–82[f] | Liverpool[e] (13) | Ipswich Town | Manchester United | Bob Paisley
| ||
| 1982–83 | Liverpool[e] (14) | Watford | Manchester United | Bob Paisley
| ||
| 1983–84 | Liverpool[d][e] (15) | Southampton | Nottingham Forest | Joe Fagan
| ||
| 1984–85 | Everton[g] (8) | Liverpool | Tottenham Hotspur | Howard Kendall
| ||
| 1985–86 | Liverpool (16) | Everton | West Ham United | Kenny Dalglish
| ||
| 1986–87 | Everton (9) | Liverpool | Tottenham Hotspur | Howard Kendall
| ||
| 1987–88 | Liverpool (17) | Manchester United | Nottingham Forest | Kenny Dalglish
| ||
| 1988–89 | Arsenal (9) | Liverpool | Nottingham Forest | George Graham
| ||
| 1989–90 | Liverpool (18) | Aston Villa | Tottenham Hotspur | Kenny Dalglish
| ||
| 1990–91 | Arsenal (10) | Liverpool | Crystal Palace | George Graham
| ||
| 1991–92 | Leeds United (3) | Manchester United | Sheffield Wednesday | Howard Wilkinson
| ||
Premier League (1992–present)[]
| Season | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Winning manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Manchester United (8) | Aston Villa | Norwich City | Alex Ferguson
|
| 1993–94 | Manchester United (9) | Blackburn Rovers | Newcastle United | Alex Ferguson
|
| 1994–95 | Blackburn Rovers (3) | Manchester United | Nottingham Forest | Kenny Dalglish
|
| 1995–96 | Manchester United (10) | Newcastle United | Liverpool | Alex Ferguson
|
| 1996–97 | Manchester United (11) | Newcastle United | Arsenal | Alex Ferguson
|
| 1997–98 | Arsenal (11) | Manchester United | Liverpool |  Arsène Wenger
|
| 1998–99 | Manchester United[h] (12) | Arsenal | Chelsea | Alex Ferguson
|
| 1999–2000 | Manchester United (13) | Arsenal | Leeds United | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2000–01 | Manchester United (14) | Arsenal | Liverpool | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2001–02 | Arsenal (12) | Liverpool | Manchester United | Arsène Wenger
|
| 2002–03 | Manchester United (15) | Arsenal | Newcastle United | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2003–04 | Arsenal[a] (13) | Chelsea | Manchester United | Arsène Wenger
|
| 2004–05 | Chelsea[e] (2) | Arsenal | Manchester United |  José Mourinho
|
| 2005–06 | Chelsea (3) | Manchester United | Liverpool | José Mourinho
|
| 2006–07 | Manchester United (16) | Chelsea | Liverpool | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2007–08 | Manchester United[d] (17) | Chelsea | Arsenal | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2008–09 | Manchester United[e] (18) | Liverpool | Chelsea | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2009–10 | Chelsea (4) | Manchester United | Arsenal |  Carlo Ancelotti
|
| 2010–11 | Manchester United (19) | Chelsea | Manchester City | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2011–12 | Manchester City (3) | Manchester United | Arsenal | Roberto Mancini
|
| 2012–13 | Manchester United (20) | Manchester City | Chelsea | Alex Ferguson
|
| 2013–14 | Manchester City[e] (4) | Liverpool | Chelsea |  Manuel Pellegrini
|
| 2014–15 | Chelsea[e] (5) | Manchester City | Arsenal | José Mourinho
|
| 2015–16 | Leicester City | Arsenal | Tottenham Hotspur | Claudio Ranieri
|
| 2016–17 | Chelsea (6) | Tottenham Hotspur | Manchester City | Antonio Conte
|
| 2017–18 | Manchester City[e] (5) | Manchester United | Tottenham Hotspur |  Pep Guardiola
|
| 2018–19 | Manchester City[i] (6) | Liverpool | Chelsea | Pep Guardiola
|
| 2019–20 | Liverpool (19) | Manchester City | Manchester United |  Jürgen Klopp
|
| 2020–21 | Manchester City[e] (7) | Manchester United | Liverpool | Pep Guardiola
|
Total titles won[]
There are 24 clubs who have won the English title.
Teams in bold compete in the Premier League as of the 2021–22 season.
By region[]
| Region | Championships | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 62 | Manchester United (20), Liverpool (19), Everton (9), Manchester City (7), Blackburn Rovers (3), Burnley (2), Preston North End (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 city/town[]
| City / Town | Championships | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 28 | Liverpool (19), Everton (9) |
| Manchester | 27 | Manchester United (20), Manchester City (7) |
| 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) |
English football champions map[]
  Blackburn Rovers Burnley Everton Ipswich Town Leeds United Leicester City Liverpool Newcastle United Nottingham Forest Portsmouth Preston North End Sheffield United Sheffield Wednesday Sunderland  West Midlands (3) |
 Manchester City Manchester United  Aston Villa West Bromwich Albion Wolverhampton Wanderers  Arsenal Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur |
See also[]
- English football first tier top scorers
- List of association football competitions
- List of First Division and Premier League winning managers
- List of Premier League winning players
- List of football clubs in England by competitive honours won
- List of FA Cup finals
- List of FA Community Shield matches
- List of English women's football champions
Notes[]
- ^ a b Completed the season unbeaten.
- ^ a b c Sheffield Wednesday were known as The Wednesday until 1929.
- ^ a b Also won the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League.
- ^ a b c Also won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 gave two points.
- ^ Also won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
- ^ Manchester United won a continental treble of the League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in 1999.
- ^ Manchester City won a domestic treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup in 2019.
References[]
- General
- "Past winners – The Football League". Football League website. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
- "England – List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
- "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
- Specific
- ^ "The History of the Football League". Football League website. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2006.
- ^ Inglis, Simon (1988). League Football and the Men Who Made It. Willow Books. pp. 6–8. ISBN 978-0-00-218242-3.
- ^ Titford, Roger (November 2005). "Football League, 1888–89". When Saturday Comes. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ Goldblatt, David (2007). The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football. London: Penguin. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-14-101582-8.
- ^ Inglis, League Football and the Men Who Made It, p25
- ^ "Free-scoring Gunners clinch first title". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
- ^ Dart, Tom (25 May 2009). "Burnley: little town, big traditions". The Times. London. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
- ^ "A History of The Premier League". Premier League. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
- ^ Harris, Nick (7 February 2009). "£1.78bn: Record Premier League TV deal defies economic slump". Independent. London. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
- ^ Nurse, Howard (14 May 2011). "Blackburn 1–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
- ^ "Sideline". The Times. London. 16 May 2003. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
- Association football in England lists
- English Football League
- Lists of British award winners
- National association football champions
- Premier League
- Football League First Division
- Lists of sports national champions