List of former English Football League clubs

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An action scene from a soccer match, played on a sun-soaked summer's day. Before an old-fashioned terraced stand packed to the rafters with fans, mostly clad in red, a penalty kick has just been taken by a player wearing a red shirt and white shorts. The ball is nestled in the bottom-right-hand corner of the net, with the goalkeeper helpless on the opposite side of his goal. Behind the penalty taker, a few players from each team can be seen on the edge of the penalty area.
Boston United were relegated from the League after a 3–1 defeat to Wrexham on the final day of the 2006–07 season, ending a five-year spell in the League. Wrexham were relegated in 2008, ending an 87-year spell.

The former member clubs of the English Football League are football clubs that lost their status in the League by resigning, or by relegation, by becoming defunct, merging with another club, or expulsion. Clubs presently playing in the Premier League are also included in this article.

The English Football League comprises professional clubs from England and Wales, and was established in 1888 as The Football League (First Division). In 1892, the Second Division was formed. A Third Division was introduced in 1920, before being regionalised as North and South.[1] In 1958 these became the national Third and Fourth Division.[2] The Premier League superseded the First Division as the top-flight of the English football league system in 1992, with the other three divisions renamed the First, Second and Third Divisions.[3] They were rebranded again in 2004 as the Championship, League One and League Two.[3]

Until 1986, clubs could lose their League status by failing to gain re-election after finishing in the bottom four of the bottom division (fourth tier).[4] From the 1986–87 season, the club finishing bottom was relegated to the Conference National (now National League), the highest level of non-League football,[5] depending on the ability of the Conference champions to meet FA requirements.[6] Since 2002–03, the bottom two clubs of League Two face relegation to the National League.[7]

Clubs

The tables show the first and last seasons in which each club competed in the League. Some clubs' membership was intermittent between their first and last seasons.

Clubs shown in bold were among the founder members of the League. As of 2023, the founder member clubs playing in the League are Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Derby County, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke City, and West Bromwich Albion. Preston have continuously been League members, whereas the others (except Notts County) have played in the Premier League at one time or another. Notts County has recently returned to the League after four seasons in the National League.

Four former members of the old Football League Division One no longer play in the Football League or Premier League: Bury, Bradford Park Avenue, Darwen, and Glossop North End.

Where a defunct club has been succeeded by a phoenix club, the new club is listed.

Former member clubs (no longer at English football levels 1–4)

Club First League
season		 Last League
season		 Reason Current status Ref(s)
Template:Flagicon Aberdare Athletic 1921–22 1926–27 Not re-elected Merged with Aberaman as Aberdare and Aberaman, later Aberaman Town and now Aberdare Town in the South Wales Alliance League Premier Division [8]
Accrington 1888–89 1892–93 Resigned Defunct [9]
Accrington Stanley (1891) 1921–22 1961–62 Resigned Defunct, but a new Accrington Stanley formed in 1968 and are playing in Template:English football updater [10]
Aldershot 1932–33 1991–92Template:Efn Liquidated Defunct, Aldershot Town later formed and are playing in the Template:English football updater [11]
Aldershot Town 2008–09 2012–13 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [12]
Ashington 1921–22 1928–29 Not re-elected Playing in the Template:English football updater [13]
Barnet 1991–92 2025–26 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [14]
Bootle 1892–93 1892–93 Resigned Defunct. A new club, formed as Langton in 1953, changed name to Bootle in 1973, and now playing in the Template:English football updater [15]
Boston United 2002–03 2006–07 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [16]
Bradford Park Avenue 1908–09 1969–70 Not re-elected Defunct, revived version of the club playing in the Template:English football updater [17]
Burton Swifts 1892–93 1900–01 Merged with Burton Wanderers to form Burton United Defunct, a successor club formed in 1950 Burton Albion F.C. plays in Template:English football updater [18]
Burton United 1901–02 1906–07 Not re-elected Defunct, a successor club formed in 1950 Burton Albion F.C. plays in Template:English football updater [19]
Burton Wanderers 1894–95 1896–97 Not re-elected; later merged with Burton Swifts to form Burton United Defunct, a successor club formed in 1950 Burton Albion F.C. plays in Template:English football updater [20]
Bury 1894–95 2018–19 Expelled; later merged with successor club, Bury A.F.C. Expelled during the 2019–20 season without playing a match, due to inability to pay liabilities. Playing in the Template:English football updater [21]
Carlisle United 1928–29 2024–25 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [22]
Chester City 1931–32 2008–09 Relegated Defunct, successor club Chester playing in the Template:English football updater [23]
Dagenham & Redbridge 2007–08 2015–16 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [24]
Darlington 1921–22 2009–10 Relegated Defunct, revived version of the club playing in the Template:English football updater [25]
Darwen 1891–92 1898–99 Resigned Defunct, AFC Darwen later formed and are playing in the Template:English football updater [26]
Durham City 1921–22 1927–28 Not re-elected Defunct. Revived club playing in the Template:English football updater [27]
Forest Green Rovers 2017–18 2023–24 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [28]
Gainsborough Trinity 1896–97 1911–12 Not re-elected Playing in the Template:English football updater [29]
Gateshead 1919–20 1959–60 Not re-elected Defunct. New Gateshead (National League) and South Shields (Northern Premier League Premier Division) clubs formed [30]
Glossop 1898–99 1914–15 Not re-elected Playing in the Template:English football updater [31][32]
Halifax Town 1921–22 2001–02 Relegated Defunct, FC Halifax Town later formed and are playing in the Template:English football updater [33]
Hartlepool United 1921–22 2022–23 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [34]
Hereford United 1972–73 2011–12 Relegated Defunct, successor club Hereford playing in the Template:English football updater [35]
Kidderminster Harriers 2000–01 2004–05 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [36]
Leeds City 1905–06 1919–20Template:Efn Expelled Defunct, successor club Leeds United playing in the Template:English football updater [37]
Loughborough 1895–96 1899–1900 Not re-elected Defunct [38]
Macclesfield Town 1997–98 2019–20 Relegated Defunct, successor club Macclesfield playing in the Template:English football updater [39]
Maidstone United 1989–90 1991–92Template:Efn Liquidated Defunct, revived version of the club playing in the Template:English football updater [40]
Template:Flagicon Merthyr Town 1920–21 1929–30 Not re-elected Defunct, revived version playing in Template:English football updater [41]
Middlesbrough Ironopolis 1893–94 1893–94 Resigned Defunct [42]
Morecambe 2007–08 2024–25 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [43]
Nelson 1921–22 1930–31 Not re-elected Defunct, revived version playing in the Template:English football updater [44]
New Brighton 1923–24 1950–51 Not re-elected Defunct [45]
New Brighton Tower 1898–99 1900–01 Liquidated Defunct [46]
Template:Flagicon Newport County 1920–21 1987–88 Relegated Defunct, revived version of the club playing in Template:English football updater [47]
Northwich Victoria 1892–93 1893–94 Resigned Playing in the Template:English football updater [48]
Rochdale 1921–22 2022–23 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [49]
Rotherham County 1919–20 1924–25 Merged with Rotherham Town (1899) to form Rotherham United Defunct, Rotherham United playing in the Template:English football updater [50]
Rotherham Town 1893–94 1895–96 Resigned Defunct, Rotherham United playing in the Template:English football updater [51]
Rushden & Diamonds 2001–02 2005–06 Relegated Defunct, AFC Rushden & Diamonds playing in the Template:English football updater [52][53]
Scarborough 1987–88 1998–99 Relegated Defunct, Scarborough Athletic later formed and are playing in the Template:English football updater [54]
Scunthorpe United 1950–51 2021–22 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [55]
Southend United 1920–21 2020–21 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [56]
Southport 1921–22 1977–78 Not re-elected Playing in the Template:English football updater [57]
Stalybridge Celtic 1921–22 1922–23 Resigned Playing in the Template:English football updater [58]
Sutton United 2021–22 2023–24 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [59]
Thames 1930–31 1931–32 Resigned Defunct [60]
Torquay United 1927–28 2013–14 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [61]
Wigan Borough 1921–22 1930–31 Resigned midway through season Defunct, successor club Wigan Athletic playing in Template:English football updater [62]
Wimbledon 1977–78 2003–04 Relocated and became Milton Keynes Dons. Became Milton Keynes Dons are playing in League Two [63]
Workington 1951–52 1976–77 Not re-elected Playing in the Template:English football updater [64]
Yeovil Town 2003–04 2018–19 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [65]
York City 1929–30 2015–16 Relegated Playing in the Template:English football updater [66]

Current members of the Premier League (2025–26)

Club First League
season		 Last League
season		 Ref(s)
Arsenal 1893–94 1991–92 [67]
Aston Villa 1888–89 2018–19 [68]
Bournemouth 1923–24 2021–22 [69]
Brentford 1920–21 2020–21 [70]
Brighton & Hove Albion 1920–21 2016–17 [71]
Burnley 1888–89 2024–25 [72]
Chelsea 1905–06 1991–92 [73]
Crystal Palace 1920–21 2012–13 [74]
Everton 1888–89 1991–92 [75]
Fulham 1907–08 2021–22 [76]
Leeds United 1920–21 2024–25 [77]
Liverpool 1893–94 1991–92 [78]
Manchester City 1892–93 2001–02 [79]
Manchester United 1892–93 1991–92 [80]
Newcastle United 1893–94 2016–17 [81]
Nottingham Forest 1892–93 2021–22 [82]
Sunderland 1890–91 2024–25 [83]
Tottenham Hotspur 1908–09 1991–92 [84]
West Ham United 1919–20 2011–12 [85]
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1888–89 2017–18 [86]

See also

Footnotes

Template:Notelist

References

General
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Specific

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Template:Former football league members Template:Football in England

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