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[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fa_crest_2009svg.png]]
The governing body of football in England is the Football Association (FA) which dates back to 1863; it's the oldest national football association in the world and as such, doesn't need to use the word "English" in its title. [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily Prince William]] [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething is its President]] and has been since 2006. England also has the oldest [[UsefulNotes/FootyLeagues professional football league]] which was founded in 1888, initially with twelve teams. It's been known by various names over the years due to sponsorship reasons, but since 2016 it's simply been branded as the English Football League (EFL). The [[UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague Premier League]] split from the Football League in 1992 in order to take advantage of a [[MoneyDearBoy lucrative TV deal]] with Creator/{{Sky}}, leading to a confusing re-numbering of the three lower divisions; the Second Division became the First Division, etc. Nowadays, the (old) Second Division is called the Championship, the Third is League One and the Fourth is League Two. The creation of the Premier League has led some commentators to [[YearZero disregard any League-related stats from before 1992]] when referring to the top division, which generally does not go down well with most fans. Between them, the Premier League and the EFL have 92 teams [[note]] (readers from North America should note that there is promotion and relegation between the divisions, and the 'big' teams aren't exempt from this; even Manchester United spent some time in the Second Division in the 1970s)[[/note]]. Promotion and relegation are determined by the end-of-season positions, but since the late 1980s one promotion place from each division is decided according to a playoff between the four clubs that finish just below the automatic promotion spots (this was introduced to make it more interesting for more clubs over the course of the season). The play-offs, consisting of two two-leg semi-finals and a final at Wembley, take place at the end of the season. It is therefore possible for a team finishing sixth in the Championship or League One (or seventh in League Two) to be promoted rather than the clubs finishing immediately above them in the standings.
Below League Two is that entity known as "non-league" which encompasses everything from professional clubs that used to be in the League (and would like to be so again) through the semi-professional sides in regional feeder leagues right down to amateur Sunday morning sides. The highest non-league division is called the National League (confusing, right?) which used to be called the Football Conference and may still be referred to as such. Since 1987, whoever finishes bottom of what's now League Two gets relegated to this [[note]] prior to that, the team at the bottom of the Football League had to apply for the possible lifeline that was re-election to the League [[/note]]; since 2003, it's been the bottom two. In return, the top two non-league clubs get promoted to the League.
In addition to the league structure, there are two major knock-out tournaments which offer clubs an additional chance for some silverware - the [[UsefulNotes/TheFACup FA Cup]] (the oldest national football competition in the world, dating back to 1871) and the EFL Cup (founded in the 1960 and historically the League Cup; it's had many names over the years due to [[ProductPlacementName sponsorship]] - Coca-Cola Cup, Carling Cup, etc; nowadays, it's the Carabao Cup). Both of these tournaments have their finals at Wembley. The FA Cup is by far the more prestigious of the two and is open to non-league clubs which, due to the random nature of the draw, can and sometimes do get the chance to play against the big teams (although actual acts of [[DavidVersusGoliath giant-killing]] are relatively rare, there's usually at least one solid upset a season). Any club that wins the League (or, since 1992, the Premier League) and the FA Cup in the same season is said to have done the "Double". Manchester United managed a "Treble" in 1999 (Premier League, FA Cup, [[UsefulNotes/UEFAChampionsLeague Champions League]]), a unique feat until it was repeated by Manchester City in 2023, while the only instance of a domestic "Treble" (Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup) was that of Manchester City in 2019.[[note]] At least in ''men's'' football; in the women's game, Arsenal (three times) and Chelsea (once) have both achieved this.[[/note]] There's also the FA Community Shield (formerly known as the Charity Shield [[note]] the proceeds from this match have always gone to football charities, but it had to be renamed in 2002 after the Charity Commissioners found that the FA had breached the charity laws by failing to specify how much of the ticket money went to charity, and by delaying payments to some charities [[/note]]) which acts as the traditional curtain-raiser for a new season and is contested between the previous season's Premier League Champions and FA Cup winners; opinion varies as to whether it's a glorified friendly or a serious contest. Clubs in League One and League Two contest the EFL Trophy (which, like the League Cup, has had various names due to sponsors - Auto Windscreens Shield, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, etc - but is currently the Papa Johns Trophy); like winning one of the lower divisions, this tends not to be regarded as a ''major'' trophy.
!The current big clubs
Historically, which clubs get to be defined as "big" clubs has varied as fortunes have tended to fluctuate - although most lists made over the past half-century or so have invariably included the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. In the early 2000s, the talk was of the '''Big Four''' (those three, plus Chelsea), while more recently the talk has been of the '''Big Six''' (those four, plus Manchester City and Spurs). In April 2021, these clubs were given several more derisive nicknames -- "Selfish Six", "Dirty Half-Dozen", etc -- after they signed up to a proposed new European Super League alongside three Italian clubs (AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus) and three Spanish clubs (Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid). The ESL was widely regarded as a [[MoneyDearBoy blatant money grab]], as it would have featured only 20 teams, with the founder clubs guaranteed ''permanent places'' in the competition. It wasn't unanimously popular among big-name clubs; Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain, all rumoured to have places set aside for them, opted out. Widespread outrage and condemnation followed from governing bodies, other clubs, supporters, politicians, pundits, the media and even many players of the clubs involved. Within 48 hours, the ESL had collapsed, with all six of the EPL sides withdrawing. The long-term consequences of this attempted breakaway and the resulting backlash remain to be seen.
Prior to this, in the late 20th century, there was often talk of a '''Big Five''' comprising Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham. These five remain the only clubs to have been in the top flight continuously since at least the 1970s. (In the case of Arsenal, since the ''1910s''.)
!!Arsenal
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arsenal_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:North London forever!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1886\\
'''Nickname:''' The Gunners[[note]]Fans refer to themselves as Gooners. Please note that [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant this is unrelated]] to the NSFW slang term [[https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gooner "gooner"]] which entered the lexicon well after the fans took up the nickname. That being said, this hasn't stopped them from being the first to crack jokes about it.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Stan Kroenke\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mikel Arteta\\
'''Current Captain:''' Martin Ødegaard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Emirates Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 60,260. Emirates Airlines is the current sponsor; the stadium's sponsor-less name is Ashburton Grove.[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 2nd in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 13; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 14; 1929–30, 1935–36, 1949–50, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2019–20\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1986–87 & 1992–93 EFL Cups; 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991,[note 9] 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, & 2023 FA Community Shields; Football League Centenary Trophy[[note]]A one-time tournament in 1988-89 to commemorate the Football League's 100th anniversary[[/note]]\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup; 1993–94 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup
----
Was British-owned until late in 2010 when American billionaire Stan Kroenke (who also owns the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague LA Rams]] and an [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer MLS]] team) launched a takeover of the club, and as of July 2021 is completely owned by Kroenke. Have not won the Premiership since 2004 and since them have come 4th six times, 3rd four, 2nd twice, dropping as far as 8th (twice in a row), and most recently 5th. However, the last time they won it they went unbeaten.
Arsenal has a large and diverse fanbase, including people such as Creator/NickHornby (whose memoir ''Literature/FeverPitch'', a key element in the early-to-mid 1990s football literature boom, was all about his experiences as an Arsenal fan in the 1970s and 1980s), Creator/LewisHamilton, Creator/IdrisElba, the late unlamented UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden, Jeremy Corbyn (the local MP), his replacement as British Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, broadcaster Robert Peston, celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott, several African heads of state, Creator/AnneHathaway, Creator/NicholasGalitzine, and even (so rumour has it) [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethII Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II]].
Historically (if you go back to the origins) the Gunners originate from South of the River at the Royal Arsenal (munitions works) in Woolwich, hence both the name and the gun logo. They were the first London club to turn professional (in 1891) and the first southern team to join the Football League (in 1893). They relocated to North London in 1913. They also hold the record for the longest continued streak in the top division, currently at ''over a hundred years'' and counting [[note]] following a hiatus of professional football during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, Arsenal, who'd finished fifth in the Second Division in the last completed season (1914-15), were voted into the newly-expanded First Division for the 1919-20 season, much to the fury of North London rivals Spurs, who'd finished bottom of the First Division in 1914-15 and now found themselves relegated to the Second [[/note]].
In recent history, Arsenal were once considered a dull defensive side under George Graham in the late 80s and early 90s, to the point where opposing fans would cheer "Boring, Boring Arsenal!". Following Graham's sacking and the hire of then-unknown Frenchman Arsène Wenger, Arsenal completely changed their style into an attacking team full of intricate passing and teamwork, a style nicknamed "Wengerball". For the first ten years of Wenger's tenure, Arsenal were dominant, winning the Premier League title three times (the third being unbeaten), four FA Cups (the first two being won the same year as their first two League titles), and even reached a Champions League final, which they lost to Barcelona. Following this, work was begun on a new stadium, and Arsenal seemed destined to join Europe's elite in terms of team and stadium quality. However, a combination of the stadium's finances, Chelsea's emergence, and sheer bad luck caused Arsenal to slide into perennial 3rd/4th-place finishes. They won three more FA Cups in four years under Wenger in the mid 10s and come oh-so-close to winning another League Title, but would ultimately fall short. In 2017, Arsenal would finish outside the Top 4 for the first time in decades, and Wenger would ultimately step down after the 2017/18 season.
His replacement, Unai Emery, seemed to initially return Arsenal to success, with a 22-match unbeaten run that saw them competing for the title against a dominant Manchester City and a resurgent Liverpool, but then they collapsed again, falling out of the Top 4 and losing in the Europa League final to Chelsea by a score of 4-1. The next season, a string of bad performances would lead to Emery's sacking. Arsenal would then hire former captain Mikel Arteta, who again seemed to get the Gunners moving in the right direction, winning an FA Cup in his first season, but the second season would see a truly woeful campaign for the first half, from which they were ultimately unable to claw back in the 2020/21 campaign. As things stand, Arsenal are in the process of a long rebuild, where long serving favourites like Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were exiled and had their contracts terminated due to poor attitudes, whilst up-and-coming signings such as Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Ødegaard and Thomas Partey joined academy prospects Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe - the signs are promising, having missed out on the Champions League by a mere two points in 2022, but 2022/23 has seen Arsenal return to being a juggernaut of English football, building a sizable lead between themselves and Manchester City in second, and delivering excellent performances even in their single defeat thus far in the season but tossing all opposition by the wayside en route to their current dominance. Ultimately, although they held onto the top spot until April, five defeats in the second half of the season gave Manchester City the opportunity to leapfrog them, with Arsenal finishing the season in second place.
Any questions as to whether this was merely a purple patch seem to have been answered in the negative in 2023/24, where with 9 games to go, Arsenal are in 2nd place, two points behind a Liverpool team powered by their desire to complete one last dance for beloved outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp, and one point ahead of Manchester City, who are doing their usual Terminator impersonation, and competing fiercely with both, convincingly beating Liverpool 3-1 to deal out one of their two league losses so far (the other, a 2-1 defeat courtesy of Tottenham, required an incorrectly disallowed Liverpool goal, two dubious Liverpool red cards, and a very unfortunate Liverpool own goal with the last kick of the game), and preventing City from scoring at home for the first time in 3 years in a determined draw over Easter. They were considered the least-likely of the three teams to end up winning the Prem, and they may not with City holding an extra game to play, but they soldiered on despite a stumble and look set to push City to the final day, as if to declare that they would not be going away any time soon.
As noted above, Arsenal were one of the "ESL Six" that attempted a breakaway from the UEFA Champions League, only to back out with their tails between their legs within 48 hours.
!!Chelsea'''
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chelsea_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Keep the blue flag flying high!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1905\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]Sometimes additionally as the Lions, or formerly the Pensioners[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts and shorts, white socks\\
'''Current Owner:''' Todd Boehly\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mauricio Pochettino\\
'''Current Captain:''' Reece James\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stamford Bridge[[note]]Capacity: 41,798[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 12th in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 6; 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1969–70, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1983–84 & 1988–89 Second Division Championships; 1964–65, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, & 2014–15 EFL Cups; 1955, 2000, 2005, & 2009 FA Community Shields; 1985–86 & 1989–90 Full Members' Cups\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 2011–12 & 2020–21 UEFA Champions League; 2012–13 & 2018–19 UEFA Europa League; 1970–71, 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups; 1998 & 2021 UEFA Super Cups\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
----
A West London club nicknamed "The Blues" or rarely [[TheArtifact "The Pensioners"]] [[note]](the Royal Hospital in Chelsea is a famous retirement home for veteran soldiers, who are known as 'Chelsea Pensioners')[[/note]]. The club was formed in 1904 by businessman Gus Mears after he'd bought Stamford Bridge (then an athletics stadium) with a view to turning it into a football ground; he originally offered the lease to Fulham, but when they turned him down he decided to [[StartMyOwn form his own football club]] to play there [[note]] he actually considered calling the club "London FC" before going with Chelsea [[/note]]. Despite having been owned by moneyed backers for most of the 21st century - Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owned the club from 2003 until being forced to sell in 2022 thanks to UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin's invasion of Ukraine, with the club being bought by US billionaire Todd Boehly[[note]]who also owns the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball LA Dodgers]][[/note]] - Chelsea had a reputation of being somewhat underachieving, though not to the degree of Arsenal. This finally broke for them when they won the Champions League in 2012.
Had some bad luck in Europe in recent years, being knocked out of the UsefulNotes/UEFAChampionsLeague semi-final stage more than once thanks to contentious decisions and match-ups with bogey team Liverpool, who tend to bring their A-Game for European matches. In the 2009 home leg against Barcelona, the referee missed several clear penalties and had to flee the UK after receiving death threats.
The term "Chelsea Smile" is sometimes used as a synonym for GlasgowGrin, from the days of [[FootballHooligans rife hooliganism]] (the main characters in ''Film/TheFootballFactory'' were Chelsea 'fans'), but this use has diminished significantly. Sadly, as one incident in early 2015 showed, some remnants of the hooliganism remain, as demonstrated after a tie against PSG.
They were the first London side to win the UEFA Champions League (2012), beating Barcelona [[BestServedCold in the semi-finals]] and winning a penalty shoot-out against Bayern Munich in their home ground, bucking the "trend" of the English succumbing to the Germans on penalties.
During the Abramovich years, in which he [[ArbitrarilyLargeBankAccount drowned the club with investment]], Chelsea gained a reputation for paying [[RichInDollarsPoorInSense absurdly high sums of money for players who turned out not to be worth that much for them]].
* Take striker Andriy Shevchenko, whom Chelsea purchased for £30 million. His Chelsea career amounted to 77 games and 22 goals. The mathematically astute among you may have already calculated that this comes out to more than a million per goal.
* Similarly, striker Fernando Torres cost Chelsea a whopping £50 million, and did not, for the most part, live up to expectations, with 45 goals in 172 games, though one of these goals was in the 2013 Europa League Final, in which Chelsea defeated Benfica 2-1. [[note]] And Torres and Shevchenko are quite good friends in retirement [[/note]]
** In all fairness, it should be noted that both Shevchenko and Torres were seen as among the best strikers in the world when they were bought - both Shevchenko and Torres regularly scored over 25 goals per season for their previous teams (Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan, Torres for Atletico Madrid and Liverpool). In the years prior to their signings, Shevchenko had won several trophies in Italy and the 2004 Ballon d'Or, while Torres had powered his country to the 2008 European Championship title, scoring the winning goal in the final, before helping them win the 2010 World Cup.
During Abramovich's tenure, the Chelsea manager's job also became notorious for its short tenure, with fifteen managers in his nineteen seasons in charge, with Abramovich gaining a reputation for demanding success and [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity quickly firing managers who can't provide it constantly.]] To put that into perspective, Chelsea have spent more money on compensating their sacked managers than Everton have spent ''since the Premier League began''. Bucking the trend, he was actually remarkably patient with José Mourinho, despite the fact that Chelsea went into a tailspin and the manager seemed to lose the dressing room after verbally abusing and firing the popular [[HospitalHottie (and attractive)]] team doctor, despite the fact that their title defence morphed into only half-joking cracks about them fighting relegation, before firing him in late December and replacing him with safe pair of hands Guus Hiddink.
Antonio Conte was next, and won the league, but then came 5th, an unforgivable sin for a Chelsea manager. Despite an FA Cup final victory against Manchester United, Conte was shown the door and got replaced by Maurizio Sarri, whose hypnotizing brand of attacking football turned many heads in the football world while at Napoli. The 2018/19 season immediately started well for Chelsea, including an effortless thrashing of all their rivals in their Europa League group. Unfortunately, their form rather collapsed after the turn of the year, with ''Bournemouth'' of all teams thrashing them 4-0, their worst Premier League defeat in ''20 years'', before City got their own back for a previous defeat by absolutely destroying them ''6-0'', Chelsea's worst defeat in ''any'' competition since 1991. Cue opposition chants of "Maurizio Sarri, we want you to stay!" Despite winning the Europa League, however, Sarri left Stamford Bridge due to the general sense of unease he was feeling around the club, and went back to Italy to join Juventus, much to Chelsea fans's disappointment and the outrage of his former followers at Napoli.
Chelsea, as noted above, were another of the "ESL Six" ... although by almost all reports, Abramovich and the directors weren't totally on board with this, and only joined because they didn't want to be left behind by their rivals. Notably, they were the first of the founding ESL clubs to jump ship,[[note]]While Chelsea was the last of the ESL Six to ''formally'' withdraw, doing so the day after the other five, it ''was'' the first to announce its intent to leave.[[/note]] doing so minutes after former Chelsea star goalkeeper and current technical director Petr Čech addressed an angry crowd of supporters that were blocking a main road to their ground. Needless to say, when Chelsea pulled out, [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing much rejoicing]] followed.
Abramovich was forced to sell the club in 2022 as a result of Russia's botched invasion of Ukraine, with it being bought by an American-led consortium headed by US billionaire Todd Boehly (the owner of the LA Dodgers). In his first season in charge, the club continued its reputation for spending large sums of money on players, spending more than ''£200million'' in one transfer window to bring in players such as England's star attacker Raheem Sterling, defenders Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly, and former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang. Unfortunately, this did not solve their troubles, and following a torrid run of form, manager Thomas Tuchel was sacked after an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb (whose team cost only £54m, less than the £62m Chelsea spent on Cucurella alone). Tuchel was replaced by highly-rated British manager Graham Potter (whose previous club, Brighton, had, coincidentally, been the team Chelsea signed Cucurella for £62m from). After a truly awful run of form led to Chelsea dropping into the bottom half of the table and the firing of a now haggard looking Potter, to be replaced until the end of the season by their former player and manager Frank Lampard, news quickly followed a torrid run that former Tottenham boss, Mauricio Pochettino would be taking the reins after the end of the season. Unfortunately, despite positive draws against Manchester City, under Pochettino they achieved more or less exactly the same points tally as the previous season - positive results being interspersed with embarrassments such as being absolutely spanked 4-1 by a badly injury-hit Liverpool. Adding insult to injury, three weeks later, despite having a fully fit squad and several more days to prepare, they lost the League Cup final in Extra Time to a Liverpool side that by this point had ''11'' players down (including most of the first team) and finished the match with five players who were 20 or under, and despite that, ''still'' dominated the match. After this nadir, they were promptly witheringly dubbed "the blue billion pound bottle-jobs" by ex-pro Gary Neville.
Famous fans include [[Series/FantasyFootballLeague David]] [[Series/BaddielAndSkinnerUnplugged Baddiel]], [[Music/{{Blur}} Damon]] [[Music/{{Gorillaz}} Albarn]], [[Music/DepecheMode Andrew Fletcher]], [[Music/MadnessBand Suggs]], Creator/GordonRamsay, the late [[Creator/RichardAttenborough Dickie Attenborough]], ex-Prime Minister UsefulNotes/JohnMajor and (apparently) Creator/WillFerrell.
!!Everton
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/everton_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Everton, we've never shone so brightly!\\
Everton, the spirit of the blues!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Toffees\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks\\
'''Current Owners:''' Farhad Moshiri (Majority Shareholder), Bill Kenwright and Jon Woods\\
'''Current Manager:''' Sean Dyche\\
'''Current Captain:''' Séamus Coleman\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Goodison Park[[note]]Capacity: 39,571[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 17th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 9; 1890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1986–87\\
'''FA Cups:''' 5; 1905–06, 1932–33, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1994–95\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1930–31 Second Division Championship; 1928, 1932, 1963, 1970, 1984, 1985, 1986 ''(shared)'', 1987, & 1995 FA Community Shields; 1985–86 & 1989–90 Full Members' Cups\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1984–85 European Cup Winners' Cup
----
Based in Liverpool. One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, they've spent a total of [[TheArtefact 105 seasons in the top-flight]].
Previously thought of as the team that would break the "Big Four" [[note]] defined at the time as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United[[/note]] thanks to strong league and cup runs in the middle 00s (culminating in Champions League qualification in 2005), but have since dropped to mid-table, with financial hardship preventing major squad investment. Still widely considered a 'dark horse' side and one likely to cause upsetting score lines for the bigger teams, in the latter half of the 2010s they re-emerged as a team to be reckoned with, first with extremely talented youngsters Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, ably supported by winger Gerard Deulofeu, in 2015-16. However, this team was undermined by defensive frailty, as brutally exposed by local arch rivals Liverpool. Despite having their most in-form striker injured in a brutal tackle by an Everton centre-back who was immediately sent off [[note]] He compounded his crime by beating the club badge as he walked off, trying to imply that he'd done it for the club and the fans, and earned himself a well deserved DopeSlap from his assistant coach in the process.[[/note]], [[HumiliationConga they sauntered to a 4-0 win]], one so comfortable that [[{{Troll}} Liverpool spent the last quarter of the match practically camped outside the Everton box, trying to get fan favourite defensive midfielder/centre back Lucas Leiva to score, apparently just for the hell of it.]] [[CherryTapping Lucas had played regularly for Liverpool for nine years. In that time, he had scored a grand total of six goals, the last of which had been scored]] ''six years ago.'' This was a tactic so ridiculous that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was caught on tv ''laughing.'' This unsurprisingly led to the sacking of Everton manager [[NiceGuy Roberto Martínez]].
2016-17 got off to a rocky start with new manager Ronald Koeman but once the kinks were ironed in (largely starting in 2017), they qualified for Europe again. 2017/18, on the other hand, was one big EpicFail with Ross Barkley refusing to sign a contract, Romelu Lukaku and fan favourite Gareth Barry both leaving, several signings which turned out to be disappointing, a disastrous Europa League campaign, and Ronald Koeman going through one long HumiliationConga which ended in him being sacked in October. Former Everton player and U23 manager David Unsworth took charge until a new boss was found, with Watford's Marco Silva being headhunted, which led to him being unsettled and, once Watford's form declined, and Everton overtook them in the standings, sacked.
After hiring Sam Allardyce to replace Ronald Koeman the team has found their footing once more, emphasising [[BoringButPractical pragmatic]] and [[StoneWall defensive]] play to avoid conceding goals (the single greatest source of defeat during the early season was not their inability to score but their inability to keep goals out, despite the presence of goalkeeper [[TheAce Jordan Pickford]]). Everton managed to remain undefeated in their first seven games under Allardyce and ascended back to the top half of the league from what was thought to be a relegation battle mere weeks before. Whilst they struggled to find their bearings at points after their initial revival, they remained in the top half, finishing eighth. Under legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti, with a more balanced front line and defence, they've become a threat once more, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin being considered an early competitor for the league's top scorer, and declared his desire to remain at Everton at least until they moved into their new 52,888 capacity stadium (something expected to happen in 2024)... then promptly packed his bags as soon as Real Madrid came calling.
This led to the very unexpected recruitment of another former Real Madrid manager and Liverpool resident - Rafael Benitez. Since Benitez had become internationally famous at Liverpool FC, taking them to Champions League glory, and had in 2007 referred to Everton as a "small club" after a rather drab 0-0 in the usually combustible Merseyside derby (fellow Spaniards have since explained that he meant that they were playing like one, rather than that they were a small club themselves and just conveyed it badly), this was met with decidedly mixed feelings. And by 'mixed feelings', we mean 'threatening banners'. However, even the most rabid Everton fans can't deny either Benitez's remarkable track record or genuine love for the city, and the majority responded to the banners and threats with firm support for the new manager... if with a certain sense of caution. Even after a good start was undermined by injuries and a horrible run of form (including a humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Liverpool, their worst loss in the Goodison leg since August 2003), most of the blame was initially apportioned to the club's hierarchy, fans having got wise to the fact that Benitez was the 5th manager in 5 years (i.e. it was extremely unlikely that the problems were his fault). However, whilst they earned a dramatic win over Arsenal, the slump was not truly arrested, and Benitez himself went out of the door after a poor performance in a loss to than-bottom Norwich (the first time since May 2004 that Everton lost to the then-last place), leading to another change at Goodison - Everton had last scored first in a game under his management in a horrible 5-2 loss to Watford 2-and-a-half months earlier, and, between than and his sacking 12 league games later, had only led for 2 stoppage time minutes through bargain-buy Demarai Gray's winner v Arsenal (they won a cup game away to Championship strugglers Hull, but even then, they trailed after 40 seconds and were taken to extra time), hence the re-utilisation of Ferguson until a new appointment was found, even though certain board members wanted Martinez to come back. The initial choice, highly travelled Vitor Pereira, who won trophies in Portugal and China, but had failed spells with many other teams, including in the German 2. Bundesliga, was very unpopular amongst fans, and Frank Lampard, with a point to prove, came in, a year after being sacked by Chelsea, and signed 2 players as soon as he arrived on Transfer Deadline Day. Lampard prevented their relegation, but found himself fired almost a year later with the team in a similar position, being replaced by former Burnley boss Sean Dyche. Points deductions and a club record winless run thanks to an excellent defensive record being undercut by a profound inability to score, only ameliorated by Nottingham Forest being in similar straits regarding points deductions, meaning that once again, they are hovering above the relegation.
Part of one of (arguably) the most famous rivalries in Football, with neighbours Liverpool. This has ranged everywhere from friendly competition to seemingly utter hatred over the hundred-plus years of the clubs existence. Currently seems to be the latter as of 2024, thanks to an utterly brutal tackle by keeper Jordan Pickford on star Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk in the 2020 Goodison derby putting the latter out for the season and impacting his performance for several years after, for which Pickford - bafflingly - escaped punishment, despite VAR, on the grounds that Van Dijk was offside (ex-refs expressed bemusement, as the rules offer plenty of scope for punishing misdemeanours when the ball is out of play). Silky midfielder Thiago Alcantara was also badly injured (though the perpetrator, Richarlison, was justly sent off). Given that each derby tends to be played in the context of the last at each respective ground, the 2021 Goodison derby was both significantly more vicious than usual and humiliating for Everton, the general sense being that Liverpool were making a point. None of this is entirely surprising: the fixture has a reputation for brutality, officially having the most red cards in Premier League history. However relations between fans remain cordial -- a factor heavily influenced by the fact that many Liverpudlian families contain supporters of both clubs, with the rivalry being characterised as a family feud (in other words, it's vicious, it's personal, and woe betide anyone else who gets involved).
Indeed, in one unusual case, the Gerrard family actually produced ''players'' for both clubs, with defender Anthony Gerrard coming through the Everton youth system and being overshadowed by his vastly more famous cousin Steven Gerrard, captain of Liverpool FC and widely regarded as perhaps the greatest midfielder of his age. While the two did eventually play each other, Anthony had by that point moved to Cardiff City. In 2021, when Liverpool legend Rafael Benitez became the first man since the 19th century to manage both teams, neither fanbase was entirely sure how to react when the two teams faced each other... until Liverpool started thumping Everton, when the Liverpool fans [[{{Troll}} started cheerfully singing Benitez' name.]]
Famous fans include Music/PaulMcCartney (apparently) [[note]] none of Music/TheBeatles were really into football, though early drummer Pete Best is a die-hard Evertonian; the appearance of Albert Stubbins (who played for Liverpool in the 1940s) on the cover of ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' is somewhat random, the most likely explanation for this being that John Lennon thought his name was funny [[/note]], [[Music/TheCult Ian Astbury]], former Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, Claire Sweeney and Gareth Evans.
!!Leicester City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leicester_city_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The foxes are on the prowl!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Foxes\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Srivaddhanaprabha Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Enzo Maresca\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jonny Evans\\
'''Current Stadium:''' King Power Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,312. Has never had a sponsor-free name; previous sponsor was Walkers.[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st in Championship (promoted)\\
'''Premier League Titles:''' 1; 2015–16\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 2020–21\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1924–25, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1970–71, 1979–80, 2013–14, & 2023–24 level 2 champions; 2008–09 League One Champions, 1963–64, 1996–97, & 1999–2000 League Cups; 1971 & 2021 FA Community Shields
----
Came ''out of freaking nowhere'' to win the Premier League title in 2015-16, the first top-flight title in the club's 125-plus-year history (prior to this, the club's main honours had been winning the League Cup three times). By "freaking nowhere", [[DarkHorseVictory we really mean it]] -- they had been in the Championship as recently as 2013-14; were nailed, bolted and hard welded to the bottom of the Premier League table for much of the 2014-15 season (only survived relegation that season by collecting 7 wins and a draw in their final 9 matches thanks in part to their new manager, Claudio Ranieri); and were ''5,000–1'' shots to win the title entering the 2015-16 season. They then proceeded to top the table in September, leading to jokes about how Leicester were going to win the league, only to then ''continue winning''.
For further context, they smashed record after record - they became the first team to be bottom at Christmas in one season and top at Christmas the next, star striker Jamie Vardy (signed four years before from non-league Fleetwood Town for £1 million - in other words, what former England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney then earned in a ''month'') scored goals in ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome eleven consecutive games]]'' breaking the record set by legendary Netherlands and Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and their ''entire first team'' cost £22 million. For context, Manchester United shelled out £36 million for the unproven but talented teenager Anthony Martial and most teams in the top 10 have at least one £20 million player and/or several £10 million-plus players.
Their unexpected success led to some people having to double down on rash declarations, including that of former England and Leicester striker Gary Lineker, current host of ''Series/MatchOfTheDay'' (and face of Walker's Crisps), who had declared when Leicester were top at Christmas that if they won he would host ''Match of the Day'' in his underwear. After Leicester were crowned champions, everyone called him on it, including [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments then Prime Minister David Cameron in Parliament]]. On the first programme of the 2016-17 season, Saturday 13th August 2016, he delivered on his promise, wearing Leicester City shorts no less.
Another impressive thing to note is that while normal service has resumed in the Premier League, they made waves in the Champions League, comfortably winning their group, to make the last 16 against Sevilla. They were unlucky to lose 2-1 in the first leg, but it turned out to be the final straw for their title winning boss Claudio Ranieri, with the side falling towards the relegation zone in the league after losing 5 on the trot. To say that sacking was unpopular was an understatement, yet caretaker Craig Shakespeare won his first 4 league games, and won the return leg against Sevilla to progress to the last 8 of the Champions League, and be English football's sole remaining representative in the competition, where they only lost to eventual finalist Atlético Madrid through a penalty for a foul clearly outside the box.
In 2018, tragedy struck the club following a league match against West Ham United - the helicopter of much-loved owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the man who bought and refurbished the club, then backed their title winning run, crashed in a parking lot outside the stadium[[note]]Srivaddhanaprabha was known for entering and leaving the stadium during home games by helicopter, which he would have land on the pitch[[/note]]. The crash claimed not only his life, but also that of two staff members, the pilot, and a visitor. In matches afterwards, the players - many of whom had been part of the 2015/16 title winning side - were on the brink of tears, and the vast majority of the squad attended the funeral in Thailand. Touchingly, every Premier League club paid their tributes.
Since then, Jamie Vardy has proven evergreen, only getting faster despite his passing years, and demonstrating his skills by coolly grabbing a hat-trick in a ''9-0'' demolition of Southampton (itself the joint largest win in Premier League history, and the joint largest away win in English top flight history full stop) on the way to claiming the Golden Boot at a record-breaking age of 33 in 2019-20, as Leicester finished 5th and qualified for the Europa League.
In May 2021, Leicester reached the FA Cup Final -- one of the first major British sporting events to experiment with large crowds following the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic (attendance was capped at 20,000, significantly below Wembley's capacity). Thanks to the fact that their opponents Chelsea were one of the ESL Six, almost all neutrals wanted Leicester to win -- which they did, overcoming their opponents 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.
In the 2022-23 season, Leicester unexpectedly found themselves struggling, having failed to replace talismanic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and with Vardy and his fellow strikers Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka struggling for goals, culminating in the firing of their FA Cup-winning manager Brendan Rodgers with the team deep in a relegation battle, to be replaced by former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith. This didn't help, and Leicester became just the second Premier League Champion to be relegated. This has led to jokes that they managed to get promoted, win the title and the FA cup, and get relegated back down, in a span during which Tottenham Hotspur, a "big club" with a golden generation, failed to win anything at all. However, led by new manager Enzo Marseca, they have secured their return into the Prem in the 2024-25 season despite bottling a 15-point lead in their Championship sojourn.
!!UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}}
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/liverpool_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:[[Theatre/{{Carousel}} You'll never walk alone!]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1892\\
'''Nickname:''' The Reds\\
'''Kit:''' All-red\\
'''Current Owners:''' Fenway Sports Group (majority), Dynasty Equity (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Jürgen Klopp[[note]]Has announced he will step down at the end of the season.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Captain:''' Virgil van Dijk\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Anfield[[note]]Capacity: 54,074... with plans of expansion[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 19; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1964–65, 1973–74, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2021–22\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies;''' 1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, & 1961–62 Second Division Champions; 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12, 2021–22, & 2023–24 EFL Cups; 1964*, 1965*, 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977*, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986*, 1988, 1989, 1990*, 2001, 2006, & 2022 (* shared) FA Community Shields; 1985–86 Football League Super Cup\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1983–84, 2004–05, & 2018–19 European Cups/UEFA Champions League; 1972–73, 1975–76, & 2000–01 UEFA Europa League; 1977, 2001, 2005, & 2019 UEFA Super Cups\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2019 FIFA Club World Cup
----
Won everything in sight in the 1970s and 80s. Finally won the Premier League in the 2019-20 season. They have the most Champions League wins in England (6) and they have never let anyone forget it. Fans famously sing "You'll Never Walk Alone", a song originally from the musical ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'', which has become so bound up with the club's identity that it is not only the [[CrowdSong Club Anthem]], but the title is the club's motto, on the badge and atop the famous Shankly Gates. It has since become one of the best known and most popular anthems in football, having been adopted by Celtic FC of Scotland (leading to a long-running controversy about which team adopted it first), Club Brugge of Belgium, Feyenoord, FC Twente and FC Cambuur of the Netherlands, Genoa CFC of Italy, and [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Borussia Dortmund, as well as about half the other teams in the German Bundesliga]], even by teams as far afield as FC Tokyo of Japan.
League Champions 19 times (once since the creation of the Premier League, in 2020), FA Cup winners eight times (most recently 2022), League Cup winners a record ten times (most recently 2024), European Cup (AKA Champions League) winners six times (most recently 2019), UEFA Cup winners three times (with the last coming in 2001), Club World Champions once (in 2019).
The club is well known outside of football for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster 1989 Hillsborough Disaster]], where 97 fans were crushed to death prior to an FA Cup semi-final.[[note]]94 died on the day. Three others died from their injuries--one a few days later, one in 1993, and one in ''2021''.[[/note]] Coming only a few years after the Bradford City Stadium Fire, the resultant inquiry led to the Taylor Report, which instituted all-seater stadia and other policies that led to a near total neutralisation of England's notorious hooliganism problem, reforms which, along with the creation of the Premier League, kickstarted the revival of English football.
* At the same time, ''[[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Sun]]'', with its infamous headline 'The Truth', smeared Liverpool fans by claiming that they attacked police officers, as well as that they urinated on and stole from the dead, all in order to deflect blame from the South Yorkshire Police, in collusion with the Government as part of a cover-up (slurs, incidentally, which were disproved and dismissed by the Taylor Report and over 150 witness statements were later proved to have been altered to show the police in a better light). To this day, you quite literally cannot give away a copy of ''The Sun'' in the city of Liverpool, despite numerous grovelling apologies of dubious sincerity. As of February 2017, the club has outright banned ''The Sun'' and its reporters from Anfield, the Melwood training ground and club press conferences, and fellow Merseyside clubs Everton and Tranmere Rovers have since followed suit. When they were told in late 2019 that this would prevent them from potentially hosting any England warm-up matches for Euro 2020, the response was more or less summed up as, "so what?" (and that was the ''polite'' version).
* After decades of campaigning by groups such as 'Justice for the 96'[[labelnote:*]]as noted above, the death toll didn't reach 97 until 2021[[/labelnote]] and latterly by local Labour MP and then Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, raising the matter in Parliament after being heckled with cries of 'Justice for the 96' when giving a speech at the 20th Anniversary of the Disaster, triggering the Second Hillsborough Inquiry. This exonerated the fans in 2012 and changed their official cause of death to 'unlawfully killed' after concluding that 'up to 41' might have survived had the emergency services coordinated better. Afterwards, campaigning groups and Burnham pushed for further inquests into just who was responsible, forcing the resignation of a number of senior police figures. This earned him cheers at the 25th Anniversary of the Disaster, and a speech in Parliament in April 2016, which included a vicious excoriation of those responsible, drew thunderous applause.
* As a side note, the youngest victim of the Hillsborough Disaster, 10-year-old Jon-Paul Gilhooley, was the cousin of a then 9-year-old little boy named Steven. Said little boy grew up to become Steven Gerrard, a club legend, talismanic captain of club and country and to be widely considered by his peers as one of the best players of his generation, with luminaries such as [[TheAce Zinedine Zidane]] calling him the best midfielder in the world, and later a highly successful manager at Rangers FC in Scotland. What could motivate such a man? [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Well, in his autobiography in 2006, he revealed that he played for Jon-Paul.]]
Since 1990, their fortunes have been decidedly mixed, becoming known as the team most likely to come third in any competition you care to name. High points including a Treble in 2001, and an epic underdog comeback Champions League win in 2005 against AC Milan, then one of the best teams on the planet, who raced into a 3-0 halftime lead. Six second-half minutes later, it was 3-3 and Liverpool won on penalties. To this day, no one (including the participants) is entirely sure what happened. For this reason it is generally referred to as 'the Miracle of Istanbul'.
Then there was the FA Cup Final of 2006 against West Ham, in which the score was also 3-3 and was almost singlehandedly won by Steven Gerrard, another Champions League Final appearance in 2007 (Milan got their revenge), a League Cup triumph in 2012 and highly creditable title challenges in 2001/02 and 2008/09. After that, it went decidedly downhill for a few years, before the title challenge of 2013/14. However, this was followed by another steep decline (2014/15 ended with a 6-1 defeat by ''Stoke''), then another sharp rise under Jürgen Klopp confirming the club's reputation as a footballing yo-yo. For this reason, 'Liverpool fan' has sometimes been considered synonymous with 'masochist'. However, under Klopp, they have stabilised as consistent title challengers (and in the 2019/20 season, at long last, winners), becoming one of the most feared attacking teams in Europe.
Historically famous for [[AttackAttackAttack downright mesmerising attacking football,]] spearheaded by lightning fast strikers who would do phenomenally well, get snapped up by Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea and then collapse. Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Philippe Coutinho (attacking midfielder and auxiliary forward) were never quite the same - though Torres managed a late career revival at Atletico Madrid. [[KarmaHoudini Luis Suárez]], on the other hand, did just fine. Under Klopp, and financed by the Fenway Sports Group, they've got sufficient pull and cash to keep whoever they want, even being willing to make an exception to their strict wage structure for legendary forward Mohammed Salah, who signed a new three year contract and there was much rejoicing.
Internationally very popular, with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. Their rivalry with Manchester United is so intense it's pretty much hatred, which led to mass gloating when Liverpool strolled to a 5-0 victory at Old Trafford in 2021, and spent the last 40 minutes JustToyingWithThem. United's 2-1 victory several months later under new manager Erik Ten Hag was taken as the trigger for United's strong season and a sign of Liverpool's drastic drop-off, and an in-form United came to face a rickety Liverpool at Anfield again in March... and promptly got absolutely ''eviscerated'', losing ''7-0'', their joint worst ''ever'' defeat in competitive football, on a scale not seen since 1931. Domestically, the favoured punchbags are Arsenal and Crystal Palace (Arsenal have conceded four goals or more 11 times in the Premier League era. 6 of them have been at Anfield), and occasionally Everton - mainly because the derby atmosphere means that unless the usually technically inferior Everton are right on their game, Liverpool will have absolutely no compunction about going through them like a buzzsaw.
Infamous (like Arsenal) for [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut fizzling out]] dramatically, epitomised by the 08/09 and 13/14 seasons, both followed by steep declines - 2014/15 ended with the aforementioned 6-1 defeat, their worst since ''1963''. Cue the arrival of charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, famous for ''gegenpressing'' style of 'heavy metal football', breaking Bayern Munich's stranglehold on the German title with Borussia Dortmund, then reaching the Champions League final. The clubs being FriendlyFandoms, this was considered a match made in heaven. Klopp's Liverpool were quickly cast as 'Europe's Entertainers', combining the front foot defence of the ''gegenpress'' with an attack led by the 'Fab Four' of wing forward [[LightningBruiser Sadio Mane,]] talismanic [[PintSizedPowerHouse pocket-sized playmaker Philippe Coutinho]], creative striker [[TheLancer Roberto Firmino]], and the apparently unstoppable [[LightningBruiser Mohamed Salah]].
Several evolutions followed: Coutinho's departure to Barcelona for a mind-boggling £142 ''million'' led to several key defensive acquisitions - cultured Dutch centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, world-class Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Brazilian defensive midfielder Fabinho, and Scottish left-back Andy Robertson. Add academy right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who went on to feature in two Champions League finals before he turned 21 and is widely considered to be arguably the one of the best right-backs on the planet, breaking the record for a defender's assists in a league season, before breaking it ''again'' the following year, then rapidly surpassing the record for a defender's assists in the Premier League before he turned 25; and the restoration of talented but injury-prone centre-backs Joe Gomez and Joel Matip meant that Liverpool became a much more balanced team. The defence did its job, while the marauding full-backs provided the front three (renamed 'the Red Arrows') with the ammunition to become the terror of Europe, being the highest scoring front three in a single season in Champions League history. Most recently, the frontline has evolved again, with a revolving cast of agile poacher Diogo Jota, rangy lightning fast WildCard and fan-favourite Darwin 'Captain Chaos' Nunez, quick-footed winger Luis Diaz, and lanky technician Cody Gakpo starring alongside the evergreen Salah. While less reliable than the old 'Red Arrows', the sheer unpredictability and range of different options combined a newfound injection of pace and the eternal menace of Salah means that they remain one of the most feared front lines in Europe, and one of the best counter-attacking teams on the planet. There are not many teams who could arguably pose more of a goal threat when defending a corner than attacking one.
They have since reached three Champions League finals (2018, 2019, 2022), winning in 2019 and losing the other two to Real Madrid, simultaneously going toe to toe with Manchester City in multiple title challenges, missing out on the title by a single point, ''twice'', in 2019 and 2022, along with their 2020 title win (99 points, despite finishing the season in cruise control, only one behind City's 'Centenarians'), racking up three of the top ten points totals in top division history. Given that other teams were often trailing by up to 25 points, there was serious reference to both teams as 'the Big Two'. This, while in the 19/20 season, maintaining a home record of 50 games unbeaten, only the third team to do so after Chelsea (2004-2008) and a previous Liverpool side (1978-1980). Thanks to the oddities of the Covid Pandemic in the 19-20 season, resulting in a 3 month delay, they became simultaneously being the earliest team to win the title (with 7 games to spare) and latest (in actual date).
The downside is that the comparatively lesser resources available to Liverpool (as opposed to City, who can field two title-winning teams with room to spare) and the very physically demanding style Klopp plays is that title challenges are often followed by recovery years. The 2020-21 season included a defensive injury crisis, forcing 20 different centre-back partnerships in just 38 games. Yes, ''20''. And it only got worse, with injuries, illness, and personal tragedies hitting the rest of the squad. That and Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino suffered a mystifying loss of form, plus Burnley breaking their famous 68 home game unbeaten run in January, leading to six back to back defeats at home, meant that Liverpool fans could genuinely wonder if they'd been put under some kind of curse. As it was, they still managed to wrangle Champions League qualification (including a [[DownToTheLastPlay last second winning header]] from ''Alisson'', of all people, ''the first time a Liverpool goalkeeper had scored in the club's then-129 year history''), defying logic to reach 3rd place, only 5 points behind 2nd placed Manchester United. Once all the dust settled, there were two questions: first, 'what the hell just happened?' and 'how the ''hell'' did they do ''that''?'
In 2021-2022, Liverpool won the League Cup (beating Chelsea on penalties), won the FA Cup (beating Chelsea... on penalties... again, after dispatching City in the semi-finals) and casually crushed everyone else in their Champions League group, a so-called 'Group of Death', achieving maximum points, before dismissing Inter Milan, Benfica, and (after a brief scare in the second leg) Villareal, in successive rounds to set up a Champions League Final rematch with Real Madrid. They were the only team with a shot at the mythical 'Quadruple', coming within 8 minutes of snatching the Premier League from under City's noses, before City came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa on the final day, and their scoring and defensive records were second only to City - and that by the finest of margins. They likewise lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid, also by fine margins and thanks to a borderline supernatural goalkeeping performance by Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois. The result was something of a hollow victory: of the four trophies, they won arguably the two least prestigious, both on penalties, and didn't score a single goal in the three finals they played in. Some respect was regained by promptly beating Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield, but their 2022-23 season promptly went downhill from there, with a dramatic slump variously blamed on an exhausted and aging squad, a lack of fresh blood in midfield, defensive injuries, the departure of Sadio Mane, a misfiring Darwin Nunez who varied between the sublime and the ridiculous, being found out, and Klopp's so-called 7th season syndrome. A brutal 5-2 thrashing at Anfield by Real Madrid, after dropping a two goal early lead, summed up the issues for many. While highlights included a monumentally vicious ''7-0'' thrashing of an in-form Manchester United side, and running riot against a luckless Leeds, thrashing them 6-1, before going on a five game winning run, unlike last season it was too little too late - Liverpool's late charge fizzled out with two draws, a 5th place finish and failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.
2023-24 was initially engimatic. The departures of Captain Jordan Henderson, Vice-Captain James Milner (a veteran so experienced that his top-flight career is officially longer than the period between WWI and WWII), and fading defensive midfielder Fabinho, the former and latter to Saudi Arabia, while Milner went to Brighton, were somewhat unexpected. That is to say, while Milner's departure was half-expected, despite hopes he'd continue as a player-coach and stabilising presence, the others definitely weren't. This forced a rapid readjustment, with the smooth recruitment of two highly rated young midfielders in World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, Hungary Captain Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, and the comprehensive fumbling of deals for Moses Caicedo from Brighton and Romeo Lavia from Southampton. Both went to Chelsea. Given the reputation Liverpool have earned for smooth, seamless, and secretive business in the transfer market, this was met with bafflement and speculation that the Caicedo bid was partly [[{{Troll}} to screw with Chelsea]] (given the final price was ''£115 million'', this would make some degree of bizarre sense). Afterwards, the late arrivals of veteran Japan Captain Wataru Endo from VFB Stuttgart to plug the defensive midfield gap, and long admired and highly rated young midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, to augment academy product Curtis Jones and flexible playmaker Harvey Elliot indicated business as usual. After some initial stumbles, the new look midfield cohered neatly, and despite a general assessment that 'Liverpool 2.0' aren't at their best yet and several injury crises, a combination of inspiration, perspiration, and sheer bloody-mindedness, along with Endo, Mac Allister, and Nunez all finding some of their best form and several academy players rising to the occasion magnificently, has allowed them to keep pace with Arsenal and City, exploiting a draw between the two to go two points clear after 29 games. %% The World Cup winner's family name is indeed "Mac Allister", with two words.
A peculiarity of this season is that they've had four players sent off in three matches (one of which was overturned on appeal). The first two results were both wins, oddly enough, including against highly fancied Newcastle, with the observation that Liverpool seem to play ''better'' when down to ten men. Like conceding the first goal, it seems to either wake them up or simply annoy them. The third, where Liverpool went down to ''nine'', was an extremely controversial match against Spurs, where at least one of the sendings off was contested, and a spectacular VAR error meant that Liverpool had a perfectly valid goal ruled offside - and even then, it took until the last kick of the game for a very unfortunate own goal to prevent them from snatching a point. Then, in January, Klopp shocked the football world by announcing his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season. Despite all of this and a mounting injury crisis that as of the end of February put ''12'' first team players in the treatment room at the same time, they've taken first place and (mostly) held it, as well as winning the EFL Cup against Chelsea as "Klopp's Kids" (finishing with five players aged 20 or under) beat "the Blue Billion Pound Bottle-Jobs" in Extra Time, despite all their injuries ''and'' several days less to prepare. While a late Extra Time defeat to United in the FA Cup was deflating, they are still among the favourites for the Europa League, and - currently - have the upper hand in the title race.
Liverpool are also known for their rich history in Europe, thriving on long odds - the more ridiculous, the better. For example: The 2005 Champions League final (3-0 down 54 minutes in, level at 3-3 on 60 minutes - nearly 20 years on, no one, participants included, is quite sure how it happened); the 2016 Europa League Quarter Final against Borussia Dortmund (3-1 down at 60 minutes, 4-3 up at 92 minutes); and the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona (3-0 down on aggregate, missing two star attackers. Level on aggregate on 60 minutes, after two goals in as many minutes, ahead on aggregate/4-0 up on the night on 79). They've previously been dubbed Europe's Comeback Kings (it actually trended on Twitter), and aren't shy of handing out thrashings either; in 2007, they broke the Champions League's goal scoring record against Beşiktaş (''8-0''), and in 2017/18, they stuffed two teams 7-0. Even European giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, AS Roma, Barcelona, and Porto aren't immune. In Barca's case, it was ''another'' memorable comeback ('the Miracle on the Mersey'), destroying them 4-0 at Anfield with Salah and Firmino out through injuries to turn around a 3-0 loss in the first leg. [[note]]Considering Barça had both Lionel Messi and Luis 'Chomp' Suárez in the squad, many neutrals wrote Liverpool off after the first leg[[/note]]. In Porto's case, it's becoming something of a RunningGag: they draw Liverpool and promptly get absolutely stuffed at home. They hosted Liverpool 3 times in 4 seasons. As of 2022, the aggregate score is 14-2, and just to toy with Porto further, in January 2022 they promptly signed Porto's star man Luis Diaz for less than half of his release clause. Diaz immediately fit into the Liverpool squad and was instrumental in helping them lift a cup double and make a run to the Champions League final. In their most recent games, they lost 7-1 on aggregate, this in a group round where Liverpool became the first English team to win all six matches - in a so-called 'Group of Death', no less (this included putting out what was essentially a reserve team away to old rivals AC Milan in the last match. Given Milan's European history and position as leaders of Serie A, this might be considered a mistake. [[CurbstompBattle It wasn't]]). In short, Liverpool are ''dangerous'' in Europe.
Having won six Champions League trophies (in '77, '78, '81, '84, '05, and '19), 5 of them before a rule change in 2009, they are the first and only (thanks to said rule change) English team to be allowed to keep the trophy, a new one being made for the following season. Liverpool fans frequently gloat about this.
Liverpool's fans[[note]]including Creator/JohnOliver, whom American media described as a "superfan"[[/note]], colloquially known as 'the Kop' or 'Kopites', after the Kop End, which itself is named after the hill on which the Battle of Spion Kop was fought in 1900, are some of the most famous in the footballing world and certainly among the most vocal, giving Anfield a reputation as one of the most atmospheric stadiums on the planet, famed for 'the Anfield Roar' - which, following the expansion of the Main Stand, taking the capacity to 54,000, and on completion will be 61,000, has only got that much louder, being voted the joint loudest stadium in Europe along with Barcelona's Camp Nou (which is almost twice as large, holding 99,354). No matter how well or badly the club is doing, the sight and sound of the Kop in full voice is truly breathtaking, and it is routinely cited by ex-pros as the most intimidating place to play in world football. This makes Anfield an intimidating place to go, and when on a particularly strong streak (such as when they went undefeated in the Premier League between April 2017 and January 2021), it's referred to as 'Fortress Anfield'. The current record is one defeat in the last 48 matches. Fans are also a fairly cosmopolitan bunch, with a fanbase estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. The club takes advantage of this with its summer tours to the US, Australia and South East Asia. More local support is drawn from North Wales, Ireland and Scotland, with a long tradition of club legends from those countries, such as all time top scorer Ian Rush (Welsh) and defenders Mark Lawrenson (Irish) and Alan Hansen (Scottish) and, more recently, Andrew Robertson (Scotland Captain). There's also a certain fondness in Germany, partly because Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp is still beloved by fans of his former team, Borussia Dortmund, and also because of the Kopites' historic twinning with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Matchgoers in particular are pathologically loyal to the club; it takes ''a lot'' to make them stop singing for any length of time and if they have done so, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness it's a very bad sign.]] If they have started booing and you are the manager, you are likely to be fired soon afterwards.
More puzzlingly, there's a [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff massive fan base in Norway.]] No one is quite sure why, though cheap plane/ferry tickets to Liverpool may have something to do with it. There's also the relative prominence of Norwegians in Liverpool sides down the years, such as fan favourite John Arne Riise, Champions League winner with Liverpool, famous for having a left foot that passably impersonated [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Mjolnir.]] [[note]] Once, he took a free kick against Manchester United in an FA Cup tie in 2006. Alan 'Smudge' Smith was the unfortunate player standing in the way. He ended up out for eight months with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Unsurprisingly, poor old Smudge was never quite the same again - while he played through the pain barrier until he retired in 2018, he revealed in 2022 that a) he had about ten pins in his ankle, b) he hobbles out of bed every morning, c) his doctor had flat out told him not to go straight-line running for the sake of his health.[[/note]] Additionally, current Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Odegaard grew up as a Liverpool fan.
Merseyside derbies are sell-outs and pretty scrappy matches - they have more red cards than any other fixture in the league - and, often, surprisingly high scoring, since both teams desperately want to win. The balance of power is currently weighted towards the red half of Merseyside, with Everton having failed to register a win at Anfield in the 21st century and consistently getting turned over by Liverpool, sometimes in very embarrassing fashion. When they do, the result is usually UnsportsmanlikeGloating.
However, in times of need both sets of fans can and do become very close, with supporters of both teams often being found in the same family, after Hillsborough there was a chain of scarves [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments connecting Anfield and Goodison Park.]] In essence, the rivalry's more like a family feud - and accordingly, can vary between its current status of mutual hatred and, as in the 80's, being known as 'the Friendly Derby', with one notable FA Cup final featuring both sets of fans mixing freely and singing, 'Merseyside, Merseyside' and, predictably, 'Are You Watching Manchester?' While relations have not so much cooled but frozen, it is notable that to this day, it is the only major derby that does not enforce fan segregation. Oh, and following a particularly nasty newspaper column in ''The Sun'' by Kelvin [=MacKenzie=] (yes, the man who was behind ''that'' headline) aimed at Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, Everton followed Liverpool in banning the paper and its journalists from their grounds.
Liverpool-United derbies, however, are much more combustible affairs, with vile chants about the Hillsborough Disaster aimed at Liverpool fans, some of whom have been known to reply with chants about the Munich Air Disaster, despite routine pleas in the pre-match programs ''not'' to bring the subjects up. On a lighter note, this also means that UnsportsmanlikeGloating is par for the course if one team if doing particularly badly - as demonstrated when Liverpool beat Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford in 2021, having led 4-0 at half time and, after Salah inevitably completed his hattrick, spent the last 40 minutes of the match playing keep-ball while the Liverpool fans cheerfully and ironically serenaded beleaguered United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær with "Ole's at the wheel!" The return fixture wasn't much more fun either, as Liverpool won 4-0 despite playing much of the match in 3rd gear - though the match was more notable for the [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments solemn round of applause in the 7th minute in tribute to United forward Cristiano Ronaldo (who wore the number 7) whose newborn son had just died, something accompanied by a rendition of club anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and the usually unheard of sight of United shirts being waved in the Kop end]]. United then won the next match with Liverpool under new manager Erik Ten-Hag... before promptly getting spanked ''7-0'' in their return to Anfield.
A fun fact for those interested in the business of football (and sport more generally): Liverpool FC is presently the property of Fenway Sports Ventures. Yes, that's Fenway as in Fenway Park. In UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}. With the [[UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} Red]] [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Sox]]. Same owners - who are incidentally, ticket price incident aside, actually very popular thanks to the stadium expansion, investment in the transfer market, visible involvement with the club and securing the services of Jürgen Klopp, with whom the fanbase has an ongoing passionate love affair. Securing the Champions League, then a first top division title in 30 years was just the icing on the cake...
...Until Liverpool were announced as one of the ESL Six, which at least put a dent in the love affair between the supporters and Fenway Sports, with many fans calling for the club's sale (matters have since calmed down following a rapid retreat). Klopp, who didn't know about the plans until after they were publicly reported, strongly opposed them, likely securing his place in the fans' hearts all the more. Liverpool's entire playing squad, led by widely respected captain Jordan Henderson, issued a statement on social media condemning the ESL plans, very bluntly saying, "we don't want this".
!!Manchester City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/manchester_city.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The City is ours!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1880\\
'''Nickname:''' The Citizens\\
'''Kit:''' Sky blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan\\
'''Current Manager:''' Josep "Pep" Guardiola\\
'''Current Captain:''' Kevin de Bruyne\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Etihad Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 55,097. Sponsor is Etihad Airways; sponsor-less name is City of Manchester Stadium.[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 1st in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 9; 1936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23\\
'''FA Cups:''' 7; 1903–04, 1933–34, 1955–56, 1968–69, 2010–11, 2018–19, 2022–23\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies;''' 1898–99, 1902–03, 1909–10, 1927–28, 1946–47, 1965–66, & 2001–02 second-flight champions; 1969–70, 1975–76, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, & 2020–21 EFL Cups; 1937, 1968, 1972, 2012, 2018, & 2019 FA Community Shields\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 2022–23 UEFA Champions League; 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup; 2023 UEFA Super Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
----
The ''other'' major club from Manchester, perhaps unfairly defined by long-standing crosstown rivalry with Manchester United (For the non-Brit footy fans out there, imagine the LA Clippers and the NY Mets in relation to the Lakers and the Yankees.[[note]]Peculiarly, though, City has gone in with the Yankees to establish a new MLS football club in New York, which is called New York City FC (get it?) and play in City's light-blue strip - but with dark blue and orange accents.[[/note]] That's how they compare Man City to United). In their 117-year history they have won fewer trophies than their rivals (prior to 2012, they hadn't won anything since the 1970s), and until recently were the butt of many a football-based joke thanks to their late-1990s slip down to what's now League One.
However, in 2008 an [[UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates Abu Dhabi]]-based investment group took over the club, bringing in massive amounts of finance. In turn this brought several experienced international stars to the club, making City serious trophy contenders. Following their 2011 FA Cup victory they beat Manchester United to the 2011-12 Premier League, and won the Prem again in 2013–14. Thus, they are now considered part of the "Big 4", usually at Liverpool's expense - and won the 2013-14 title at Liverpool's expense too. The 2012 Premiership title was won with a [[DownToTheLastPlay 94th minute 3-2 win over QPR in the last game of the season]]. Had the match ended at full time[[note]]90 minutes[[/note]], City would have ''lost'' 2-1 and conceded the Premier League to Manchester United by two points. The victory put them level on points, but with a greater goal difference.
Their 2017-18 season saw them destroy everyone in their path to the Premier League title, setting various records on the way: record points tally (100), most goals scored (106), most wins (32), as well as a record winning streak (17). Their only two losses were against Liverpool (as described below), and against Manchester United - and they were leading 2-0 at halftime. They also won the League Cup, thrashing Arsenal 3-0. Despite this, though, they were knocked out the FA Cup by Wigan Athletic in the fifth round, and also had to kiss goodbye to the Champions League in the quarter-finals, again thanks to Liverpool.
As noted, Liverpool tend to get their own back whenever City come to Anfield (most recent result: 3-1 in Liverpool's favour). Until February 2021, it was the only stadium which City hadn't won at in the Premier League following the Abu Dhabi takeover, and they hadn't won there at all since 2003. This status as chief pain in the neck isn't always restricted to Anfield visits, as Liverpool demonstrated when [[CurbstompBattle they turned over City 4-1 at the Etihad]] earlier in the 2015/16 season. On the other hand, when the two met in the 2016 League Cup final, it was City who had the last laugh. And then in 2017/18, Liverpool came to the Etihad... and one sending off later, were thumped 5-0. Then a couple of months later, City's attempt to do their first league double over Liverpool in 80 years, when Liverpool ripped them to shreds, with a face-saving City recovery making it 4-3. They suffered an even worse defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, being humiliated 3-0 in a match where they didn't even get the ball into the box ''once''.
The Sky Blues seem to have gotten better after that, though: in the 2018-19 Premier League season, they held the Reds to a 0-0 draw at Anfield and would have even come out victorious if it weren't for a missed penalty, and then doubled down by winning 2-1 at the Etihad. Going into the final day of the 2018/19 season, the two were locked head to head in what's widely considered to have been the best race for the title in years, being separated by only one point, and each being over twenty points ahead of the next best team with over 90 points each, leading to general agreement that while only one team can win, neither deserves to lose. Both sides won their final matches, giving City the crown. Their League Cup win against Chelsea on penalties and their 6-0 annihilation of Watford in the FA Cup final also made them the first men's football team in England to complete the domestic treble.[[note]]The first ever football team to do that was Linfield of Northern Ireland in 1922. The first English team was Arsenal's women's team, in 2009.[[/note]] Since then, the rivalry has only intensified - after a Liverpool off-season in 2020/21 where Liverpool managed to get every single senior centre-back injured (and a chunk of the midfield, many of whom were filling in at the back) as they limped to a 3rd place finish, both teams shot out of the blocks, and despite City looking like they were going to pull away with a 14-point lead in January, Liverpool hauled them down after two tense 2-2 draws, finally reclaiming top spot in mid-April by two points and a net 9 goal edge - though City have a game in hand. As many have commented, this is essentially recreating the famous 18/19 title race, with higher stakes: City are chasing a League and European double, while Liverpool (after beating City in the FA Cup semi-final and winning the League Cup) are chasing the mythical 'Quadruple' of both domestic cups, the League, and the Champions League - and both could yet meet in the Champions League final too. Then in 2022–23, City swept the Premiership, FA Cup, and Champions League to become the first Premiership side since its city rivals in 1999 (and the first European side since Inter in 2009–10) to claim the mythical "treble".
[[Music/{{Oasis}} Liam and Noel Gallagher]] are famous City fans: the band famously played a sold-out gig at Maine Road, City's former stadium, in 1996. Liam's second band, Beady Eye, also performed a cover of "Blue Moon", the club anthem, in a video for the club revealing the jersey for the 2011-12 season.
City were another one of the ESL Six, though much like Chelsea, their owners and board were not totally on board with the concept. Manager Pep Guardiola, much like Klopp, strongly opposed the ESL.
!!Manchester United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/manchester_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Glory, glory Man United!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Red Devils\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts, black socks\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Glazer Family[[note]]The Glazer family have announced their intentions to sell.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Erik ten Hag\\
'''Current Captain:''' Bruno Fernandes\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Old Trafford[[note]]Capacity: 75,653[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 3rd in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League titles:''' 20; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 12; 1908–09, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2015–16\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1935–36 & 1974–75 Second Division Champions; 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17, & 2022–23 EFL Cups; 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965*, 1967*, 1977*, 1983, 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, & 2016 (* shared) FA Community Shields\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1967–68, 1998–99, & 2007–08 European Cup/UEFA Champions Leagues; 1990–91 European Cup Winners' Cup; 2016–17 UEFA Europa League; 1991 UEFA Super Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2008 FIFA Club World Cup; 1999 Intercontinental Cup
----
England's most successful club; to give you an idea of their success, they have only 4 fewer Premier League titles than all of the other winners ''put together''. A lot of this is down to their most famous manager, who spent over a quarter of a century in the job (1986-2013). The fact that he's called ''Sir'' Alex Ferguson indicates something.
Probably the most famous football club in England, and for that matter the world, with an official fan club that comprises 5% of the planet's population, with arch-rivals Liverpool close behind in both respects. They are also arguably the world's largest sports club, and are regularly at or near the top in overall team value. In 2018, they were valued at £3.2 billion ($4.1 billion), neck-and-neck with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as the most valuable football club, and trailing only the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Dallas Cowboys]] in all of world sport. Because Manchester United fans can be found around the world (witness the incredibly lucrative promotional tours in the far east) it is often said - by City fans and just about everyone else - that real Mancunians support City and/or most Manchester United fans have never been to Manchester. Which is of course, nonsense, as Manchester is very divided between City and United and United had a solid large fanbase before the worldwide success of the Nineties and Noughties.
Has a long standing rivalry with City - the fact that Old Trafford is located in Trafford (technically outside the City of Manchester, but within the Greater Manchester area) makes most Mancunians who are not fans treat United as a bastard team to the area, though Mancunian United fans will bite back. That said, much like the Liverpool[=/=]Everton rivalry mentioned above, there are times where the fans will unite, such as the anniversary of the Munich plane crash in 1958 which killed several members of the United squad & left several others seriously injured (legendary City goalkeeper Frank Swift, who'd become a football reporter after retiring as a player, also died in the disaster, and at the time the whole of Manchester was in mourning, which would explain why City fans do not use the disaster to taunt United fans), or to pay tributes to the victims of the 2017 terrorist attacks at the Music/ArianaGrande concert in the city.
Equally, there is a similarly longstanding (and, again, arguably much more vicious, lacking the family ties mentioned above) rivalry between United and Liverpool, one that can be traced back to the inter-city rivalry of the industrial revolution as well as the fact that they are by far the two most successful teams in English history. This can lead to epic footballing clashes and to unsavoury scenes on the pitch and in the stands, such as Luis Suárez' racial abuse of Patrice Evra and despite pleading from managers and officials on both sides, both sets of fans winding each other up with 'tragedy chanting' - United fans taunting Liverpool fans about the Hillsborough disaster, and the Scousers responding in kind by taunting the Mancs about Munich.
Post Ferguson, results have been rocky to say the least. His replacement was Everton manager David Moyes, who was actually [[MeetTheNewBoss Ferguson's handpicked successor]]. However, the 13-14 season went horribly wrong for United, and after they were assured of not making the Champions League for the first time in nearly 20 years, Moyes was sacked. 2014-15 got off to a bumpy start, with [[OldMaster Louis van Gaal]] taking the helm. The first half of the season was marked by the injury-plagued squad scraping wins and draws by the skin of their teeth, while Van Gaal tested out different formations and played some players out of position. In April, they found their form, holding onto fourth place on the table (by the skin of their teeth) and managing to defeat Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa with something of the style they were once known for under Ferguson. Many United fans remained unconvinced, particularly due to the protracted transfer saga involving star Goalkeeper David De Gea, the last-minute purchase of the 19-year-old unknown Anthony Martial for ''£36 million'', making him the most expensive teenager in footballing history and a fairly toothless start to the 2015/16 season. This proved to be justified, and United limped to a 5th place finish, losing out on 4th place by goal difference - and, to rub salt in the wound, to arch-rivals Manchester City, but the blow was softened with the club's 12th FA Cup win. Van Gaal was consequently fired
José 'The Special One' Mourinho was van Gaal's replacement and promptly bought highly-rated Juventus (and former United youth) player Paul Pogba, for a then-world record £89 million, among others. United had a strange season - they went through 25 games unbeaten, but, during this run, were held at home by Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham, Hull, West Brom Stoke and Swansea (as well as Liverpool and Everton), with 15 draws throughout the season, meaning they never seriously threatened the top 4 - however, they won the League Cup and then the Europa League, beating Ajax in the final of the latter, the only major honour to elude United. The final straw was a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool. ** Fan-favourite ex-player Ole Gunnar Solskjær was brought in to dispel the gloom, helped by the fact that he was eminently likeable and that he was given the rough GDP of Albania to spend on transfers, with the likes of England centre-back Harry Maguire, attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes, defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, young midfielder Donny van de Beek (whom he proceeded to hardly play), experienced centre-back Raphael Varane, while also bringing through Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, and coaxing Luke Shaw back into the side. Despite this enviable array of talents, Solskjær's lack of tactical acumen and authority (especially required in a dressing room that full of massive egos) was increasingly shown up, as well as the lowered expectations, and a belief that when Mourinho said that getting that squad to second was his greatest achievement, he might have been onto something.
For context, Liverpool's injury ridden 2020/21 season was seen as a writeoff and a disaster. They also finished only 5 points behind second-placed United (who were nowhere close to champions Manchester City) and before the season ended, had been closing fast. In the 2021/22 season, after another a massive outlay that brought in highly coveted wing-forward Jadon Sancho and club legend Ronaldo, this came to a head with several near-misses with embarrassing results (spared only by the intervention of Ronaldo), before Liverpool sauntered to a 5-0 lead at Old Trafford without getting out of third gear (then proceeded to spend the last 40 minutes of the match JustToyingWithThem), making it the first time that a United team had been 4-0 down at half-time in the Premier League era. Compounding this misery was a casual 2-0 dismissal by Manchester City, and in November, Solskjær was sacked after the players admitted they didn't have a clue what they were doing, following a disastrous 4-1 defeat away to Watford. His (interim) replacement was Ralf Rangnick, a highly influential figure in German football known for his acumen in tactics, man-management and team recruitment, and widely regarded as a "mentor" to mainstay EPL managers like Klopp and Tuchel. This did not stop Liverpool obliterating them, again, this time 4-0 at Anfield, with minimal effort.
For the 2022-23 season, United brought in highly-regarded Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, who proceeded to raid the Dutch league for new signings, bringing in Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, and Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez and Brazilian winger Antony from his previous club Ajax, along with Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen[[note]]who had miraculously returned to football the season prior following a cardiac arrest playing for Denmark at Euro 2020[[/note]] and Brazilian defensive-midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid. After a poor start, losing 2-1 at home to Brighton and ''4-0'' away to Eriksen's former team Brentford, they then won their subsequent 4 games, including wins over Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal (with their win over Liverpool being their first in the league since 2018), with Ten Hag establishing a reputation as a shrewd manager and a strong-willed disciplinarian, winning the contest of wills with Cristiano Ronaldo, first leaving him on the bench when he proved unsatisfactory, then dispatching him entirely and being rewarded with an upswing in results. This, winning the League Cup, and only one loss in 22 games put them in the frame as outsiders for the title in early March, going to Anfield in the expectation that, against a defensively rickety and tired Liverpool, they would at least better a record of having scored exactly one goal there in seven years. They promptly suffered the joint ''worst'' defeat in their 145-year history, losing ''7-0'', guaranteeing that United fans will now once again be seeing a grinning Mo Salah in their nightmares.
Thanks to their almost total domination of the domestic game from the early-mid 1990s onwards, it seems impossible to be neutral about Man Utd - you're either a fan, or you ''hate'' them - though this slackened after Ferguson retired in 2013, following which United haven't won the title. Currently American-owned, which doesn't help; the Glazer family (who also own the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]) bought the club in 2005, several years after an abortive takeover attempt by UsefulNotes/RupertMurdoch. In recent years, fans have adopted historic green and gold colours [[note]](as worn by Newton Heath, a football club set up as a railway works team that became Manchester United in the early twentieth century)[[/note]] to protest at the possibly precarious financial situation the owners have put the club in, such as offloading their own personal debts on United (ironically, much of that debt was money they'd borrowed in order to ''buy'' United). Cue mocking songs from (green and gold wearing) Norwich fans - "We've come for our scarves, we've come for our scarves... we're Norwich City, we've come for our scarves." The recent influx of absurdly lucrative sponsorship deals has helped to calm the protests - United fans still dislike the Glazer family's ownership of the club, but will accept that they seem to be running the commercial side well (and perhaps more importantly, leaving the football side well alone)...
...Or at least it calmed the protests until United were announced as one of the ESL Six in April 2021. That move destroyed what little goodwill the Glazers had managed to cultivate with the fanbase; after the ESL collapsed, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward (a Glazer appointee who'd got the job after advising them on their takeover of the club) resigned, and there were many calls for the Glazers to sell the club...
...which were partially answered in 2023 when the Glaziers sold a 25% share in the club – including control of football operations – to English chemical executive Jim Ratcliffe.
!!Tottenham Hotspur
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tottenham_hotspur.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:To dare is to do!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Spurs[[note]]Sometimes called the Lilywhites. The fans refer to themselves as the Yids or the Yid Army. The Tottenham borough was once known for having a high Jewish population, and the term was initially thrown out as a slur by opposing fans, before the Spurs supporters [[AppropriatedAppellation proudly appropriated it to protect their Jewish neighbors]]. To say this is now controversial with the British Jewish community would putting it lightly. It has been requested that the supporters stop using the term, but no action has taken place yet.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Joe Lewis (Majority Shareholder) and Daniel Levy\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ange Postecoglou\\
'''Current Captain:''' Heung-Min Son\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Tottenham Hotspur Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 61,559[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 8th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1950–51, 1960–61\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1900–01, 1920–21, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1990–91\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1919–20 & 1949–50 Second Division Champions; 1970–71, 1972–73, 1998–99, & 2007–08 League Cups; 1921, 1951, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, & 1991 FA Community Shields; 1902 Sheriff of London Charity Shield\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1962–63 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; 1971–72 & 1983–84 UEFA Europa League; 1971 Anglo-Italian League Cup
----
Great rivals with North London neighbours Arsenal. Are considered one of the most entertaining sides in the Premiership, with an expansive style that concedes many goals, but scores many more. For this reason, they are very popular with the neutrals.
Spurs are notorious for their Chairman, Daniel Levy, being one of the toughest negotiators in football. His ruthlessness has seen Tottenham Hotspur pick up some classy bargains (van der Vaart for £8 million from Real Madrid), recoup losses on expensive flops (Darren Bent sold for the exact amount he was bought for) and sell players for some obscene amounts (Gareth Bale being sold for a then world record transfer fee of £86 million).
They are also notorious for choking at vital moments, to the point where "Spursy" or "do a Spurs" is football slang for essentially snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. At the end of the 2009-10 season Spurs became the team that broke the "Big Four" (the first since Everton in 2004-05) and gained the chance to qualify for Champions League football. They did well in the Champions League, beating top Italian teams AC Milan and Internazionale, before going out in the quarter-finals to Real Madrid, but failed to qualify again for the next season. They subsequently placed in the Top 4 following the 2010-11 season but due to the almost unprecedented achievement of Chelsea in coming 6th but managing to win the Champions League - Liverpool had come fifth in the 2004-05 season when they won the Champions League. That time, both Liverpool and 4th placed Everton had gone through the qualifying stages of the Champions League, but this time, Tottenham failed to qualify. This made them the first team in Football to place within the Champions League Qualification places but fail to qualify due to a lower-placed side winning the Tournament.
Their 2018-19 season was particularly positive, despite the team's apparent inability to clutch points while down. In fact, they went ''28'' matchdays without drawing, the first of those coming with a 1-1 in the North London Derby against Arsenal. On the other hand, their Champions League campaign is surely one to remember for the Spurs faithful, as they got out of a fierce group including Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSV, and then beat Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax on the way to make their first ever Champions League final. The second leg of their semifinal against Ajax in particular has shown Lucas Moura scoring a hat-trick in 45 minutes to make up for their 3-goal deficit: the final goal was scored on literally the last second of the match. Unfortunately, they ran into a vastly experienced Liverpool side in the final, which had a point to prove after losing the previous year's final to Real Madrid, and calmly picked Spurs off in a 2-0 win.
In April 2021 Spurs were one of the "ESL Six", withdrawing from the project two days after it was announced, along with the other EPL clubs involved.
It should be noted to the casual observer that Spurs fans' self applied nickname of "Yid Army" is the cause of some controversy. North London has long been well-known for its Jewish population and anti-Semitic chants (including references to ''gas chambers'') would be directed at Spurs fans by opposition supporters -- including fans of North London rivals Arsenal who have just as many Jewish fans as Tottenham. As a consequence, Spurs fans referring to themselves as the "Yid Army" was seen by some as a way to [[NWordPrivileges support the local Jewish community]]. However, to some, this is seen now to be belittling; the comedian and Chelsea supporter David Baddiel [[note]](he of ''Series/FantasyFootballLeague'' and "Three Lions" fame)[[/note]], who is himself Jewish, has been particularly outspoken on TV about this.
Famous fans include Music/{{Adele}}, [[Series/TheApprentice Alan Sugar]] (who used to own the club), Creator/JKRowling, Creator/MarinaSirtis, Creator/HunterDavies (whose 1972 book ''The Glory Game'' was the result of nigh-on unlimited access to the inner workings of the club) [[note]] he's actually a good example of a fan of a lower-league club lending his support to a top-flight one, as he grew up supporting Carlisle United [[/note]] and [[Series/ManVFood Adam Richman]].
!English clubs that used to be big, and other noteworthy clubs
!!Accrington Stanley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/accrington_stanley_fc_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878 (later iterations founded 1868 and 1968)\\
'''Nickname:''' The 'Owd Reds\
'''Kit:''' All-red\\
'''Current Owners:''' Andy Holt\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Doolan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Crown Ground[[note]]Capacity: 5,450[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in EFL League Two\\
'''League Championships:''' 2017–18 League Two Champions; 2005–06 Conference Champions; 2002–03 Northern Premier League Champions; 1999–2000 Northern Premier League Division One Champions; 1902–03, 1905–06, 1973–74, & 1977–78 Lancashire Combination Champions; 1980–81 Cheshire County League Division Two Champions\\
'''Cups Won:''' 2001–02 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup; 2002–03 Northern Premier League Challenge Shield; 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, & 1976–77 Lancashire Combination Cup; 1971–72 Lancashire Combination League Cup
----
This is actually the third League club from the Lancashire town...
* The first, simply called Accrington, was one of the twelve founder member of the Football League back in 1888 but went bust six years later.
* Local side Stanley Villa, named for the fact that they'd been set up by the working men's club on Stanley Street, renamed themselves Accrington Stanley after the collapse of the original Accrington FC. They played in the Football League from 1921 to 1962, mostly in the Third Division North [[note]] established in 1920, the Third Division of the Football League (now called League One) was split geographically between north and south, with both of those divisions jointly forming the third tier, until 1958 when the Fourth Division (now called League Two) was created and the geographic split done away with [[/note]] but they spent two years in the then new Fourth Division at the end. After four seasons as a non-league side, they too went bust. As a result, Accrington Stanley graffiti was used for a long time (especially in comedy) to show that a place was so run down that the graffiti hadn't been cleaned up since the club was playing in the League. Thanks to the below, though, this joke has become somewhat outdated.
* The current club was formed in 1968, and played in various non-league leagues (Lancashire Combination, North West Counties League, etc) for the next few decades. They unexpectedly came to national attention in 1989 thanks to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pieK7b4KLL4 a milk commercial]] in which one of the boys joked that if Ian Rush (the then Liverpool centre forward) didn't drink milk, he'd be "only good enough to play for Accrington Stanley". They rose to the Conference in 2003 and gained promotion to the League in 2006. As a result of winning League Two in 2018, they played in League One until being knocked back down to League Two in 2023.
!!Aston Villa
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aston_villa.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Every week we follow,\\
The boys in claret and blue!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1874\\
'''Nickname:''' The Villans\\
'''Kit:''' Claret (not purple!) shirts with sky-blue sleeves, white shorts (which West Ham copied)\\
'''Current Owners:''' Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens\\
'''Current Manager:''' Unai Emery\\
'''Current Captain:''' John [=McGinn=]\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Villa Park[[note]]Capacity: 42,660[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 7th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 7; 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1909–10, 1980–81\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1886–87, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1904–05, 1912–13, 1919–20, 1956–57\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1937–38 & 1959–60 Second Division Champions; 1971–72 Third Division Champions; 1960–61, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1993–94, & 1995–96 EFL Cups; 1981 FA Charity Shield; 1899 & 1901 Sheriff of London Charity Shields\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1981–82 European Cup; 1982 European Super Cup; 2001 Intertoto Cup
----
Birmingham-based Premier League side.
There are a lot of fictional Villa fans, including Private Pike from ''Series/DadsArmy'', Godber from {{Series/Porridge}} and Nessa from ''Series/GavinAndStacey''.
Real-life Villa fans include [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily William, the Prince of Wales]][[note]] [[https://youtu.be/hpUyNyeTM9A according to William]], among other things, the first match he attended was a Villa one, he loved the atmosphere, and he "desperately didn't want to support Man U or Chelsea like everyone else"[[/note]] and heavy metal legends like [[Music/BlackSabbath Ozzy Osbourne]] and [[Music/NapalmDeath Barney Greenway]].
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, Villa dominated English football in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, winning the League six times and the FA Cup five times (including one Double in 1897, making them the second club to achieve that feat) prior to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Since then, they've had their ups and downs, being the first-ever winners of the League Cup in 1961, getting relegated six years later, spending time in the Third Division in the early 1970s, coming back from that to win the European Cup in 1982 and then getting relgated again five years after that. Since the formation of the Premier League they have rarely looked like title contenders.
Since manager Martin O'Neill's departure in 2010, Villa tended to be lower mid-table and battling relegation. As of 2015/16, they lost that battle, spending the entire season rooted to the bottom of the table. They didn't display enough consistency to look like rebounding immediately, stuck in the middle of the Championship table with no real likelihood of placing in the top six. In 2018, they made the playoff final, but had to capitulate against Fulham; however, under the management of lifelong Villa fan Dean Smith, the side finally punched their ticket back to the Premier League by beating Derby County 2-1 in the playoff final in 2019. Established themselves as a decent side in 2019/2020, before shocking the football world early in 2020/21 by emerging as an early title challenger and destroying the previously imperious reigning champions Liverpool ''7-2'' at Villa Park, one of only two five-goal league defeats Liverpool have suffered in 60 years. Normality subsequently reasserted itself, though, with a poor run of form dropping Villa into mid table, though still not out of the race for European spots entirely. After a run of losses, Smith was sacked, instantly going to Norwich, and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard came in and pulled off improved results and coup signings, such as [[IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine his former teammate]] Phillipe Coutinho. Gerrard was sacked in October 2022 with the team in the relegation zone, to be replaced by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, who proceeded to oversee a remarkable turnaround, with the club on course to finish the season in serious contention for the European qualification places for the first time since O'Neill's departure.
Fierce rivals (in the Second City Derby) with Birmingham City.
!!Barnet
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnet_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1888\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bees\\
'''Kit:''' Amber shirts, black shorts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Anthony Kleanthous\\
'''Current Manager:''' Dean Brennan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Hive Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 6,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in National League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1990–91, 2004–05, & 2014–15 National League Champions; 1965–66 & 1976–77 Southern League Division One Champions; 1988–89 Conference League Cup; 1971–72 Southern League Cup; 1945–46 FA Amateur Cup; 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, & 1985 Mickey Mays Memorial Trophies; 1931–32, 1932–33, 2021–22 Middlesex Senior Cups; 1937–38, 1940–41, 1946–47 London Senior Cups
----
Suburban North London (formerly Hertfordshire) side who became the favourite 'second team' to many after winning the Conference and gaining promotion to the League for the first time in 1991. Have since alternated between League Two and what is now the National League. Well-known for a few things:
Underhill, their old ground, had a pronounced slope from the North Terrace to the South Stand -- the goal in front of the former was 11 feet higher than the goal in front of the latter -- which was for a time the maximum slope allowed by the Football League. Any side winning the toss there always opted to kick uphill in the first half.
In the early 1990s, disputes between chairman Stan Flashman and manager Barry Fry became legendary - the former sacked and reinstated the latter ''eight times'' before Fry finally left for good in 1993.
The club had a running dispute with the local council in the 2000s over the lease on Underhill which ultimately ended in 2013 with the club moving to a new ground, The Hive, in nearby Edgware.
Creator/BradleyWalsh, presenter of ''Series/{{The Chase|GameShow}}'', played for them when they were a semi-pro side in the late 1970s.
Long-running ''Series/MatchOfTheDay'' commentator John Motson was a fan, having worked for a local newspaper before getting a job at Creator/TheBBC.
!!Barnsley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnsley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Helo, hello! We are the Barnsley Boys!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Tykes\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirt, white shorts.\\
'''Current Owners:''' Chien Lee, Paul Conway, Grace Hung, Neerav Parekh, Billy Beane[[note]]yes, ''that'' [[Film/{{Moneyball}} Billy Beane]][[/note]] and The Cryne Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Martin Devaney (caretaker)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Alex Mowatt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Oakwell [[note]]Capacity: 23,009[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1911–12\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1933–34, 1938–39, 1954–55 Third Division North Champions; 2015–16 Football League Trophy
----
Have played at Oakwell since 1888 (the year after they were founded), joined the Football League in 1898. One FA Cup in 1912 (they were also runners-up in 1910)
Barnsley finished third in the Second Division in 1915, the last season before the First World War. When football resumed after the war, it was decided to expand the First Division. Barnsley were the highest-placed team not to have been promoted, but instead a vote gave the extra place to Arsenal, who had finished three places below them. Although the decision was somewhat VindicatedByHistory since Arsenal ''have never been relegated'', it remained a sore point for several years afterwards.
Barnsley have spent more seasons in the second tier than anyone else: They spent their first thirty league seasons there and, after a low point in the 60s and 70s saw them relegated to the fourth tier, spent another sixteenth consecutive seasons there in the 80s and 90s. Despite this, they have only spent one season in the Premier League (1997/98), since which they have yo-yoyed between the second and third tiers. They were most recently relegated to the third tier in 2022.
Since 2017, Barnsley have been owned by an international consortium which includes [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Oakland Athletics]] executive Billy Beane, whose use of statistical analysis in baseball was the subject of the book and film ''Film/{{Moneyball}}''.
Traditionally, they have a friendly rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, and a [[TheFriendNobodyLikes less friendly rivalry]] with Leeds United.
!!Birmingham City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birmingham_city_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I am a City fan,\\
and I am from Birmingham!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Bluenoses.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Paul Suen (majority), Creator/TomBrady (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tony Mowbray\\
'''Current Captain:''' Harlee Dean\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Andrew's [[note]]Capacity: 30,016[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 22nd in Championship (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1892–93, 1920–21, 1947–48, 1954–55 Second Division Champions; 1994–95 Third Division Champions; 1962–63 & 2010–11 Football League Cups; 1990–91 & 1994–95 Football League Trophies; 1905 Birmingham Senior Cup; 1945–46 Football League South Champion
----
Have historically alternated between the top two divisions but are currently in the Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League in 2012.
Despite having little success throughout their history (although arguably two League Cup wins, in 1963 and 2011, is better than most), they were the first English team to ever take part in European competition - and also the first English team ever to reach a European final - the Fairs Cup (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup, which became the Europa League) in both 1960 and 1961, although they lost on both occasions. They competed in Europe again in the 2011-12 season after qualifying for the Europa League by way of winning the League Cup for the second time.
Fierce rivals with Aston Villa in what is known as the Second City Derby. Also rivals with fellow-Midlanders Wolves and West Brom.
Creator/JasperCarrott is a fan and once served as a club director, and used to mention them (usually in an uncomplimentary manner, reflecting the club's distinct lack of success) in his act.
Creator/TomBrady became a minority owner shortly before the start of the 2023–24 season, with his main role initially being in the club's sports science, health, and nutrition programmes.
!!Blackburn Olympic
->'''Established:''' 1878\\
'''Dissolved:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Light Blues\\
'''Kit:''' Light blue shirts\\
'''Stadium:''' Hole-i'-th'-Wall\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1883\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1882 East Lancashire Charity Cup; 1879 & 1880 Blackburn Association Challenge Cups; 1878 Livesey United Cup
----
Famous for being the first [[OopNorth Northern]] team (as well as the first team from a predominantly working-class background) to win the FA Cup, which they did in 1883 by defeating Old Etonians 2-1. Their victory marked a turning point in football's transition from a pastime for upper-class gentlemen to a professional sport. Olympic, however, were unable to compete with wealthier and better-supported clubs in the new professional era [[note]] when the Football League was formed in 1888, a rule was put in place stating that only one club from each town or city could join, and Blackburn Rovers were chosen to represent Blackburn [[/note]], and folded in 1889.
!!Blackburn Rovers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackburn_rovers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Run, run, wherever you may be!\\
We are the Blackburn Rovers FC!]]
->'''Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rovers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Blue and Whites, Riversiders, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Riverside Rovers]].[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white halved shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The V H Group\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Eustace\\
'''Current Captain:''' Elliott Bennett\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Ewood Park [[note]]Capacity 31,367[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 19th in Championship\\
'''First Division/Premier League titles:''' 3; 1911–12, 1913–14, 1994–95\\
'''FA Cups:''' 6; 1883–84, 1884–85, 1885–86, 1889–90, 1890–91, 1927–28\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1938–39 Second Division Champions; 2001–02 Football League Cup; 1912 FA Charity Shield; 1986–87 Full Members' Cup
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League and had some success in the early twentieth century, winning the League twice before the First World War.
Came (back) to prominence when the Premier League was created, thanks largely to a spending spree bankrolled by local tycoon Jack Walker that included signing Alan Shearer before Newcastle did - they were runners-up in 1994 before winning it the following year under the management of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish. This led Rovers fans to claim that their club was better than Liverpool, Everton and Spurs - although fans of all three teams would strenuously disagree with that!
Relegated to the Championship in 2012, and almost suffered another relegation in 2013 after being run [[SarcasmMode very well]] by [[IncompetenceInc Indian poultry farmers Venky's]]. Dropped to League One in 2017 but bounced straight back to the Championship the following year.
Fierce rivals with near-neighbours Burnley, with whom they contest the East Lancashire Derby.
!!Blackpool
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackpool_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We follow Blackpool FC\\
We come from the seaside,\\
The only team in football\\
In tangerine and white!]]
->'''Established: 1887\\
'''Nickname:''' The Seasiders; The Tangerines.\\
'''Kit:''' Orange shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Simon Sadler\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neil Critchley\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Maxwell\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bloomfield Road [[note]]Capacity: 17,338[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 8th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1952–53\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1929–30 Second Division Champions; 2001–02 & 2003–04 Football League Trophies; 1917 Anglo-Italian Cup; 1943 Football League War Cup; 1935–36, 1936–37, 1941–42, 1953–54, 1993–94, 1994–95, & 1995–96 Lancashire Senior Cups
----
Their only major honour is winning the FA Cup in 1953, a match known to history as the "Matthews Final" after legendary winger Stanley Matthews inspired the team to come back from 3-1 down to win 4-3; although his team-mate Stan Mortensen scored a hat-trick (the only player to do so in an FA Cup final at Wembley), it is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Matthews for whom that final is remembered]]. It's also considered to be the first major televised sporting event (in Britain at least), as many televisions had at the time been bought or rented by households across the country in anticipation of the Queen's Coronation which took place a month later.
Blackpool graced the old First Division from the 1930s to the 1960s, subsequently sliding down to the Fourth Division before becoming the only club to get promoted from every division of the Football League by way of the play-off system, leading to them spending one season (2010-11) in the Premier League -- before going all the way back down to League Two. Currently in League One, having returned to the Championship before getting relegated again in 2023. Fierce rivals with Preston North End.
!!Bolton Wanderers
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bolton_wanderers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:We're the one and only Wanderers!]]
->'''Established:''' 1874 (as Christ Church F.C.)\\
'''Nickname:''' The Wanderers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Trotters.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Football Ventures\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ian Evatt\\
'''Current Captain:''' Antoni Sarcevic\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Toughsheet Community Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 28,723[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1922–23, 1925–26, 1928–29, 1957–58\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1908–09, 1977–78, & 1996–97 level 2 Champions; 1972–73 Third Division Champions; 1958 FA Charity Shield; 1988–89 & 2022–23 EFL Trophies; 1945 Football League War Cup
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, and the club that's spent the most seasons in the top flight without actually winning it. FA Cup winners four times, most recently in 1958. Home games at the University of Bolton Stadium (formerly the Reebok Stadium). Bolton alternated between the Championship and the Premier League in the 1990s, but had a more sustained run in the Prem in the 2000s under the management of Sam "Big Sam" Allardyce, qualifying for the UEFA Cup in 2005 by virtue of finishing sixth.
Have experienced severe financial difficulties since 2015, by which time they were back in the Championship; having gone into administration in 2019, the club was on the brink of extinction before being acquired by new owners. Relegated to League Two in 2020, but promoted back to League One the following season.
Rivals with most other Lancashire clubs - Blackburn Rovers, Bury, Oldham Athletic, etc.
!!AFC Bournemouth
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/afc_bournemouth.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The Red Flag a Bournemouth!]] %%sic
->'''Year Established:''' 1899\\
'''Kit:''' Red and black striped shirts\\
'''Nickname:''' The Cherries\\
'''Current Owner:''' Maxim Demin\\
'''Current Manager:''' Andoni Iraola\\
'''Current Captain:''' Neto\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Dean Court[[note]]Capacity: 11,464[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 15th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2014–15 EFL Championship; 1986–87 Third Division Championship; 1983–84 Associate Members' Cup; 1945–46 Third Division South Cup
----
South coast side which won the Championship in 2015, achieving promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club's history. Defied expectations of immediate relegation despite major injury problems. Despite a strong start to the (ultimately COVID-extended) 2019-20 season, more injuries and a run of poor form condemned them to the drop, before making an immediate return to the Premier League the following season (though within a few weeks of the new season, they lost ''[[CurbStompBattle 9-0]]'' to Liverpool).
They regard Southampton as their main rivals, although the rivalry means much less to Southampton fans. Mutual rivalry with Reading. Strongly dislike Leeds United fans, after a Bournemouth v Leeds game on the May Bank Holiday weekend in 1990 was accompanied by Leeds followers going on the rampage and smashing up the town (resulting in the Dorset Police not allowing Bournemouth to play any home games on Bank Holiday weekends for ''thirteen years'' after).
!!Brentford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brentford_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Buck up, B's!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bees\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Matthew Benham\\
'''Current Manager:''' Thomas Frank\\
'''Current Captain:''' Christian Nørgaard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Brentford Community Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 17,250[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 9th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1934–35 Second Division Champions; 1932–33 & 1991–92 Third Division Champions; 1962–63, 1998–99, & 2008–09 Fourth Division/League Two Champions; 1900–01 Southern League Second Division Champions; 1896–97 London League Second Division Champions; 1892–93 West London Alliance Champions; 1893–94 Middlesex Junior Cup; 1894–95 West Middlesex Cup; 1897–98 London Senior Cup; 1897–98 Middlesex Senior Cup; 1908–09 Southern Professional Charity Cup; 1910–11 Ealing Hospital Cup; 1934–35, 1964–65, & 1966–67 London Challenge Cup; 1928 Charity Fund Champions; 1918–19 London Combination Champions; 1941–42 London War Cup
----
West London club which maintains rivalries with near-neighbours Fulham and QPR. Spent much of their existence in the lower two Football League divisions, although they were in the First Division for several seasons... in the 1930s. For over a century, their home games were at Griffin Park -- a ground famous for having a pub on each corner -- until their move to the Brentford Community Stadium which was completed in 2020.
Promoted to the Championship in 2014 (having last graced the second level for a very brief period in the early 1990s), and made the play-offs in their first season in that division. They made the play-offs again in 2020, losing the final to Fulham. The following year, went one better -- beating Swansea City in the play-off final to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Although a bright PL season started to fizzle out in January, the team made headlines by giving a deal to Christian Eriksen, who had been able to return to football after making a full recovery from his horrible on-pitch cardiac arrest in Euro 2020, with a fitted cardioinverter device (he left his previous club Inter, as these devices are against Serie A rules, but fellow former Ajax player Daley Blind is another footballer that uses these, due to a heart condition).
Rock star Music/RodStewart trained with the club as a youth but was not given the chance to play even in a reserve team game so opted to concentrate on his music career.
!!Brighton & Hove Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brighton_&_hove_albion.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We all follow Brighton and Hove Albion!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1901\\
'''Nickname:''' The Seagulls\\
'''Kit:''' Blue (sometimes blue and white striped) shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Tony Bloom\\
'''Current Manager:''' Roberto de Zerbi\\
'''Current Captain:''' Lewis Dunk\\
'''Current Stadium:''' American Express Arena[[note]]Capacity: 30,750. Current Sponsor is American Express; sponsor-less name is Falmer Stadium. Before you ask, no, the stadium is not named after the [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim snow elves.]][[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 6th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1957–58, 2001–02, & 2010–11 third-level champions; 1964–65 & 2000–01 fourth-level champions; 1910 FA Charity Shield; 1942–43, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, & 2021–22 Sussex Senior Challenge Cups; 1959–60 & 1960–61 The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cups
----
Enjoyed prominence in the early 1980s, reaching the 1983 FA Cup final (which went to a replay before they lost to Manchester United). Subsequently slid down to the Fourth Division and narrowly avoided liquidation when their owners sold the ground to property developers, which required the club to play their home matches at Gillingham (some 70 miles from Brighton) for two seasons pending the upgrading of a local athletics stadium which served as their home until the new Falmer Stadium opened in 2011. The club have since progressed upwards, winning promotion to the Premier League in 2017 and, against expectations, staying there, with top-half finishes under Graham Potter and challenging for European qualification under Roberto de Zerbi.
Briefly attracted attention in the early 1990s for an ill-advised kit experiment with blue and white ''striped shorts''. They didn't catch on.
Fierce rivals of Crystal Palace, on the grounds that [[SillyReasonForWar they're the closest half-decent club]]. Palace fans reciprocate this and tend to regard Brighton as their main rivals, despite having several clubs of similar status much nearer.
Creator/DesLynam, who grew up in the area and got his first broadcasting job with [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Radio Brighton]], is a fan. So is Music/FatboySlim; his label, Skint Records, even sponsored the club during the Noughties.
!!Burnley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burnley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Forever and ever, we'll follow a team!\\
It's Burnley FC, we are supreme!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Clarets\\
'''Kit:''' Claret shirts with sky-blue sleeves\\
'''Current Owners:''' ALK Capital (majority); [[UsefulNotes/NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers J.J.]] and Kealia Watt (minority), Creator/DudePerfect (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Vincent Kompany\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jack Cork\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Turf Moor [[note]]Capacity 22,546[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 1st in Championship (promoted)\\
'''First Divison titles:''' 2; 1920–21, 1959–60\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1913–14\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1897–98, 1972–73, 2015–16, & 2022–23 Second Divisions/EFL Championships; 1981–82 Third Division Champions; 1991–92 Fourth Division Champions; 1960 & 1973 FA Charity Shields; 1991–92 Anglo-Scottish Cup
----
One of the first football clubs to turn professional (in 1883), and one of the twelve founder members of the Football League (which they've won it twice, the last time being in 1960). Notable for a pretty large fall from grace in the 1970s and 1980s, going from top-flight football to narrowly surviving relegation from the Football League.
Promoted to the Premiership in 2009 after winning the Championship play-offs, but dropped back to the Championship the next season. Stayed there until finishing second in 2013–14, earning a place in the Prem once again under Sean Dyche. They went straight back down but rebounded again after an unbeaten second half of the season, and survived 2016-17 in the Prem thanks to formidable home form, in a season in which they also became notable for the story of centre forward Andre Gray, who turned from a homophobic nutcase playing non-League football who'd survived a gangland stabbing, to a Premier League striker and a boyfriend of a Music/LittleMix member. Burnley sold Gray to Watford in 2017 for £20 million, in spite of his having scored just ten goals, admittedly for a side which took the fewest shots in the Prem that were not relegated. Relegated to the Championship in 2022 after six years in the Prem, they rebuilt in the Championship under the stewardship of Man City legend Vincent Kompany, whose fast-paced style of attacking football resulting in them achieving the earliest ever promotion in the league's history. Shortly after they secured promotion, they picked up a couple of high-profile minority investors, first former [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] great [[UsefulNotes/NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers J.J. Watt]] and his wife (and former US soccer international) Kealia and then the Creator/DudePerfect Web video group.
Fierce rivals with fellow East Lancashire side Blackburn Rovers.
Famous Burnley fans include [[UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} England cricketer]] James Anderson (who's from Burnley), [[UsefulNotes/CharlesIII His Majesty the King]] (apparently due to several of his charities operating in the area [[note]]the fact that Burnley wore the Royal coat-of-arms on their shirts in the late nineteenth century is probably coincidental[[/note]]) and Alistair Campbell, a key figure in the [[UsefulNotes/TonyBlair Blair government]] who has described Burnley being in the Premier League as an even greater achievement than the electoral landslide he helped Blair win in 1997.
Turf Moor is the only football ground in England that sells the French liqueur Bénédictine in its bars - a legacy of the First World War, during which soldiers of the East Lancashire Regiment who were stationed in the French town of Fécamp (which is where Bénédictine is made) developed a taste for "Béné and Hot" (basically, Bénédictine mixed with hot water). It's still popular with Burnley fans to this day.
!!Burton Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burton_albion_fc_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1950\\
'''Nickname:''' The Brewers; The Yellow and Black Army\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Ben Robinson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Martin Paterson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Pirelli Stadium [[note]]Capacity 6,912[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2014–15 League Two Champions; 2008–09 Conference Premier Champions; 2001–02 Northern Premier League Champions; 1963–64, 1996–97, 1999–2000 Southern League Cups; 1982–83 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup; 1955–56 Staffordshire Senior Cup; 1953–54 & 1996–97 Birmingham Senior Cups
----
A non-league club who started to get noticed in the late 1990s and early 2000s when they were managed by Nigel Clough (son of Brian); during his first spell in charge, they rose to the Conference and held Man United to a 0-0 draw in the third round of the 2006 FA Cup; subsequently, over 11,000 Burton fans (almost double the Pirelli Stadium's capacity!) went to Old Trafford for the replay (which they lost). Won promotion to the League in 2009, by which time Clough had gone to Derby County. Since then, they've risen as high as the Championship (during Clough's second spell in charge) although they were relegated to League One in 2018.
!!Bury
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bury02.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Shakers\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Football Supporters' Society of Bury Ltd.\\
'''Current Manager:''' Dave McNabb\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Gigg Lane [[note]]Capacity 12,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in North West Counties Football League\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1899–1900, 1902–03\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1894–95 Second Division Champions; 1960–61 & 1996–97 third-tier champions; 2021–22 North West Counties Football League Division One North Champions; 1904 Football World Championship
----
Lancashire side which won the FA Cup twice in the early 1900s [[note]] the second, a 6-0 win over Derby County in 1903, is still the record margin of victory in an FA Cup final and has only been equalled once, by Man City over Watford in 2019 [[/note]] and last graced the First Division in 1929. Finished 2018-19 as runners-up of League Two, thus earning promotion to League One, but were unable to begin the 2019-20 season due to long-standing financial difficulties, resulting in their expulsion from the Football League. The club subsequently went into administration, although in 2022 a group of fans bought the ground and the "Bury FC" trading name. Meanwhile, another group of fans set up a [[SpiritualSuccessor successor club]], Bury AFC. In the summer of 2023 the two groups merged.
Not to be confused with Bury Town, a non-league side from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
!!Corinthian-Casuals
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/corinthian_casuals_fc.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1939\\
'''Nickname:''' The Amateurs; The Chocolate & Pink\\
'''Kit:''' Brown and pink halved shirts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Brian Adamson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Barnes\\
'''Current Stadium:''' King George's Field [[note]]Capacity 2,000[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 21st in Isthmian League South Central Division (relegated)
----
Amateur side based in South London, formed in 1939 from the merger of two famous amateur clubs formed in the 1880s, Corinthian and (unsurprisingly) Casuals. The former in particular were famed for their sportsmanship and the fact that they only played for the love of the game, to the extent of not playing on Saturdays (so their players could play for other clubs) and refusing to participate in the FA Cup as that meant playing for a prize -- although they were as good as the top sides of the day [[note]] for example, shortly after Blackburn Rovers won the FA Cup in 1884, Corinthian played them in a friendly and beat them 8-1 [[/note]], and often contested the Charity Shield (for which they made an exception as the proceeds went to, well, charity) back when it was an amateurs versus professionals affair. Notable players included sporting polymath C.B. Fry [[note]] who represented England at [[UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} cricket]] ''and'' football, in addition to jointly holding the world record for the long jump -- and those are only ''his most notable'' sporting achievements [[/note]], a young Creator/CAubreySmith and Andrew Watson (the first black footballer to play at international level [[note]] although his three appearances for Scotland in the early 1880s predated his time with Corinthian [[/note]]). On two occasions, they provided ''all of the players'' for the England team [[note]] for the 1894 and 1895 fixtures against Wales [[/note]], a feat no other club has ever matched. They also helped to spread the game around the world, being the first football club to tour outside Europe; Corinthians, one of the most successful football clubs in Brazil, is named for them. This has led Corinthian-Casuals to tour Brazil several times in recent years; in 1989, the legendary Sócrates turned out for them in a friendly against their Brazilian near-namesakes (one of his former clubs). Currently in the Isthmian League (six or so divisions below the Premier League), a lone amateur survivor among semi-pro clubs.
Absolutely nothing to do with FootballHooligans, some of whom were referred to as '[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_(subculture) casuals]]' in the late 1970s and early 1980s on account of their dress sense, which favoured designer clothes over working-class clothing and club colours, making them less readily identifiable to the police.
!!Coventry City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coventry_city_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Let's all sing together,\\
Play up Sky Blues,\\
While we sing together,\\
We will never lose!]]
->'''Established:''' 1883\\
'''Nickname:''' The Sky Blues\\
'''Kit:''' All sky blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Doug King\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mark Robins\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Kelly\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Coventry Building Society Arena [[note]]Capacity: 32,609[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 9th in Championship\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1986–87\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1966–67 Second Division Champions; 1935–36, 1963–64, & 2019–20 Third Division/League One Champions; 2016–17 EFL Trophy; 1935–36 Third Division South Cup; 1910–11, 1922–23, & 2006–07 Birmingham Senior Cups; 1959–60 Southern Professional Floodlit Cup
----
West Midlands club, currently in the Championship after winning League One in 2020. Reached the First Division for the first time in the 1960s when Jimmy Hill was the manager (as well as changing the home kit to sky blue, he also wrote the club song - see above). Spent 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight before being relegated in 2001. Their only major honour is the FA Cup, which they won in 1987 by beating favourites Spurs. They suffered a heartbreaking loss in the 2023 Championship playoff final to Luton Town on penalties.
Coventry City used to play at Highfield Road (which became England's first all-seater stadium in 1981) but moved in 2005 to the Ricoh Arena (AKA the City of Coventry Stadium) - although following a protracted dispute over rent they left in 2013, playing their home games in Northampton for a year before returning. Ongoing disputes with the Ricoh's new owners, [[UsefulNotes/RugbyUnion rugby]] club Wasps, led City to move out again in 2019. After two seasons ground-sharing with Birmingham City, they reached an agreement with Wasps which allowed them to return to the Ricoh from 2021-22.
!!Crystal Palace
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crystal_palace_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We'll fight for you,\\
Famous red and blue,\\
Palace Boys are with you,\\
When you play!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1861\\
'''Nickname:''' The Eagles\\
'''Kit:''' Red and blue striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Steve Parish (Majority Shareholder), Joshua Harris and David S. Blitzer\\
'''Current Manager:''' Oliver Glasner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joel Ward\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Selhurst Park[[note]]Capacity: 25,073[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 11th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1978–79 & 1993–94 Second Division/EFL Championships; 1920–21 Third Division Champions; 1990–91 Full Members' Cup; 1940–41 Football League South Champions; 1939–40 Wartime South D League Champions
----
A South London club that's historically yo-yo'd between the top two divisions, although since getting promoted back to the Premier League in 2013 they've stayed there. Won the Full Members Cup [[note]] (a short-lived and often-overlooked extra knockout tournament created as an additional competition for First and Second Division clubs in the 1980s after English clubs were banned from European competition post-Heysel, and cancelled with the creation of the Premier League in 1992)[[/note]] in 1991 and have twice been FA Cup finalists, losing to Manchester United both times (1990 and 2016).
Fierce rivals of Brighton & Hove Albion. Neither set of fans likes this rivalry being referred to as the "M23 Derby" (quite possibly because the M23 only goes as far south as Crawley).
!!Derby County
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/derby_county_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:200:All teams who come here,\\
There's nowhere to hide,\\
Everyone is frightened,\\
Of that Derby pride.]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1884\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rams\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' David Clowes\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Warne\\
'''Current Captain:''' Curtis Davies\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Pride Park Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 33,597[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in League One (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1971–72, 1974–75\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1945–46\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1911–12, 1914–15, 1968–69, & 1986–87 Second Division Champions; 1956–57 Third Division North Champions; 1975 FA Charity Shield; 1971–72 Texaco Cup; 1970 Watney Cup
----
East Midlands club and one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. Champions twice in the 1970s (the first under Brian Clough, the second under ex-player Dave Mackay). To date, their last season in the Premier League was in 2007-08 when they managed just one win all season and were relegated with the Prem's lowest-ever points total. Relegated to League One in 2022 after a chaotic season spent mostly staring into the abyss, with money issues meaning they were unable to either sign new players or pay the ones they had, but played well enough under the management of England legend Wayne Rooney that they would've survived had they not been deducted 21 points (equivalent to 7 wins) as punishment for their financial mismanagement.
Long-standing rivals of Clough's ''other'' club, Nottingham Forest.
!!Forest Green Rovers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/forest_green_rovers_crestsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' Forest; The Green; FGR\\
'''Kit:''' Lime green and black striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Dale Vince\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steve Cotterill\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The New Lawn [[note]]Capacity: 141[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 24th in League Two (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2021–22 League Two champions; 1997–98 Southern League champions; 1996–97 Southern League South champions; 1981–82 Hellenic League champions; 1981–82 FA Vase
----
Gloucestershire team based in the small rural town of Nailsworth which, with with a population of just under 6,000, is the smallest place in England to hold a Football League match.
Under the ownership of green energy industrialist Dale Vince, FGR has attracted international attention for being the greenest football club in the world, having become the first carbon-neutral football club to be certified as such under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiative Climate Neutral Now. The pitch - which is certified organic thanks to the use of horse manure as a fertiliser - is cut using a solar-powered lawn-mower. The kit is made from made from a composite material consisting of recycled plastic and coffee grounds. The entire match-day menu is vegan (quite radical, given that meat pies have long been the most popular food item among football fans) and their players are encouraged to go vegetarian. Rivals with Cheltenham Town, a derby which is nicknamed "El Glosico" [[note]](a play on ''El Clásico'', the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid)[[/note]].
Made British football history in July 2023 when, following the departure of manager Duncan Ferguson, the club put academy manager Hannah Dingley in caretaker charge, thus making her the first woman to takes charge of a UK senior men's team. However, she was replaced by Dave Horseman before the season started.
!!Fulham
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fulham_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Craven Cottage, it is our home,\\
We are Fulham, we fight on our own!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Cottagers\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Shahid Khan\\
'''Current Manager:''' Marco Silva\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Cairney\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Craven Cottage[[note]]Capacity: 25,700[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in Premier League\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1948–49, 2000–01, & 2021–22 Second Division/Championship; 1931–32 & 1998–99 Third Division champions\\
'''European Trophies:''' 2002 Interto Cup
----
Historically a club of mixed fortunes, with periods of time in the top flight alternating between time spent in the lower divisions. No major honours, having been beaten finalists in the FA Cup (1975) and the Europa League (2010). Currently yo-yoing between the top two levels, having been promoted to the Premier League in 2020 but dropping right back to the Championship in 2021, only to be promoted back up to the Premier League for the 2022/23 season, where they will remain for 2023/24.
Wolfie Smith, of ''Series/CitizenSmith'' fame, was a fan and was often shown wearing a Fulham scarf.
Formerly owned by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Fayed, who commissioned a 7.5-ft statue of Music/MichaelJackson which stood at Craven Cottage until 2013, when Fayed sold the club and the new owners had it removed [[note]]Jackson, a friend of Fayed, did in fact attend one Fulham match, in 1999 (he also had links with Exeter City through another friend, [[SpoonBending Uri Geller]])[[/note]].
Speaking of those new owners, they're Pakistan-born American auto parts billionaire Shahid Khan and his son Tony. The Khans also own the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL's]] Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling (the latter run day-to-day by Tony).
Since 2016, Craven Cottage has been graced by a statue of George Cohen, the only Fulham player in England's 1966 World Cup winning team. Fulham have also named their hospitality section after him and his winner's medal is on display (the club having bought it from him in 1998).
!!Hartlepool United
[[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hartlepool_united_fc_logo_2017.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Pools; The Monkey Hangers[[note]]a nickname given to people from Hartlepool in general, derives from a possibly apocryphal incident during the Napoleonic Wars involving the people of the town capturing a monkey that had survived a shipwreck off the coast, accusing it of being a French spy and - when it proved strangely unable to deny this - hanging it. The club's mascot is called H'Angus the Monkey as a result. In 2002 H'Angus - or rather, Stuart Drummond, the man in the costume - ran for election as Mayor of Hartlepool and, to the bemusement of many, ''[[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer actually won]]''. He ended up serving three terms, only standing down when the people of Hartlepool voted to abolish the elected mayoralty[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' All blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Raj Singh\\
'''Current Manager:''' Darren Saril\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Victoria Park[[note]]Capacity: 7,858[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 12th in National League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1904–05 FA Amateur Cup; 1908–09, 1909–10, 1956–57, 1957–58, & 2004–05 Durham Challenge Cups
----
No major honours, although they did make the League One play-off final in 2005. Dropped into non-league football in 2017, won promotion back to League Two in 2021. Well known by viewers of ''Series/SoccerSaturday'' as being the team that Jeff Stelling supports... sometimes, quite vocally. Music/MeatLoaf, Jannick Gers from IronMaiden and Creator/RidleyScott are also fans.
!!Hereford United / Hereford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hereford_united_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:[[labelnote:Click for Hereford badge]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hu_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1924 (Hereford FC founded 2014)\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bulls\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Chris Ammonds\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Caddis\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Edgar Street[[note]]Capacity: 5,250[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 11th in National League North\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1975–76 Third Division champions; 2017–18 Southern League Premier champions; 2016–17 Southern League Division One champions; 2015–16 Midland League Premier champions; 1989–90 Welsh Cup; 1951–52, 1956–57, 1958–59 Southern League Cup; 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 Herefordshire County Cups; 2015–16 Midland Football League Cup
----
Came to national attention in 1972 for the most famous act of [[DavidVersusGoliath giant-killing]] in the history of the UsefulNotes/TheFACup when they beat Newcastle United 2-1 in a third round replay. At the time, Newcastle were in the First Division and Hereford were ''non-league''. Ronnie Radford, scorer of Hereford's first goal (which levelled the scores, forcing the match into extra time) [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun got interviewed every January]] (the month when the cup's third round matches are played) for the next five decades; the match also proved to be a StarMakingRole for John Motson who was commentating on it for ''Series/MatchOfTheDay''.
Hereford got elected to the League that summer, and reached the Second Division for one season in 1976/77, but went down to the Conference after 25 years of League membership; after a brief stint back in the League in the mid-2000s, the club was dissolved in 2014. A successor club, Hereford, currently plays in the National League North.
!!Huddersfield Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/huddersfield_town_afc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:So Town play up, and bring the Cup\\
Back to Huddersfield!]]
->'''Established:''' 1908\\
'''Nickname:''' The Terriers\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Phil Hodgkinson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Andre Breitenreiter\\
'''Current Captain:''' Christopher Schindler\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kirklees Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 24,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 23rd in Championship (relegated)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1921–22\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1969–70 Second Division champions; 1982–83 Third Division champions; 1979–80 Fourth Division champions; 1922 FA Charity Shield
----
Yorkshire side who were ''the'' dominant team in English football... in the 1920s, when they became the first side ever to win the League three times in a row. Flitted between the top two divisions in the 1950s and 1960s, during which they were managed by a pre-Liverpool Bill Shankly and were Denis Law's first club (the sale of him to Manchester City paid for their ground's first floodlights). Following relegation in 1972, Huddersfield bounced between the lower three divisions before winning the Championship play-offs in 2017, giving them Premier League status; they lasted two seasons before being relegated. Notable for being only the second team (after Blackpool) to win the play-offs for all three Football League divisions.
Famous fans over the years have included UsefulNotes/HaroldWilson (who was from Huddersfield) and Creator/PatrickStewart (who's from nearby Mirfield).
!!Ipswich Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ipswich_townsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Uppa Towen!]]
->'''Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues, The Tractor Boys\\
'''Kit:''' All blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Gamechangers 20 Ltd. (Majority Shareholders) and Marcus Evans\\
'''Current Manager:''' Kieran [=McKenna=]\\
'''Current Captain:''' Luke Chambers\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Portman Road [[note]]Capacity: 30,311[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in Championship (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1961–62\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1977–78\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1960–61, 1967–68, & 1991–92 Second Division champions; 1953–54 & 1956–57 Third Division South champions; 1936–37 Southern League champions; 1972–73 Texaco Cup\\
'''European Trophies;''' 1980–81 UEFA Cup
----
A team from the largely rural county of Suffolk (hence the "Tractor Boys" nickname) who enjoyed two brief periods of success, one in the early 1960s (they won the League in 1962), the other in the late 1970s and early 1980s (winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981). This is not unrelated to the fact that two of England's most successful national managers - Sir Alf Ramsey (who won the World Cup in 1966) and Sir Bobby Robson (who reached the World Cup semi-finals in 1990) - both began their managerial careers at Ipswich. Fierce rivals with Norwich City, with whom they contest the East Anglia Derby.
Also noted for the fact that several of their players appeared in ''Film/EscapeToVictory''.
More ignominiously, Ipswich are the joint-record holders (along with Southampton and Bournemouth) of the worst defeat in the Premier League (''9-0''), having been beaten by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United by that score in 1995.
Famous fans include Music/EdSheeran, who has sometimes evoked the town and its local A-road in his songs, even doing so during his opening verse in an Music/{{Eminem}} collaboration. In 2021 he sponsored the team, with his tour sponsoring their shirts, and did promotions at Portman Road.
!!Leeds United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leeds_united_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Marching On Together!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Peacocks[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Whites[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' All-white\\
'''Current Owners:''' 49ers Enterprises[[note]]Yes, ''[[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague those]]'' 49ers; see more below.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Daniel Farke\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Cooper\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Elland Road[[note]]Capacity: 37,890[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1968–69, 1973–74, 1991–92\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1971–72\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1923–24, 1963–64, 1989–90, 2019–20 Second Division/Championships; 1967–68 Leagues Cup; 1969 & 1992 FA Charity Cups\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1967–68 & 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups
----
One of the powerhouses of English football in the 1960s and 1970s under Don Revie, albeit with a ''very'' bad reputation for foul play which led many to know them as "Dirty Leeds". Their all-white kit dates back to his tenure; he had the kit changed in emulation of Real Madrid, the leading club in Europe at the time. Under Revie, Leeds won the League twice, the Fairs Cup twice [[note]] this was the forerunner of the UEFA Cup [[/note]] and the FA and League Cups once each, but were also League runners-up ''five times'' and FA Cup finalist twice. After Revie's departure they reached the European Cup final but lost thanks to what Leeds fans still see as dubious refereeing (they had two penalty appeals turned down and a goal disallowed), with subsequent rioting by fans leading to the club being banned from European competitions for several years.
More recently, Leeds won the League in 1992 (the last season before the Premier League began), but some overambitious financial planning in the early 2000s almost ruined the club completely and saw most of the best players leave; building up large debts in an attempt to invest heavily and suffering financial meltdown as a result is now known as "Doing a Leeds" as a result of this. Leeds have started to climb back up the leagues after briefly playing in the third tier.
Although they were separated by one or two divisions from 2004 to 2020, Leeds holds a strong historical rivalry with Manchester United, dating back from the days when Man U was still Newton Heath and Leeds was a new football team in a rugby town. This rivalry is very unique in English football as it is not based on territorial affiliation or club success but on a historical basis: [[FauxSymbolism Manchester United represents Lancashire and plays in a red kit, while Leeds represents Yorkshire and wears white]], an allusion to a [[UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses particular conflict in British history involving the ruling noble families of the two England counties fighting for the Throne.]]
Despite this gap, they still consider themselves as arch-rivals with Manchester United and Liverpool. Younger fans of both teams are generally left puzzled as to who Leeds actually are. Older fans and the better informed, meanwhile, think that it's hilarious, though Liverpool fans gained something of a grudging respect for Leeds early in the 2020-21 season when the newly promoted side came to Anfield and played with an astonishing lack of a fear for a newly promoted team visiting the defending champions in a stadium they hadn't lost in for over three years - a record that Leeds then nearly broke.
In 2018, after a poor start to the calendar year derailed their promotion hopes, they attracted derision for the EpicFail of a bizarre centenary badge with a fan doing the "Leeds Salute", which involves beating the chest, which was reconsidered a few hours after being unveiled. Despite this, and the sacking of their manager Paul Heckingbottom, the club surprised everyone by signing Marcelo Bielsa, who led Athletic Bilbao to the 2012 Europa League final. Thanks to Bielsa's charismatic leadership, Leeds went through a blistering start to their 2018-19 season, which culminated in a playoff spot finish. However, they lost their chances to promotion after faltering 4-2 at home against Derby County in the playoff semi-finals. That setback only made Bielsa and the Peacocks more determined, though, as they dominated the Championship for the entirety of 2019-20 season to finally punch their ticket back to the Premier League after a 16-year absence. Their attacking flair and complete lack of fear has made them a neutrals' favourite.
''Literature/{{The Damned U|nited}}td'' and its film adaptation, ''The Damned United'', depict the brief 44-day period in 1974 where the club was managed by legendary coach Brian Clough (who had had previous success with Derby and would go onto subsequent success at Nottingham Forest, but who was loathed by many in Leeds for his criticism of the team under Revie).
!!Luton Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luton_town.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Everywhere we go,\\
Everywhere we go,\\
It's the Luton boys making all the noise,\\
Everywhere we go!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Hatters\\
'''Kit:''' Orange shirts, navy shorts (although they have sometimes worn white shirts as their home kit)\\
'''Current Owner:''' Luton Town Football Club 2020 Ltd.[[note]]Chairman is David Wilkinson[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Rob Edwards\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Lockyer\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kenilworth Road [[note]]Capacity: 10,356[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 3rd in Championship (won Playoff, promoted)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1981–82 Second Division champions; 1936–37, 2004–05, & 2018–19 Third Division/League One Champions; 1967–68 Fourth Division champions; 2013–14 Conference Premier champions; 1987–88 Football League Cup; 2008–09 Football League Trophy
----
Bedfordshire club which had its most successful period in the 1980s when they got promoted to the First Division in 1982 and won the League Cup in 1988. At that time, though, Luton became infamous for banning away fans from Kenilworth Road following a riot that broke out at an FA Cup tie against Millwall; for the home fans, chairman David Evans brought in a membership scheme under which they would only be allowed into the ground if they were carrying a membership card (something which the [[UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher Thatcher government]] attempted to impose nationwide as a way of combatting football hooliganism). Although the away fan ban was successful from a policing point of view, it was dropped in 1990.
From 2006 onwards, financial difficulties caused the Hatters to fall from the Championship to the Conference, non-league status being assured after they were docked 30 points for financial irregularities in 2008-09, guaranteeing that they finished the season at the bottom of League Two. Luton thereafter spent five seasons in non-league football, during which they performed a ''bona fide'' act of giant-killing in the FA Cup by knocking out Premier League Norwich City in in 2013. Luton won the Conference in 2013–14, securing promotion back into the Football League. More success followed, with Luton winning successive promotions in 2017–18 and 2018–19, sending them back to the Championship. This was capped off by Luton winning the 2023 Championship playoff final over Coventry on penalties, completing a move from non-league to the Premier League in nine years. Of note: (1) Luton's ground of Kenilworth Road is the smallest ever to host Premier League football. (2) Luton midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu became the first player ever to rise from non-league to the Prem without changing clubs.
[[Creator/MorecambeAndWise Eric Morecambe]] was a fan, at one point serving as a club director [[note]] although he was from [[OopNorth the North of England]], he lived in Harpenden, which isn't far from Luton, for many years [[/note]].
Bitter rivals of Watford; games between the two sides -- which have been rare in recent years due to the clubs being in different divisions -- rarely pass without incident.
!!Middlesbrough
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/middlesbrough_fc_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We're the Red Army from Middlesbrough!]]
->'''Established:''' 1876\\
'''Nickname:''' The Boro; The Smoggies\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Steve Gibson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Michael Carrick\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jonny Howson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Riverside Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 34,742[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 8th in Championship\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1926–27, 1928–29, 1973–74, & 1994–95 Second Division/Championships; 1893–94, 1894–95, & 1896–97 Northern League Champions; 2003–04 League Cup; 1894–95 & 1897–98 FA Amateur Cups; 1975–76 Anglo-Scottish Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 1980 Kirin Cup
----
North Yorkshire club, currently playing in the Championship. League Cup winners in 2004 - their only major honour, although they've also been FA Cup and UEFA Cup finalists (in 1997 and 2006, respectively). Have tended to alternate between the top two divisions, coming to national attention for several high-profile foreign signings in the mid-1990s when they were managed by former England captain Bryan Robson - a period which saw them reach both major cup finals and get relegated in the same season. Last graced the Premier League in 2016-17.
The club occasionally falls victim to the AcquiredErrorAtThePrinter trope, with tickets sometimes referring to them as "Middlesborough", as was the case for the 2015 Championship Play-Off Final.
!!Millwall
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/millwall_fc_logo_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:"No-one likes us, no-one likes us, no-one likes us, we don't care..."]]
->'''Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Lions\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Millwall Holdings\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neil Harris\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Den [[note]]Capacity: 20,146[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 13th in Championship\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1987–88 Second Division champions; 1927–28, 1937–38, & 2000–01 Third Division/League One champions; 1961–62 Fourth Division champions; 1907–08 & 1908–09 Western Football League champions; 1894–95 & 1895–96 Southern Football League champions; 1982–83 Football League Trophy
----
Modestly successful Championship side, famous mostly for their rowdy fanbase and extremely violent hooligan firm, the Bushwhackers, fictionalized in films like ''Film/GreenStreet'' and ''Film/TheFootballFactory''. It was crowd trouble by Millwall fans that led to Luton's infamous away fan ban (see above). Their biggest successes were a two-year spell in the top flight back in the 1980s and reaching the FA Cup Final in 2004, losing comfortably to Manchester United. They currently play in the Championship after winning the 2016-17 League One play-off.
In recent years, the traditional "violent Millwall fan" image has begun to become a bit stale, as violence has largely decreased. Frustration at media demonization led to the club's famous chant (see above, sung to the tune of "Sailing").
!!Newcastle United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newcastle_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I went to Blaydon Races,\\
'Twas on the Ninth of June...]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1892\\
'''Nickname:''' The Magpies[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as "The Toon".[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Black and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Public Investment Fund[[note]]Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, chairman is Mohammed bin Salman[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Eddie Howe\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jamaal Lascelles\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St James' Park[[note]]Capacity: 52,338[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 4th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–27\\
'''FA Cups:''' 6; 1909–10, 1923–24, 1931–32, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1964–65, 1992–93, 2009–10, & 2016–17 Second Division/Championships; 1909 FA Charity Shield\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
----
[[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut Perennial underachievers - always looking good on paper but never ''quite'' translating it to success on the pitch.]] Vocal and passionate support in sufficient numbers (their fans are known as "The Toon Army") to still describe themselves as a "big club", even though their last major honours consist of the Intertoto Cup in 2006 [[note]] a Europe-wide pre-qualifying tournament for the UEFA Cup for teams that just missed out on qualifying automatically[[/note]] and before that the Texaco Cup in 1975 [[note]] an innovative attempt at a tournament involving clubs from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which didn't last, ultimately morphing into the Anglo-Scottish Cup before being disbanded. Prince William has suggested establishing a tournament on similar lines, but no-one else seems interested[[/note]], and some would say that's stretching it. They won the Fairs Cup (forerunner of the Europa League) in 1969, but last won the League in 1927 and the FA Cup in 1955. They came close to winning the League again in the mid-1990s under Kevin Keegan, coming second in 1995-96 (despite having a 12-point lead at Christmas) and 1996-97, and subsequently reaching the FA Cup Final in 1998 and 1999 (they lost 2-0 both times, to Arsenal and Man U respectively). Nevertheless, despite a long period of not winning anything, they still maintain the seventh largest club stadium in the UK; Americans, imagine a stadium slightly bigger than that of the New York Yankees! Which is consistently packed out every season. Put simply, in Newcastle you can't be considered a true Geordie unless you support the team. Well-known fans include UsefulNotes/TonyBlair, [[Music/DireStraits Mark Knopfler]], [[Music/{{ACDC}} Brian Johnson]], Music/{{Sting}}, [[https://www.youtube.com/c/WillNE WillNE]] and - venturing into the realms of fiction - [[ComicBook/{{Viz}} Sid the Sexist]].
Until recently the club was owned by Mike Ashley, a London businessman who did not turn up to matches on the reasonable grounds that the fans hated him and would quite happily lynch him. Officially renaming St James' Park "The Sports Direct Arena" was not calculated to go down well. That said, it didn't seem to matter, since even the BBC quickly stopped bothering to call it that and usually referred to it as St James' Park. This all changed in October 2021, when the club was officially bought by the Public Investment Fund of UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia, a deal that made them overnight the richest club in the world by a considerable margin[[note]]For comparison, Man City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed has a net worth of 23.2 billion pounds, while the PIF has a net worth of ''325 billion.''[[/note]] but was also the source of considerable controversy due to the Saudi government's numerous human rights violations. The general consensus among Newcastle fans is that while the PIF share similar controversies and are just as shady as most other bank-rolling club owners, [[GodzillaThreshold the situation around the club became so dire under Ashley that they would have accepted any offer just to get him out.]]
Playing wise, they are - or were - considered a dark horse team and incredibly strong at home. In the 2008–09 season their manager quit seemingly over the notably miserly transfer policy. Despite a valiant effort by former player Alan Shearer, who managed them for the last eight games of the season, they were relegated on the last day. Under new management (although not new owners), they are now back in the top flight, and broke through in 2022–23 with a top-four finish, giving their long-suffering fans the thrill of Champions League football in 2023–24.
!!Norwich City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwich_city_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:On the Ball, City]]
->'''Established:''' 1902\\
'''Nickname:''' The Canaries\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, green shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Creator/DeliaSmith, Michael Wynn-Jones and Michael Foulger\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Wagner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Grant Hanley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Carrow Road[[note]]Capacity: 27,010[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in Championship\\
'''Trophies:''' 1971–72, 1985–86, 2003–04, 2018–19, & 2020–21 Second Division/Championship titles; 1933–34 & 2009–10 Third Division South/League One champions; 1961–62 & 1984–85 Football League Cups
----
The only professional football team in the county of Norfolk, Norwich City have only spent one season outside the top two tiers since 1960 but the only major competition they've won is the League Cup in 1962 (when none of the big teams entered) and 1985 (when they and defeated finalists Sunderland were both relegated). The club had the misfortune to have their most successful period in the late 1980s and early 1990s when English clubs were banned from European competition (any article on Norwich in Europe inevitably includes a list of the seasons they ''should'' have qualified), but did manage a single season in the UEFA Cup in 1993-94, where they had the satisfaction of knocking out German giants [[UsefulNotes/EuroFooty Bayern Munich]] (who had bemused everyone by dubbing [[UsefulNotes/EastAnglia Norwich]] a small village of mustard farmers). The club's anthem, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPVn9eLOkF0 On the Ball City]]", is considered the oldest football anthem still in use. Have a fierce local rivalry with Ipswich Town from the neighbouring county. The fact that Norwich's local rivals are 45 miles away gives an indication of how isolated the city is.
Entered popular culture by playing a supporting role in the film ''Film/MikeBassettEnglandManager'', although the scenes set in Norwich were filmed nowhere near the city, to the locals' annoyance.
Norwich City has a surprisingly high number of celebrity board members. The majority shareholder since 1996 is Creator/DeliaSmith, and Creator/StephenFry was a director for a time. Between 2015 and 2018, the club's chairman was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Balls Ed Balls]]. If American readers don't realise how weird that is, imagine the running mate of the defeated presidential candidate quitting politics to run a sports team in his home town with a celebrity chef and a comedian.
Norwich were the first team to top the Premier League, beating Arsenal 4-2 on the opening weekend of the 1992/93 season after being 2-0 down at half-time. It isn't just a quirk of history either: They were also the first team to be top at Christmas, and were still title contenders at the end of March, only to lose 3-1 to eventual champions Manchester United. They ultimately finished 3rd (still their highest league place) and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Since then, they have been relegated from the Premier League six times, most recently in 2022. Their status as a yo-yo team between the Premier League and Championship is underlined by their having been either promoted or relegated in four consecutive seasons until 2022/23 ended the run.
!!Nottingham Forest
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nottingham_forest.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:Forest, ever Forest,\\
All our hopes are with you,\\
True supporters forever,\\
'til our days are through!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1865\\
'''Nickname:''' The Forest[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Reds or the Tricky Trees.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Evangelos Marinakis\\
'''Current Manager:''' Nuno Espirito Santo\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joe Worrall\\
'''Current Stadium:''' City Ground[[note]]Capacity: 30,576[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 16th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1977–78\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1897–98, 1958–59\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1906–07, 1921–22, & 1997–98 Second Division/Championships; 1950–51 Third Division South champions; 1977–78, 1978–79, 1988–89, & 1989–90 Football League Cups; 1978 FA Charity Shield; 1988–89 & 1991–92 Full Members' Cups\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1978–79 & 1979–80 European Cups; 1979 European Super Cups; 1980 Intercontinental Cup
----
Enjoyed a few years of success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning the League (once) and the European Cup (twice) under the inspirational leadership of Brian Clough. Relegated in the 1990s, and have since yo-yoed between the second and third tiers, before getting promoted back to the Premier League in 2022, where they then broke a record for signing the most players in one transfer window (22). Notable for being the only club to have won the European Cup more often than their own national league (this was in the days when only the League Champions qualified for it; second time around, Forest qualified by virtue of having won it), and also for being the only European Cup winners to have been relegated to their country's third tier.
Fierce rivals with fellow-East Midlanders Derby County.
!!Notts County
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/notts_county_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1862\\
'''Nickname:''' The Magpies[[note]]although unlike Newcastle United, it's sometimes shortened to "The Pies".[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Black and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Alexander & Christoffer Reedtz\\
'''Current Manager:''' Stuart Maynard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Meadow Lane[[note]]Capacity: 19,841[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 14th in League Two\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1893–94\\
'''Other Domestic Titles:''' 1896–97, 1913–14, & 1922–23 Second Division champions; 1930–31 & 1949–50 Third Division South champions; 1970–71, 1997–98, & 2009–10 Fourth Division/League Two champions\\
'''European Titles:''' 1994–95 Anglo-Italian Cup
----
The oldest professional club in the world, [[OlderThanRadio formed in 1862]], they were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. Despite repeatedly being relegated to the bottom League division (now League Two), the club had never been non-league until 2019. Notts County have accumulated a large amount of trivia over their 150-year existence:
* Famous [[UsefulNotes/EuroFooty Italian club Juventus]] were gifted a set of old Notts County shirts when their old (pink!) shirts faded; Juve have played in black-and-white stripes ever since.
* The stadium at which Notts County play their home games, Meadow Lane, is the shortest distance in the English League from another stadium, the other being the City Ground, home of [[TheRival Nottingham Forest]] [[note]] for the shortest distance between stadia in the UK as a whole, see under Dundee and Dundee United in the Scotland section [[/note]].
* County fans like to sing about being "the only football team in Nottingham", since (despite the name) the City Ground actually lies outside the city's boundaries, in the neighbouring borough of Rushcliffe on the other side of the River Trent.
* Notts County have changed divisions within the English League more times than any other league club, most recently getting relegated back to League Two during the 2014-15 season.
* Most recently the club shocked the football world by hiring former England Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson as Director of Football as well as signing England defender Sol Campbell, having seemingly been [[ItSeemedLikeaGoodIdeaattheTime taken over by a group of wealthy investors from the Middle East]]; [[BasedOnAGreatBigLie however, this turned out to be a fraud on a large scale and the club was sold to current owner Ray Trew for a nominal fee in late 2009. Police fraud investigations continue into these affairs.]] However, [[BigDamnHeroes Trew]] has thankfully since been able to bring spiralling debt under control, avoid administration, attain promotion and relative stability, as well as some notable cup runs.
* Alas, in 2017 Trew sold the club to Alan Hardy, under whose eventful stewardship they were relegated from League Two in 2019, becoming a non-league side for the first time since they were founded over 150 years ago.
* While competing in the National League (the fifth tier of English football), they had an incredible 2022/23 season, getting a record 107 points... [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter only to not get automatically promoted, as Wrexham had gotten ''111'' points]]. They still [[EarnYourHappyEnding got their happy ending]] by winning the promotion playoffs to snag the second promotion spot to League Two.
* Major rivals are Forest (of course) and, as a result of the two Nottingham clubs not having been in the same division for many years, Mansfield Town (which is also in the county of Nottinghamshire). However, during to the 2022/23 season, a rivalry developed between Notts County and Wrexham; the backlash against the hype surrounding the Welsh club following the success of ''Series/WelcomeToWrexham'' seemed to naturally coalesce around Wrexham's main promotion rivals. When a County supporters' group was asked to provide a profile of the club by the documentary's makers, they responded: "No. Shove your shite documentary up your arse", which everyone involved deemed to be ActuallyPrettyFunny. So too was the (entirely unfounded) tabloid rumour that Music/TaylorSwift was interested in buying Notts County as a result of the success of the Wrexham documentary.
!!Oxford United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oxford_united_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We all live in a yellow submarine...]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1893\\
'''Nickname:''' The U's, Yellows\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts and blue shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Erick Thohir & Anindya Bakrie\\
'''Current Manager:''' Des Buckingham\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kassam Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 12,500[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1984–85 Second Division champions; 1967–68 & 1983–84 Third Division champions; 2015–16 League Two champions; 1952–53, 1960–61, & 1961–62 Southern League champions; 1985–86 League Cup; 1952–53 & 1953–54 Southern League Cups
----
Elected to the Football League in 1962 as replacements for Accrington Stanley, they began a steady rise through the divisions that saw them spend two seasons in the top flight during the 1980s. It was followed by a steady fall through the divisions that saw them relegated from the Football League in 2006 to be replaced by ... Accrington Stanley. They regained their league status in 2010 and currently play in the third tier.
During their relatively short stay in the First Division, they won the League Cup in 1986. Their chairman during this period was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell Robert Maxwell]]. Yes, [[Film/TomorrowNeverDies THAT Robert Maxwell]]. This made them the first winner of a major English trophy to be relegated to non-league.
Since they're the only league team in Oxfordshire, their main rivalries are with teams from counties that border it, notably Reading (Berkshire) and Swindon Town (Wiltshire).
!!Portsmouth
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portsmouth_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Play up, Pompey!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1898\\
'''Nickname:''' Pompey\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts, red socks\\
'''Current Owner:''' Michael Eisner\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Mousinho\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Naylor\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Fratton Park [[note]]Capacity 21,063[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st in League One (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1948–49, 1949–50\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1938–39, 2007–08\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 2002–03 Second Division champions; 1923–24, 1961–62, 1982–83, & 2023–24 Third Division/League One Champions; 2016–17 League Two champions; 1901–02 & 1919–20 Southern League First Division champions; 1900–01, 1901–02, & 1902–03 Western League First Division champions; 1949 FA Charity Shield; 2018–19 EFL Trophy; 1902–03, 1912–13, 1951–52, & 1986–87 Hampshire Senior Cups
----
Had a strong spell either side of World War II, winning the FA Cup in 1939 and the League in 1949 and 1950. They faded away until the mid-2000s, when they reached the Premier League, quickly establishing themselves before winning the FA Cup in 2008, qualifying for Europe for the first time. Severe financial problems set in the following year, however, with Portsmouth's ownership becoming chaotic and often-changing (at one point being bought by [[TheGhost Ali Al-Faraj]], a mysterious man who ''may not even exist'') and the clubultimately ended up sliding down the divisions until they reached League Two in 2013-14, spending four seasons there before rebounding. Currently owned by controversial former {{Creator/Disney}} CEO Michael Eisner. Strong rivalry with Southampton.
!!Preston North End
[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/preston_north_end_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1880\\
'''Nickname:''' The Lillywhites, The Invincibles\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Wordon Limited\\
'''Current Captain:''' Ryan Lowe\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Deepdale [[note]]Capacity 23,404[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 10th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1888–89, 1889–90\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1888–89, 1937–38\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1903–04, 1912–13, & 1950–51 Second Division champions; 1970–71 & 1999–2000 Third Division/League One champions; 1995–96 Fourth Division champions; 1940–41 Football League War Cup; 1886–87, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1899–1900, 1938–39, & 1996–97 Lancashire Senior Cups
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League and the first Champions... and, since they won the FA Cup in the same season (1888-89), the first club to do the "Double". Their last major success was winning the FA Cup in 1938, and they haven't graced the top division since 1961. Deepdale, their ground, used to be the home of the National Football Museum (which moved to Manchester in 2012).
Their most famous ex-player is Sir Tom Finney, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest-ever footballers; in 2004, a statue of him called "The Splash" was unveiled outside Deepdale [[note]] it was inspired by a famous photo that showed him beating two Chelsea defenders on a waterlogged Stamford Bridge pitch in 1956[[/note]]. Bill Shankly, a team-mate of Finney's at Preston before he went on to manage Liverpool, once said of him that he "would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age - even if he had been wearing an overcoat".
Strong rivalry with Blackpool (called "The Donkey Lashers" by PNE fans).
!!Queens Park Rangers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/queens_park_rangers_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We are the Rangers Boys!\\
Stand up and make some noise!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rangers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Hoops.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white hooped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Tony Fernandes, Ruben Gnanalingam and Lakshmi Mittal\\
'''Current Manager:''' Marti Cifuentes\\
'''Current Captain:''' Geoff Cameron\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Loftus Road Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 18,489[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 18th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1975–76\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1982–83 & 2010–11 Second Division/Championships; 1947–48 & 1966–67 Third Division champions; 1907–08 & 1911–12 Southern League Champions; 1905–06 Western League Champions; 1966–67 League Cup
----
West London club, currently playing in the Championship at Loftus Road - which since 2019 has been named the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium in honour of a charity which aims to combat knife crime and youth violence; Kiyan Prince was a promising youth team prospect at QPR who was fatally stabbed in 2006, aged 15. League Cup winners in 1967. Rivals with the three other West London clubs - Brentford, Chelsea and Fulham (of which, QPR fans regard Chelsea as their "main" rivals). Have tended to go back and forth between the top two divisions, last gracing the Premier League in 2014-15.
!!Reading
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reading_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:In Dublin's fair city,\\
Where girls are so pretty,\\
I first set my eyes on Sweet Molly Malone!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1871\\
'''Nickname:''' The Royals\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white hooped shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ruben Selles\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Moore\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Madejski Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 24,161[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2005–06 & 2011–12 Championships; 1925–26 (South), 1985–86, & 1993–94 Third Division champions; 1978–79 Fourth Division champions; 1987–88 Full Members' Cup; 1941 London War Cup; 1938 Third Division South Cup; 1995–96 & 2021–22 EFL Trophies;
----
Established in 1871 which makes it one of the oldest football clubs in England [[note]] but not ''the'' oldest -- for that, see Notts County above [[/note]] but it didn't join the Football League until 1921 when the Third Division South was created. Made their first appearance in the top flight in 2006-07, where they defied predictions of relegation ... for one season, going back down to the Championship in 2008. Subsequently promoted back to the Premier League in 2012, this time lasting in the top flight for just the one season.
!!Rotherham United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rotherham_united_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1871\\
'''Nickname:''' The Millers\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Tony Stewart\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steve Evans\\
'''Current Stadium:''' New York Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 12,021[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 24th in Championship (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1950–51 & 1980–81 Third Division champions; 1988–89 Fourth Division champions; 1995–96 & 2021–22 EFL Trophies; 1945–46 Football League Third Division North Cup
----
South Yorkshire club which plays its home games at the New York Stadium ([[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer yes, really]] -- the land on which the stadium stands was previously occupied by the Guest & Chrimes Foundry which used to make the fire hydrants for New York City). Formed as the result of a merger between two Rotherham clubs in 1925. Beaten finalists in the first-ever League Cup final (in 1961; they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Aston Villa [[note]] originally, even the League Cup final was played over two legs, home and away; the final switched to a single match at Wembley in 1967 [[/note]]). They've spent much of their existence going between the Third and Fourth Divisions (Leagues One and Two in modern parlance), although in recent years they've been moving between the Championship and League One.
!!Salford City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salford_city_fc_crestsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1940\\
'''Nickname:''' The Ammies\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Project 92 Limited\\
'''Current Head Coach:''' Karl Robinson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Moor Lane [[note]]Capacity: 5,106[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2017–18 National League North champions; 2014–15 Northern Premier League Division One North champions; 2019–20 EFL Trophy; 1977–78 & 1978–79 Manchester Premier Cups
----
Lower-league Manchester club, noted for being taken over by several former Manchester United players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes) in 2014; as a result, the club featured prominently in the [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] documentary ''Class of 92: Out of Their League''. Won promotion to the Football League for the first time in 2019.
!!Sheffield United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheffield_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh Sheffield United,\\
Come thrill me again!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blades\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Abdullah bin Musa'ed\\
'''Current Manager:''' Chris Wilder\\
'''Current Captain:''' John Egan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bramall Lane [[note]]Capacity: 32,702[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 18th, 19th, or 20th (relegated)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1897–98\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1898–99, 1901–02, 1914–15, 1924–25\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1952–53 Second Division champions; 2016–17 League One champions; 1981–82 Fourth Division champions; 1945–46 Football League North champions
----
This Yorkshire team have played in all four divisions and are one of just four clubs to have actually finished top of all four of them (their one League Championship came back in 1898). Gained promotion back to the Premier League in 2019 after a twelve-year absence, getting relegated in 2022, before returning straight back for the 2023/24 season. Fierce rivals with Sheffield Wednesday with whom they contest the Steel City Derby. As of the end of 2018-19 - the last time the two sides were in the same division - United have won 46 of these encounters, to Wednesday's 42 (with 43 draws).
Famous fans include Creator/MichaelPalin and Creator/SeanBean. The latter, who was briefly a director of the club in the 2000s, actually got to play a Sheffield United player in the 1996 movie ''When Saturday Comes''; not only did his character ''not'' die, it was the only one of his films in which he did not have to cover up the "100% Blade" tattoo on his left shoulder.
!!Sheffield Wednesday
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheffield_wednesday_badgesvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Sheffield Wednesday are simply the best,\\
Home or away you have to say\\
we are better than the rest!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1867\\
'''Nickname:''' The Owls\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Dejphon Chansiri\\
'''Current Manager:''' Danny Röhl\\
'''Current Captain:''' Barry Bannan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Hillsborough [[note]]Yes, ''that'' Hillsborough. Capacity: 39,732[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 4; 1902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, 1929–30\\
'''FA Cups:''' 3; 1895–96, 1906–07, 1934–35\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1899–1900, 1925–26, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59 Second Division champions; 2011–12 League One champions; 1889–90 Football Alliance champions; 1990–91 Football League Cup; 1935 FA Charity Shield
----
Formed as an off-shoot of a local cricket club which played its games mid-week, hence the name. Home games at Hillsborough in the Owlerton district of Sheffield (hence the nickname). Honours include four League titles (although the last of those was in 1930), three FA Cups (the last one in 1935) and one League Cup (1991, the last time a club from outside the top flight won a major trophy). Haven't been in the Premier League since 2000, and the club's very existence came under threat in 2010 due to its perilous financial position (a fate narrowly averted by most clubs outside the Premier League in the early years of the 21st century). Began the 2020-21 season with -12 points (later reduced to -6 on appeal) after they were found guilty of breaching Football League spending rules. Fierce locals rivals with Sheffield United.
!!Southampton
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc_southamptonsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh when the Saints go marching in...[[note]]many clubs use this as a chant, but unlike most, Southampton don't have to change the lyrics.[[/note]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Saints\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Sport Republic, backed by Dragan Solak\\
'''Current Manager:''' Russell Martin\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jack Stephens\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Mary's Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,505[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 4th in Championship\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1975–76\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1921–22 (South) & 1959–60 Second Division champions; 1896–97, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, & 1903–04 Southern League champions; 2009–10 Football League Trophy
----
Most recently promoted back to the Premier League in 2012, having previously been relegated in 2005 after spending 27 years in the top division. Fierce rivals with Portsmouth, with whom they contest the South Coast Derby. Their best known ex-player of recent times is Matthew le Tissier, famous for spending his entire professional career with the club; many fans believe that he would have gained more England caps than the eight he did had he played for a more glamorous club. Famous fans include musician Craig David and TV presenter Chris Packham.
Along with Ipswich and Bournemouth, have the unwanted record of having suffered the worst defeat in Premier League history (''9-0''), with the further ignominy of having suffered it ''twice'' in successive seasons, at home to Leicester in 2019 and away at Manchester United in 2021.
!!Stoke City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stoke_city_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We'll be with you, be with you, be with you\\
By your side we'll always stay,\\
We'll be with you, be with you, be with you\\
Every step along the way!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1863\\
'''Nickname:''' The Potters\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Coates Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steven Schumacher\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joe Allen\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Britannia Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 27,740[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in Championship\\
'''Trophies:''' 1932–33 & 1962–63 Second Division champions; 1926–27 & 1992–93 Third Division North/Second Division champions; 1890–91 Football Alliance champions; 1910–11 Birmingham & District League champions; 1909–10 & 1914–15 Southern League Division Two champions; 1971–72 League Cup; 1991–92 & 1999–2000 Football League Trophy; 1973 Watney Cup
----
Founded as Stoke (the "City" bit being added in 1926 after Stoke was granted city status), they were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League (although they failed to get re-elected after finishing bottom in the first two seasons). They're also well-known for being the main club of the first-ever Ballon d'Or winner [[note]](European Footballer of the Year)[[/note]], Sir Stanley Matthews who had two spells at the club (1932-47 and 1961-65; he retired just after turning 50, although he later felt he could have probably played for another two years). Their only major honour is the League Cup that they won in 1972. Fierce rivals with Port Vale, with whom they contest the Potteries Derby.
Today, Stoke are known as the Premier League's mid-table 'unfashionable' physical side. This is partly due to media {{Flanderization}}, as for several seasons the club's defining characteristic was the long throw-ins of Rory Delap. He has since retired, and they've partly shaken off the reputation for violent, old fashioned long ball football. Partly. It is still a RunningGag among English football fans to ask if a flair player like Lionel Messi "could do it on a wet Tuesday evening in Stoke". Stoke reached the FA Cup final in 2011, losing 1-0 to Manchester City.
In 2015, they baffled the footballing world by somehow acquiring former Barcelona winger and Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay, and former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan star Xherdan Shaqiri, the then-23-year-old star of the Swiss national team, adding them to a team that already included highly rated former Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić. Shaqiri is particularly notable not just because he was perennially linked to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, but because he's 5'6" and nicknamed 'the Magic Dwarf'. A more incongruous player for a team of Stoke's reputation could not be imagined.
Stoke did well, establishing themselves as an entertaining mid-table threat to the rest of the league on their day, until losing many of the players who got them there in the 2017 close season (Krkić foremost among them). Defensive problems led to a string of heavy defeats and subsequently the sacking of manager Mark Hughes. The new manager Paul Lambert improved the defence, but the attack faltered, leading to their relegation. Shaqiri left for Liverpool in 2018.
!!Sunderland
[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/logo_sunderlandsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:225:Haway the lads!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Black Cats\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Kyril Louis-Dreyfus[[note]]The current youngest owner of a football team in the English Football League. Also a distant cousin of Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mike Dodds (interim)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Max Power\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stadium of Light[[note]]Capacity: 48,707[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 16th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 6; 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1935–36\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1936–37, 1972–73\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1975–76, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2004–05, & 2006–07 Second Division/Championships; 1987–88 Third Division champions; 1984–85 & 2013–14 Football League Cups; 1936 FA Charity Shield; 2020–21 EFL Trophy; 1903 Sheriff of London Charity Shield; 1892, 1893, & 1895 Football World Championships
----
Known for being a "yo-yo team", meaning they tend to keep getting promoted and relegated, being too good for one division and not quite good enough for the next. Their proudest moment was winning the FA Cup as underdogs against the then-powerhouse Leeds United in 1973, although they have won the League six times (all pre-war). Fierce rivals with nearby Newcastle. Narrowly stayed in the top flight in 2015-16, while their rivals went down, but their luck would run out, as Sam Allardyce left for his ill-fated England job, David Moyes assembled a team made up mostly of players he worked with at Everton and Manchester United that were past their best or unable to fulfil their potential, and they were relegated easily, with a month to spare. It got worse - in the Championship, they didn't win a home game until just before Christmas and suffered a second consecutive relegation. In League One, they made the play-offs but lost out to Charlton Athletic. Strong rivals of Newcastle United.
Sunderland's first two seasons in League One are chronicled in the Netflix documentary series ''Sunderland 'Til I Die''.
!!Watford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/watfordsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Hoist up the Watford flag,\\
Hear how the Hornet's sing,]]
->'''Eestablished:''' 1881\\
'''Nickname:''' The Hornets\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, black shorts (although they've sometimes gone in for red shorts instead [[note]] if you ''really'' want to get Watford fans [[FlameWar arguing among each other]], express an opinion either way [[/note]])\\
'''Current Owner:''' Gino Pozzo\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tom Cleverley (interim)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Cleverley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Vicarage Road[[note]]Capacity: 21,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 15th in Championship\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1981–82, 2014–15, 2020–21 Second Division/Championships; 1968–69 & 1997–98 Third Division champions; 1977–78 Fourth Division champions; 1914–15 Southern Football League champions
----
Hertfordshire club [[note]] ''not'' London, although some people do get this mixed up as Watford is located within the M25 [[/note]] which has had its fair share of ups and downs but has never won anything more significant than two third-tier championships. The most famous thing about Watford is that Music/EltonJohn supported the club as a child and invested heavily in them from the mid-1970s onwards, becoming chairman and appointing a promising young manager called Graham Taylor, who managed the club from 1977 to 1987. As a result, Watford rose from the Fourth Division to the top of English football with a [[MundaneSolution simple, yet effective long ball strategy]]. They finished second in the League in 1983 and reached the FA Cup final for the first time a year later (they lost to Everton). Off the pitch, Elton and GT worked hard to engage with the local community and promote Watford as a family-friendly club ... several years before anyone else thought of encouraging families to go to football matches. While Taylor's unsuccessful spell managing the England national team from 1990-93 made him generally unpopular with most English football fans, he remains a revered figure at Watford to this day, and Elton himself has stated that he came to regard Taylor as a brother he never had, who told him in no uncertain terms to get his act together (in terms of his alcoholism and drug-taking) in a way that most football club managers would not have ever dared speak to their chairmen. Taylor managed the club again from 1996-2000, taking them from what is now League One into the Premier League, later served as chairman, and was the club's Honorary Life President until his death in 2017.
Recently, they've been moving between the Premiership and the Championship after being bought by the Pozzo family, who successfully bussed in foreign players from the two other clubs they own - Italy's Udinese and Spain's Granada, turning Watford into a winning team. The flip-side of this has been an [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity extremely high turnover of managers]] in recent years. Since the Pozzos took over in 2012, there have been ''nineteen'' of them, although prior to 2021 the main man was striker Troy Deeney, who after a three-month enforced absence in 2012 (due to his being sent to prison for affray) proved to be nothing short of inspirational on the pitch, cementing himself in the hearts of all Watford fans several months after his release with [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6TnKvlQ2h7s a wonder goal against Leicester City]]. Watford won promotion to the Premier League in 2015 (after an eight-year absence from the top flight) and made it to a second FA Cup final in 2019 -- only to be comprehensively blown away by Manchester City (6-0). The Hornets were relegated back to the Championship the following year but won promotion back to the Premier League in 2021, before being relegated yet again in 2022.
Watford [[ArchEnemy have a distinctly unfriendly rivalry]] with Luton Town, on the grounds that [[SillyReasonForWar they're the closest half-decent club for miles]]. Although the rivalry dates back to the 1880s (when both clubs were founded [[note]] Watford was actually the result of a merger between two local clubs in 1898, but traces its origins back to the foundation of the oldest of those two in 1881 [[/note]]), the animosity intensified in the 1960s and reached a peak in the 1980s, when they were both in the old First Division, with derbies regularly producing crowd trouble. From the late 1990s onwards, though, [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse the clubs didn't play each other for several years]] due to being in different divisions (with Watford trying to get into the Premier League while Luton were wallowing in the lower divisions and even the Conference for a few years); in the 2020-21 season, they found themselves in the same division ''for the first time in fourteen years''. Watford won the Vicarage Road fixture 1-0, with Luton returning the favour with the same scoreline at Kenilworth Road. Two seasons later, following another unsuccessful spell in the Premier League, Watford again found themselves in the same division as Luton, and once again the bragging rights were shared with one home win apiece.
The best-known Watford fan who isn't Elton John or a close relative of Elton John [[note]] he has taken his husband and their kids to matches [[/note]] is probably Chris Stark, DJ and co-presenter of ''Podcast/ThatPeterCrouchPodcast''. Other famous people from Watford, like [[Music/SpiceGirls Geri Halliwell]] and boxer Anthony Joshua, have tended to be somewhat lukewarm in expressing their support [[note]] Halliwell posed for a photo-shoot in a Watford shirt with her bandmates in 1996 and subsequently met with some of the players but has since been referred to as a Chelsea fan, while Joshua has at times declared that he does not support ''any'' football team, although at other times he has also claimed that he supports Watford [[/note]].
!!West Auckland Town
[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_auckland_fc_logo.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1893\\
'''Nickname:''' West\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow and black kit\\
'''Current Manager:''' Gary Forrest\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Wanted Metal stadium [[note]]Capacity: 2,000[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 11th in Northern League Division One (qualified for playoff)\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1959–60 Northern League champions; 1959–60, 1962–63, & 2018–2019 Northern League Cups\\
'''International Trophies:''' 1909 & 1911 Sir Thomas Lipton Trophies
----
Non-league County Durham side. Founded in 1893 as West Auckland, they were famously invited to take part in the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy -- one of the first-ever international football competitions [[note]] it was predated by the Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva which took place in Italy the previous year [[/note]] in Italy in 1909.[[note]] Lipton, a tea merchant (as in, the Lipton tea brand) and philanthropist, proposed an international tournament and invited sides from Italy, Germany, Switzerland and England to take part; the FA refused to have anything to do with it, but Lipton was determined that England should be represented at his tournament and so invited West Auckland, an amateur side mostly consisting of coal miners, to take part; local legend has it that Lipton actually wanted Arsenal (then known as Woolwich Arsenal) to go, but gave his secretary instructions to "contact W.A.", which were misinterpreted [[/note]] They beat Swiss side Winterthur 2-0 in the 1909 final. The tournament was meant to be a one-off but it ended up being repeated two years later -- so West Auckland went back to Italy to defend their title and did so, beating Juventus (yes, ''that'' Juventus) 6-1 in the final. A year later, the club folded due to financial difficulties (caused in part by the club having to pay for their own travel costs to go to Italy not once, but twice) although it was reconstituted as West Auckland Town in 1914. The trophy was pawned to a local hotelier but returned to the club in 1960, only to be stolen in 1994; it has never been recovered, but an exact replica can be found in a secure cabinet in the West Auckland Working Men's Club.
The story of their triumph was made into a TVMovie in 1982; entitled ''The World Cup: A Captain's Tale'', it starred Creator/DennisWaterman as Bob Jones, the West Auckland captain who scored one of the goals in the 1909 final.
!!West Bromwich Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_bromwich_albionsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Boing boing, Baggies!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Baggies\\
'''Kit:''' Navy and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Guochuan Lai\\
'''Current Manager:''' Carlos Corberan\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Brunt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Hawthorns[[note]]Capacity: 26,850[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 5th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1919–20\\
'''FA Cups:''' 5; 1887–88, 1891–92, 1930–31, 1953–54, 1967–68\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1901–02, 1910–11, & 2007–08 Second Division/Championships; 1965–66 Football League Cup; 1920 & 1954 FA Charity Shields; 1977 Tennent Caledonian Cup
----
Currently a mid-table Premiership side. They were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League but have only been Champions once, in 1920. They won their last major trophy (the FA Cup, for the fifth time) in 1968 and then spent 1986 to 2002 out of the top flight. Like Sunderland, they have a reputation as somewhat of a "yo-yo team" - in the nine seasons from 2001-02 to 2008-09, seven resulted in either promotion or relegation, the other two being a defeat in the play-off final and a survival so improbable it was dubbed "The Great Escape".
Statistically, West Brom has the most intelligent fans... [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1984648.stm no, seriously]]. Among said fans are Frank Skinner (of ''Series/FantasyFootballLeague'' fame), Music/EricClapton and [[Music/OneDirection Liam Payne]].[[note]]Who ironically hails from Wolverhampton, home of West Brom's arch rivals Wolves.[[/note]]
!!West Ham United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_ham_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I'm forever blowing bubbles!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1895\\
'''Nickname:''' The Irons[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Hammers.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Claret shirts with sky-blue sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' David Sullivan (Majority Shareholder), Daniel Křetínský, the estate of David Gold and Albert Smith\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Moyes\\
'''Current Captain:''' Kurt Zouma\\
'''Current Stadium:''' London Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 60,000[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 14th in Premier League\\
'''FA Cups:''' 3; 1963–64, 1974–75, 1979–80\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1957–58 & 1980–81 Second Division champions; 1964 FA Charity Shield; 1940 Football League War Cup\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1964–65 European Cup Winners Cup; 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference Leage: 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup\\
'''International Trophies:''' 1963 International League Champions
----
An East London club, based at the London Stadium (formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, it having been built to be the main stadium for the London 2012 UsefulNotes/{{Olympic|Games}}s) in Stratford. Mostly hang around the middle of the Premiership table, but occasionally slip down a division (they last played in the Championship in 2011-12). FA Cup winners three times, European Cup Winners Cup winners in 1965, and Europa Conference League winners in 2023. Known as "The Academy of Football" as it's been the starting place for a number of famous footballers, including Geoff Hurst (who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final) Bobby Moore (who captained the 1966 side), Trevor Brooking and Rio Ferdinand.
The Hammers have one of the most die-hard fanbases in the UK; games at their old Upton Park ground were considered some of the most highly charged and atmospheric in the League. They also have one of the most well-known club anthems, a lustily sung version of the old ditty "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", the 'fortune's always hiding' line being something of a club motif, for the fans are proud of their underdog status.
Recently got new owners, one of whom made his money in porn. This is considered better than being owned by a bunch of creditors.
Their hooligan "firm" the Inter City Firm (ICF) was especially notorious - and features heavily in the movie ''Green Street'' (''Green Street Hooligans'' in the USA) and consequently claim Elijah Wood as a celebrity fan. Another famous fan of the team is Music/IronMaiden bassist Steve Harris, who has a bass with a sticker of the team's crest on it (which he commonly plays live with).
''Literature/HarryPotter'' character Dean Thomas is another fan of the team. This was done in tribute to a RealLife friend of Creator/JKRowling - it is in her honour that West Ham is the only football team identified by name in the ''Harry Potter'' series. Going back a few decades, [[Series/TillDeathUsDoPart Alf Garnett]] was quite vocal in his support of West Ham (but his actor Warren Mitchell supported Tottenham Hotspur).
!!Wigan Athletic
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wigan_athleticsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We come from Wigan and we live in mud huts!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1932\\
'''Nickname:''' The Latics\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Talal Al Hammad\\
'''Current Manager:''' Shaun Maloney\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tendayi Darikwa\\
'''Current Stadium:''' DW Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 25,138[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 12th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 2012–13\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 2002–03, 2015–16, 2017–18, & 2021–22 League One champions; 1996–97 Fourth Division champions; 1970–71 & 1974–75 Northern Premier League champions; 1984–85 & 1998–99 Football League Trophies; 1972–73, 1973–74, & 1975–76 Premier League Shields
----
Home games at the DW Stadium which they share with the Wigan Warriors UsefulNotes/RugbyLeague team (which has always been ''much'' more successful than the football team). Founded in 1932 and was non-league until they got elected to the Football League in 1978. Won promotion to the Premier League in 2005, after which they reached the League Cup final in 2006 (which they lost to Man United, 4-0) and then won the FA Cup in 2013 (by way of beating Man City, 1-0) ... [[BittersweetEnding but, alas]], they were relegated in the same season. Relegated from the Championship in 2015, they won League One the following year -- only to get relegated again, following which they won League One again. By 2020 they were in administration, which led to (another) relegation thanks to the subsequent points deduction. After narrowly avoiding relegation to League Two in 2020–21 under new ownership, Wigan topped League One ''again'' in 2021–22 to get promoted back to the Championship, only to get relegated straight back down the following year.
!!Wimbledon
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wimbledon_fc.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Relocated:''' 2004\\
'''Nickname:''' The Dons; The Crazy Gang\\
'''Kit:''' All-navy\\
'''Stadium:''' Plow Lane [[note]]Capacity: 15,876[[/note]]\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1987-88\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1982–83 Football League Fourth Division champions; 1974–75, 1975–76, & 1976–77 Southern Football League champions; 1930–31, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1962–63, & 1963–64 Isthmian League champions
----
A South London team, playing in all-navy, which came to prominence in the 1980s with a rapid rise up the divisions combined with the newsworthy antics of their players, who included Creator/VinnieJones. Won the FA Cup in 1988 against the all-conquering Liverpool, but had to abandon its Plough Lane ground in 1991 due to new safety rules. After sharing a ground with neighbours Crystal Palace for a time, the owners began to consider moving the team out of London. Eventually they settled on the new town of Milton Keynes, 50 miles north of London. While understandably incredibly unpopular with Wimbledon fans, this move was also criticised by fans of many other clubs who were disturbed at the prospect of American-style "franchises" that moved cities to go where the money was. The move was eventually allowed, on the understanding that the team would be renamed and would not officially retain the history and honours of Wimbledon FC (Wimbledon FC's trophies and memorabilia were handed to the London Borough of Merton, the local authority that administers Wimbledon and district). This leads us to...
!!!Milton Keynes Dons
[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk_dons.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 2004\\
'''Nickname:''' The Dons\\
'''Current Owner:''' Pete Winkelman\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mike Williamson\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tendayi Darikwa\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stadium MK [[note]]Capacity: 30,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 4th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2007–08 League Two champions; 2007–08 Football League Trophy; 2006–07 Berks & Bucks Senior Cup; 2004 Portimão Cup
----
The team created by the move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes. The name "Dons" is a reference to Wimbledon's old nickname, but most other fans call them "Franchise FC" due to the manner of their creation. In an attempt to appease hostile sentiment among other fans, they do not claim the history of Wimbledon FC but bill themselves as a new club formed in 2004. Taking over Wimbledon's old position in the third tier of the league, they were swiftly relegated to the fourth, but bounced back to the second tier in 2015-16, picking up a minor trophy along the way. However, their stay in the second tier only lasted that season. It got worse for them in 2017–18, as they dropped back to League Two. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing among football fans throughout England (with the exception of Milton Keynes itself), as it meant that for the first time they were in a lower league than...
!!!AFC[[labelnote:*]]'''A''' '''F'''ans' '''C'''lub[[/labelnote]] Wimbledon
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/afc_wimbledon_2020_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:From Batsford to Dave Basset,\\
At Plough Lane we belong,\\
We're the loyal supporters,\\
And we come from Wimbledon!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 2002\\
'''Current Owners:''' Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society\\
'''Current Manager:''' Johnnie Jackson\\
'''Current Captain:''' Will Nightingale\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Plough Lane [[note]]Capacity: 9,300[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 10th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2008–09 Conference South Champions; 2004–05 Isthmian League Division One champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup; 2009–10 Isle of Man Tournament; 2007–08 & 2011–12 champions; 2013–14 London Senior Cup; 2004–05 Surrey Senior Cup
----
Feeling alienated by all of the above, a group of Wimbledon fans [[StartMyOwn founded their own team]], starting in the amateur London leagues. The club was rapidly promoted through the regional leagues and gained entry to the Football League in 2011, only nine years after the club was founded. Although the club does not ''officially'' claim to be a continuation of the old Wimbledon FC, it is regarded by its own fans and most neutrals as its SpiritualSuccessor - Vinnie Jones even gave the club his 1988 FA Cup winner's medal.
Crowd turnout at their home games tends to be significantly higher than both home crowd turnout for other clubs in their division ''and'' MK Dons' average turnout. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in any league, at 78 games! After five seasons in League Two, they won the 2016 promotion playoff, placing them in the same division as MK Dons for the first time. And then during the 2017–18 season, they got approval for a new stadium a stone's throw from Wimbledon FC's old ground, and ended the season in mid-table while seeing MK Dons suffer the drop. The 2018–19 season was mostly a disaster for AFCW, as they were in relegation trouble throughout and survived the drop only on goal difference. Meanwhile, back in League Two, MK Dons finished third, sending them back to League One to rejoin AFCW for another season. Both teams struggled to survive the drop in the 2019–20 season, cut short due to COVID-19; they finished in the last two safe spots of 19th (MKD) and 20th (AFCW). The new ground opened in November 2020. AFCW dropped to League Two in 2022, and barely survived relegation in 2023; MKD suffered its own drop to League Two in 2023, placing the two sides in the same league once again.
Creator/JohnGreen of the WebVideo/VlogBrothers plays a virtual version of AFC Wimbledon on the somewhat confusingly names [[https://www.youtube.com/user/hankgames "hankgames" channel on YouTube]], which has evolved into the [=VlogBrothers=] as a whole sponsoring AFC Wimbledon's shorts and a stand on the old Kingsmeadow ground.
!!Wolverhampton Wanderers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wolverhampton_wanderers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Hi ho Wolverhampton!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1877\\
'''Nickname:''' The Wolves\\
'''Kit:''' 'Old Gold' (not yellow, not amber) shirts, back shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Fosun International\\
'''Current Manager:''' Gary O'Neil\\
'''Current Captain:''' Max Kilman\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Molineux[[note]]Capacity: 31,700[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 13th\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1892–93, 1907–08, 1948–49, 1959–60\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1931–32, 1976–77, 2008–09, & 2017–18 Second Division/Championships; 1923–24, 1988–89, & 2013–14 Third Division/League One champions; 1987–88 Fourth Division Champions; 1973–74 & 1979–80 Football League Cups; 1949*, 1954*, 1959, & 1960* FA Charity Shields (*shared); 1987–88 Associate Members' Cup; 1942 Football League War Cup; 1970–71 Texaco Cup\\
'''International Trophies;''' 1967 USA Cup
----
Universally known as "Wolves" in the same way that everyone calls Tottenham Hotspur "Spurs". . Home games at Molineux. Founded in 1877, Wolves were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. They had a successful spell in the 1950s, during which they won the League three times under the management of Stan Cullis and the captaincy of Billy Wright (who captained England a record 90 times, and if you thought David Beckham was the first England football captain to marry a pop star and thus become a celebrity off the pitch, think again -- Billy was married to one of the Beverley Sisters [[note]] a 1950s British pop trio modelled on the Andrews Sisters [[/note]]). At that time, they were one of the first British clubs to install floodlights at their ground, and were dubbed "Champions of the World" due to their success at beating top foreign sides, although these were friendlies as official European competition was not established at the time.
Since then, they've been considered to be the archetypal 'Sleeping Giants' of English football, having some success in the 1970s but dropping as low as the Fourth Division for one season in the mid-1980s. Briefly in the Premier League between 2009 and 2012, they returned there in 2018 and finished seventh in their first season back, earning them a place in the Europa League. Strong rivalry with West Bromwich Albion.
One of their vice presidents is Robert Plant of Music/LedZeppelin.
In 2015, they opened up a new marketing slogan: "Supporting Wolves isn't always easy. But it's never dull. [=#EnjoyTheRide=]"
The governing body of football in England is the Football Association (FA) which dates back to 1863; it's the oldest national football association in the world and as such, doesn't need to use the word "English" in its title. [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily Prince William]] [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething is its President]] and has been since 2006. England also has the oldest [[UsefulNotes/FootyLeagues professional football league]] which was founded in 1888, initially with twelve teams. It's been known by various names over the years due to sponsorship reasons, but since 2016 it's simply been branded as the English Football League (EFL). The [[UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague Premier League]] split from the Football League in 1992 in order to take advantage of a [[MoneyDearBoy lucrative TV deal]] with Creator/{{Sky}}, leading to a confusing re-numbering of the three lower divisions; the Second Division became the First Division, etc. Nowadays, the (old) Second Division is called the Championship, the Third is League One and the Fourth is League Two. The creation of the Premier League has led some commentators to [[YearZero disregard any League-related stats from before 1992]] when referring to the top division, which generally does not go down well with most fans. Between them, the Premier League and the EFL have 92 teams [[note]] (readers from North America should note that there is promotion and relegation between the divisions, and the 'big' teams aren't exempt from this; even Manchester United spent some time in the Second Division in the 1970s)[[/note]]. Promotion and relegation are determined by the end-of-season positions, but since the late 1980s one promotion place from each division is decided according to a playoff between the four clubs that finish just below the automatic promotion spots (this was introduced to make it more interesting for more clubs over the course of the season). The play-offs, consisting of two two-leg semi-finals and a final at Wembley, take place at the end of the season. It is therefore possible for a team finishing sixth in the Championship or League One (or seventh in League Two) to be promoted rather than the clubs finishing immediately above them in the standings.
Below League Two is that entity known as "non-league" which encompasses everything from professional clubs that used to be in the League (and would like to be so again) through the semi-professional sides in regional feeder leagues right down to amateur Sunday morning sides. The highest non-league division is called the National League (confusing, right?) which used to be called the Football Conference and may still be referred to as such. Since 1987, whoever finishes bottom of what's now League Two gets relegated to this [[note]] prior to that, the team at the bottom of the Football League had to apply for the possible lifeline that was re-election to the League [[/note]]; since 2003, it's been the bottom two. In return, the top two non-league clubs get promoted to the League.
In addition to the league structure, there are two major knock-out tournaments which offer clubs an additional chance for some silverware - the [[UsefulNotes/TheFACup FA Cup]] (the oldest national football competition in the world, dating back to 1871) and the EFL Cup (founded in the 1960 and historically the League Cup; it's had many names over the years due to [[ProductPlacementName sponsorship]] - Coca-Cola Cup, Carling Cup, etc; nowadays, it's the Carabao Cup). Both of these tournaments have their finals at Wembley. The FA Cup is by far the more prestigious of the two and is open to non-league clubs which, due to the random nature of the draw, can and sometimes do get the chance to play against the big teams (although actual acts of [[DavidVersusGoliath giant-killing]] are relatively rare, there's usually at least one solid upset a season). Any club that wins the League (or, since 1992, the Premier League) and the FA Cup in the same season is said to have done the "Double". Manchester United managed a "Treble" in 1999 (Premier League, FA Cup, [[UsefulNotes/UEFAChampionsLeague Champions League]]), a unique feat until it was repeated by Manchester City in 2023, while the only instance of a domestic "Treble" (Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup) was that of Manchester City in 2019.[[note]] At least in ''men's'' football; in the women's game, Arsenal (three times) and Chelsea (once) have both achieved this.[[/note]] There's also the FA Community Shield (formerly known as the Charity Shield [[note]] the proceeds from this match have always gone to football charities, but it had to be renamed in 2002 after the Charity Commissioners found that the FA had breached the charity laws by failing to specify how much of the ticket money went to charity, and by delaying payments to some charities [[/note]]) which acts as the traditional curtain-raiser for a new season and is contested between the previous season's Premier League Champions and FA Cup winners; opinion varies as to whether it's a glorified friendly or a serious contest. Clubs in League One and League Two contest the EFL Trophy (which, like the League Cup, has had various names due to sponsors - Auto Windscreens Shield, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, etc - but is currently the Papa Johns Trophy); like winning one of the lower divisions, this tends not to be regarded as a ''major'' trophy.
!The current big clubs
Historically, which clubs get to be defined as "big" clubs has varied as fortunes have tended to fluctuate - although most lists made over the past half-century or so have invariably included the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. In the early 2000s, the talk was of the '''Big Four''' (those three, plus Chelsea), while more recently the talk has been of the '''Big Six''' (those four, plus Manchester City and Spurs). In April 2021, these clubs were given several more derisive nicknames -- "Selfish Six", "Dirty Half-Dozen", etc -- after they signed up to a proposed new European Super League alongside three Italian clubs (AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus) and three Spanish clubs (Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid). The ESL was widely regarded as a [[MoneyDearBoy blatant money grab]], as it would have featured only 20 teams, with the founder clubs guaranteed ''permanent places'' in the competition. It wasn't unanimously popular among big-name clubs; Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain, all rumoured to have places set aside for them, opted out. Widespread outrage and condemnation followed from governing bodies, other clubs, supporters, politicians, pundits, the media and even many players of the clubs involved. Within 48 hours, the ESL had collapsed, with all six of the EPL sides withdrawing. The long-term consequences of this attempted breakaway and the resulting backlash remain to be seen.
Prior to this, in the late 20th century, there was often talk of a '''Big Five''' comprising Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham. These five remain the only clubs to have been in the top flight continuously since at least the 1970s. (In the case of Arsenal, since the ''1910s''.)
!!Arsenal
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arsenal_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:North London forever!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1886\\
'''Nickname:''' The Gunners[[note]]Fans refer to themselves as Gooners. Please note that [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant this is unrelated]] to the NSFW slang term [[https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gooner "gooner"]] which entered the lexicon well after the fans took up the nickname. That being said, this hasn't stopped them from being the first to crack jokes about it.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Stan Kroenke\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mikel Arteta\\
'''Current Captain:''' Martin Ødegaard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Emirates Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 60,260. Emirates Airlines is the current sponsor; the stadium's sponsor-less name is Ashburton Grove.[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 2nd in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 13; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 14; 1929–30, 1935–36, 1949–50, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2019–20\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1986–87 & 1992–93 EFL Cups; 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991,[note 9] 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, & 2023 FA Community Shields; Football League Centenary Trophy[[note]]A one-time tournament in 1988-89 to commemorate the Football League's 100th anniversary[[/note]]\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup; 1993–94 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup
----
Was British-owned until late in 2010 when American billionaire Stan Kroenke (who also owns the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague LA Rams]] and an [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer MLS]] team) launched a takeover of the club, and as of July 2021 is completely owned by Kroenke. Have not won the Premiership since 2004 and since them have come 4th six times, 3rd four, 2nd twice, dropping as far as 8th (twice in a row), and most recently 5th. However, the last time they won it they went unbeaten.
Arsenal has a large and diverse fanbase, including people such as Creator/NickHornby (whose memoir ''Literature/FeverPitch'', a key element in the early-to-mid 1990s football literature boom, was all about his experiences as an Arsenal fan in the 1970s and 1980s), Creator/LewisHamilton, Creator/IdrisElba, the late unlamented UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden, Jeremy Corbyn (the local MP), his replacement as British Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, broadcaster Robert Peston, celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott, several African heads of state, Creator/AnneHathaway, Creator/NicholasGalitzine, and even (so rumour has it) [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethII Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II]].
Historically (if you go back to the origins) the Gunners originate from South of the River at the Royal Arsenal (munitions works) in Woolwich, hence both the name and the gun logo. They were the first London club to turn professional (in 1891) and the first southern team to join the Football League (in 1893). They relocated to North London in 1913. They also hold the record for the longest continued streak in the top division, currently at ''over a hundred years'' and counting [[note]] following a hiatus of professional football during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, Arsenal, who'd finished fifth in the Second Division in the last completed season (1914-15), were voted into the newly-expanded First Division for the 1919-20 season, much to the fury of North London rivals Spurs, who'd finished bottom of the First Division in 1914-15 and now found themselves relegated to the Second [[/note]].
In recent history, Arsenal were once considered a dull defensive side under George Graham in the late 80s and early 90s, to the point where opposing fans would cheer "Boring, Boring Arsenal!". Following Graham's sacking and the hire of then-unknown Frenchman Arsène Wenger, Arsenal completely changed their style into an attacking team full of intricate passing and teamwork, a style nicknamed "Wengerball". For the first ten years of Wenger's tenure, Arsenal were dominant, winning the Premier League title three times (the third being unbeaten), four FA Cups (the first two being won the same year as their first two League titles), and even reached a Champions League final, which they lost to Barcelona. Following this, work was begun on a new stadium, and Arsenal seemed destined to join Europe's elite in terms of team and stadium quality. However, a combination of the stadium's finances, Chelsea's emergence, and sheer bad luck caused Arsenal to slide into perennial 3rd/4th-place finishes. They won three more FA Cups in four years under Wenger in the mid 10s and come oh-so-close to winning another League Title, but would ultimately fall short. In 2017, Arsenal would finish outside the Top 4 for the first time in decades, and Wenger would ultimately step down after the 2017/18 season.
His replacement, Unai Emery, seemed to initially return Arsenal to success, with a 22-match unbeaten run that saw them competing for the title against a dominant Manchester City and a resurgent Liverpool, but then they collapsed again, falling out of the Top 4 and losing in the Europa League final to Chelsea by a score of 4-1. The next season, a string of bad performances would lead to Emery's sacking. Arsenal would then hire former captain Mikel Arteta, who again seemed to get the Gunners moving in the right direction, winning an FA Cup in his first season, but the second season would see a truly woeful campaign for the first half, from which they were ultimately unable to claw back in the 2020/21 campaign. As things stand, Arsenal are in the process of a long rebuild, where long serving favourites like Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were exiled and had their contracts terminated due to poor attitudes, whilst up-and-coming signings such as Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Ødegaard and Thomas Partey joined academy prospects Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe - the signs are promising, having missed out on the Champions League by a mere two points in 2022, but 2022/23 has seen Arsenal return to being a juggernaut of English football, building a sizable lead between themselves and Manchester City in second, and delivering excellent performances even in their single defeat thus far in the season but tossing all opposition by the wayside en route to their current dominance. Ultimately, although they held onto the top spot until April, five defeats in the second half of the season gave Manchester City the opportunity to leapfrog them, with Arsenal finishing the season in second place.
Any questions as to whether this was merely a purple patch seem to have been answered in the negative in 2023/24, where with 9 games to go, Arsenal are in 2nd place, two points behind a Liverpool team powered by their desire to complete one last dance for beloved outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp, and one point ahead of Manchester City, who are doing their usual Terminator impersonation, and competing fiercely with both, convincingly beating Liverpool 3-1 to deal out one of their two league losses so far (the other, a 2-1 defeat courtesy of Tottenham, required an incorrectly disallowed Liverpool goal, two dubious Liverpool red cards, and a very unfortunate Liverpool own goal with the last kick of the game), and preventing City from scoring at home for the first time in 3 years in a determined draw over Easter. They were considered the least-likely of the three teams to end up winning the Prem, and they may not with City holding an extra game to play, but they soldiered on despite a stumble and look set to push City to the final day, as if to declare that they would not be going away any time soon.
As noted above, Arsenal were one of the "ESL Six" that attempted a breakaway from the UEFA Champions League, only to back out with their tails between their legs within 48 hours.
!!Chelsea'''
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chelsea_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Keep the blue flag flying high!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1905\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]Sometimes additionally as the Lions, or formerly the Pensioners[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts and shorts, white socks\\
'''Current Owner:''' Todd Boehly\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mauricio Pochettino\\
'''Current Captain:''' Reece James\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stamford Bridge[[note]]Capacity: 41,798[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 12th in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 6; 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1969–70, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1983–84 & 1988–89 Second Division Championships; 1964–65, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, & 2014–15 EFL Cups; 1955, 2000, 2005, & 2009 FA Community Shields; 1985–86 & 1989–90 Full Members' Cups\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 2011–12 & 2020–21 UEFA Champions League; 2012–13 & 2018–19 UEFA Europa League; 1970–71, 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups; 1998 & 2021 UEFA Super Cups\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
----
A West London club nicknamed "The Blues" or rarely [[TheArtifact "The Pensioners"]] [[note]](the Royal Hospital in Chelsea is a famous retirement home for veteran soldiers, who are known as 'Chelsea Pensioners')[[/note]]. The club was formed in 1904 by businessman Gus Mears after he'd bought Stamford Bridge (then an athletics stadium) with a view to turning it into a football ground; he originally offered the lease to Fulham, but when they turned him down he decided to [[StartMyOwn form his own football club]] to play there [[note]] he actually considered calling the club "London FC" before going with Chelsea [[/note]]. Despite having been owned by moneyed backers for most of the 21st century - Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owned the club from 2003 until being forced to sell in 2022 thanks to UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin's invasion of Ukraine, with the club being bought by US billionaire Todd Boehly[[note]]who also owns the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball LA Dodgers]][[/note]] - Chelsea had a reputation of being somewhat underachieving, though not to the degree of Arsenal. This finally broke for them when they won the Champions League in 2012.
Had some bad luck in Europe in recent years, being knocked out of the UsefulNotes/UEFAChampionsLeague semi-final stage more than once thanks to contentious decisions and match-ups with bogey team Liverpool, who tend to bring their A-Game for European matches. In the 2009 home leg against Barcelona, the referee missed several clear penalties and had to flee the UK after receiving death threats.
The term "Chelsea Smile" is sometimes used as a synonym for GlasgowGrin, from the days of [[FootballHooligans rife hooliganism]] (the main characters in ''Film/TheFootballFactory'' were Chelsea 'fans'), but this use has diminished significantly. Sadly, as one incident in early 2015 showed, some remnants of the hooliganism remain, as demonstrated after a tie against PSG.
They were the first London side to win the UEFA Champions League (2012), beating Barcelona [[BestServedCold in the semi-finals]] and winning a penalty shoot-out against Bayern Munich in their home ground, bucking the "trend" of the English succumbing to the Germans on penalties.
During the Abramovich years, in which he [[ArbitrarilyLargeBankAccount drowned the club with investment]], Chelsea gained a reputation for paying [[RichInDollarsPoorInSense absurdly high sums of money for players who turned out not to be worth that much for them]].
* Take striker Andriy Shevchenko, whom Chelsea purchased for £30 million. His Chelsea career amounted to 77 games and 22 goals. The mathematically astute among you may have already calculated that this comes out to more than a million per goal.
* Similarly, striker Fernando Torres cost Chelsea a whopping £50 million, and did not, for the most part, live up to expectations, with 45 goals in 172 games, though one of these goals was in the 2013 Europa League Final, in which Chelsea defeated Benfica 2-1. [[note]] And Torres and Shevchenko are quite good friends in retirement [[/note]]
** In all fairness, it should be noted that both Shevchenko and Torres were seen as among the best strikers in the world when they were bought - both Shevchenko and Torres regularly scored over 25 goals per season for their previous teams (Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan, Torres for Atletico Madrid and Liverpool). In the years prior to their signings, Shevchenko had won several trophies in Italy and the 2004 Ballon d'Or, while Torres had powered his country to the 2008 European Championship title, scoring the winning goal in the final, before helping them win the 2010 World Cup.
During Abramovich's tenure, the Chelsea manager's job also became notorious for its short tenure, with fifteen managers in his nineteen seasons in charge, with Abramovich gaining a reputation for demanding success and [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity quickly firing managers who can't provide it constantly.]] To put that into perspective, Chelsea have spent more money on compensating their sacked managers than Everton have spent ''since the Premier League began''. Bucking the trend, he was actually remarkably patient with José Mourinho, despite the fact that Chelsea went into a tailspin and the manager seemed to lose the dressing room after verbally abusing and firing the popular [[HospitalHottie (and attractive)]] team doctor, despite the fact that their title defence morphed into only half-joking cracks about them fighting relegation, before firing him in late December and replacing him with safe pair of hands Guus Hiddink.
Antonio Conte was next, and won the league, but then came 5th, an unforgivable sin for a Chelsea manager. Despite an FA Cup final victory against Manchester United, Conte was shown the door and got replaced by Maurizio Sarri, whose hypnotizing brand of attacking football turned many heads in the football world while at Napoli. The 2018/19 season immediately started well for Chelsea, including an effortless thrashing of all their rivals in their Europa League group. Unfortunately, their form rather collapsed after the turn of the year, with ''Bournemouth'' of all teams thrashing them 4-0, their worst Premier League defeat in ''20 years'', before City got their own back for a previous defeat by absolutely destroying them ''6-0'', Chelsea's worst defeat in ''any'' competition since 1991. Cue opposition chants of "Maurizio Sarri, we want you to stay!" Despite winning the Europa League, however, Sarri left Stamford Bridge due to the general sense of unease he was feeling around the club, and went back to Italy to join Juventus, much to Chelsea fans's disappointment and the outrage of his former followers at Napoli.
Chelsea, as noted above, were another of the "ESL Six" ... although by almost all reports, Abramovich and the directors weren't totally on board with this, and only joined because they didn't want to be left behind by their rivals. Notably, they were the first of the founding ESL clubs to jump ship,[[note]]While Chelsea was the last of the ESL Six to ''formally'' withdraw, doing so the day after the other five, it ''was'' the first to announce its intent to leave.[[/note]] doing so minutes after former Chelsea star goalkeeper and current technical director Petr Čech addressed an angry crowd of supporters that were blocking a main road to their ground. Needless to say, when Chelsea pulled out, [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing much rejoicing]] followed.
Abramovich was forced to sell the club in 2022 as a result of Russia's botched invasion of Ukraine, with it being bought by an American-led consortium headed by US billionaire Todd Boehly (the owner of the LA Dodgers). In his first season in charge, the club continued its reputation for spending large sums of money on players, spending more than ''£200million'' in one transfer window to bring in players such as England's star attacker Raheem Sterling, defenders Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly, and former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang. Unfortunately, this did not solve their troubles, and following a torrid run of form, manager Thomas Tuchel was sacked after an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb (whose team cost only £54m, less than the £62m Chelsea spent on Cucurella alone). Tuchel was replaced by highly-rated British manager Graham Potter (whose previous club, Brighton, had, coincidentally, been the team Chelsea signed Cucurella for £62m from). After a truly awful run of form led to Chelsea dropping into the bottom half of the table and the firing of a now haggard looking Potter, to be replaced until the end of the season by their former player and manager Frank Lampard, news quickly followed a torrid run that former Tottenham boss, Mauricio Pochettino would be taking the reins after the end of the season. Unfortunately, despite positive draws against Manchester City, under Pochettino they achieved more or less exactly the same points tally as the previous season - positive results being interspersed with embarrassments such as being absolutely spanked 4-1 by a badly injury-hit Liverpool. Adding insult to injury, three weeks later, despite having a fully fit squad and several more days to prepare, they lost the League Cup final in Extra Time to a Liverpool side that by this point had ''11'' players down (including most of the first team) and finished the match with five players who were 20 or under, and despite that, ''still'' dominated the match. After this nadir, they were promptly witheringly dubbed "the blue billion pound bottle-jobs" by ex-pro Gary Neville.
Famous fans include [[Series/FantasyFootballLeague David]] [[Series/BaddielAndSkinnerUnplugged Baddiel]], [[Music/{{Blur}} Damon]] [[Music/{{Gorillaz}} Albarn]], [[Music/DepecheMode Andrew Fletcher]], [[Music/MadnessBand Suggs]], Creator/GordonRamsay, the late [[Creator/RichardAttenborough Dickie Attenborough]], ex-Prime Minister UsefulNotes/JohnMajor and (apparently) Creator/WillFerrell.
!!Everton
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/everton_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Everton, we've never shone so brightly!\\
Everton, the spirit of the blues!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Toffees\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks\\
'''Current Owners:''' Farhad Moshiri (Majority Shareholder), Bill Kenwright and Jon Woods\\
'''Current Manager:''' Sean Dyche\\
'''Current Captain:''' Séamus Coleman\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Goodison Park[[note]]Capacity: 39,571[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 17th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 9; 1890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1986–87\\
'''FA Cups:''' 5; 1905–06, 1932–33, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1994–95\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1930–31 Second Division Championship; 1928, 1932, 1963, 1970, 1984, 1985, 1986 ''(shared)'', 1987, & 1995 FA Community Shields; 1985–86 & 1989–90 Full Members' Cups\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1984–85 European Cup Winners' Cup
----
Based in Liverpool. One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, they've spent a total of [[TheArtefact 105 seasons in the top-flight]].
Previously thought of as the team that would break the "Big Four" [[note]] defined at the time as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United[[/note]] thanks to strong league and cup runs in the middle 00s (culminating in Champions League qualification in 2005), but have since dropped to mid-table, with financial hardship preventing major squad investment. Still widely considered a 'dark horse' side and one likely to cause upsetting score lines for the bigger teams, in the latter half of the 2010s they re-emerged as a team to be reckoned with, first with extremely talented youngsters Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, ably supported by winger Gerard Deulofeu, in 2015-16. However, this team was undermined by defensive frailty, as brutally exposed by local arch rivals Liverpool. Despite having their most in-form striker injured in a brutal tackle by an Everton centre-back who was immediately sent off [[note]] He compounded his crime by beating the club badge as he walked off, trying to imply that he'd done it for the club and the fans, and earned himself a well deserved DopeSlap from his assistant coach in the process.[[/note]], [[HumiliationConga they sauntered to a 4-0 win]], one so comfortable that [[{{Troll}} Liverpool spent the last quarter of the match practically camped outside the Everton box, trying to get fan favourite defensive midfielder/centre back Lucas Leiva to score, apparently just for the hell of it.]] [[CherryTapping Lucas had played regularly for Liverpool for nine years. In that time, he had scored a grand total of six goals, the last of which had been scored]] ''six years ago.'' This was a tactic so ridiculous that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was caught on tv ''laughing.'' This unsurprisingly led to the sacking of Everton manager [[NiceGuy Roberto Martínez]].
2016-17 got off to a rocky start with new manager Ronald Koeman but once the kinks were ironed in (largely starting in 2017), they qualified for Europe again. 2017/18, on the other hand, was one big EpicFail with Ross Barkley refusing to sign a contract, Romelu Lukaku and fan favourite Gareth Barry both leaving, several signings which turned out to be disappointing, a disastrous Europa League campaign, and Ronald Koeman going through one long HumiliationConga which ended in him being sacked in October. Former Everton player and U23 manager David Unsworth took charge until a new boss was found, with Watford's Marco Silva being headhunted, which led to him being unsettled and, once Watford's form declined, and Everton overtook them in the standings, sacked.
After hiring Sam Allardyce to replace Ronald Koeman the team has found their footing once more, emphasising [[BoringButPractical pragmatic]] and [[StoneWall defensive]] play to avoid conceding goals (the single greatest source of defeat during the early season was not their inability to score but their inability to keep goals out, despite the presence of goalkeeper [[TheAce Jordan Pickford]]). Everton managed to remain undefeated in their first seven games under Allardyce and ascended back to the top half of the league from what was thought to be a relegation battle mere weeks before. Whilst they struggled to find their bearings at points after their initial revival, they remained in the top half, finishing eighth. Under legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti, with a more balanced front line and defence, they've become a threat once more, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin being considered an early competitor for the league's top scorer, and declared his desire to remain at Everton at least until they moved into their new 52,888 capacity stadium (something expected to happen in 2024)... then promptly packed his bags as soon as Real Madrid came calling.
This led to the very unexpected recruitment of another former Real Madrid manager and Liverpool resident - Rafael Benitez. Since Benitez had become internationally famous at Liverpool FC, taking them to Champions League glory, and had in 2007 referred to Everton as a "small club" after a rather drab 0-0 in the usually combustible Merseyside derby (fellow Spaniards have since explained that he meant that they were playing like one, rather than that they were a small club themselves and just conveyed it badly), this was met with decidedly mixed feelings. And by 'mixed feelings', we mean 'threatening banners'. However, even the most rabid Everton fans can't deny either Benitez's remarkable track record or genuine love for the city, and the majority responded to the banners and threats with firm support for the new manager... if with a certain sense of caution. Even after a good start was undermined by injuries and a horrible run of form (including a humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Liverpool, their worst loss in the Goodison leg since August 2003), most of the blame was initially apportioned to the club's hierarchy, fans having got wise to the fact that Benitez was the 5th manager in 5 years (i.e. it was extremely unlikely that the problems were his fault). However, whilst they earned a dramatic win over Arsenal, the slump was not truly arrested, and Benitez himself went out of the door after a poor performance in a loss to than-bottom Norwich (the first time since May 2004 that Everton lost to the then-last place), leading to another change at Goodison - Everton had last scored first in a game under his management in a horrible 5-2 loss to Watford 2-and-a-half months earlier, and, between than and his sacking 12 league games later, had only led for 2 stoppage time minutes through bargain-buy Demarai Gray's winner v Arsenal (they won a cup game away to Championship strugglers Hull, but even then, they trailed after 40 seconds and were taken to extra time), hence the re-utilisation of Ferguson until a new appointment was found, even though certain board members wanted Martinez to come back. The initial choice, highly travelled Vitor Pereira, who won trophies in Portugal and China, but had failed spells with many other teams, including in the German 2. Bundesliga, was very unpopular amongst fans, and Frank Lampard, with a point to prove, came in, a year after being sacked by Chelsea, and signed 2 players as soon as he arrived on Transfer Deadline Day. Lampard prevented their relegation, but found himself fired almost a year later with the team in a similar position, being replaced by former Burnley boss Sean Dyche. Points deductions and a club record winless run thanks to an excellent defensive record being undercut by a profound inability to score, only ameliorated by Nottingham Forest being in similar straits regarding points deductions, meaning that once again, they are hovering above the relegation.
Part of one of (arguably) the most famous rivalries in Football, with neighbours Liverpool. This has ranged everywhere from friendly competition to seemingly utter hatred over the hundred-plus years of the clubs existence. Currently seems to be the latter as of 2024, thanks to an utterly brutal tackle by keeper Jordan Pickford on star Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk in the 2020 Goodison derby putting the latter out for the season and impacting his performance for several years after, for which Pickford - bafflingly - escaped punishment, despite VAR, on the grounds that Van Dijk was offside (ex-refs expressed bemusement, as the rules offer plenty of scope for punishing misdemeanours when the ball is out of play). Silky midfielder Thiago Alcantara was also badly injured (though the perpetrator, Richarlison, was justly sent off). Given that each derby tends to be played in the context of the last at each respective ground, the 2021 Goodison derby was both significantly more vicious than usual and humiliating for Everton, the general sense being that Liverpool were making a point. None of this is entirely surprising: the fixture has a reputation for brutality, officially having the most red cards in Premier League history. However relations between fans remain cordial -- a factor heavily influenced by the fact that many Liverpudlian families contain supporters of both clubs, with the rivalry being characterised as a family feud (in other words, it's vicious, it's personal, and woe betide anyone else who gets involved).
Indeed, in one unusual case, the Gerrard family actually produced ''players'' for both clubs, with defender Anthony Gerrard coming through the Everton youth system and being overshadowed by his vastly more famous cousin Steven Gerrard, captain of Liverpool FC and widely regarded as perhaps the greatest midfielder of his age. While the two did eventually play each other, Anthony had by that point moved to Cardiff City. In 2021, when Liverpool legend Rafael Benitez became the first man since the 19th century to manage both teams, neither fanbase was entirely sure how to react when the two teams faced each other... until Liverpool started thumping Everton, when the Liverpool fans [[{{Troll}} started cheerfully singing Benitez' name.]]
Famous fans include Music/PaulMcCartney (apparently) [[note]] none of Music/TheBeatles were really into football, though early drummer Pete Best is a die-hard Evertonian; the appearance of Albert Stubbins (who played for Liverpool in the 1940s) on the cover of ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' is somewhat random, the most likely explanation for this being that John Lennon thought his name was funny [[/note]], [[Music/TheCult Ian Astbury]], former Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, Claire Sweeney and Gareth Evans.
!!Leicester City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leicester_city_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The foxes are on the prowl!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Foxes\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Srivaddhanaprabha Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Enzo Maresca\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jonny Evans\\
'''Current Stadium:''' King Power Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,312. Has never had a sponsor-free name; previous sponsor was Walkers.[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st in Championship (promoted)\\
'''Premier League Titles:''' 1; 2015–16\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 2020–21\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1924–25, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1970–71, 1979–80, 2013–14, & 2023–24 level 2 champions; 2008–09 League One Champions, 1963–64, 1996–97, & 1999–2000 League Cups; 1971 & 2021 FA Community Shields
----
Came ''out of freaking nowhere'' to win the Premier League title in 2015-16, the first top-flight title in the club's 125-plus-year history (prior to this, the club's main honours had been winning the League Cup three times). By "freaking nowhere", [[DarkHorseVictory we really mean it]] -- they had been in the Championship as recently as 2013-14; were nailed, bolted and hard welded to the bottom of the Premier League table for much of the 2014-15 season (only survived relegation that season by collecting 7 wins and a draw in their final 9 matches thanks in part to their new manager, Claudio Ranieri); and were ''5,000–1'' shots to win the title entering the 2015-16 season. They then proceeded to top the table in September, leading to jokes about how Leicester were going to win the league, only to then ''continue winning''.
For further context, they smashed record after record - they became the first team to be bottom at Christmas in one season and top at Christmas the next, star striker Jamie Vardy (signed four years before from non-league Fleetwood Town for £1 million - in other words, what former England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney then earned in a ''month'') scored goals in ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome eleven consecutive games]]'' breaking the record set by legendary Netherlands and Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and their ''entire first team'' cost £22 million. For context, Manchester United shelled out £36 million for the unproven but talented teenager Anthony Martial and most teams in the top 10 have at least one £20 million player and/or several £10 million-plus players.
Their unexpected success led to some people having to double down on rash declarations, including that of former England and Leicester striker Gary Lineker, current host of ''Series/MatchOfTheDay'' (and face of Walker's Crisps), who had declared when Leicester were top at Christmas that if they won he would host ''Match of the Day'' in his underwear. After Leicester were crowned champions, everyone called him on it, including [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments then Prime Minister David Cameron in Parliament]]. On the first programme of the 2016-17 season, Saturday 13th August 2016, he delivered on his promise, wearing Leicester City shorts no less.
Another impressive thing to note is that while normal service has resumed in the Premier League, they made waves in the Champions League, comfortably winning their group, to make the last 16 against Sevilla. They were unlucky to lose 2-1 in the first leg, but it turned out to be the final straw for their title winning boss Claudio Ranieri, with the side falling towards the relegation zone in the league after losing 5 on the trot. To say that sacking was unpopular was an understatement, yet caretaker Craig Shakespeare won his first 4 league games, and won the return leg against Sevilla to progress to the last 8 of the Champions League, and be English football's sole remaining representative in the competition, where they only lost to eventual finalist Atlético Madrid through a penalty for a foul clearly outside the box.
In 2018, tragedy struck the club following a league match against West Ham United - the helicopter of much-loved owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the man who bought and refurbished the club, then backed their title winning run, crashed in a parking lot outside the stadium[[note]]Srivaddhanaprabha was known for entering and leaving the stadium during home games by helicopter, which he would have land on the pitch[[/note]]. The crash claimed not only his life, but also that of two staff members, the pilot, and a visitor. In matches afterwards, the players - many of whom had been part of the 2015/16 title winning side - were on the brink of tears, and the vast majority of the squad attended the funeral in Thailand. Touchingly, every Premier League club paid their tributes.
Since then, Jamie Vardy has proven evergreen, only getting faster despite his passing years, and demonstrating his skills by coolly grabbing a hat-trick in a ''9-0'' demolition of Southampton (itself the joint largest win in Premier League history, and the joint largest away win in English top flight history full stop) on the way to claiming the Golden Boot at a record-breaking age of 33 in 2019-20, as Leicester finished 5th and qualified for the Europa League.
In May 2021, Leicester reached the FA Cup Final -- one of the first major British sporting events to experiment with large crowds following the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic (attendance was capped at 20,000, significantly below Wembley's capacity). Thanks to the fact that their opponents Chelsea were one of the ESL Six, almost all neutrals wanted Leicester to win -- which they did, overcoming their opponents 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.
In the 2022-23 season, Leicester unexpectedly found themselves struggling, having failed to replace talismanic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and with Vardy and his fellow strikers Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka struggling for goals, culminating in the firing of their FA Cup-winning manager Brendan Rodgers with the team deep in a relegation battle, to be replaced by former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith. This didn't help, and Leicester became just the second Premier League Champion to be relegated. This has led to jokes that they managed to get promoted, win the title and the FA cup, and get relegated back down, in a span during which Tottenham Hotspur, a "big club" with a golden generation, failed to win anything at all. However, led by new manager Enzo Marseca, they have secured their return into the Prem in the 2024-25 season despite bottling a 15-point lead in their Championship sojourn.
!!UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}}
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/liverpool_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:[[Theatre/{{Carousel}} You'll never walk alone!]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1892\\
'''Nickname:''' The Reds\\
'''Kit:''' All-red\\
'''Current Owners:''' Fenway Sports Group (majority), Dynasty Equity (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Jürgen Klopp[[note]]Has announced he will step down at the end of the season.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Captain:''' Virgil van Dijk\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Anfield[[note]]Capacity: 54,074... with plans of expansion[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 19; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1964–65, 1973–74, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2021–22\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies;''' 1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, & 1961–62 Second Division Champions; 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12, 2021–22, & 2023–24 EFL Cups; 1964*, 1965*, 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977*, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986*, 1988, 1989, 1990*, 2001, 2006, & 2022 (* shared) FA Community Shields; 1985–86 Football League Super Cup\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1983–84, 2004–05, & 2018–19 European Cups/UEFA Champions League; 1972–73, 1975–76, & 2000–01 UEFA Europa League; 1977, 2001, 2005, & 2019 UEFA Super Cups\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2019 FIFA Club World Cup
----
Won everything in sight in the 1970s and 80s. Finally won the Premier League in the 2019-20 season. They have the most Champions League wins in England (6) and they have never let anyone forget it. Fans famously sing "You'll Never Walk Alone", a song originally from the musical ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'', which has become so bound up with the club's identity that it is not only the [[CrowdSong Club Anthem]], but the title is the club's motto, on the badge and atop the famous Shankly Gates. It has since become one of the best known and most popular anthems in football, having been adopted by Celtic FC of Scotland (leading to a long-running controversy about which team adopted it first), Club Brugge of Belgium, Feyenoord, FC Twente and FC Cambuur of the Netherlands, Genoa CFC of Italy, and [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Borussia Dortmund, as well as about half the other teams in the German Bundesliga]], even by teams as far afield as FC Tokyo of Japan.
League Champions 19 times (once since the creation of the Premier League, in 2020), FA Cup winners eight times (most recently 2022), League Cup winners a record ten times (most recently 2024), European Cup (AKA Champions League) winners six times (most recently 2019), UEFA Cup winners three times (with the last coming in 2001), Club World Champions once (in 2019).
The club is well known outside of football for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster 1989 Hillsborough Disaster]], where 97 fans were crushed to death prior to an FA Cup semi-final.[[note]]94 died on the day. Three others died from their injuries--one a few days later, one in 1993, and one in ''2021''.[[/note]] Coming only a few years after the Bradford City Stadium Fire, the resultant inquiry led to the Taylor Report, which instituted all-seater stadia and other policies that led to a near total neutralisation of England's notorious hooliganism problem, reforms which, along with the creation of the Premier League, kickstarted the revival of English football.
* At the same time, ''[[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Sun]]'', with its infamous headline 'The Truth', smeared Liverpool fans by claiming that they attacked police officers, as well as that they urinated on and stole from the dead, all in order to deflect blame from the South Yorkshire Police, in collusion with the Government as part of a cover-up (slurs, incidentally, which were disproved and dismissed by the Taylor Report and over 150 witness statements were later proved to have been altered to show the police in a better light). To this day, you quite literally cannot give away a copy of ''The Sun'' in the city of Liverpool, despite numerous grovelling apologies of dubious sincerity. As of February 2017, the club has outright banned ''The Sun'' and its reporters from Anfield, the Melwood training ground and club press conferences, and fellow Merseyside clubs Everton and Tranmere Rovers have since followed suit. When they were told in late 2019 that this would prevent them from potentially hosting any England warm-up matches for Euro 2020, the response was more or less summed up as, "so what?" (and that was the ''polite'' version).
* After decades of campaigning by groups such as 'Justice for the 96'[[labelnote:*]]as noted above, the death toll didn't reach 97 until 2021[[/labelnote]] and latterly by local Labour MP and then Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, raising the matter in Parliament after being heckled with cries of 'Justice for the 96' when giving a speech at the 20th Anniversary of the Disaster, triggering the Second Hillsborough Inquiry. This exonerated the fans in 2012 and changed their official cause of death to 'unlawfully killed' after concluding that 'up to 41' might have survived had the emergency services coordinated better. Afterwards, campaigning groups and Burnham pushed for further inquests into just who was responsible, forcing the resignation of a number of senior police figures. This earned him cheers at the 25th Anniversary of the Disaster, and a speech in Parliament in April 2016, which included a vicious excoriation of those responsible, drew thunderous applause.
* As a side note, the youngest victim of the Hillsborough Disaster, 10-year-old Jon-Paul Gilhooley, was the cousin of a then 9-year-old little boy named Steven. Said little boy grew up to become Steven Gerrard, a club legend, talismanic captain of club and country and to be widely considered by his peers as one of the best players of his generation, with luminaries such as [[TheAce Zinedine Zidane]] calling him the best midfielder in the world, and later a highly successful manager at Rangers FC in Scotland. What could motivate such a man? [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Well, in his autobiography in 2006, he revealed that he played for Jon-Paul.]]
Since 1990, their fortunes have been decidedly mixed, becoming known as the team most likely to come third in any competition you care to name. High points including a Treble in 2001, and an epic underdog comeback Champions League win in 2005 against AC Milan, then one of the best teams on the planet, who raced into a 3-0 halftime lead. Six second-half minutes later, it was 3-3 and Liverpool won on penalties. To this day, no one (including the participants) is entirely sure what happened. For this reason it is generally referred to as 'the Miracle of Istanbul'.
Then there was the FA Cup Final of 2006 against West Ham, in which the score was also 3-3 and was almost singlehandedly won by Steven Gerrard, another Champions League Final appearance in 2007 (Milan got their revenge), a League Cup triumph in 2012 and highly creditable title challenges in 2001/02 and 2008/09. After that, it went decidedly downhill for a few years, before the title challenge of 2013/14. However, this was followed by another steep decline (2014/15 ended with a 6-1 defeat by ''Stoke''), then another sharp rise under Jürgen Klopp confirming the club's reputation as a footballing yo-yo. For this reason, 'Liverpool fan' has sometimes been considered synonymous with 'masochist'. However, under Klopp, they have stabilised as consistent title challengers (and in the 2019/20 season, at long last, winners), becoming one of the most feared attacking teams in Europe.
Historically famous for [[AttackAttackAttack downright mesmerising attacking football,]] spearheaded by lightning fast strikers who would do phenomenally well, get snapped up by Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea and then collapse. Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Philippe Coutinho (attacking midfielder and auxiliary forward) were never quite the same - though Torres managed a late career revival at Atletico Madrid. [[KarmaHoudini Luis Suárez]], on the other hand, did just fine. Under Klopp, and financed by the Fenway Sports Group, they've got sufficient pull and cash to keep whoever they want, even being willing to make an exception to their strict wage structure for legendary forward Mohammed Salah, who signed a new three year contract and there was much rejoicing.
Internationally very popular, with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. Their rivalry with Manchester United is so intense it's pretty much hatred, which led to mass gloating when Liverpool strolled to a 5-0 victory at Old Trafford in 2021, and spent the last 40 minutes JustToyingWithThem. United's 2-1 victory several months later under new manager Erik Ten Hag was taken as the trigger for United's strong season and a sign of Liverpool's drastic drop-off, and an in-form United came to face a rickety Liverpool at Anfield again in March... and promptly got absolutely ''eviscerated'', losing ''7-0'', their joint worst ''ever'' defeat in competitive football, on a scale not seen since 1931. Domestically, the favoured punchbags are Arsenal and Crystal Palace (Arsenal have conceded four goals or more 11 times in the Premier League era. 6 of them have been at Anfield), and occasionally Everton - mainly because the derby atmosphere means that unless the usually technically inferior Everton are right on their game, Liverpool will have absolutely no compunction about going through them like a buzzsaw.
Infamous (like Arsenal) for [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut fizzling out]] dramatically, epitomised by the 08/09 and 13/14 seasons, both followed by steep declines - 2014/15 ended with the aforementioned 6-1 defeat, their worst since ''1963''. Cue the arrival of charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, famous for ''gegenpressing'' style of 'heavy metal football', breaking Bayern Munich's stranglehold on the German title with Borussia Dortmund, then reaching the Champions League final. The clubs being FriendlyFandoms, this was considered a match made in heaven. Klopp's Liverpool were quickly cast as 'Europe's Entertainers', combining the front foot defence of the ''gegenpress'' with an attack led by the 'Fab Four' of wing forward [[LightningBruiser Sadio Mane,]] talismanic [[PintSizedPowerHouse pocket-sized playmaker Philippe Coutinho]], creative striker [[TheLancer Roberto Firmino]], and the apparently unstoppable [[LightningBruiser Mohamed Salah]].
Several evolutions followed: Coutinho's departure to Barcelona for a mind-boggling £142 ''million'' led to several key defensive acquisitions - cultured Dutch centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, world-class Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Brazilian defensive midfielder Fabinho, and Scottish left-back Andy Robertson. Add academy right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who went on to feature in two Champions League finals before he turned 21 and is widely considered to be arguably the one of the best right-backs on the planet, breaking the record for a defender's assists in a league season, before breaking it ''again'' the following year, then rapidly surpassing the record for a defender's assists in the Premier League before he turned 25; and the restoration of talented but injury-prone centre-backs Joe Gomez and Joel Matip meant that Liverpool became a much more balanced team. The defence did its job, while the marauding full-backs provided the front three (renamed 'the Red Arrows') with the ammunition to become the terror of Europe, being the highest scoring front three in a single season in Champions League history. Most recently, the frontline has evolved again, with a revolving cast of agile poacher Diogo Jota, rangy lightning fast WildCard and fan-favourite Darwin 'Captain Chaos' Nunez, quick-footed winger Luis Diaz, and lanky technician Cody Gakpo starring alongside the evergreen Salah. While less reliable than the old 'Red Arrows', the sheer unpredictability and range of different options combined a newfound injection of pace and the eternal menace of Salah means that they remain one of the most feared front lines in Europe, and one of the best counter-attacking teams on the planet. There are not many teams who could arguably pose more of a goal threat when defending a corner than attacking one.
They have since reached three Champions League finals (2018, 2019, 2022), winning in 2019 and losing the other two to Real Madrid, simultaneously going toe to toe with Manchester City in multiple title challenges, missing out on the title by a single point, ''twice'', in 2019 and 2022, along with their 2020 title win (99 points, despite finishing the season in cruise control, only one behind City's 'Centenarians'), racking up three of the top ten points totals in top division history. Given that other teams were often trailing by up to 25 points, there was serious reference to both teams as 'the Big Two'. This, while in the 19/20 season, maintaining a home record of 50 games unbeaten, only the third team to do so after Chelsea (2004-2008) and a previous Liverpool side (1978-1980). Thanks to the oddities of the Covid Pandemic in the 19-20 season, resulting in a 3 month delay, they became simultaneously being the earliest team to win the title (with 7 games to spare) and latest (in actual date).
The downside is that the comparatively lesser resources available to Liverpool (as opposed to City, who can field two title-winning teams with room to spare) and the very physically demanding style Klopp plays is that title challenges are often followed by recovery years. The 2020-21 season included a defensive injury crisis, forcing 20 different centre-back partnerships in just 38 games. Yes, ''20''. And it only got worse, with injuries, illness, and personal tragedies hitting the rest of the squad. That and Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino suffered a mystifying loss of form, plus Burnley breaking their famous 68 home game unbeaten run in January, leading to six back to back defeats at home, meant that Liverpool fans could genuinely wonder if they'd been put under some kind of curse. As it was, they still managed to wrangle Champions League qualification (including a [[DownToTheLastPlay last second winning header]] from ''Alisson'', of all people, ''the first time a Liverpool goalkeeper had scored in the club's then-129 year history''), defying logic to reach 3rd place, only 5 points behind 2nd placed Manchester United. Once all the dust settled, there were two questions: first, 'what the hell just happened?' and 'how the ''hell'' did they do ''that''?'
In 2021-2022, Liverpool won the League Cup (beating Chelsea on penalties), won the FA Cup (beating Chelsea... on penalties... again, after dispatching City in the semi-finals) and casually crushed everyone else in their Champions League group, a so-called 'Group of Death', achieving maximum points, before dismissing Inter Milan, Benfica, and (after a brief scare in the second leg) Villareal, in successive rounds to set up a Champions League Final rematch with Real Madrid. They were the only team with a shot at the mythical 'Quadruple', coming within 8 minutes of snatching the Premier League from under City's noses, before City came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa on the final day, and their scoring and defensive records were second only to City - and that by the finest of margins. They likewise lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid, also by fine margins and thanks to a borderline supernatural goalkeeping performance by Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois. The result was something of a hollow victory: of the four trophies, they won arguably the two least prestigious, both on penalties, and didn't score a single goal in the three finals they played in. Some respect was regained by promptly beating Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield, but their 2022-23 season promptly went downhill from there, with a dramatic slump variously blamed on an exhausted and aging squad, a lack of fresh blood in midfield, defensive injuries, the departure of Sadio Mane, a misfiring Darwin Nunez who varied between the sublime and the ridiculous, being found out, and Klopp's so-called 7th season syndrome. A brutal 5-2 thrashing at Anfield by Real Madrid, after dropping a two goal early lead, summed up the issues for many. While highlights included a monumentally vicious ''7-0'' thrashing of an in-form Manchester United side, and running riot against a luckless Leeds, thrashing them 6-1, before going on a five game winning run, unlike last season it was too little too late - Liverpool's late charge fizzled out with two draws, a 5th place finish and failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.
2023-24 was initially engimatic. The departures of Captain Jordan Henderson, Vice-Captain James Milner (a veteran so experienced that his top-flight career is officially longer than the period between WWI and WWII), and fading defensive midfielder Fabinho, the former and latter to Saudi Arabia, while Milner went to Brighton, were somewhat unexpected. That is to say, while Milner's departure was half-expected, despite hopes he'd continue as a player-coach and stabilising presence, the others definitely weren't. This forced a rapid readjustment, with the smooth recruitment of two highly rated young midfielders in World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, Hungary Captain Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, and the comprehensive fumbling of deals for Moses Caicedo from Brighton and Romeo Lavia from Southampton. Both went to Chelsea. Given the reputation Liverpool have earned for smooth, seamless, and secretive business in the transfer market, this was met with bafflement and speculation that the Caicedo bid was partly [[{{Troll}} to screw with Chelsea]] (given the final price was ''£115 million'', this would make some degree of bizarre sense). Afterwards, the late arrivals of veteran Japan Captain Wataru Endo from VFB Stuttgart to plug the defensive midfield gap, and long admired and highly rated young midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, to augment academy product Curtis Jones and flexible playmaker Harvey Elliot indicated business as usual. After some initial stumbles, the new look midfield cohered neatly, and despite a general assessment that 'Liverpool 2.0' aren't at their best yet and several injury crises, a combination of inspiration, perspiration, and sheer bloody-mindedness, along with Endo, Mac Allister, and Nunez all finding some of their best form and several academy players rising to the occasion magnificently, has allowed them to keep pace with Arsenal and City, exploiting a draw between the two to go two points clear after 29 games. %% The World Cup winner's family name is indeed "Mac Allister", with two words.
A peculiarity of this season is that they've had four players sent off in three matches (one of which was overturned on appeal). The first two results were both wins, oddly enough, including against highly fancied Newcastle, with the observation that Liverpool seem to play ''better'' when down to ten men. Like conceding the first goal, it seems to either wake them up or simply annoy them. The third, where Liverpool went down to ''nine'', was an extremely controversial match against Spurs, where at least one of the sendings off was contested, and a spectacular VAR error meant that Liverpool had a perfectly valid goal ruled offside - and even then, it took until the last kick of the game for a very unfortunate own goal to prevent them from snatching a point. Then, in January, Klopp shocked the football world by announcing his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season. Despite all of this and a mounting injury crisis that as of the end of February put ''12'' first team players in the treatment room at the same time, they've taken first place and (mostly) held it, as well as winning the EFL Cup against Chelsea as "Klopp's Kids" (finishing with five players aged 20 or under) beat "the Blue Billion Pound Bottle-Jobs" in Extra Time, despite all their injuries ''and'' several days less to prepare. While a late Extra Time defeat to United in the FA Cup was deflating, they are still among the favourites for the Europa League, and - currently - have the upper hand in the title race.
Liverpool are also known for their rich history in Europe, thriving on long odds - the more ridiculous, the better. For example: The 2005 Champions League final (3-0 down 54 minutes in, level at 3-3 on 60 minutes - nearly 20 years on, no one, participants included, is quite sure how it happened); the 2016 Europa League Quarter Final against Borussia Dortmund (3-1 down at 60 minutes, 4-3 up at 92 minutes); and the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona (3-0 down on aggregate, missing two star attackers. Level on aggregate on 60 minutes, after two goals in as many minutes, ahead on aggregate/4-0 up on the night on 79). They've previously been dubbed Europe's Comeback Kings (it actually trended on Twitter), and aren't shy of handing out thrashings either; in 2007, they broke the Champions League's goal scoring record against Beşiktaş (''8-0''), and in 2017/18, they stuffed two teams 7-0. Even European giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, AS Roma, Barcelona, and Porto aren't immune. In Barca's case, it was ''another'' memorable comeback ('the Miracle on the Mersey'), destroying them 4-0 at Anfield with Salah and Firmino out through injuries to turn around a 3-0 loss in the first leg. [[note]]Considering Barça had both Lionel Messi and Luis 'Chomp' Suárez in the squad, many neutrals wrote Liverpool off after the first leg[[/note]]. In Porto's case, it's becoming something of a RunningGag: they draw Liverpool and promptly get absolutely stuffed at home. They hosted Liverpool 3 times in 4 seasons. As of 2022, the aggregate score is 14-2, and just to toy with Porto further, in January 2022 they promptly signed Porto's star man Luis Diaz for less than half of his release clause. Diaz immediately fit into the Liverpool squad and was instrumental in helping them lift a cup double and make a run to the Champions League final. In their most recent games, they lost 7-1 on aggregate, this in a group round where Liverpool became the first English team to win all six matches - in a so-called 'Group of Death', no less (this included putting out what was essentially a reserve team away to old rivals AC Milan in the last match. Given Milan's European history and position as leaders of Serie A, this might be considered a mistake. [[CurbstompBattle It wasn't]]). In short, Liverpool are ''dangerous'' in Europe.
Having won six Champions League trophies (in '77, '78, '81, '84, '05, and '19), 5 of them before a rule change in 2009, they are the first and only (thanks to said rule change) English team to be allowed to keep the trophy, a new one being made for the following season. Liverpool fans frequently gloat about this.
Liverpool's fans[[note]]including Creator/JohnOliver, whom American media described as a "superfan"[[/note]], colloquially known as 'the Kop' or 'Kopites', after the Kop End, which itself is named after the hill on which the Battle of Spion Kop was fought in 1900, are some of the most famous in the footballing world and certainly among the most vocal, giving Anfield a reputation as one of the most atmospheric stadiums on the planet, famed for 'the Anfield Roar' - which, following the expansion of the Main Stand, taking the capacity to 54,000, and on completion will be 61,000, has only got that much louder, being voted the joint loudest stadium in Europe along with Barcelona's Camp Nou (which is almost twice as large, holding 99,354). No matter how well or badly the club is doing, the sight and sound of the Kop in full voice is truly breathtaking, and it is routinely cited by ex-pros as the most intimidating place to play in world football. This makes Anfield an intimidating place to go, and when on a particularly strong streak (such as when they went undefeated in the Premier League between April 2017 and January 2021), it's referred to as 'Fortress Anfield'. The current record is one defeat in the last 48 matches. Fans are also a fairly cosmopolitan bunch, with a fanbase estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. The club takes advantage of this with its summer tours to the US, Australia and South East Asia. More local support is drawn from North Wales, Ireland and Scotland, with a long tradition of club legends from those countries, such as all time top scorer Ian Rush (Welsh) and defenders Mark Lawrenson (Irish) and Alan Hansen (Scottish) and, more recently, Andrew Robertson (Scotland Captain). There's also a certain fondness in Germany, partly because Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp is still beloved by fans of his former team, Borussia Dortmund, and also because of the Kopites' historic twinning with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Matchgoers in particular are pathologically loyal to the club; it takes ''a lot'' to make them stop singing for any length of time and if they have done so, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness it's a very bad sign.]] If they have started booing and you are the manager, you are likely to be fired soon afterwards.
More puzzlingly, there's a [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff massive fan base in Norway.]] No one is quite sure why, though cheap plane/ferry tickets to Liverpool may have something to do with it. There's also the relative prominence of Norwegians in Liverpool sides down the years, such as fan favourite John Arne Riise, Champions League winner with Liverpool, famous for having a left foot that passably impersonated [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Mjolnir.]] [[note]] Once, he took a free kick against Manchester United in an FA Cup tie in 2006. Alan 'Smudge' Smith was the unfortunate player standing in the way. He ended up out for eight months with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Unsurprisingly, poor old Smudge was never quite the same again - while he played through the pain barrier until he retired in 2018, he revealed in 2022 that a) he had about ten pins in his ankle, b) he hobbles out of bed every morning, c) his doctor had flat out told him not to go straight-line running for the sake of his health.[[/note]] Additionally, current Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Odegaard grew up as a Liverpool fan.
Merseyside derbies are sell-outs and pretty scrappy matches - they have more red cards than any other fixture in the league - and, often, surprisingly high scoring, since both teams desperately want to win. The balance of power is currently weighted towards the red half of Merseyside, with Everton having failed to register a win at Anfield in the 21st century and consistently getting turned over by Liverpool, sometimes in very embarrassing fashion. When they do, the result is usually UnsportsmanlikeGloating.
However, in times of need both sets of fans can and do become very close, with supporters of both teams often being found in the same family, after Hillsborough there was a chain of scarves [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments connecting Anfield and Goodison Park.]] In essence, the rivalry's more like a family feud - and accordingly, can vary between its current status of mutual hatred and, as in the 80's, being known as 'the Friendly Derby', with one notable FA Cup final featuring both sets of fans mixing freely and singing, 'Merseyside, Merseyside' and, predictably, 'Are You Watching Manchester?' While relations have not so much cooled but frozen, it is notable that to this day, it is the only major derby that does not enforce fan segregation. Oh, and following a particularly nasty newspaper column in ''The Sun'' by Kelvin [=MacKenzie=] (yes, the man who was behind ''that'' headline) aimed at Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, Everton followed Liverpool in banning the paper and its journalists from their grounds.
Liverpool-United derbies, however, are much more combustible affairs, with vile chants about the Hillsborough Disaster aimed at Liverpool fans, some of whom have been known to reply with chants about the Munich Air Disaster, despite routine pleas in the pre-match programs ''not'' to bring the subjects up. On a lighter note, this also means that UnsportsmanlikeGloating is par for the course if one team if doing particularly badly - as demonstrated when Liverpool beat Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford in 2021, having led 4-0 at half time and, after Salah inevitably completed his hattrick, spent the last 40 minutes of the match playing keep-ball while the Liverpool fans cheerfully and ironically serenaded beleaguered United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær with "Ole's at the wheel!" The return fixture wasn't much more fun either, as Liverpool won 4-0 despite playing much of the match in 3rd gear - though the match was more notable for the [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments solemn round of applause in the 7th minute in tribute to United forward Cristiano Ronaldo (who wore the number 7) whose newborn son had just died, something accompanied by a rendition of club anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and the usually unheard of sight of United shirts being waved in the Kop end]]. United then won the next match with Liverpool under new manager Erik Ten-Hag... before promptly getting spanked ''7-0'' in their return to Anfield.
A fun fact for those interested in the business of football (and sport more generally): Liverpool FC is presently the property of Fenway Sports Ventures. Yes, that's Fenway as in Fenway Park. In UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}. With the [[UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} Red]] [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Sox]]. Same owners - who are incidentally, ticket price incident aside, actually very popular thanks to the stadium expansion, investment in the transfer market, visible involvement with the club and securing the services of Jürgen Klopp, with whom the fanbase has an ongoing passionate love affair. Securing the Champions League, then a first top division title in 30 years was just the icing on the cake...
...Until Liverpool were announced as one of the ESL Six, which at least put a dent in the love affair between the supporters and Fenway Sports, with many fans calling for the club's sale (matters have since calmed down following a rapid retreat). Klopp, who didn't know about the plans until after they were publicly reported, strongly opposed them, likely securing his place in the fans' hearts all the more. Liverpool's entire playing squad, led by widely respected captain Jordan Henderson, issued a statement on social media condemning the ESL plans, very bluntly saying, "we don't want this".
!!Manchester City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/manchester_city.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The City is ours!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1880\\
'''Nickname:''' The Citizens\\
'''Kit:''' Sky blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan\\
'''Current Manager:''' Josep "Pep" Guardiola\\
'''Current Captain:''' Kevin de Bruyne\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Etihad Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 55,097. Sponsor is Etihad Airways; sponsor-less name is City of Manchester Stadium.[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 1st in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 9; 1936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23\\
'''FA Cups:''' 7; 1903–04, 1933–34, 1955–56, 1968–69, 2010–11, 2018–19, 2022–23\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies;''' 1898–99, 1902–03, 1909–10, 1927–28, 1946–47, 1965–66, & 2001–02 second-flight champions; 1969–70, 1975–76, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, & 2020–21 EFL Cups; 1937, 1968, 1972, 2012, 2018, & 2019 FA Community Shields\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 2022–23 UEFA Champions League; 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup; 2023 UEFA Super Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
----
The ''other'' major club from Manchester, perhaps unfairly defined by long-standing crosstown rivalry with Manchester United (For the non-Brit footy fans out there, imagine the LA Clippers and the NY Mets in relation to the Lakers and the Yankees.[[note]]Peculiarly, though, City has gone in with the Yankees to establish a new MLS football club in New York, which is called New York City FC (get it?) and play in City's light-blue strip - but with dark blue and orange accents.[[/note]] That's how they compare Man City to United). In their 117-year history they have won fewer trophies than their rivals (prior to 2012, they hadn't won anything since the 1970s), and until recently were the butt of many a football-based joke thanks to their late-1990s slip down to what's now League One.
However, in 2008 an [[UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates Abu Dhabi]]-based investment group took over the club, bringing in massive amounts of finance. In turn this brought several experienced international stars to the club, making City serious trophy contenders. Following their 2011 FA Cup victory they beat Manchester United to the 2011-12 Premier League, and won the Prem again in 2013–14. Thus, they are now considered part of the "Big 4", usually at Liverpool's expense - and won the 2013-14 title at Liverpool's expense too. The 2012 Premiership title was won with a [[DownToTheLastPlay 94th minute 3-2 win over QPR in the last game of the season]]. Had the match ended at full time[[note]]90 minutes[[/note]], City would have ''lost'' 2-1 and conceded the Premier League to Manchester United by two points. The victory put them level on points, but with a greater goal difference.
Their 2017-18 season saw them destroy everyone in their path to the Premier League title, setting various records on the way: record points tally (100), most goals scored (106), most wins (32), as well as a record winning streak (17). Their only two losses were against Liverpool (as described below), and against Manchester United - and they were leading 2-0 at halftime. They also won the League Cup, thrashing Arsenal 3-0. Despite this, though, they were knocked out the FA Cup by Wigan Athletic in the fifth round, and also had to kiss goodbye to the Champions League in the quarter-finals, again thanks to Liverpool.
As noted, Liverpool tend to get their own back whenever City come to Anfield (most recent result: 3-1 in Liverpool's favour). Until February 2021, it was the only stadium which City hadn't won at in the Premier League following the Abu Dhabi takeover, and they hadn't won there at all since 2003. This status as chief pain in the neck isn't always restricted to Anfield visits, as Liverpool demonstrated when [[CurbstompBattle they turned over City 4-1 at the Etihad]] earlier in the 2015/16 season. On the other hand, when the two met in the 2016 League Cup final, it was City who had the last laugh. And then in 2017/18, Liverpool came to the Etihad... and one sending off later, were thumped 5-0. Then a couple of months later, City's attempt to do their first league double over Liverpool in 80 years, when Liverpool ripped them to shreds, with a face-saving City recovery making it 4-3. They suffered an even worse defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, being humiliated 3-0 in a match where they didn't even get the ball into the box ''once''.
The Sky Blues seem to have gotten better after that, though: in the 2018-19 Premier League season, they held the Reds to a 0-0 draw at Anfield and would have even come out victorious if it weren't for a missed penalty, and then doubled down by winning 2-1 at the Etihad. Going into the final day of the 2018/19 season, the two were locked head to head in what's widely considered to have been the best race for the title in years, being separated by only one point, and each being over twenty points ahead of the next best team with over 90 points each, leading to general agreement that while only one team can win, neither deserves to lose. Both sides won their final matches, giving City the crown. Their League Cup win against Chelsea on penalties and their 6-0 annihilation of Watford in the FA Cup final also made them the first men's football team in England to complete the domestic treble.[[note]]The first ever football team to do that was Linfield of Northern Ireland in 1922. The first English team was Arsenal's women's team, in 2009.[[/note]] Since then, the rivalry has only intensified - after a Liverpool off-season in 2020/21 where Liverpool managed to get every single senior centre-back injured (and a chunk of the midfield, many of whom were filling in at the back) as they limped to a 3rd place finish, both teams shot out of the blocks, and despite City looking like they were going to pull away with a 14-point lead in January, Liverpool hauled them down after two tense 2-2 draws, finally reclaiming top spot in mid-April by two points and a net 9 goal edge - though City have a game in hand. As many have commented, this is essentially recreating the famous 18/19 title race, with higher stakes: City are chasing a League and European double, while Liverpool (after beating City in the FA Cup semi-final and winning the League Cup) are chasing the mythical 'Quadruple' of both domestic cups, the League, and the Champions League - and both could yet meet in the Champions League final too. Then in 2022–23, City swept the Premiership, FA Cup, and Champions League to become the first Premiership side since its city rivals in 1999 (and the first European side since Inter in 2009–10) to claim the mythical "treble".
[[Music/{{Oasis}} Liam and Noel Gallagher]] are famous City fans: the band famously played a sold-out gig at Maine Road, City's former stadium, in 1996. Liam's second band, Beady Eye, also performed a cover of "Blue Moon", the club anthem, in a video for the club revealing the jersey for the 2011-12 season.
City were another one of the ESL Six, though much like Chelsea, their owners and board were not totally on board with the concept. Manager Pep Guardiola, much like Klopp, strongly opposed the ESL.
!!Manchester United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/manchester_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Glory, glory Man United!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Red Devils\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts, black socks\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Glazer Family[[note]]The Glazer family have announced their intentions to sell.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Erik ten Hag\\
'''Current Captain:''' Bruno Fernandes\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Old Trafford[[note]]Capacity: 75,653[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 3rd in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League titles:''' 20; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 12; 1908–09, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2015–16\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1935–36 & 1974–75 Second Division Champions; 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17, & 2022–23 EFL Cups; 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965*, 1967*, 1977*, 1983, 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, & 2016 (* shared) FA Community Shields\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1967–68, 1998–99, & 2007–08 European Cup/UEFA Champions Leagues; 1990–91 European Cup Winners' Cup; 2016–17 UEFA Europa League; 1991 UEFA Super Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2008 FIFA Club World Cup; 1999 Intercontinental Cup
----
England's most successful club; to give you an idea of their success, they have only 4 fewer Premier League titles than all of the other winners ''put together''. A lot of this is down to their most famous manager, who spent over a quarter of a century in the job (1986-2013). The fact that he's called ''Sir'' Alex Ferguson indicates something.
Probably the most famous football club in England, and for that matter the world, with an official fan club that comprises 5% of the planet's population, with arch-rivals Liverpool close behind in both respects. They are also arguably the world's largest sports club, and are regularly at or near the top in overall team value. In 2018, they were valued at £3.2 billion ($4.1 billion), neck-and-neck with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as the most valuable football club, and trailing only the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Dallas Cowboys]] in all of world sport. Because Manchester United fans can be found around the world (witness the incredibly lucrative promotional tours in the far east) it is often said - by City fans and just about everyone else - that real Mancunians support City and/or most Manchester United fans have never been to Manchester. Which is of course, nonsense, as Manchester is very divided between City and United and United had a solid large fanbase before the worldwide success of the Nineties and Noughties.
Has a long standing rivalry with City - the fact that Old Trafford is located in Trafford (technically outside the City of Manchester, but within the Greater Manchester area) makes most Mancunians who are not fans treat United as a bastard team to the area, though Mancunian United fans will bite back. That said, much like the Liverpool[=/=]Everton rivalry mentioned above, there are times where the fans will unite, such as the anniversary of the Munich plane crash in 1958 which killed several members of the United squad & left several others seriously injured (legendary City goalkeeper Frank Swift, who'd become a football reporter after retiring as a player, also died in the disaster, and at the time the whole of Manchester was in mourning, which would explain why City fans do not use the disaster to taunt United fans), or to pay tributes to the victims of the 2017 terrorist attacks at the Music/ArianaGrande concert in the city.
Equally, there is a similarly longstanding (and, again, arguably much more vicious, lacking the family ties mentioned above) rivalry between United and Liverpool, one that can be traced back to the inter-city rivalry of the industrial revolution as well as the fact that they are by far the two most successful teams in English history. This can lead to epic footballing clashes and to unsavoury scenes on the pitch and in the stands, such as Luis Suárez' racial abuse of Patrice Evra and despite pleading from managers and officials on both sides, both sets of fans winding each other up with 'tragedy chanting' - United fans taunting Liverpool fans about the Hillsborough disaster, and the Scousers responding in kind by taunting the Mancs about Munich.
Post Ferguson, results have been rocky to say the least. His replacement was Everton manager David Moyes, who was actually [[MeetTheNewBoss Ferguson's handpicked successor]]. However, the 13-14 season went horribly wrong for United, and after they were assured of not making the Champions League for the first time in nearly 20 years, Moyes was sacked. 2014-15 got off to a bumpy start, with [[OldMaster Louis van Gaal]] taking the helm. The first half of the season was marked by the injury-plagued squad scraping wins and draws by the skin of their teeth, while Van Gaal tested out different formations and played some players out of position. In April, they found their form, holding onto fourth place on the table (by the skin of their teeth) and managing to defeat Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa with something of the style they were once known for under Ferguson. Many United fans remained unconvinced, particularly due to the protracted transfer saga involving star Goalkeeper David De Gea, the last-minute purchase of the 19-year-old unknown Anthony Martial for ''£36 million'', making him the most expensive teenager in footballing history and a fairly toothless start to the 2015/16 season. This proved to be justified, and United limped to a 5th place finish, losing out on 4th place by goal difference - and, to rub salt in the wound, to arch-rivals Manchester City, but the blow was softened with the club's 12th FA Cup win. Van Gaal was consequently fired
José 'The Special One' Mourinho was van Gaal's replacement and promptly bought highly-rated Juventus (and former United youth) player Paul Pogba, for a then-world record £89 million, among others. United had a strange season - they went through 25 games unbeaten, but, during this run, were held at home by Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham, Hull, West Brom Stoke and Swansea (as well as Liverpool and Everton), with 15 draws throughout the season, meaning they never seriously threatened the top 4 - however, they won the League Cup and then the Europa League, beating Ajax in the final of the latter, the only major honour to elude United. The final straw was a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool. ** Fan-favourite ex-player Ole Gunnar Solskjær was brought in to dispel the gloom, helped by the fact that he was eminently likeable and that he was given the rough GDP of Albania to spend on transfers, with the likes of England centre-back Harry Maguire, attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes, defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, young midfielder Donny van de Beek (whom he proceeded to hardly play), experienced centre-back Raphael Varane, while also bringing through Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, and coaxing Luke Shaw back into the side. Despite this enviable array of talents, Solskjær's lack of tactical acumen and authority (especially required in a dressing room that full of massive egos) was increasingly shown up, as well as the lowered expectations, and a belief that when Mourinho said that getting that squad to second was his greatest achievement, he might have been onto something.
For context, Liverpool's injury ridden 2020/21 season was seen as a writeoff and a disaster. They also finished only 5 points behind second-placed United (who were nowhere close to champions Manchester City) and before the season ended, had been closing fast. In the 2021/22 season, after another a massive outlay that brought in highly coveted wing-forward Jadon Sancho and club legend Ronaldo, this came to a head with several near-misses with embarrassing results (spared only by the intervention of Ronaldo), before Liverpool sauntered to a 5-0 lead at Old Trafford without getting out of third gear (then proceeded to spend the last 40 minutes of the match JustToyingWithThem), making it the first time that a United team had been 4-0 down at half-time in the Premier League era. Compounding this misery was a casual 2-0 dismissal by Manchester City, and in November, Solskjær was sacked after the players admitted they didn't have a clue what they were doing, following a disastrous 4-1 defeat away to Watford. His (interim) replacement was Ralf Rangnick, a highly influential figure in German football known for his acumen in tactics, man-management and team recruitment, and widely regarded as a "mentor" to mainstay EPL managers like Klopp and Tuchel. This did not stop Liverpool obliterating them, again, this time 4-0 at Anfield, with minimal effort.
For the 2022-23 season, United brought in highly-regarded Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, who proceeded to raid the Dutch league for new signings, bringing in Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, and Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez and Brazilian winger Antony from his previous club Ajax, along with Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen[[note]]who had miraculously returned to football the season prior following a cardiac arrest playing for Denmark at Euro 2020[[/note]] and Brazilian defensive-midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid. After a poor start, losing 2-1 at home to Brighton and ''4-0'' away to Eriksen's former team Brentford, they then won their subsequent 4 games, including wins over Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal (with their win over Liverpool being their first in the league since 2018), with Ten Hag establishing a reputation as a shrewd manager and a strong-willed disciplinarian, winning the contest of wills with Cristiano Ronaldo, first leaving him on the bench when he proved unsatisfactory, then dispatching him entirely and being rewarded with an upswing in results. This, winning the League Cup, and only one loss in 22 games put them in the frame as outsiders for the title in early March, going to Anfield in the expectation that, against a defensively rickety and tired Liverpool, they would at least better a record of having scored exactly one goal there in seven years. They promptly suffered the joint ''worst'' defeat in their 145-year history, losing ''7-0'', guaranteeing that United fans will now once again be seeing a grinning Mo Salah in their nightmares.
Thanks to their almost total domination of the domestic game from the early-mid 1990s onwards, it seems impossible to be neutral about Man Utd - you're either a fan, or you ''hate'' them - though this slackened after Ferguson retired in 2013, following which United haven't won the title. Currently American-owned, which doesn't help; the Glazer family (who also own the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]) bought the club in 2005, several years after an abortive takeover attempt by UsefulNotes/RupertMurdoch. In recent years, fans have adopted historic green and gold colours [[note]](as worn by Newton Heath, a football club set up as a railway works team that became Manchester United in the early twentieth century)[[/note]] to protest at the possibly precarious financial situation the owners have put the club in, such as offloading their own personal debts on United (ironically, much of that debt was money they'd borrowed in order to ''buy'' United). Cue mocking songs from (green and gold wearing) Norwich fans - "We've come for our scarves, we've come for our scarves... we're Norwich City, we've come for our scarves." The recent influx of absurdly lucrative sponsorship deals has helped to calm the protests - United fans still dislike the Glazer family's ownership of the club, but will accept that they seem to be running the commercial side well (and perhaps more importantly, leaving the football side well alone)...
...Or at least it calmed the protests until United were announced as one of the ESL Six in April 2021. That move destroyed what little goodwill the Glazers had managed to cultivate with the fanbase; after the ESL collapsed, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward (a Glazer appointee who'd got the job after advising them on their takeover of the club) resigned, and there were many calls for the Glazers to sell the club...
...which were partially answered in 2023 when the Glaziers sold a 25% share in the club – including control of football operations – to English chemical executive Jim Ratcliffe.
!!Tottenham Hotspur
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tottenham_hotspur.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:To dare is to do!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Spurs[[note]]Sometimes called the Lilywhites. The fans refer to themselves as the Yids or the Yid Army. The Tottenham borough was once known for having a high Jewish population, and the term was initially thrown out as a slur by opposing fans, before the Spurs supporters [[AppropriatedAppellation proudly appropriated it to protect their Jewish neighbors]]. To say this is now controversial with the British Jewish community would putting it lightly. It has been requested that the supporters stop using the term, but no action has taken place yet.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Joe Lewis (Majority Shareholder) and Daniel Levy\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ange Postecoglou\\
'''Current Captain:''' Heung-Min Son\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Tottenham Hotspur Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 61,559[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 8th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1950–51, 1960–61\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1900–01, 1920–21, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1990–91\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1919–20 & 1949–50 Second Division Champions; 1970–71, 1972–73, 1998–99, & 2007–08 League Cups; 1921, 1951, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, & 1991 FA Community Shields; 1902 Sheriff of London Charity Shield\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1962–63 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; 1971–72 & 1983–84 UEFA Europa League; 1971 Anglo-Italian League Cup
----
Great rivals with North London neighbours Arsenal. Are considered one of the most entertaining sides in the Premiership, with an expansive style that concedes many goals, but scores many more. For this reason, they are very popular with the neutrals.
Spurs are notorious for their Chairman, Daniel Levy, being one of the toughest negotiators in football. His ruthlessness has seen Tottenham Hotspur pick up some classy bargains (van der Vaart for £8 million from Real Madrid), recoup losses on expensive flops (Darren Bent sold for the exact amount he was bought for) and sell players for some obscene amounts (Gareth Bale being sold for a then world record transfer fee of £86 million).
They are also notorious for choking at vital moments, to the point where "Spursy" or "do a Spurs" is football slang for essentially snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. At the end of the 2009-10 season Spurs became the team that broke the "Big Four" (the first since Everton in 2004-05) and gained the chance to qualify for Champions League football. They did well in the Champions League, beating top Italian teams AC Milan and Internazionale, before going out in the quarter-finals to Real Madrid, but failed to qualify again for the next season. They subsequently placed in the Top 4 following the 2010-11 season but due to the almost unprecedented achievement of Chelsea in coming 6th but managing to win the Champions League - Liverpool had come fifth in the 2004-05 season when they won the Champions League. That time, both Liverpool and 4th placed Everton had gone through the qualifying stages of the Champions League, but this time, Tottenham failed to qualify. This made them the first team in Football to place within the Champions League Qualification places but fail to qualify due to a lower-placed side winning the Tournament.
Their 2018-19 season was particularly positive, despite the team's apparent inability to clutch points while down. In fact, they went ''28'' matchdays without drawing, the first of those coming with a 1-1 in the North London Derby against Arsenal. On the other hand, their Champions League campaign is surely one to remember for the Spurs faithful, as they got out of a fierce group including Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSV, and then beat Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax on the way to make their first ever Champions League final. The second leg of their semifinal against Ajax in particular has shown Lucas Moura scoring a hat-trick in 45 minutes to make up for their 3-goal deficit: the final goal was scored on literally the last second of the match. Unfortunately, they ran into a vastly experienced Liverpool side in the final, which had a point to prove after losing the previous year's final to Real Madrid, and calmly picked Spurs off in a 2-0 win.
In April 2021 Spurs were one of the "ESL Six", withdrawing from the project two days after it was announced, along with the other EPL clubs involved.
It should be noted to the casual observer that Spurs fans' self applied nickname of "Yid Army" is the cause of some controversy. North London has long been well-known for its Jewish population and anti-Semitic chants (including references to ''gas chambers'') would be directed at Spurs fans by opposition supporters -- including fans of North London rivals Arsenal who have just as many Jewish fans as Tottenham. As a consequence, Spurs fans referring to themselves as the "Yid Army" was seen by some as a way to [[NWordPrivileges support the local Jewish community]]. However, to some, this is seen now to be belittling; the comedian and Chelsea supporter David Baddiel [[note]](he of ''Series/FantasyFootballLeague'' and "Three Lions" fame)[[/note]], who is himself Jewish, has been particularly outspoken on TV about this.
Famous fans include Music/{{Adele}}, [[Series/TheApprentice Alan Sugar]] (who used to own the club), Creator/JKRowling, Creator/MarinaSirtis, Creator/HunterDavies (whose 1972 book ''The Glory Game'' was the result of nigh-on unlimited access to the inner workings of the club) [[note]] he's actually a good example of a fan of a lower-league club lending his support to a top-flight one, as he grew up supporting Carlisle United [[/note]] and [[Series/ManVFood Adam Richman]].
!English clubs that used to be big, and other noteworthy clubs
!!Accrington Stanley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/accrington_stanley_fc_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878 (later iterations founded 1868 and 1968)\\
'''Nickname:''' The 'Owd Reds\
'''Kit:''' All-red\\
'''Current Owners:''' Andy Holt\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Doolan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Crown Ground[[note]]Capacity: 5,450[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in EFL League Two\\
'''League Championships:''' 2017–18 League Two Champions; 2005–06 Conference Champions; 2002–03 Northern Premier League Champions; 1999–2000 Northern Premier League Division One Champions; 1902–03, 1905–06, 1973–74, & 1977–78 Lancashire Combination Champions; 1980–81 Cheshire County League Division Two Champions\\
'''Cups Won:''' 2001–02 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup; 2002–03 Northern Premier League Challenge Shield; 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, & 1976–77 Lancashire Combination Cup; 1971–72 Lancashire Combination League Cup
----
This is actually the third League club from the Lancashire town...
* The first, simply called Accrington, was one of the twelve founder member of the Football League back in 1888 but went bust six years later.
* Local side Stanley Villa, named for the fact that they'd been set up by the working men's club on Stanley Street, renamed themselves Accrington Stanley after the collapse of the original Accrington FC. They played in the Football League from 1921 to 1962, mostly in the Third Division North [[note]] established in 1920, the Third Division of the Football League (now called League One) was split geographically between north and south, with both of those divisions jointly forming the third tier, until 1958 when the Fourth Division (now called League Two) was created and the geographic split done away with [[/note]] but they spent two years in the then new Fourth Division at the end. After four seasons as a non-league side, they too went bust. As a result, Accrington Stanley graffiti was used for a long time (especially in comedy) to show that a place was so run down that the graffiti hadn't been cleaned up since the club was playing in the League. Thanks to the below, though, this joke has become somewhat outdated.
* The current club was formed in 1968, and played in various non-league leagues (Lancashire Combination, North West Counties League, etc) for the next few decades. They unexpectedly came to national attention in 1989 thanks to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pieK7b4KLL4 a milk commercial]] in which one of the boys joked that if Ian Rush (the then Liverpool centre forward) didn't drink milk, he'd be "only good enough to play for Accrington Stanley". They rose to the Conference in 2003 and gained promotion to the League in 2006. As a result of winning League Two in 2018, they played in League One until being knocked back down to League Two in 2023.
!!Aston Villa
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aston_villa.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Every week we follow,\\
The boys in claret and blue!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1874\\
'''Nickname:''' The Villans\\
'''Kit:''' Claret (not purple!) shirts with sky-blue sleeves, white shorts (which West Ham copied)\\
'''Current Owners:''' Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens\\
'''Current Manager:''' Unai Emery\\
'''Current Captain:''' John [=McGinn=]\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Villa Park[[note]]Capacity: 42,660[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 7th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 7; 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1909–10, 1980–81\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1886–87, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1904–05, 1912–13, 1919–20, 1956–57\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1937–38 & 1959–60 Second Division Champions; 1971–72 Third Division Champions; 1960–61, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1993–94, & 1995–96 EFL Cups; 1981 FA Charity Shield; 1899 & 1901 Sheriff of London Charity Shields\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1981–82 European Cup; 1982 European Super Cup; 2001 Intertoto Cup
----
Birmingham-based Premier League side.
There are a lot of fictional Villa fans, including Private Pike from ''Series/DadsArmy'', Godber from {{Series/Porridge}} and Nessa from ''Series/GavinAndStacey''.
Real-life Villa fans include [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily William, the Prince of Wales]][[note]] [[https://youtu.be/hpUyNyeTM9A according to William]], among other things, the first match he attended was a Villa one, he loved the atmosphere, and he "desperately didn't want to support Man U or Chelsea like everyone else"[[/note]] and heavy metal legends like [[Music/BlackSabbath Ozzy Osbourne]] and [[Music/NapalmDeath Barney Greenway]].
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, Villa dominated English football in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, winning the League six times and the FA Cup five times (including one Double in 1897, making them the second club to achieve that feat) prior to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Since then, they've had their ups and downs, being the first-ever winners of the League Cup in 1961, getting relegated six years later, spending time in the Third Division in the early 1970s, coming back from that to win the European Cup in 1982 and then getting relgated again five years after that. Since the formation of the Premier League they have rarely looked like title contenders.
Since manager Martin O'Neill's departure in 2010, Villa tended to be lower mid-table and battling relegation. As of 2015/16, they lost that battle, spending the entire season rooted to the bottom of the table. They didn't display enough consistency to look like rebounding immediately, stuck in the middle of the Championship table with no real likelihood of placing in the top six. In 2018, they made the playoff final, but had to capitulate against Fulham; however, under the management of lifelong Villa fan Dean Smith, the side finally punched their ticket back to the Premier League by beating Derby County 2-1 in the playoff final in 2019. Established themselves as a decent side in 2019/2020, before shocking the football world early in 2020/21 by emerging as an early title challenger and destroying the previously imperious reigning champions Liverpool ''7-2'' at Villa Park, one of only two five-goal league defeats Liverpool have suffered in 60 years. Normality subsequently reasserted itself, though, with a poor run of form dropping Villa into mid table, though still not out of the race for European spots entirely. After a run of losses, Smith was sacked, instantly going to Norwich, and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard came in and pulled off improved results and coup signings, such as [[IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine his former teammate]] Phillipe Coutinho. Gerrard was sacked in October 2022 with the team in the relegation zone, to be replaced by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, who proceeded to oversee a remarkable turnaround, with the club on course to finish the season in serious contention for the European qualification places for the first time since O'Neill's departure.
Fierce rivals (in the Second City Derby) with Birmingham City.
!!Barnet
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnet_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1888\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bees\\
'''Kit:''' Amber shirts, black shorts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Anthony Kleanthous\\
'''Current Manager:''' Dean Brennan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Hive Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 6,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in National League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1990–91, 2004–05, & 2014–15 National League Champions; 1965–66 & 1976–77 Southern League Division One Champions; 1988–89 Conference League Cup; 1971–72 Southern League Cup; 1945–46 FA Amateur Cup; 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, & 1985 Mickey Mays Memorial Trophies; 1931–32, 1932–33, 2021–22 Middlesex Senior Cups; 1937–38, 1940–41, 1946–47 London Senior Cups
----
Suburban North London (formerly Hertfordshire) side who became the favourite 'second team' to many after winning the Conference and gaining promotion to the League for the first time in 1991. Have since alternated between League Two and what is now the National League. Well-known for a few things:
Underhill, their old ground, had a pronounced slope from the North Terrace to the South Stand -- the goal in front of the former was 11 feet higher than the goal in front of the latter -- which was for a time the maximum slope allowed by the Football League. Any side winning the toss there always opted to kick uphill in the first half.
In the early 1990s, disputes between chairman Stan Flashman and manager Barry Fry became legendary - the former sacked and reinstated the latter ''eight times'' before Fry finally left for good in 1993.
The club had a running dispute with the local council in the 2000s over the lease on Underhill which ultimately ended in 2013 with the club moving to a new ground, The Hive, in nearby Edgware.
Creator/BradleyWalsh, presenter of ''Series/{{The Chase|GameShow}}'', played for them when they were a semi-pro side in the late 1970s.
Long-running ''Series/MatchOfTheDay'' commentator John Motson was a fan, having worked for a local newspaper before getting a job at Creator/TheBBC.
!!Barnsley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnsley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Helo, hello! We are the Barnsley Boys!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Tykes\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirt, white shorts.\\
'''Current Owners:''' Chien Lee, Paul Conway, Grace Hung, Neerav Parekh, Billy Beane[[note]]yes, ''that'' [[Film/{{Moneyball}} Billy Beane]][[/note]] and The Cryne Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Martin Devaney (caretaker)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Alex Mowatt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Oakwell [[note]]Capacity: 23,009[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1911–12\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1933–34, 1938–39, 1954–55 Third Division North Champions; 2015–16 Football League Trophy
----
Have played at Oakwell since 1888 (the year after they were founded), joined the Football League in 1898. One FA Cup in 1912 (they were also runners-up in 1910)
Barnsley finished third in the Second Division in 1915, the last season before the First World War. When football resumed after the war, it was decided to expand the First Division. Barnsley were the highest-placed team not to have been promoted, but instead a vote gave the extra place to Arsenal, who had finished three places below them. Although the decision was somewhat VindicatedByHistory since Arsenal ''have never been relegated'', it remained a sore point for several years afterwards.
Barnsley have spent more seasons in the second tier than anyone else: They spent their first thirty league seasons there and, after a low point in the 60s and 70s saw them relegated to the fourth tier, spent another sixteenth consecutive seasons there in the 80s and 90s. Despite this, they have only spent one season in the Premier League (1997/98), since which they have yo-yoyed between the second and third tiers. They were most recently relegated to the third tier in 2022.
Since 2017, Barnsley have been owned by an international consortium which includes [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Oakland Athletics]] executive Billy Beane, whose use of statistical analysis in baseball was the subject of the book and film ''Film/{{Moneyball}}''.
Traditionally, they have a friendly rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, and a [[TheFriendNobodyLikes less friendly rivalry]] with Leeds United.
!!Birmingham City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birmingham_city_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I am a City fan,\\
and I am from Birmingham!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Bluenoses.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Paul Suen (majority), Creator/TomBrady (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tony Mowbray\\
'''Current Captain:''' Harlee Dean\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Andrew's [[note]]Capacity: 30,016[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 22nd in Championship (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1892–93, 1920–21, 1947–48, 1954–55 Second Division Champions; 1994–95 Third Division Champions; 1962–63 & 2010–11 Football League Cups; 1990–91 & 1994–95 Football League Trophies; 1905 Birmingham Senior Cup; 1945–46 Football League South Champion
----
Have historically alternated between the top two divisions but are currently in the Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League in 2012.
Despite having little success throughout their history (although arguably two League Cup wins, in 1963 and 2011, is better than most), they were the first English team to ever take part in European competition - and also the first English team ever to reach a European final - the Fairs Cup (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup, which became the Europa League) in both 1960 and 1961, although they lost on both occasions. They competed in Europe again in the 2011-12 season after qualifying for the Europa League by way of winning the League Cup for the second time.
Fierce rivals with Aston Villa in what is known as the Second City Derby. Also rivals with fellow-Midlanders Wolves and West Brom.
Creator/JasperCarrott is a fan and once served as a club director, and used to mention them (usually in an uncomplimentary manner, reflecting the club's distinct lack of success) in his act.
Creator/TomBrady became a minority owner shortly before the start of the 2023–24 season, with his main role initially being in the club's sports science, health, and nutrition programmes.
!!Blackburn Olympic
->'''Established:''' 1878\\
'''Dissolved:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Light Blues\\
'''Kit:''' Light blue shirts\\
'''Stadium:''' Hole-i'-th'-Wall\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1883\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1882 East Lancashire Charity Cup; 1879 & 1880 Blackburn Association Challenge Cups; 1878 Livesey United Cup
----
Famous for being the first [[OopNorth Northern]] team (as well as the first team from a predominantly working-class background) to win the FA Cup, which they did in 1883 by defeating Old Etonians 2-1. Their victory marked a turning point in football's transition from a pastime for upper-class gentlemen to a professional sport. Olympic, however, were unable to compete with wealthier and better-supported clubs in the new professional era [[note]] when the Football League was formed in 1888, a rule was put in place stating that only one club from each town or city could join, and Blackburn Rovers were chosen to represent Blackburn [[/note]], and folded in 1889.
!!Blackburn Rovers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackburn_rovers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Run, run, wherever you may be!\\
We are the Blackburn Rovers FC!]]
->'''Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rovers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Blue and Whites, Riversiders, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Riverside Rovers]].[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white halved shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The V H Group\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Eustace\\
'''Current Captain:''' Elliott Bennett\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Ewood Park [[note]]Capacity 31,367[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 19th in Championship\\
'''First Division/Premier League titles:''' 3; 1911–12, 1913–14, 1994–95\\
'''FA Cups:''' 6; 1883–84, 1884–85, 1885–86, 1889–90, 1890–91, 1927–28\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1938–39 Second Division Champions; 2001–02 Football League Cup; 1912 FA Charity Shield; 1986–87 Full Members' Cup
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League and had some success in the early twentieth century, winning the League twice before the First World War.
Came (back) to prominence when the Premier League was created, thanks largely to a spending spree bankrolled by local tycoon Jack Walker that included signing Alan Shearer before Newcastle did - they were runners-up in 1994 before winning it the following year under the management of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish. This led Rovers fans to claim that their club was better than Liverpool, Everton and Spurs - although fans of all three teams would strenuously disagree with that!
Relegated to the Championship in 2012, and almost suffered another relegation in 2013 after being run [[SarcasmMode very well]] by [[IncompetenceInc Indian poultry farmers Venky's]]. Dropped to League One in 2017 but bounced straight back to the Championship the following year.
Fierce rivals with near-neighbours Burnley, with whom they contest the East Lancashire Derby.
!!Blackpool
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackpool_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We follow Blackpool FC\\
We come from the seaside,\\
The only team in football\\
In tangerine and white!]]
->'''Established: 1887\\
'''Nickname:''' The Seasiders; The Tangerines.\\
'''Kit:''' Orange shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Simon Sadler\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neil Critchley\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Maxwell\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bloomfield Road [[note]]Capacity: 17,338[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 8th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1952–53\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1929–30 Second Division Champions; 2001–02 & 2003–04 Football League Trophies; 1917 Anglo-Italian Cup; 1943 Football League War Cup; 1935–36, 1936–37, 1941–42, 1953–54, 1993–94, 1994–95, & 1995–96 Lancashire Senior Cups
----
Their only major honour is winning the FA Cup in 1953, a match known to history as the "Matthews Final" after legendary winger Stanley Matthews inspired the team to come back from 3-1 down to win 4-3; although his team-mate Stan Mortensen scored a hat-trick (the only player to do so in an FA Cup final at Wembley), it is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Matthews for whom that final is remembered]]. It's also considered to be the first major televised sporting event (in Britain at least), as many televisions had at the time been bought or rented by households across the country in anticipation of the Queen's Coronation which took place a month later.
Blackpool graced the old First Division from the 1930s to the 1960s, subsequently sliding down to the Fourth Division before becoming the only club to get promoted from every division of the Football League by way of the play-off system, leading to them spending one season (2010-11) in the Premier League -- before going all the way back down to League Two. Currently in League One, having returned to the Championship before getting relegated again in 2023. Fierce rivals with Preston North End.
!!Bolton Wanderers
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bolton_wanderers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:We're the one and only Wanderers!]]
->'''Established:''' 1874 (as Christ Church F.C.)\\
'''Nickname:''' The Wanderers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Trotters.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Football Ventures\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ian Evatt\\
'''Current Captain:''' Antoni Sarcevic\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Toughsheet Community Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 28,723[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1922–23, 1925–26, 1928–29, 1957–58\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1908–09, 1977–78, & 1996–97 level 2 Champions; 1972–73 Third Division Champions; 1958 FA Charity Shield; 1988–89 & 2022–23 EFL Trophies; 1945 Football League War Cup
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, and the club that's spent the most seasons in the top flight without actually winning it. FA Cup winners four times, most recently in 1958. Home games at the University of Bolton Stadium (formerly the Reebok Stadium). Bolton alternated between the Championship and the Premier League in the 1990s, but had a more sustained run in the Prem in the 2000s under the management of Sam "Big Sam" Allardyce, qualifying for the UEFA Cup in 2005 by virtue of finishing sixth.
Have experienced severe financial difficulties since 2015, by which time they were back in the Championship; having gone into administration in 2019, the club was on the brink of extinction before being acquired by new owners. Relegated to League Two in 2020, but promoted back to League One the following season.
Rivals with most other Lancashire clubs - Blackburn Rovers, Bury, Oldham Athletic, etc.
!!AFC Bournemouth
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/afc_bournemouth.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The Red Flag a Bournemouth!]] %%sic
->'''Year Established:''' 1899\\
'''Kit:''' Red and black striped shirts\\
'''Nickname:''' The Cherries\\
'''Current Owner:''' Maxim Demin\\
'''Current Manager:''' Andoni Iraola\\
'''Current Captain:''' Neto\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Dean Court[[note]]Capacity: 11,464[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 15th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2014–15 EFL Championship; 1986–87 Third Division Championship; 1983–84 Associate Members' Cup; 1945–46 Third Division South Cup
----
South coast side which won the Championship in 2015, achieving promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club's history. Defied expectations of immediate relegation despite major injury problems. Despite a strong start to the (ultimately COVID-extended) 2019-20 season, more injuries and a run of poor form condemned them to the drop, before making an immediate return to the Premier League the following season (though within a few weeks of the new season, they lost ''[[CurbStompBattle 9-0]]'' to Liverpool).
They regard Southampton as their main rivals, although the rivalry means much less to Southampton fans. Mutual rivalry with Reading. Strongly dislike Leeds United fans, after a Bournemouth v Leeds game on the May Bank Holiday weekend in 1990 was accompanied by Leeds followers going on the rampage and smashing up the town (resulting in the Dorset Police not allowing Bournemouth to play any home games on Bank Holiday weekends for ''thirteen years'' after).
!!Brentford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brentford_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Buck up, B's!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bees\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Matthew Benham\\
'''Current Manager:''' Thomas Frank\\
'''Current Captain:''' Christian Nørgaard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Brentford Community Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 17,250[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 9th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1934–35 Second Division Champions; 1932–33 & 1991–92 Third Division Champions; 1962–63, 1998–99, & 2008–09 Fourth Division/League Two Champions; 1900–01 Southern League Second Division Champions; 1896–97 London League Second Division Champions; 1892–93 West London Alliance Champions; 1893–94 Middlesex Junior Cup; 1894–95 West Middlesex Cup; 1897–98 London Senior Cup; 1897–98 Middlesex Senior Cup; 1908–09 Southern Professional Charity Cup; 1910–11 Ealing Hospital Cup; 1934–35, 1964–65, & 1966–67 London Challenge Cup; 1928 Charity Fund Champions; 1918–19 London Combination Champions; 1941–42 London War Cup
----
West London club which maintains rivalries with near-neighbours Fulham and QPR. Spent much of their existence in the lower two Football League divisions, although they were in the First Division for several seasons... in the 1930s. For over a century, their home games were at Griffin Park -- a ground famous for having a pub on each corner -- until their move to the Brentford Community Stadium which was completed in 2020.
Promoted to the Championship in 2014 (having last graced the second level for a very brief period in the early 1990s), and made the play-offs in their first season in that division. They made the play-offs again in 2020, losing the final to Fulham. The following year, went one better -- beating Swansea City in the play-off final to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Although a bright PL season started to fizzle out in January, the team made headlines by giving a deal to Christian Eriksen, who had been able to return to football after making a full recovery from his horrible on-pitch cardiac arrest in Euro 2020, with a fitted cardioinverter device (he left his previous club Inter, as these devices are against Serie A rules, but fellow former Ajax player Daley Blind is another footballer that uses these, due to a heart condition).
Rock star Music/RodStewart trained with the club as a youth but was not given the chance to play even in a reserve team game so opted to concentrate on his music career.
!!Brighton & Hove Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brighton_&_hove_albion.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We all follow Brighton and Hove Albion!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1901\\
'''Nickname:''' The Seagulls\\
'''Kit:''' Blue (sometimes blue and white striped) shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Tony Bloom\\
'''Current Manager:''' Roberto de Zerbi\\
'''Current Captain:''' Lewis Dunk\\
'''Current Stadium:''' American Express Arena[[note]]Capacity: 30,750. Current Sponsor is American Express; sponsor-less name is Falmer Stadium. Before you ask, no, the stadium is not named after the [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim snow elves.]][[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 6th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1957–58, 2001–02, & 2010–11 third-level champions; 1964–65 & 2000–01 fourth-level champions; 1910 FA Charity Shield; 1942–43, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, & 2021–22 Sussex Senior Challenge Cups; 1959–60 & 1960–61 The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cups
----
Enjoyed prominence in the early 1980s, reaching the 1983 FA Cup final (which went to a replay before they lost to Manchester United). Subsequently slid down to the Fourth Division and narrowly avoided liquidation when their owners sold the ground to property developers, which required the club to play their home matches at Gillingham (some 70 miles from Brighton) for two seasons pending the upgrading of a local athletics stadium which served as their home until the new Falmer Stadium opened in 2011. The club have since progressed upwards, winning promotion to the Premier League in 2017 and, against expectations, staying there, with top-half finishes under Graham Potter and challenging for European qualification under Roberto de Zerbi.
Briefly attracted attention in the early 1990s for an ill-advised kit experiment with blue and white ''striped shorts''. They didn't catch on.
Fierce rivals of Crystal Palace, on the grounds that [[SillyReasonForWar they're the closest half-decent club]]. Palace fans reciprocate this and tend to regard Brighton as their main rivals, despite having several clubs of similar status much nearer.
Creator/DesLynam, who grew up in the area and got his first broadcasting job with [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Radio Brighton]], is a fan. So is Music/FatboySlim; his label, Skint Records, even sponsored the club during the Noughties.
!!Burnley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burnley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Forever and ever, we'll follow a team!\\
It's Burnley FC, we are supreme!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Clarets\\
'''Kit:''' Claret shirts with sky-blue sleeves\\
'''Current Owners:''' ALK Capital (majority); [[UsefulNotes/NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers J.J.]] and Kealia Watt (minority), Creator/DudePerfect (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Vincent Kompany\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jack Cork\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Turf Moor [[note]]Capacity 22,546[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 1st in Championship (promoted)\\
'''First Divison titles:''' 2; 1920–21, 1959–60\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1913–14\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1897–98, 1972–73, 2015–16, & 2022–23 Second Divisions/EFL Championships; 1981–82 Third Division Champions; 1991–92 Fourth Division Champions; 1960 & 1973 FA Charity Shields; 1991–92 Anglo-Scottish Cup
----
One of the first football clubs to turn professional (in 1883), and one of the twelve founder members of the Football League (which they've won it twice, the last time being in 1960). Notable for a pretty large fall from grace in the 1970s and 1980s, going from top-flight football to narrowly surviving relegation from the Football League.
Promoted to the Premiership in 2009 after winning the Championship play-offs, but dropped back to the Championship the next season. Stayed there until finishing second in 2013–14, earning a place in the Prem once again under Sean Dyche. They went straight back down but rebounded again after an unbeaten second half of the season, and survived 2016-17 in the Prem thanks to formidable home form, in a season in which they also became notable for the story of centre forward Andre Gray, who turned from a homophobic nutcase playing non-League football who'd survived a gangland stabbing, to a Premier League striker and a boyfriend of a Music/LittleMix member. Burnley sold Gray to Watford in 2017 for £20 million, in spite of his having scored just ten goals, admittedly for a side which took the fewest shots in the Prem that were not relegated. Relegated to the Championship in 2022 after six years in the Prem, they rebuilt in the Championship under the stewardship of Man City legend Vincent Kompany, whose fast-paced style of attacking football resulting in them achieving the earliest ever promotion in the league's history. Shortly after they secured promotion, they picked up a couple of high-profile minority investors, first former [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] great [[UsefulNotes/NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers J.J. Watt]] and his wife (and former US soccer international) Kealia and then the Creator/DudePerfect Web video group.
Fierce rivals with fellow East Lancashire side Blackburn Rovers.
Famous Burnley fans include [[UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} England cricketer]] James Anderson (who's from Burnley), [[UsefulNotes/CharlesIII His Majesty the King]] (apparently due to several of his charities operating in the area [[note]]the fact that Burnley wore the Royal coat-of-arms on their shirts in the late nineteenth century is probably coincidental[[/note]]) and Alistair Campbell, a key figure in the [[UsefulNotes/TonyBlair Blair government]] who has described Burnley being in the Premier League as an even greater achievement than the electoral landslide he helped Blair win in 1997.
Turf Moor is the only football ground in England that sells the French liqueur Bénédictine in its bars - a legacy of the First World War, during which soldiers of the East Lancashire Regiment who were stationed in the French town of Fécamp (which is where Bénédictine is made) developed a taste for "Béné and Hot" (basically, Bénédictine mixed with hot water). It's still popular with Burnley fans to this day.
!!Burton Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burton_albion_fc_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1950\\
'''Nickname:''' The Brewers; The Yellow and Black Army\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Ben Robinson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Martin Paterson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Pirelli Stadium [[note]]Capacity 6,912[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2014–15 League Two Champions; 2008–09 Conference Premier Champions; 2001–02 Northern Premier League Champions; 1963–64, 1996–97, 1999–2000 Southern League Cups; 1982–83 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup; 1955–56 Staffordshire Senior Cup; 1953–54 & 1996–97 Birmingham Senior Cups
----
A non-league club who started to get noticed in the late 1990s and early 2000s when they were managed by Nigel Clough (son of Brian); during his first spell in charge, they rose to the Conference and held Man United to a 0-0 draw in the third round of the 2006 FA Cup; subsequently, over 11,000 Burton fans (almost double the Pirelli Stadium's capacity!) went to Old Trafford for the replay (which they lost). Won promotion to the League in 2009, by which time Clough had gone to Derby County. Since then, they've risen as high as the Championship (during Clough's second spell in charge) although they were relegated to League One in 2018.
!!Bury
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bury02.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Shakers\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Football Supporters' Society of Bury Ltd.\\
'''Current Manager:''' Dave McNabb\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Gigg Lane [[note]]Capacity 12,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in North West Counties Football League\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1899–1900, 1902–03\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1894–95 Second Division Champions; 1960–61 & 1996–97 third-tier champions; 2021–22 North West Counties Football League Division One North Champions; 1904 Football World Championship
----
Lancashire side which won the FA Cup twice in the early 1900s [[note]] the second, a 6-0 win over Derby County in 1903, is still the record margin of victory in an FA Cup final and has only been equalled once, by Man City over Watford in 2019 [[/note]] and last graced the First Division in 1929. Finished 2018-19 as runners-up of League Two, thus earning promotion to League One, but were unable to begin the 2019-20 season due to long-standing financial difficulties, resulting in their expulsion from the Football League. The club subsequently went into administration, although in 2022 a group of fans bought the ground and the "Bury FC" trading name. Meanwhile, another group of fans set up a [[SpiritualSuccessor successor club]], Bury AFC. In the summer of 2023 the two groups merged.
Not to be confused with Bury Town, a non-league side from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
!!Corinthian-Casuals
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/corinthian_casuals_fc.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1939\\
'''Nickname:''' The Amateurs; The Chocolate & Pink\\
'''Kit:''' Brown and pink halved shirts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Brian Adamson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Barnes\\
'''Current Stadium:''' King George's Field [[note]]Capacity 2,000[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 21st in Isthmian League South Central Division (relegated)
----
Amateur side based in South London, formed in 1939 from the merger of two famous amateur clubs formed in the 1880s, Corinthian and (unsurprisingly) Casuals. The former in particular were famed for their sportsmanship and the fact that they only played for the love of the game, to the extent of not playing on Saturdays (so their players could play for other clubs) and refusing to participate in the FA Cup as that meant playing for a prize -- although they were as good as the top sides of the day [[note]] for example, shortly after Blackburn Rovers won the FA Cup in 1884, Corinthian played them in a friendly and beat them 8-1 [[/note]], and often contested the Charity Shield (for which they made an exception as the proceeds went to, well, charity) back when it was an amateurs versus professionals affair. Notable players included sporting polymath C.B. Fry [[note]] who represented England at [[UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} cricket]] ''and'' football, in addition to jointly holding the world record for the long jump -- and those are only ''his most notable'' sporting achievements [[/note]], a young Creator/CAubreySmith and Andrew Watson (the first black footballer to play at international level [[note]] although his three appearances for Scotland in the early 1880s predated his time with Corinthian [[/note]]). On two occasions, they provided ''all of the players'' for the England team [[note]] for the 1894 and 1895 fixtures against Wales [[/note]], a feat no other club has ever matched. They also helped to spread the game around the world, being the first football club to tour outside Europe; Corinthians, one of the most successful football clubs in Brazil, is named for them. This has led Corinthian-Casuals to tour Brazil several times in recent years; in 1989, the legendary Sócrates turned out for them in a friendly against their Brazilian near-namesakes (one of his former clubs). Currently in the Isthmian League (six or so divisions below the Premier League), a lone amateur survivor among semi-pro clubs.
Absolutely nothing to do with FootballHooligans, some of whom were referred to as '[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_(subculture) casuals]]' in the late 1970s and early 1980s on account of their dress sense, which favoured designer clothes over working-class clothing and club colours, making them less readily identifiable to the police.
!!Coventry City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coventry_city_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Let's all sing together,\\
Play up Sky Blues,\\
While we sing together,\\
We will never lose!]]
->'''Established:''' 1883\\
'''Nickname:''' The Sky Blues\\
'''Kit:''' All sky blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Doug King\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mark Robins\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Kelly\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Coventry Building Society Arena [[note]]Capacity: 32,609[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 9th in Championship\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1986–87\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1966–67 Second Division Champions; 1935–36, 1963–64, & 2019–20 Third Division/League One Champions; 2016–17 EFL Trophy; 1935–36 Third Division South Cup; 1910–11, 1922–23, & 2006–07 Birmingham Senior Cups; 1959–60 Southern Professional Floodlit Cup
----
West Midlands club, currently in the Championship after winning League One in 2020. Reached the First Division for the first time in the 1960s when Jimmy Hill was the manager (as well as changing the home kit to sky blue, he also wrote the club song - see above). Spent 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight before being relegated in 2001. Their only major honour is the FA Cup, which they won in 1987 by beating favourites Spurs. They suffered a heartbreaking loss in the 2023 Championship playoff final to Luton Town on penalties.
Coventry City used to play at Highfield Road (which became England's first all-seater stadium in 1981) but moved in 2005 to the Ricoh Arena (AKA the City of Coventry Stadium) - although following a protracted dispute over rent they left in 2013, playing their home games in Northampton for a year before returning. Ongoing disputes with the Ricoh's new owners, [[UsefulNotes/RugbyUnion rugby]] club Wasps, led City to move out again in 2019. After two seasons ground-sharing with Birmingham City, they reached an agreement with Wasps which allowed them to return to the Ricoh from 2021-22.
!!Crystal Palace
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crystal_palace_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We'll fight for you,\\
Famous red and blue,\\
Palace Boys are with you,\\
When you play!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1861\\
'''Nickname:''' The Eagles\\
'''Kit:''' Red and blue striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Steve Parish (Majority Shareholder), Joshua Harris and David S. Blitzer\\
'''Current Manager:''' Oliver Glasner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joel Ward\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Selhurst Park[[note]]Capacity: 25,073[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 11th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1978–79 & 1993–94 Second Division/EFL Championships; 1920–21 Third Division Champions; 1990–91 Full Members' Cup; 1940–41 Football League South Champions; 1939–40 Wartime South D League Champions
----
A South London club that's historically yo-yo'd between the top two divisions, although since getting promoted back to the Premier League in 2013 they've stayed there. Won the Full Members Cup [[note]] (a short-lived and often-overlooked extra knockout tournament created as an additional competition for First and Second Division clubs in the 1980s after English clubs were banned from European competition post-Heysel, and cancelled with the creation of the Premier League in 1992)[[/note]] in 1991 and have twice been FA Cup finalists, losing to Manchester United both times (1990 and 2016).
Fierce rivals of Brighton & Hove Albion. Neither set of fans likes this rivalry being referred to as the "M23 Derby" (quite possibly because the M23 only goes as far south as Crawley).
!!Derby County
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/derby_county_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:200:All teams who come here,\\
There's nowhere to hide,\\
Everyone is frightened,\\
Of that Derby pride.]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1884\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rams\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' David Clowes\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Warne\\
'''Current Captain:''' Curtis Davies\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Pride Park Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 33,597[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in League One (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1971–72, 1974–75\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1945–46\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1911–12, 1914–15, 1968–69, & 1986–87 Second Division Champions; 1956–57 Third Division North Champions; 1975 FA Charity Shield; 1971–72 Texaco Cup; 1970 Watney Cup
----
East Midlands club and one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. Champions twice in the 1970s (the first under Brian Clough, the second under ex-player Dave Mackay). To date, their last season in the Premier League was in 2007-08 when they managed just one win all season and were relegated with the Prem's lowest-ever points total. Relegated to League One in 2022 after a chaotic season spent mostly staring into the abyss, with money issues meaning they were unable to either sign new players or pay the ones they had, but played well enough under the management of England legend Wayne Rooney that they would've survived had they not been deducted 21 points (equivalent to 7 wins) as punishment for their financial mismanagement.
Long-standing rivals of Clough's ''other'' club, Nottingham Forest.
!!Forest Green Rovers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/forest_green_rovers_crestsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' Forest; The Green; FGR\\
'''Kit:''' Lime green and black striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Dale Vince\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steve Cotterill\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The New Lawn [[note]]Capacity: 141[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 24th in League Two (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2021–22 League Two champions; 1997–98 Southern League champions; 1996–97 Southern League South champions; 1981–82 Hellenic League champions; 1981–82 FA Vase
----
Gloucestershire team based in the small rural town of Nailsworth which, with with a population of just under 6,000, is the smallest place in England to hold a Football League match.
Under the ownership of green energy industrialist Dale Vince, FGR has attracted international attention for being the greenest football club in the world, having become the first carbon-neutral football club to be certified as such under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiative Climate Neutral Now. The pitch - which is certified organic thanks to the use of horse manure as a fertiliser - is cut using a solar-powered lawn-mower. The kit is made from made from a composite material consisting of recycled plastic and coffee grounds. The entire match-day menu is vegan (quite radical, given that meat pies have long been the most popular food item among football fans) and their players are encouraged to go vegetarian. Rivals with Cheltenham Town, a derby which is nicknamed "El Glosico" [[note]](a play on ''El Clásico'', the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid)[[/note]].
Made British football history in July 2023 when, following the departure of manager Duncan Ferguson, the club put academy manager Hannah Dingley in caretaker charge, thus making her the first woman to takes charge of a UK senior men's team. However, she was replaced by Dave Horseman before the season started.
!!Fulham
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fulham_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Craven Cottage, it is our home,\\
We are Fulham, we fight on our own!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Cottagers\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Shahid Khan\\
'''Current Manager:''' Marco Silva\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Cairney\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Craven Cottage[[note]]Capacity: 25,700[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in Premier League\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1948–49, 2000–01, & 2021–22 Second Division/Championship; 1931–32 & 1998–99 Third Division champions\\
'''European Trophies:''' 2002 Interto Cup
----
Historically a club of mixed fortunes, with periods of time in the top flight alternating between time spent in the lower divisions. No major honours, having been beaten finalists in the FA Cup (1975) and the Europa League (2010). Currently yo-yoing between the top two levels, having been promoted to the Premier League in 2020 but dropping right back to the Championship in 2021, only to be promoted back up to the Premier League for the 2022/23 season, where they will remain for 2023/24.
Wolfie Smith, of ''Series/CitizenSmith'' fame, was a fan and was often shown wearing a Fulham scarf.
Formerly owned by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Fayed, who commissioned a 7.5-ft statue of Music/MichaelJackson which stood at Craven Cottage until 2013, when Fayed sold the club and the new owners had it removed [[note]]Jackson, a friend of Fayed, did in fact attend one Fulham match, in 1999 (he also had links with Exeter City through another friend, [[SpoonBending Uri Geller]])[[/note]].
Speaking of those new owners, they're Pakistan-born American auto parts billionaire Shahid Khan and his son Tony. The Khans also own the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL's]] Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling (the latter run day-to-day by Tony).
Since 2016, Craven Cottage has been graced by a statue of George Cohen, the only Fulham player in England's 1966 World Cup winning team. Fulham have also named their hospitality section after him and his winner's medal is on display (the club having bought it from him in 1998).
!!Hartlepool United
[[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hartlepool_united_fc_logo_2017.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Pools; The Monkey Hangers[[note]]a nickname given to people from Hartlepool in general, derives from a possibly apocryphal incident during the Napoleonic Wars involving the people of the town capturing a monkey that had survived a shipwreck off the coast, accusing it of being a French spy and - when it proved strangely unable to deny this - hanging it. The club's mascot is called H'Angus the Monkey as a result. In 2002 H'Angus - or rather, Stuart Drummond, the man in the costume - ran for election as Mayor of Hartlepool and, to the bemusement of many, ''[[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer actually won]]''. He ended up serving three terms, only standing down when the people of Hartlepool voted to abolish the elected mayoralty[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' All blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Raj Singh\\
'''Current Manager:''' Darren Saril\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Victoria Park[[note]]Capacity: 7,858[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 12th in National League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1904–05 FA Amateur Cup; 1908–09, 1909–10, 1956–57, 1957–58, & 2004–05 Durham Challenge Cups
----
No major honours, although they did make the League One play-off final in 2005. Dropped into non-league football in 2017, won promotion back to League Two in 2021. Well known by viewers of ''Series/SoccerSaturday'' as being the team that Jeff Stelling supports... sometimes, quite vocally. Music/MeatLoaf, Jannick Gers from IronMaiden and Creator/RidleyScott are also fans.
!!Hereford United / Hereford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hereford_united_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:[[labelnote:Click for Hereford badge]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hu_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1924 (Hereford FC founded 2014)\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bulls\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Chris Ammonds\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Caddis\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Edgar Street[[note]]Capacity: 5,250[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 11th in National League North\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1975–76 Third Division champions; 2017–18 Southern League Premier champions; 2016–17 Southern League Division One champions; 2015–16 Midland League Premier champions; 1989–90 Welsh Cup; 1951–52, 1956–57, 1958–59 Southern League Cup; 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 Herefordshire County Cups; 2015–16 Midland Football League Cup
----
Came to national attention in 1972 for the most famous act of [[DavidVersusGoliath giant-killing]] in the history of the UsefulNotes/TheFACup when they beat Newcastle United 2-1 in a third round replay. At the time, Newcastle were in the First Division and Hereford were ''non-league''. Ronnie Radford, scorer of Hereford's first goal (which levelled the scores, forcing the match into extra time) [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun got interviewed every January]] (the month when the cup's third round matches are played) for the next five decades; the match also proved to be a StarMakingRole for John Motson who was commentating on it for ''Series/MatchOfTheDay''.
Hereford got elected to the League that summer, and reached the Second Division for one season in 1976/77, but went down to the Conference after 25 years of League membership; after a brief stint back in the League in the mid-2000s, the club was dissolved in 2014. A successor club, Hereford, currently plays in the National League North.
!!Huddersfield Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/huddersfield_town_afc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:So Town play up, and bring the Cup\\
Back to Huddersfield!]]
->'''Established:''' 1908\\
'''Nickname:''' The Terriers\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Phil Hodgkinson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Andre Breitenreiter\\
'''Current Captain:''' Christopher Schindler\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kirklees Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 24,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 23rd in Championship (relegated)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1921–22\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1969–70 Second Division champions; 1982–83 Third Division champions; 1979–80 Fourth Division champions; 1922 FA Charity Shield
----
Yorkshire side who were ''the'' dominant team in English football... in the 1920s, when they became the first side ever to win the League three times in a row. Flitted between the top two divisions in the 1950s and 1960s, during which they were managed by a pre-Liverpool Bill Shankly and were Denis Law's first club (the sale of him to Manchester City paid for their ground's first floodlights). Following relegation in 1972, Huddersfield bounced between the lower three divisions before winning the Championship play-offs in 2017, giving them Premier League status; they lasted two seasons before being relegated. Notable for being only the second team (after Blackpool) to win the play-offs for all three Football League divisions.
Famous fans over the years have included UsefulNotes/HaroldWilson (who was from Huddersfield) and Creator/PatrickStewart (who's from nearby Mirfield).
!!Ipswich Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ipswich_townsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Uppa Towen!]]
->'''Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues, The Tractor Boys\\
'''Kit:''' All blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Gamechangers 20 Ltd. (Majority Shareholders) and Marcus Evans\\
'''Current Manager:''' Kieran [=McKenna=]\\
'''Current Captain:''' Luke Chambers\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Portman Road [[note]]Capacity: 30,311[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in Championship (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1961–62\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1977–78\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1960–61, 1967–68, & 1991–92 Second Division champions; 1953–54 & 1956–57 Third Division South champions; 1936–37 Southern League champions; 1972–73 Texaco Cup\\
'''European Trophies;''' 1980–81 UEFA Cup
----
A team from the largely rural county of Suffolk (hence the "Tractor Boys" nickname) who enjoyed two brief periods of success, one in the early 1960s (they won the League in 1962), the other in the late 1970s and early 1980s (winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981). This is not unrelated to the fact that two of England's most successful national managers - Sir Alf Ramsey (who won the World Cup in 1966) and Sir Bobby Robson (who reached the World Cup semi-finals in 1990) - both began their managerial careers at Ipswich. Fierce rivals with Norwich City, with whom they contest the East Anglia Derby.
Also noted for the fact that several of their players appeared in ''Film/EscapeToVictory''.
More ignominiously, Ipswich are the joint-record holders (along with Southampton and Bournemouth) of the worst defeat in the Premier League (''9-0''), having been beaten by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United by that score in 1995.
Famous fans include Music/EdSheeran, who has sometimes evoked the town and its local A-road in his songs, even doing so during his opening verse in an Music/{{Eminem}} collaboration. In 2021 he sponsored the team, with his tour sponsoring their shirts, and did promotions at Portman Road.
!!Leeds United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leeds_united_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Marching On Together!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Peacocks[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Whites[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' All-white\\
'''Current Owners:''' 49ers Enterprises[[note]]Yes, ''[[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague those]]'' 49ers; see more below.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Daniel Farke\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Cooper\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Elland Road[[note]]Capacity: 37,890[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1968–69, 1973–74, 1991–92\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1971–72\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1923–24, 1963–64, 1989–90, 2019–20 Second Division/Championships; 1967–68 Leagues Cup; 1969 & 1992 FA Charity Cups\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1967–68 & 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups
----
One of the powerhouses of English football in the 1960s and 1970s under Don Revie, albeit with a ''very'' bad reputation for foul play which led many to know them as "Dirty Leeds". Their all-white kit dates back to his tenure; he had the kit changed in emulation of Real Madrid, the leading club in Europe at the time. Under Revie, Leeds won the League twice, the Fairs Cup twice [[note]] this was the forerunner of the UEFA Cup [[/note]] and the FA and League Cups once each, but were also League runners-up ''five times'' and FA Cup finalist twice. After Revie's departure they reached the European Cup final but lost thanks to what Leeds fans still see as dubious refereeing (they had two penalty appeals turned down and a goal disallowed), with subsequent rioting by fans leading to the club being banned from European competitions for several years.
More recently, Leeds won the League in 1992 (the last season before the Premier League began), but some overambitious financial planning in the early 2000s almost ruined the club completely and saw most of the best players leave; building up large debts in an attempt to invest heavily and suffering financial meltdown as a result is now known as "Doing a Leeds" as a result of this. Leeds have started to climb back up the leagues after briefly playing in the third tier.
Although they were separated by one or two divisions from 2004 to 2020, Leeds holds a strong historical rivalry with Manchester United, dating back from the days when Man U was still Newton Heath and Leeds was a new football team in a rugby town. This rivalry is very unique in English football as it is not based on territorial affiliation or club success but on a historical basis: [[FauxSymbolism Manchester United represents Lancashire and plays in a red kit, while Leeds represents Yorkshire and wears white]], an allusion to a [[UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses particular conflict in British history involving the ruling noble families of the two England counties fighting for the Throne.]]
Despite this gap, they still consider themselves as arch-rivals with Manchester United and Liverpool. Younger fans of both teams are generally left puzzled as to who Leeds actually are. Older fans and the better informed, meanwhile, think that it's hilarious, though Liverpool fans gained something of a grudging respect for Leeds early in the 2020-21 season when the newly promoted side came to Anfield and played with an astonishing lack of a fear for a newly promoted team visiting the defending champions in a stadium they hadn't lost in for over three years - a record that Leeds then nearly broke.
In 2018, after a poor start to the calendar year derailed their promotion hopes, they attracted derision for the EpicFail of a bizarre centenary badge with a fan doing the "Leeds Salute", which involves beating the chest, which was reconsidered a few hours after being unveiled. Despite this, and the sacking of their manager Paul Heckingbottom, the club surprised everyone by signing Marcelo Bielsa, who led Athletic Bilbao to the 2012 Europa League final. Thanks to Bielsa's charismatic leadership, Leeds went through a blistering start to their 2018-19 season, which culminated in a playoff spot finish. However, they lost their chances to promotion after faltering 4-2 at home against Derby County in the playoff semi-finals. That setback only made Bielsa and the Peacocks more determined, though, as they dominated the Championship for the entirety of 2019-20 season to finally punch their ticket back to the Premier League after a 16-year absence. Their attacking flair and complete lack of fear has made them a neutrals' favourite.
''Literature/{{The Damned U|nited}}td'' and its film adaptation, ''The Damned United'', depict the brief 44-day period in 1974 where the club was managed by legendary coach Brian Clough (who had had previous success with Derby and would go onto subsequent success at Nottingham Forest, but who was loathed by many in Leeds for his criticism of the team under Revie).
!!Luton Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luton_town.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Everywhere we go,\\
Everywhere we go,\\
It's the Luton boys making all the noise,\\
Everywhere we go!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Hatters\\
'''Kit:''' Orange shirts, navy shorts (although they have sometimes worn white shirts as their home kit)\\
'''Current Owner:''' Luton Town Football Club 2020 Ltd.[[note]]Chairman is David Wilkinson[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Rob Edwards\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Lockyer\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kenilworth Road [[note]]Capacity: 10,356[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 3rd in Championship (won Playoff, promoted)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1981–82 Second Division champions; 1936–37, 2004–05, & 2018–19 Third Division/League One Champions; 1967–68 Fourth Division champions; 2013–14 Conference Premier champions; 1987–88 Football League Cup; 2008–09 Football League Trophy
----
Bedfordshire club which had its most successful period in the 1980s when they got promoted to the First Division in 1982 and won the League Cup in 1988. At that time, though, Luton became infamous for banning away fans from Kenilworth Road following a riot that broke out at an FA Cup tie against Millwall; for the home fans, chairman David Evans brought in a membership scheme under which they would only be allowed into the ground if they were carrying a membership card (something which the [[UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher Thatcher government]] attempted to impose nationwide as a way of combatting football hooliganism). Although the away fan ban was successful from a policing point of view, it was dropped in 1990.
From 2006 onwards, financial difficulties caused the Hatters to fall from the Championship to the Conference, non-league status being assured after they were docked 30 points for financial irregularities in 2008-09, guaranteeing that they finished the season at the bottom of League Two. Luton thereafter spent five seasons in non-league football, during which they performed a ''bona fide'' act of giant-killing in the FA Cup by knocking out Premier League Norwich City in in 2013. Luton won the Conference in 2013–14, securing promotion back into the Football League. More success followed, with Luton winning successive promotions in 2017–18 and 2018–19, sending them back to the Championship. This was capped off by Luton winning the 2023 Championship playoff final over Coventry on penalties, completing a move from non-league to the Premier League in nine years. Of note: (1) Luton's ground of Kenilworth Road is the smallest ever to host Premier League football. (2) Luton midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu became the first player ever to rise from non-league to the Prem without changing clubs.
[[Creator/MorecambeAndWise Eric Morecambe]] was a fan, at one point serving as a club director [[note]] although he was from [[OopNorth the North of England]], he lived in Harpenden, which isn't far from Luton, for many years [[/note]].
Bitter rivals of Watford; games between the two sides -- which have been rare in recent years due to the clubs being in different divisions -- rarely pass without incident.
!!Middlesbrough
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/middlesbrough_fc_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We're the Red Army from Middlesbrough!]]
->'''Established:''' 1876\\
'''Nickname:''' The Boro; The Smoggies\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Steve Gibson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Michael Carrick\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jonny Howson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Riverside Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 34,742[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 8th in Championship\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1926–27, 1928–29, 1973–74, & 1994–95 Second Division/Championships; 1893–94, 1894–95, & 1896–97 Northern League Champions; 2003–04 League Cup; 1894–95 & 1897–98 FA Amateur Cups; 1975–76 Anglo-Scottish Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 1980 Kirin Cup
----
North Yorkshire club, currently playing in the Championship. League Cup winners in 2004 - their only major honour, although they've also been FA Cup and UEFA Cup finalists (in 1997 and 2006, respectively). Have tended to alternate between the top two divisions, coming to national attention for several high-profile foreign signings in the mid-1990s when they were managed by former England captain Bryan Robson - a period which saw them reach both major cup finals and get relegated in the same season. Last graced the Premier League in 2016-17.
The club occasionally falls victim to the AcquiredErrorAtThePrinter trope, with tickets sometimes referring to them as "Middlesborough", as was the case for the 2015 Championship Play-Off Final.
!!Millwall
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/millwall_fc_logo_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:"No-one likes us, no-one likes us, no-one likes us, we don't care..."]]
->'''Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Lions\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Millwall Holdings\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neil Harris\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Den [[note]]Capacity: 20,146[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 13th in Championship\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1987–88 Second Division champions; 1927–28, 1937–38, & 2000–01 Third Division/League One champions; 1961–62 Fourth Division champions; 1907–08 & 1908–09 Western Football League champions; 1894–95 & 1895–96 Southern Football League champions; 1982–83 Football League Trophy
----
Modestly successful Championship side, famous mostly for their rowdy fanbase and extremely violent hooligan firm, the Bushwhackers, fictionalized in films like ''Film/GreenStreet'' and ''Film/TheFootballFactory''. It was crowd trouble by Millwall fans that led to Luton's infamous away fan ban (see above). Their biggest successes were a two-year spell in the top flight back in the 1980s and reaching the FA Cup Final in 2004, losing comfortably to Manchester United. They currently play in the Championship after winning the 2016-17 League One play-off.
In recent years, the traditional "violent Millwall fan" image has begun to become a bit stale, as violence has largely decreased. Frustration at media demonization led to the club's famous chant (see above, sung to the tune of "Sailing").
!!Newcastle United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newcastle_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I went to Blaydon Races,\\
'Twas on the Ninth of June...]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1892\\
'''Nickname:''' The Magpies[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as "The Toon".[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Black and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Public Investment Fund[[note]]Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, chairman is Mohammed bin Salman[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Eddie Howe\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jamaal Lascelles\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St James' Park[[note]]Capacity: 52,338[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 4th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–27\\
'''FA Cups:''' 6; 1909–10, 1923–24, 1931–32, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1964–65, 1992–93, 2009–10, & 2016–17 Second Division/Championships; 1909 FA Charity Shield\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
----
[[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut Perennial underachievers - always looking good on paper but never ''quite'' translating it to success on the pitch.]] Vocal and passionate support in sufficient numbers (their fans are known as "The Toon Army") to still describe themselves as a "big club", even though their last major honours consist of the Intertoto Cup in 2006 [[note]] a Europe-wide pre-qualifying tournament for the UEFA Cup for teams that just missed out on qualifying automatically[[/note]] and before that the Texaco Cup in 1975 [[note]] an innovative attempt at a tournament involving clubs from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which didn't last, ultimately morphing into the Anglo-Scottish Cup before being disbanded. Prince William has suggested establishing a tournament on similar lines, but no-one else seems interested[[/note]], and some would say that's stretching it. They won the Fairs Cup (forerunner of the Europa League) in 1969, but last won the League in 1927 and the FA Cup in 1955. They came close to winning the League again in the mid-1990s under Kevin Keegan, coming second in 1995-96 (despite having a 12-point lead at Christmas) and 1996-97, and subsequently reaching the FA Cup Final in 1998 and 1999 (they lost 2-0 both times, to Arsenal and Man U respectively). Nevertheless, despite a long period of not winning anything, they still maintain the seventh largest club stadium in the UK; Americans, imagine a stadium slightly bigger than that of the New York Yankees! Which is consistently packed out every season. Put simply, in Newcastle you can't be considered a true Geordie unless you support the team. Well-known fans include UsefulNotes/TonyBlair, [[Music/DireStraits Mark Knopfler]], [[Music/{{ACDC}} Brian Johnson]], Music/{{Sting}}, [[https://www.youtube.com/c/WillNE WillNE]] and - venturing into the realms of fiction - [[ComicBook/{{Viz}} Sid the Sexist]].
Until recently the club was owned by Mike Ashley, a London businessman who did not turn up to matches on the reasonable grounds that the fans hated him and would quite happily lynch him. Officially renaming St James' Park "The Sports Direct Arena" was not calculated to go down well. That said, it didn't seem to matter, since even the BBC quickly stopped bothering to call it that and usually referred to it as St James' Park. This all changed in October 2021, when the club was officially bought by the Public Investment Fund of UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia, a deal that made them overnight the richest club in the world by a considerable margin[[note]]For comparison, Man City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed has a net worth of 23.2 billion pounds, while the PIF has a net worth of ''325 billion.''[[/note]] but was also the source of considerable controversy due to the Saudi government's numerous human rights violations. The general consensus among Newcastle fans is that while the PIF share similar controversies and are just as shady as most other bank-rolling club owners, [[GodzillaThreshold the situation around the club became so dire under Ashley that they would have accepted any offer just to get him out.]]
Playing wise, they are - or were - considered a dark horse team and incredibly strong at home. In the 2008–09 season their manager quit seemingly over the notably miserly transfer policy. Despite a valiant effort by former player Alan Shearer, who managed them for the last eight games of the season, they were relegated on the last day. Under new management (although not new owners), they are now back in the top flight, and broke through in 2022–23 with a top-four finish, giving their long-suffering fans the thrill of Champions League football in 2023–24.
!!Norwich City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwich_city_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:On the Ball, City]]
->'''Established:''' 1902\\
'''Nickname:''' The Canaries\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, green shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Creator/DeliaSmith, Michael Wynn-Jones and Michael Foulger\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Wagner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Grant Hanley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Carrow Road[[note]]Capacity: 27,010[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in Championship\\
'''Trophies:''' 1971–72, 1985–86, 2003–04, 2018–19, & 2020–21 Second Division/Championship titles; 1933–34 & 2009–10 Third Division South/League One champions; 1961–62 & 1984–85 Football League Cups
----
The only professional football team in the county of Norfolk, Norwich City have only spent one season outside the top two tiers since 1960 but the only major competition they've won is the League Cup in 1962 (when none of the big teams entered) and 1985 (when they and defeated finalists Sunderland were both relegated). The club had the misfortune to have their most successful period in the late 1980s and early 1990s when English clubs were banned from European competition (any article on Norwich in Europe inevitably includes a list of the seasons they ''should'' have qualified), but did manage a single season in the UEFA Cup in 1993-94, where they had the satisfaction of knocking out German giants [[UsefulNotes/EuroFooty Bayern Munich]] (who had bemused everyone by dubbing [[UsefulNotes/EastAnglia Norwich]] a small village of mustard farmers). The club's anthem, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPVn9eLOkF0 On the Ball City]]", is considered the oldest football anthem still in use. Have a fierce local rivalry with Ipswich Town from the neighbouring county. The fact that Norwich's local rivals are 45 miles away gives an indication of how isolated the city is.
Entered popular culture by playing a supporting role in the film ''Film/MikeBassettEnglandManager'', although the scenes set in Norwich were filmed nowhere near the city, to the locals' annoyance.
Norwich City has a surprisingly high number of celebrity board members. The majority shareholder since 1996 is Creator/DeliaSmith, and Creator/StephenFry was a director for a time. Between 2015 and 2018, the club's chairman was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Balls Ed Balls]]. If American readers don't realise how weird that is, imagine the running mate of the defeated presidential candidate quitting politics to run a sports team in his home town with a celebrity chef and a comedian.
Norwich were the first team to top the Premier League, beating Arsenal 4-2 on the opening weekend of the 1992/93 season after being 2-0 down at half-time. It isn't just a quirk of history either: They were also the first team to be top at Christmas, and were still title contenders at the end of March, only to lose 3-1 to eventual champions Manchester United. They ultimately finished 3rd (still their highest league place) and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Since then, they have been relegated from the Premier League six times, most recently in 2022. Their status as a yo-yo team between the Premier League and Championship is underlined by their having been either promoted or relegated in four consecutive seasons until 2022/23 ended the run.
!!Nottingham Forest
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nottingham_forest.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:Forest, ever Forest,\\
All our hopes are with you,\\
True supporters forever,\\
'til our days are through!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1865\\
'''Nickname:''' The Forest[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Reds or the Tricky Trees.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Evangelos Marinakis\\
'''Current Manager:''' Nuno Espirito Santo\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joe Worrall\\
'''Current Stadium:''' City Ground[[note]]Capacity: 30,576[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 16th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1977–78\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1897–98, 1958–59\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1906–07, 1921–22, & 1997–98 Second Division/Championships; 1950–51 Third Division South champions; 1977–78, 1978–79, 1988–89, & 1989–90 Football League Cups; 1978 FA Charity Shield; 1988–89 & 1991–92 Full Members' Cups\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1978–79 & 1979–80 European Cups; 1979 European Super Cups; 1980 Intercontinental Cup
----
Enjoyed a few years of success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning the League (once) and the European Cup (twice) under the inspirational leadership of Brian Clough. Relegated in the 1990s, and have since yo-yoed between the second and third tiers, before getting promoted back to the Premier League in 2022, where they then broke a record for signing the most players in one transfer window (22). Notable for being the only club to have won the European Cup more often than their own national league (this was in the days when only the League Champions qualified for it; second time around, Forest qualified by virtue of having won it), and also for being the only European Cup winners to have been relegated to their country's third tier.
Fierce rivals with fellow-East Midlanders Derby County.
!!Notts County
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/notts_county_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1862\\
'''Nickname:''' The Magpies[[note]]although unlike Newcastle United, it's sometimes shortened to "The Pies".[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Black and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Alexander & Christoffer Reedtz\\
'''Current Manager:''' Stuart Maynard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Meadow Lane[[note]]Capacity: 19,841[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 14th in League Two\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1893–94\\
'''Other Domestic Titles:''' 1896–97, 1913–14, & 1922–23 Second Division champions; 1930–31 & 1949–50 Third Division South champions; 1970–71, 1997–98, & 2009–10 Fourth Division/League Two champions\\
'''European Titles:''' 1994–95 Anglo-Italian Cup
----
The oldest professional club in the world, [[OlderThanRadio formed in 1862]], they were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. Despite repeatedly being relegated to the bottom League division (now League Two), the club had never been non-league until 2019. Notts County have accumulated a large amount of trivia over their 150-year existence:
* Famous [[UsefulNotes/EuroFooty Italian club Juventus]] were gifted a set of old Notts County shirts when their old (pink!) shirts faded; Juve have played in black-and-white stripes ever since.
* The stadium at which Notts County play their home games, Meadow Lane, is the shortest distance in the English League from another stadium, the other being the City Ground, home of [[TheRival Nottingham Forest]] [[note]] for the shortest distance between stadia in the UK as a whole, see under Dundee and Dundee United in the Scotland section [[/note]].
* County fans like to sing about being "the only football team in Nottingham", since (despite the name) the City Ground actually lies outside the city's boundaries, in the neighbouring borough of Rushcliffe on the other side of the River Trent.
* Notts County have changed divisions within the English League more times than any other league club, most recently getting relegated back to League Two during the 2014-15 season.
* Most recently the club shocked the football world by hiring former England Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson as Director of Football as well as signing England defender Sol Campbell, having seemingly been [[ItSeemedLikeaGoodIdeaattheTime taken over by a group of wealthy investors from the Middle East]]; [[BasedOnAGreatBigLie however, this turned out to be a fraud on a large scale and the club was sold to current owner Ray Trew for a nominal fee in late 2009. Police fraud investigations continue into these affairs.]] However, [[BigDamnHeroes Trew]] has thankfully since been able to bring spiralling debt under control, avoid administration, attain promotion and relative stability, as well as some notable cup runs.
* Alas, in 2017 Trew sold the club to Alan Hardy, under whose eventful stewardship they were relegated from League Two in 2019, becoming a non-league side for the first time since they were founded over 150 years ago.
* While competing in the National League (the fifth tier of English football), they had an incredible 2022/23 season, getting a record 107 points... [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter only to not get automatically promoted, as Wrexham had gotten ''111'' points]]. They still [[EarnYourHappyEnding got their happy ending]] by winning the promotion playoffs to snag the second promotion spot to League Two.
* Major rivals are Forest (of course) and, as a result of the two Nottingham clubs not having been in the same division for many years, Mansfield Town (which is also in the county of Nottinghamshire). However, during to the 2022/23 season, a rivalry developed between Notts County and Wrexham; the backlash against the hype surrounding the Welsh club following the success of ''Series/WelcomeToWrexham'' seemed to naturally coalesce around Wrexham's main promotion rivals. When a County supporters' group was asked to provide a profile of the club by the documentary's makers, they responded: "No. Shove your shite documentary up your arse", which everyone involved deemed to be ActuallyPrettyFunny. So too was the (entirely unfounded) tabloid rumour that Music/TaylorSwift was interested in buying Notts County as a result of the success of the Wrexham documentary.
!!Oxford United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oxford_united_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We all live in a yellow submarine...]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1893\\
'''Nickname:''' The U's, Yellows\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts and blue shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Erick Thohir & Anindya Bakrie\\
'''Current Manager:''' Des Buckingham\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kassam Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 12,500[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1984–85 Second Division champions; 1967–68 & 1983–84 Third Division champions; 2015–16 League Two champions; 1952–53, 1960–61, & 1961–62 Southern League champions; 1985–86 League Cup; 1952–53 & 1953–54 Southern League Cups
----
Elected to the Football League in 1962 as replacements for Accrington Stanley, they began a steady rise through the divisions that saw them spend two seasons in the top flight during the 1980s. It was followed by a steady fall through the divisions that saw them relegated from the Football League in 2006 to be replaced by ... Accrington Stanley. They regained their league status in 2010 and currently play in the third tier.
During their relatively short stay in the First Division, they won the League Cup in 1986. Their chairman during this period was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell Robert Maxwell]]. Yes, [[Film/TomorrowNeverDies THAT Robert Maxwell]]. This made them the first winner of a major English trophy to be relegated to non-league.
Since they're the only league team in Oxfordshire, their main rivalries are with teams from counties that border it, notably Reading (Berkshire) and Swindon Town (Wiltshire).
!!Portsmouth
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portsmouth_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Play up, Pompey!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1898\\
'''Nickname:''' Pompey\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts, red socks\\
'''Current Owner:''' Michael Eisner\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Mousinho\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Naylor\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Fratton Park [[note]]Capacity 21,063[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st in League One (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1948–49, 1949–50\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1938–39, 2007–08\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 2002–03 Second Division champions; 1923–24, 1961–62, 1982–83, & 2023–24 Third Division/League One Champions; 2016–17 League Two champions; 1901–02 & 1919–20 Southern League First Division champions; 1900–01, 1901–02, & 1902–03 Western League First Division champions; 1949 FA Charity Shield; 2018–19 EFL Trophy; 1902–03, 1912–13, 1951–52, & 1986–87 Hampshire Senior Cups
----
Had a strong spell either side of World War II, winning the FA Cup in 1939 and the League in 1949 and 1950. They faded away until the mid-2000s, when they reached the Premier League, quickly establishing themselves before winning the FA Cup in 2008, qualifying for Europe for the first time. Severe financial problems set in the following year, however, with Portsmouth's ownership becoming chaotic and often-changing (at one point being bought by [[TheGhost Ali Al-Faraj]], a mysterious man who ''may not even exist'') and the clubultimately ended up sliding down the divisions until they reached League Two in 2013-14, spending four seasons there before rebounding. Currently owned by controversial former {{Creator/Disney}} CEO Michael Eisner. Strong rivalry with Southampton.
!!Preston North End
[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/preston_north_end_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1880\\
'''Nickname:''' The Lillywhites, The Invincibles\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Wordon Limited\\
'''Current Captain:''' Ryan Lowe\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Deepdale [[note]]Capacity 23,404[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 10th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1888–89, 1889–90\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1888–89, 1937–38\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1903–04, 1912–13, & 1950–51 Second Division champions; 1970–71 & 1999–2000 Third Division/League One champions; 1995–96 Fourth Division champions; 1940–41 Football League War Cup; 1886–87, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1899–1900, 1938–39, & 1996–97 Lancashire Senior Cups
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League and the first Champions... and, since they won the FA Cup in the same season (1888-89), the first club to do the "Double". Their last major success was winning the FA Cup in 1938, and they haven't graced the top division since 1961. Deepdale, their ground, used to be the home of the National Football Museum (which moved to Manchester in 2012).
Their most famous ex-player is Sir Tom Finney, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest-ever footballers; in 2004, a statue of him called "The Splash" was unveiled outside Deepdale [[note]] it was inspired by a famous photo that showed him beating two Chelsea defenders on a waterlogged Stamford Bridge pitch in 1956[[/note]]. Bill Shankly, a team-mate of Finney's at Preston before he went on to manage Liverpool, once said of him that he "would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age - even if he had been wearing an overcoat".
Strong rivalry with Blackpool (called "The Donkey Lashers" by PNE fans).
!!Queens Park Rangers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/queens_park_rangers_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We are the Rangers Boys!\\
Stand up and make some noise!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rangers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Hoops.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white hooped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Tony Fernandes, Ruben Gnanalingam and Lakshmi Mittal\\
'''Current Manager:''' Marti Cifuentes\\
'''Current Captain:''' Geoff Cameron\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Loftus Road Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 18,489[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 18th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1975–76\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1982–83 & 2010–11 Second Division/Championships; 1947–48 & 1966–67 Third Division champions; 1907–08 & 1911–12 Southern League Champions; 1905–06 Western League Champions; 1966–67 League Cup
----
West London club, currently playing in the Championship at Loftus Road - which since 2019 has been named the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium in honour of a charity which aims to combat knife crime and youth violence; Kiyan Prince was a promising youth team prospect at QPR who was fatally stabbed in 2006, aged 15. League Cup winners in 1967. Rivals with the three other West London clubs - Brentford, Chelsea and Fulham (of which, QPR fans regard Chelsea as their "main" rivals). Have tended to go back and forth between the top two divisions, last gracing the Premier League in 2014-15.
!!Reading
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reading_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:In Dublin's fair city,\\
Where girls are so pretty,\\
I first set my eyes on Sweet Molly Malone!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1871\\
'''Nickname:''' The Royals\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white hooped shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ruben Selles\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Moore\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Madejski Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 24,161[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2005–06 & 2011–12 Championships; 1925–26 (South), 1985–86, & 1993–94 Third Division champions; 1978–79 Fourth Division champions; 1987–88 Full Members' Cup; 1941 London War Cup; 1938 Third Division South Cup; 1995–96 & 2021–22 EFL Trophies;
----
Established in 1871 which makes it one of the oldest football clubs in England [[note]] but not ''the'' oldest -- for that, see Notts County above [[/note]] but it didn't join the Football League until 1921 when the Third Division South was created. Made their first appearance in the top flight in 2006-07, where they defied predictions of relegation ... for one season, going back down to the Championship in 2008. Subsequently promoted back to the Premier League in 2012, this time lasting in the top flight for just the one season.
!!Rotherham United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rotherham_united_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1871\\
'''Nickname:''' The Millers\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Tony Stewart\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steve Evans\\
'''Current Stadium:''' New York Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 12,021[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 24th in Championship (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1950–51 & 1980–81 Third Division champions; 1988–89 Fourth Division champions; 1995–96 & 2021–22 EFL Trophies; 1945–46 Football League Third Division North Cup
----
South Yorkshire club which plays its home games at the New York Stadium ([[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer yes, really]] -- the land on which the stadium stands was previously occupied by the Guest & Chrimes Foundry which used to make the fire hydrants for New York City). Formed as the result of a merger between two Rotherham clubs in 1925. Beaten finalists in the first-ever League Cup final (in 1961; they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Aston Villa [[note]] originally, even the League Cup final was played over two legs, home and away; the final switched to a single match at Wembley in 1967 [[/note]]). They've spent much of their existence going between the Third and Fourth Divisions (Leagues One and Two in modern parlance), although in recent years they've been moving between the Championship and League One.
!!Salford City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salford_city_fc_crestsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1940\\
'''Nickname:''' The Ammies\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Project 92 Limited\\
'''Current Head Coach:''' Karl Robinson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Moor Lane [[note]]Capacity: 5,106[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2017–18 National League North champions; 2014–15 Northern Premier League Division One North champions; 2019–20 EFL Trophy; 1977–78 & 1978–79 Manchester Premier Cups
----
Lower-league Manchester club, noted for being taken over by several former Manchester United players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes) in 2014; as a result, the club featured prominently in the [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] documentary ''Class of 92: Out of Their League''. Won promotion to the Football League for the first time in 2019.
!!Sheffield United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheffield_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh Sheffield United,\\
Come thrill me again!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blades\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Abdullah bin Musa'ed\\
'''Current Manager:''' Chris Wilder\\
'''Current Captain:''' John Egan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bramall Lane [[note]]Capacity: 32,702[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 18th, 19th, or 20th (relegated)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1897–98\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1898–99, 1901–02, 1914–15, 1924–25\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1952–53 Second Division champions; 2016–17 League One champions; 1981–82 Fourth Division champions; 1945–46 Football League North champions
----
This Yorkshire team have played in all four divisions and are one of just four clubs to have actually finished top of all four of them (their one League Championship came back in 1898). Gained promotion back to the Premier League in 2019 after a twelve-year absence, getting relegated in 2022, before returning straight back for the 2023/24 season. Fierce rivals with Sheffield Wednesday with whom they contest the Steel City Derby. As of the end of 2018-19 - the last time the two sides were in the same division - United have won 46 of these encounters, to Wednesday's 42 (with 43 draws).
Famous fans include Creator/MichaelPalin and Creator/SeanBean. The latter, who was briefly a director of the club in the 2000s, actually got to play a Sheffield United player in the 1996 movie ''When Saturday Comes''; not only did his character ''not'' die, it was the only one of his films in which he did not have to cover up the "100% Blade" tattoo on his left shoulder.
!!Sheffield Wednesday
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheffield_wednesday_badgesvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Sheffield Wednesday are simply the best,\\
Home or away you have to say\\
we are better than the rest!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1867\\
'''Nickname:''' The Owls\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Dejphon Chansiri\\
'''Current Manager:''' Danny Röhl\\
'''Current Captain:''' Barry Bannan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Hillsborough [[note]]Yes, ''that'' Hillsborough. Capacity: 39,732[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 4; 1902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, 1929–30\\
'''FA Cups:''' 3; 1895–96, 1906–07, 1934–35\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1899–1900, 1925–26, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59 Second Division champions; 2011–12 League One champions; 1889–90 Football Alliance champions; 1990–91 Football League Cup; 1935 FA Charity Shield
----
Formed as an off-shoot of a local cricket club which played its games mid-week, hence the name. Home games at Hillsborough in the Owlerton district of Sheffield (hence the nickname). Honours include four League titles (although the last of those was in 1930), three FA Cups (the last one in 1935) and one League Cup (1991, the last time a club from outside the top flight won a major trophy). Haven't been in the Premier League since 2000, and the club's very existence came under threat in 2010 due to its perilous financial position (a fate narrowly averted by most clubs outside the Premier League in the early years of the 21st century). Began the 2020-21 season with -12 points (later reduced to -6 on appeal) after they were found guilty of breaching Football League spending rules. Fierce locals rivals with Sheffield United.
!!Southampton
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc_southamptonsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh when the Saints go marching in...[[note]]many clubs use this as a chant, but unlike most, Southampton don't have to change the lyrics.[[/note]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Saints\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Sport Republic, backed by Dragan Solak\\
'''Current Manager:''' Russell Martin\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jack Stephens\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Mary's Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,505[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 4th in Championship\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1975–76\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1921–22 (South) & 1959–60 Second Division champions; 1896–97, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, & 1903–04 Southern League champions; 2009–10 Football League Trophy
----
Most recently promoted back to the Premier League in 2012, having previously been relegated in 2005 after spending 27 years in the top division. Fierce rivals with Portsmouth, with whom they contest the South Coast Derby. Their best known ex-player of recent times is Matthew le Tissier, famous for spending his entire professional career with the club; many fans believe that he would have gained more England caps than the eight he did had he played for a more glamorous club. Famous fans include musician Craig David and TV presenter Chris Packham.
Along with Ipswich and Bournemouth, have the unwanted record of having suffered the worst defeat in Premier League history (''9-0''), with the further ignominy of having suffered it ''twice'' in successive seasons, at home to Leicester in 2019 and away at Manchester United in 2021.
!!Stoke City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stoke_city_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We'll be with you, be with you, be with you\\
By your side we'll always stay,\\
We'll be with you, be with you, be with you\\
Every step along the way!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1863\\
'''Nickname:''' The Potters\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Coates Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steven Schumacher\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joe Allen\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Britannia Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 27,740[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in Championship\\
'''Trophies:''' 1932–33 & 1962–63 Second Division champions; 1926–27 & 1992–93 Third Division North/Second Division champions; 1890–91 Football Alliance champions; 1910–11 Birmingham & District League champions; 1909–10 & 1914–15 Southern League Division Two champions; 1971–72 League Cup; 1991–92 & 1999–2000 Football League Trophy; 1973 Watney Cup
----
Founded as Stoke (the "City" bit being added in 1926 after Stoke was granted city status), they were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League (although they failed to get re-elected after finishing bottom in the first two seasons). They're also well-known for being the main club of the first-ever Ballon d'Or winner [[note]](European Footballer of the Year)[[/note]], Sir Stanley Matthews who had two spells at the club (1932-47 and 1961-65; he retired just after turning 50, although he later felt he could have probably played for another two years). Their only major honour is the League Cup that they won in 1972. Fierce rivals with Port Vale, with whom they contest the Potteries Derby.
Today, Stoke are known as the Premier League's mid-table 'unfashionable' physical side. This is partly due to media {{Flanderization}}, as for several seasons the club's defining characteristic was the long throw-ins of Rory Delap. He has since retired, and they've partly shaken off the reputation for violent, old fashioned long ball football. Partly. It is still a RunningGag among English football fans to ask if a flair player like Lionel Messi "could do it on a wet Tuesday evening in Stoke". Stoke reached the FA Cup final in 2011, losing 1-0 to Manchester City.
In 2015, they baffled the footballing world by somehow acquiring former Barcelona winger and Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay, and former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan star Xherdan Shaqiri, the then-23-year-old star of the Swiss national team, adding them to a team that already included highly rated former Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić. Shaqiri is particularly notable not just because he was perennially linked to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, but because he's 5'6" and nicknamed 'the Magic Dwarf'. A more incongruous player for a team of Stoke's reputation could not be imagined.
Stoke did well, establishing themselves as an entertaining mid-table threat to the rest of the league on their day, until losing many of the players who got them there in the 2017 close season (Krkić foremost among them). Defensive problems led to a string of heavy defeats and subsequently the sacking of manager Mark Hughes. The new manager Paul Lambert improved the defence, but the attack faltered, leading to their relegation. Shaqiri left for Liverpool in 2018.
!!Sunderland
[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/logo_sunderlandsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:225:Haway the lads!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Black Cats\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Kyril Louis-Dreyfus[[note]]The current youngest owner of a football team in the English Football League. Also a distant cousin of Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mike Dodds (interim)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Max Power\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stadium of Light[[note]]Capacity: 48,707[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 16th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 6; 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1935–36\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1936–37, 1972–73\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1975–76, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2004–05, & 2006–07 Second Division/Championships; 1987–88 Third Division champions; 1984–85 & 2013–14 Football League Cups; 1936 FA Charity Shield; 2020–21 EFL Trophy; 1903 Sheriff of London Charity Shield; 1892, 1893, & 1895 Football World Championships
----
Known for being a "yo-yo team", meaning they tend to keep getting promoted and relegated, being too good for one division and not quite good enough for the next. Their proudest moment was winning the FA Cup as underdogs against the then-powerhouse Leeds United in 1973, although they have won the League six times (all pre-war). Fierce rivals with nearby Newcastle. Narrowly stayed in the top flight in 2015-16, while their rivals went down, but their luck would run out, as Sam Allardyce left for his ill-fated England job, David Moyes assembled a team made up mostly of players he worked with at Everton and Manchester United that were past their best or unable to fulfil their potential, and they were relegated easily, with a month to spare. It got worse - in the Championship, they didn't win a home game until just before Christmas and suffered a second consecutive relegation. In League One, they made the play-offs but lost out to Charlton Athletic. Strong rivals of Newcastle United.
Sunderland's first two seasons in League One are chronicled in the Netflix documentary series ''Sunderland 'Til I Die''.
!!Watford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/watfordsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Hoist up the Watford flag,\\
Hear how the Hornet's sing,]]
->'''Eestablished:''' 1881\\
'''Nickname:''' The Hornets\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, black shorts (although they've sometimes gone in for red shorts instead [[note]] if you ''really'' want to get Watford fans [[FlameWar arguing among each other]], express an opinion either way [[/note]])\\
'''Current Owner:''' Gino Pozzo\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tom Cleverley (interim)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Cleverley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Vicarage Road[[note]]Capacity: 21,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 15th in Championship\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1981–82, 2014–15, 2020–21 Second Division/Championships; 1968–69 & 1997–98 Third Division champions; 1977–78 Fourth Division champions; 1914–15 Southern Football League champions
----
Hertfordshire club [[note]] ''not'' London, although some people do get this mixed up as Watford is located within the M25 [[/note]] which has had its fair share of ups and downs but has never won anything more significant than two third-tier championships. The most famous thing about Watford is that Music/EltonJohn supported the club as a child and invested heavily in them from the mid-1970s onwards, becoming chairman and appointing a promising young manager called Graham Taylor, who managed the club from 1977 to 1987. As a result, Watford rose from the Fourth Division to the top of English football with a [[MundaneSolution simple, yet effective long ball strategy]]. They finished second in the League in 1983 and reached the FA Cup final for the first time a year later (they lost to Everton). Off the pitch, Elton and GT worked hard to engage with the local community and promote Watford as a family-friendly club ... several years before anyone else thought of encouraging families to go to football matches. While Taylor's unsuccessful spell managing the England national team from 1990-93 made him generally unpopular with most English football fans, he remains a revered figure at Watford to this day, and Elton himself has stated that he came to regard Taylor as a brother he never had, who told him in no uncertain terms to get his act together (in terms of his alcoholism and drug-taking) in a way that most football club managers would not have ever dared speak to their chairmen. Taylor managed the club again from 1996-2000, taking them from what is now League One into the Premier League, later served as chairman, and was the club's Honorary Life President until his death in 2017.
Recently, they've been moving between the Premiership and the Championship after being bought by the Pozzo family, who successfully bussed in foreign players from the two other clubs they own - Italy's Udinese and Spain's Granada, turning Watford into a winning team. The flip-side of this has been an [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity extremely high turnover of managers]] in recent years. Since the Pozzos took over in 2012, there have been ''nineteen'' of them, although prior to 2021 the main man was striker Troy Deeney, who after a three-month enforced absence in 2012 (due to his being sent to prison for affray) proved to be nothing short of inspirational on the pitch, cementing himself in the hearts of all Watford fans several months after his release with [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6TnKvlQ2h7s a wonder goal against Leicester City]]. Watford won promotion to the Premier League in 2015 (after an eight-year absence from the top flight) and made it to a second FA Cup final in 2019 -- only to be comprehensively blown away by Manchester City (6-0). The Hornets were relegated back to the Championship the following year but won promotion back to the Premier League in 2021, before being relegated yet again in 2022.
Watford [[ArchEnemy have a distinctly unfriendly rivalry]] with Luton Town, on the grounds that [[SillyReasonForWar they're the closest half-decent club for miles]]. Although the rivalry dates back to the 1880s (when both clubs were founded [[note]] Watford was actually the result of a merger between two local clubs in 1898, but traces its origins back to the foundation of the oldest of those two in 1881 [[/note]]), the animosity intensified in the 1960s and reached a peak in the 1980s, when they were both in the old First Division, with derbies regularly producing crowd trouble. From the late 1990s onwards, though, [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse the clubs didn't play each other for several years]] due to being in different divisions (with Watford trying to get into the Premier League while Luton were wallowing in the lower divisions and even the Conference for a few years); in the 2020-21 season, they found themselves in the same division ''for the first time in fourteen years''. Watford won the Vicarage Road fixture 1-0, with Luton returning the favour with the same scoreline at Kenilworth Road. Two seasons later, following another unsuccessful spell in the Premier League, Watford again found themselves in the same division as Luton, and once again the bragging rights were shared with one home win apiece.
The best-known Watford fan who isn't Elton John or a close relative of Elton John [[note]] he has taken his husband and their kids to matches [[/note]] is probably Chris Stark, DJ and co-presenter of ''Podcast/ThatPeterCrouchPodcast''. Other famous people from Watford, like [[Music/SpiceGirls Geri Halliwell]] and boxer Anthony Joshua, have tended to be somewhat lukewarm in expressing their support [[note]] Halliwell posed for a photo-shoot in a Watford shirt with her bandmates in 1996 and subsequently met with some of the players but has since been referred to as a Chelsea fan, while Joshua has at times declared that he does not support ''any'' football team, although at other times he has also claimed that he supports Watford [[/note]].
!!West Auckland Town
[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_auckland_fc_logo.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1893\\
'''Nickname:''' West\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow and black kit\\
'''Current Manager:''' Gary Forrest\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Wanted Metal stadium [[note]]Capacity: 2,000[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 11th in Northern League Division One (qualified for playoff)\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1959–60 Northern League champions; 1959–60, 1962–63, & 2018–2019 Northern League Cups\\
'''International Trophies:''' 1909 & 1911 Sir Thomas Lipton Trophies
----
Non-league County Durham side. Founded in 1893 as West Auckland, they were famously invited to take part in the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy -- one of the first-ever international football competitions [[note]] it was predated by the Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva which took place in Italy the previous year [[/note]] in Italy in 1909.[[note]] Lipton, a tea merchant (as in, the Lipton tea brand) and philanthropist, proposed an international tournament and invited sides from Italy, Germany, Switzerland and England to take part; the FA refused to have anything to do with it, but Lipton was determined that England should be represented at his tournament and so invited West Auckland, an amateur side mostly consisting of coal miners, to take part; local legend has it that Lipton actually wanted Arsenal (then known as Woolwich Arsenal) to go, but gave his secretary instructions to "contact W.A.", which were misinterpreted [[/note]] They beat Swiss side Winterthur 2-0 in the 1909 final. The tournament was meant to be a one-off but it ended up being repeated two years later -- so West Auckland went back to Italy to defend their title and did so, beating Juventus (yes, ''that'' Juventus) 6-1 in the final. A year later, the club folded due to financial difficulties (caused in part by the club having to pay for their own travel costs to go to Italy not once, but twice) although it was reconstituted as West Auckland Town in 1914. The trophy was pawned to a local hotelier but returned to the club in 1960, only to be stolen in 1994; it has never been recovered, but an exact replica can be found in a secure cabinet in the West Auckland Working Men's Club.
The story of their triumph was made into a TVMovie in 1982; entitled ''The World Cup: A Captain's Tale'', it starred Creator/DennisWaterman as Bob Jones, the West Auckland captain who scored one of the goals in the 1909 final.
!!West Bromwich Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_bromwich_albionsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Boing boing, Baggies!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Baggies\\
'''Kit:''' Navy and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Guochuan Lai\\
'''Current Manager:''' Carlos Corberan\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Brunt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Hawthorns[[note]]Capacity: 26,850[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 5th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1919–20\\
'''FA Cups:''' 5; 1887–88, 1891–92, 1930–31, 1953–54, 1967–68\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1901–02, 1910–11, & 2007–08 Second Division/Championships; 1965–66 Football League Cup; 1920 & 1954 FA Charity Shields; 1977 Tennent Caledonian Cup
----
Currently a mid-table Premiership side. They were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League but have only been Champions once, in 1920. They won their last major trophy (the FA Cup, for the fifth time) in 1968 and then spent 1986 to 2002 out of the top flight. Like Sunderland, they have a reputation as somewhat of a "yo-yo team" - in the nine seasons from 2001-02 to 2008-09, seven resulted in either promotion or relegation, the other two being a defeat in the play-off final and a survival so improbable it was dubbed "The Great Escape".
Statistically, West Brom has the most intelligent fans... [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1984648.stm no, seriously]]. Among said fans are Frank Skinner (of ''Series/FantasyFootballLeague'' fame), Music/EricClapton and [[Music/OneDirection Liam Payne]].[[note]]Who ironically hails from Wolverhampton, home of West Brom's arch rivals Wolves.[[/note]]
!!West Ham United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_ham_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I'm forever blowing bubbles!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1895\\
'''Nickname:''' The Irons[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Hammers.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Claret shirts with sky-blue sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' David Sullivan (Majority Shareholder), Daniel Křetínský, the estate of David Gold and Albert Smith\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Moyes\\
'''Current Captain:''' Kurt Zouma\\
'''Current Stadium:''' London Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 60,000[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 14th in Premier League\\
'''FA Cups:''' 3; 1963–64, 1974–75, 1979–80\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1957–58 & 1980–81 Second Division champions; 1964 FA Charity Shield; 1940 Football League War Cup\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1964–65 European Cup Winners Cup; 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference Leage: 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup\\
'''International Trophies:''' 1963 International League Champions
----
An East London club, based at the London Stadium (formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, it having been built to be the main stadium for the London 2012 UsefulNotes/{{Olympic|Games}}s) in Stratford. Mostly hang around the middle of the Premiership table, but occasionally slip down a division (they last played in the Championship in 2011-12). FA Cup winners three times, European Cup Winners Cup winners in 1965, and Europa Conference League winners in 2023. Known as "The Academy of Football" as it's been the starting place for a number of famous footballers, including Geoff Hurst (who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final) Bobby Moore (who captained the 1966 side), Trevor Brooking and Rio Ferdinand.
The Hammers have one of the most die-hard fanbases in the UK; games at their old Upton Park ground were considered some of the most highly charged and atmospheric in the League. They also have one of the most well-known club anthems, a lustily sung version of the old ditty "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", the 'fortune's always hiding' line being something of a club motif, for the fans are proud of their underdog status.
Recently got new owners, one of whom made his money in porn. This is considered better than being owned by a bunch of creditors.
Their hooligan "firm" the Inter City Firm (ICF) was especially notorious - and features heavily in the movie ''Green Street'' (''Green Street Hooligans'' in the USA) and consequently claim Elijah Wood as a celebrity fan. Another famous fan of the team is Music/IronMaiden bassist Steve Harris, who has a bass with a sticker of the team's crest on it (which he commonly plays live with).
''Literature/HarryPotter'' character Dean Thomas is another fan of the team. This was done in tribute to a RealLife friend of Creator/JKRowling - it is in her honour that West Ham is the only football team identified by name in the ''Harry Potter'' series. Going back a few decades, [[Series/TillDeathUsDoPart Alf Garnett]] was quite vocal in his support of West Ham (but his actor Warren Mitchell supported Tottenham Hotspur).
!!Wigan Athletic
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wigan_athleticsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We come from Wigan and we live in mud huts!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1932\\
'''Nickname:''' The Latics\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Talal Al Hammad\\
'''Current Manager:''' Shaun Maloney\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tendayi Darikwa\\
'''Current Stadium:''' DW Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 25,138[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 12th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 2012–13\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 2002–03, 2015–16, 2017–18, & 2021–22 League One champions; 1996–97 Fourth Division champions; 1970–71 & 1974–75 Northern Premier League champions; 1984–85 & 1998–99 Football League Trophies; 1972–73, 1973–74, & 1975–76 Premier League Shields
----
Home games at the DW Stadium which they share with the Wigan Warriors UsefulNotes/RugbyLeague team (which has always been ''much'' more successful than the football team). Founded in 1932 and was non-league until they got elected to the Football League in 1978. Won promotion to the Premier League in 2005, after which they reached the League Cup final in 2006 (which they lost to Man United, 4-0) and then won the FA Cup in 2013 (by way of beating Man City, 1-0) ... [[BittersweetEnding but, alas]], they were relegated in the same season. Relegated from the Championship in 2015, they won League One the following year -- only to get relegated again, following which they won League One again. By 2020 they were in administration, which led to (another) relegation thanks to the subsequent points deduction. After narrowly avoiding relegation to League Two in 2020–21 under new ownership, Wigan topped League One ''again'' in 2021–22 to get promoted back to the Championship, only to get relegated straight back down the following year.
!!Wimbledon
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wimbledon_fc.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Relocated:''' 2004\\
'''Nickname:''' The Dons; The Crazy Gang\\
'''Kit:''' All-navy\\
'''Stadium:''' Plow Lane [[note]]Capacity: 15,876[[/note]]\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1987-88\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1982–83 Football League Fourth Division champions; 1974–75, 1975–76, & 1976–77 Southern Football League champions; 1930–31, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1962–63, & 1963–64 Isthmian League champions
----
A South London team, playing in all-navy, which came to prominence in the 1980s with a rapid rise up the divisions combined with the newsworthy antics of their players, who included Creator/VinnieJones. Won the FA Cup in 1988 against the all-conquering Liverpool, but had to abandon its Plough Lane ground in 1991 due to new safety rules. After sharing a ground with neighbours Crystal Palace for a time, the owners began to consider moving the team out of London. Eventually they settled on the new town of Milton Keynes, 50 miles north of London. While understandably incredibly unpopular with Wimbledon fans, this move was also criticised by fans of many other clubs who were disturbed at the prospect of American-style "franchises" that moved cities to go where the money was. The move was eventually allowed, on the understanding that the team would be renamed and would not officially retain the history and honours of Wimbledon FC (Wimbledon FC's trophies and memorabilia were handed to the London Borough of Merton, the local authority that administers Wimbledon and district). This leads us to...
!!!Milton Keynes Dons
[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk_dons.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 2004\\
'''Nickname:''' The Dons\\
'''Current Owner:''' Pete Winkelman\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mike Williamson\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tendayi Darikwa\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stadium MK [[note]]Capacity: 30,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 4th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2007–08 League Two champions; 2007–08 Football League Trophy; 2006–07 Berks & Bucks Senior Cup; 2004 Portimão Cup
----
The team created by the move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes. The name "Dons" is a reference to Wimbledon's old nickname, but most other fans call them "Franchise FC" due to the manner of their creation. In an attempt to appease hostile sentiment among other fans, they do not claim the history of Wimbledon FC but bill themselves as a new club formed in 2004. Taking over Wimbledon's old position in the third tier of the league, they were swiftly relegated to the fourth, but bounced back to the second tier in 2015-16, picking up a minor trophy along the way. However, their stay in the second tier only lasted that season. It got worse for them in 2017–18, as they dropped back to League Two. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing among football fans throughout England (with the exception of Milton Keynes itself), as it meant that for the first time they were in a lower league than...
!!!AFC[[labelnote:*]]'''A''' '''F'''ans' '''C'''lub[[/labelnote]] Wimbledon
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/afc_wimbledon_2020_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:From Batsford to Dave Basset,\\
At Plough Lane we belong,\\
We're the loyal supporters,\\
And we come from Wimbledon!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 2002\\
'''Current Owners:''' Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society\\
'''Current Manager:''' Johnnie Jackson\\
'''Current Captain:''' Will Nightingale\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Plough Lane [[note]]Capacity: 9,300[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 10th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2008–09 Conference South Champions; 2004–05 Isthmian League Division One champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup; 2009–10 Isle of Man Tournament; 2007–08 & 2011–12 champions; 2013–14 London Senior Cup; 2004–05 Surrey Senior Cup
----
Feeling alienated by all of the above, a group of Wimbledon fans [[StartMyOwn founded their own team]], starting in the amateur London leagues. The club was rapidly promoted through the regional leagues and gained entry to the Football League in 2011, only nine years after the club was founded. Although the club does not ''officially'' claim to be a continuation of the old Wimbledon FC, it is regarded by its own fans and most neutrals as its SpiritualSuccessor - Vinnie Jones even gave the club his 1988 FA Cup winner's medal.
Crowd turnout at their home games tends to be significantly higher than both home crowd turnout for other clubs in their division ''and'' MK Dons' average turnout. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in any league, at 78 games! After five seasons in League Two, they won the 2016 promotion playoff, placing them in the same division as MK Dons for the first time. And then during the 2017–18 season, they got approval for a new stadium a stone's throw from Wimbledon FC's old ground, and ended the season in mid-table while seeing MK Dons suffer the drop. The 2018–19 season was mostly a disaster for AFCW, as they were in relegation trouble throughout and survived the drop only on goal difference. Meanwhile, back in League Two, MK Dons finished third, sending them back to League One to rejoin AFCW for another season. Both teams struggled to survive the drop in the 2019–20 season, cut short due to COVID-19; they finished in the last two safe spots of 19th (MKD) and 20th (AFCW). The new ground opened in November 2020. AFCW dropped to League Two in 2022, and barely survived relegation in 2023; MKD suffered its own drop to League Two in 2023, placing the two sides in the same league once again.
Creator/JohnGreen of the WebVideo/VlogBrothers plays a virtual version of AFC Wimbledon on the somewhat confusingly names [[https://www.youtube.com/user/hankgames "hankgames" channel on YouTube]], which has evolved into the [=VlogBrothers=] as a whole sponsoring AFC Wimbledon's shorts and a stand on the old Kingsmeadow ground.
!!Wolverhampton Wanderers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wolverhampton_wanderers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Hi ho Wolverhampton!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1877\\
'''Nickname:''' The Wolves\\
'''Kit:''' 'Old Gold' (not yellow, not amber) shirts, back shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Fosun International\\
'''Current Manager:''' Gary O'Neil\\
'''Current Captain:''' Max Kilman\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Molineux[[note]]Capacity: 31,700[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 13th\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1892–93, 1907–08, 1948–49, 1959–60\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1931–32, 1976–77, 2008–09, & 2017–18 Second Division/Championships; 1923–24, 1988–89, & 2013–14 Third Division/League One champions; 1987–88 Fourth Division Champions; 1973–74 & 1979–80 Football League Cups; 1949*, 1954*, 1959, & 1960* FA Charity Shields (*shared); 1987–88 Associate Members' Cup; 1942 Football League War Cup; 1970–71 Texaco Cup\\
'''International Trophies;''' 1967 USA Cup
----
Universally known as "Wolves" in the same way that everyone calls Tottenham Hotspur "Spurs". . Home games at Molineux. Founded in 1877, Wolves were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. They had a successful spell in the 1950s, during which they won the League three times under the management of Stan Cullis and the captaincy of Billy Wright (who captained England a record 90 times, and if you thought David Beckham was the first England football captain to marry a pop star and thus become a celebrity off the pitch, think again -- Billy was married to one of the Beverley Sisters [[note]] a 1950s British pop trio modelled on the Andrews Sisters [[/note]]). At that time, they were one of the first British clubs to install floodlights at their ground, and were dubbed "Champions of the World" due to their success at beating top foreign sides, although these were friendlies as official European competition was not established at the time.
Since then, they've been considered to be the archetypal 'Sleeping Giants' of English football, having some success in the 1970s but dropping as low as the Fourth Division for one season in the mid-1980s. Briefly in the Premier League between 2009 and 2012, they returned there in 2018 and finished seventh in their first season back, earning them a place in the Europa League. Strong rivalry with West Bromwich Albion.
One of their vice presidents is Robert Plant of Music/LedZeppelin.
In 2015, they opened up a new marketing slogan: "Supporting Wolves isn't always easy. But it's never dull. [=#EnjoyTheRide=]"
to:
The
Below League Two is that entity known as "non-league" which encompasses everything from professional clubs that used to be in the League (and would like to be so again) through the semi-professional sides in regional feeder leagues right down to amateur Sunday morning sides. The highest non-league division is called the National League (confusing, right?) which used to be called the Football Conference and may still be referred to as such. Since 1987, whoever finishes bottom of what's now League Two gets relegated to this [[note]] prior to that, the team at the bottom of the Football League had to apply for the possible lifeline that was re-election to the League [[/note]]; since 2003, it's been the bottom two. In return, the top two non-league clubs get promoted to the League.
In addition to
!The current big clubs
Historically, which clubs get to be defined as "big" clubs has varied as fortunes have tended to fluctuate - although most lists made over the past half-century or so have invariably included the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. In the early 2000s, the talk was of the '''Big Four''' (those three, plus Chelsea), while more recently the talk has been of the '''Big Six''' (those four, plus Manchester City and Spurs). In April 2021, these clubs were given several more derisive nicknames -- "Selfish Six", "Dirty Half-Dozen", etc -- after they signed up to a proposed new European Super League alongside three Italian clubs (AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus) and three Spanish clubs (Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid). The ESL was widely regarded as a [[MoneyDearBoy blatant money grab]], as it would have featured only 20 teams, with the founder clubs guaranteed ''permanent places'' in the competition. It wasn't unanimously popular among big-name clubs; Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain, all rumoured to have places set aside for them, opted out. Widespread outrage and condemnation followed from governing bodies, other clubs, supporters, politicians, pundits, the media and even many players of the clubs involved. Within 48 hours, the ESL had collapsed, with all six of the EPL sides withdrawing. The long-term consequences of this attempted breakaway and the resulting backlash remain to be seen.
Prior to this, in the late 20th century, there was often talk of a '''Big Five''' comprising Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham. These five remain the only clubs to have been in the top flight continuously since at least the 1970s. (In the case of Arsenal, since the ''1910s''.)
!!Arsenal
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arsenal_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:North London forever!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1886\\
'''Nickname:''' The Gunners[[note]]Fans refer to themselves as Gooners. Please note that [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant this is unrelated]] to the NSFW slang term [[https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gooner "gooner"]] which entered the lexicon well after the fans took up the nickname. That being said, this hasn't stopped them from being the first to crack jokes about it.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Stan Kroenke\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mikel Arteta\\
'''Current Captain:''' Martin Ødegaard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Emirates Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 60,260. Emirates Airlines is the current sponsor; the stadium's sponsor-less name is Ashburton Grove.[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 2nd in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 13; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 14; 1929–30, 1935–36, 1949–50, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2019–20\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1986–87 & 1992–93 EFL Cups; 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991,[note 9] 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, & 2023 FA Community Shields; Football League Centenary Trophy[[note]]A one-time tournament in 1988-89 to commemorate the Football League's 100th anniversary[[/note]]\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup; 1993–94 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup
----
Was British-owned until late in 2010 when American billionaire Stan Kroenke (who also owns the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague LA Rams]] and an [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer MLS]] team) launched a takeover of the club, and as of July 2021 is completely owned by Kroenke. Have not won the Premiership since 2004 and since them have come 4th six times, 3rd four, 2nd twice, dropping as far as 8th (twice in a row), and most recently 5th. However, the last time they won it they went unbeaten.
Arsenal has a large and diverse fanbase, including people such as Creator/NickHornby (whose memoir ''Literature/FeverPitch'', a key element in the early-to-mid 1990s football literature boom, was all about his experiences as an Arsenal fan in the 1970s and 1980s), Creator/LewisHamilton, Creator/IdrisElba, the late unlamented UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden, Jeremy Corbyn (the local MP), his replacement as British Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, broadcaster Robert Peston, celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott, several African heads of state, Creator/AnneHathaway, Creator/NicholasGalitzine, and even (so rumour has it) [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethII Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II]].
Historically (if you go back to the origins) the Gunners originate from South of the River at the Royal Arsenal (munitions works) in Woolwich, hence both the name and the gun logo. They were the first London club to turn professional (in 1891) and the first southern team to join the Football League (in 1893). They relocated to North London in 1913. They also hold the record for the longest continued streak in the top division, currently at ''over a hundred years'' and counting [[note]] following a hiatus of professional football during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, Arsenal, who'd finished fifth in the Second Division in the last completed season (1914-15), were voted into the newly-expanded First Division for the 1919-20 season, much to the fury of North London rivals Spurs, who'd finished bottom of the First Division in 1914-15 and now found themselves relegated to the Second [[/note]].
In recent history, Arsenal were once considered a dull defensive side under George Graham in the late 80s and early 90s, to the point where opposing fans would cheer "Boring, Boring Arsenal!". Following Graham's sacking and the hire of then-unknown Frenchman Arsène Wenger, Arsenal completely changed their style into an attacking team full of intricate passing and teamwork, a style nicknamed "Wengerball". For the first ten years of Wenger's tenure, Arsenal were dominant, winning the Premier League title three times (the third being unbeaten), four FA Cups (the first two being won the same year as their first two League titles), and even reached a Champions League final, which they lost to Barcelona. Following this, work was begun on a new stadium, and Arsenal seemed destined to join Europe's elite in terms of team and stadium quality. However, a combination of the stadium's finances, Chelsea's emergence, and sheer bad luck caused Arsenal to slide into perennial 3rd/4th-place finishes. They won three more FA Cups in four years under Wenger in the mid 10s and come oh-so-close to winning another League Title, but would ultimately fall short. In 2017, Arsenal would finish outside the Top 4 for the first time in decades, and Wenger would ultimately step down after the 2017/18 season.
His replacement, Unai Emery, seemed to initially return Arsenal to success, with a 22-match unbeaten run that saw them competing for the title against a dominant Manchester City and a resurgent Liverpool, but then they collapsed again, falling out of the Top 4 and losing in the Europa League final to Chelsea by a score of 4-1. The next season, a string of bad performances would lead to Emery's sacking. Arsenal would then hire former captain Mikel Arteta, who again seemed to get the Gunners moving in the right direction, winning an FA Cup in his first season, but the second season would see a truly woeful campaign for the first half, from which they were ultimately unable to claw back in the 2020/21 campaign. As things stand, Arsenal are in the process of a long rebuild, where long serving favourites like Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were exiled and had their contracts terminated due to poor attitudes, whilst up-and-coming signings such as Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Ødegaard and Thomas Partey joined academy prospects Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe - the signs are promising, having missed out on the Champions League by a mere two points in 2022, but 2022/23 has seen Arsenal return to being a juggernaut of English football, building a sizable lead between themselves and Manchester City in second, and delivering excellent performances even in their single defeat thus far in the season but tossing all opposition by the wayside en route to their current dominance. Ultimately, although they held onto the top spot until April, five defeats in the second half of the season gave Manchester City the opportunity to leapfrog them, with Arsenal finishing the season in second place.
Any questions as to whether this was merely a purple patch seem to have been answered in the negative in 2023/24, where with 9 games to go, Arsenal are in 2nd place, two points behind a Liverpool team powered by their desire to complete one last dance for beloved outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp, and one point ahead of Manchester City, who are doing their usual Terminator impersonation, and competing fiercely with both, convincingly beating Liverpool 3-1 to deal out one of their two league losses so far (the other, a 2-1 defeat courtesy of Tottenham, required an incorrectly disallowed Liverpool goal, two dubious Liverpool red cards, and a very unfortunate Liverpool own goal with the last kick of the game), and preventing City from scoring at home for the first time in 3 years in a determined draw over Easter. They were considered the least-likely of the three teams to end up winning the Prem, and they may not with City holding an extra game to play, but they soldiered on despite a stumble and look set to push City to the final day, as if to declare that they would not be going away any time soon.
As noted above, Arsenal were one of the "ESL Six" that attempted a breakaway from the UEFA Champions League, only to back out with their tails between their legs within 48 hours.
!!Chelsea'''
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chelsea_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Keep the blue flag flying high!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1905\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]Sometimes additionally as the Lions, or formerly the Pensioners[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts and shorts, white socks\\
'''Current Owner:''' Todd Boehly\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mauricio Pochettino\\
'''Current Captain:''' Reece James\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stamford Bridge[[note]]Capacity: 41,798[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 12th in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 6; 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1969–70, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1983–84 & 1988–89 Second Division Championships; 1964–65, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, & 2014–15 EFL Cups; 1955, 2000, 2005, & 2009 FA Community Shields; 1985–86 & 1989–90 Full Members' Cups\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 2011–12 & 2020–21 UEFA Champions League; 2012–13 & 2018–19 UEFA Europa League; 1970–71, 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups; 1998 & 2021 UEFA Super Cups\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
----
A West London club nicknamed "The Blues" or rarely [[TheArtifact "The Pensioners"]] [[note]](the Royal Hospital in Chelsea is a famous retirement home for veteran soldiers, who are known as 'Chelsea Pensioners')[[/note]]. The club was formed in 1904 by businessman Gus Mears after he'd bought Stamford Bridge (then an athletics stadium) with a view to turning it into a football ground; he originally offered the lease to Fulham, but when they turned him down he decided to [[StartMyOwn form his own football club]] to play there [[note]] he actually considered calling the club "London FC" before going with Chelsea [[/note]]. Despite having been owned by moneyed backers for most of the 21st century - Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owned the club from 2003 until being forced to sell in 2022 thanks to UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin's invasion of Ukraine, with the club being bought by US billionaire Todd Boehly[[note]]who also owns the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball LA Dodgers]][[/note]] - Chelsea had a reputation of being somewhat underachieving, though not to the degree of Arsenal. This finally broke for them when they won the Champions League in 2012.
Had some bad luck in Europe in recent years, being knocked out of the UsefulNotes/UEFAChampionsLeague semi-final stage more than once thanks to contentious decisions and match-ups with bogey team Liverpool, who tend to bring their A-Game for European matches. In the 2009 home leg against Barcelona, the referee missed several clear penalties and had to flee the UK after receiving death threats.
The term "Chelsea Smile" is sometimes used as a synonym for GlasgowGrin, from the days of [[FootballHooligans rife hooliganism]] (the main characters in ''Film/TheFootballFactory'' were Chelsea 'fans'), but this use has diminished significantly. Sadly, as one incident in early 2015 showed, some remnants of the hooliganism remain, as demonstrated after a tie against PSG.
They were the first London side to win the UEFA Champions League (2012), beating Barcelona [[BestServedCold in the semi-finals]] and winning a penalty shoot-out against Bayern Munich in their home ground, bucking the "trend" of the English succumbing to the Germans on penalties.
During the Abramovich years, in which he [[ArbitrarilyLargeBankAccount drowned the club with investment]], Chelsea gained a reputation for paying [[RichInDollarsPoorInSense absurdly high sums of money for players who turned out not to be worth that much for them]].
* Take striker Andriy Shevchenko, whom Chelsea purchased for £30 million. His Chelsea career amounted to 77 games and 22 goals. The mathematically astute among you may have already calculated that this comes out to more than a million per goal.
* Similarly, striker Fernando Torres cost Chelsea a whopping £50 million, and did not, for the most part, live up to expectations, with 45 goals in 172 games, though one of these goals was in the 2013 Europa League Final, in which Chelsea defeated Benfica 2-1. [[note]] And Torres and Shevchenko are quite good friends in retirement [[/note]]
** In all fairness, it should be noted that both Shevchenko and Torres were seen as among the best strikers in the world when they were bought - both Shevchenko and Torres regularly scored over 25 goals per season for their previous teams (Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan, Torres for Atletico Madrid and Liverpool). In the years prior to their signings, Shevchenko had won several trophies in Italy and the 2004 Ballon d'Or, while Torres had powered his country to the 2008 European Championship title, scoring the winning goal in the final, before helping them win the 2010 World Cup.
During Abramovich's tenure, the Chelsea manager's job also became notorious for its short tenure, with fifteen managers in his nineteen seasons in charge, with Abramovich gaining a reputation for demanding success and [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity quickly firing managers who can't provide it constantly.]] To put that into perspective, Chelsea have spent more money on compensating their sacked managers than Everton have spent ''since the Premier League began''. Bucking the trend, he was actually remarkably patient with José Mourinho, despite the fact that Chelsea went into a tailspin and the manager seemed to lose the dressing room after verbally abusing and firing the popular [[HospitalHottie (and attractive)]] team doctor, despite the fact that their title defence morphed into only half-joking cracks about them fighting relegation, before firing him in late December and replacing him with safe pair of hands Guus Hiddink.
Antonio Conte was next, and won the league, but then came 5th, an unforgivable sin for a Chelsea manager. Despite an FA Cup final victory against Manchester United, Conte was shown the door and got replaced by Maurizio Sarri, whose hypnotizing brand of attacking football turned many heads in the football world while at Napoli. The 2018/19 season immediately started well for Chelsea, including an effortless thrashing of all their rivals in their Europa League group. Unfortunately, their form rather collapsed after the turn of the year, with ''Bournemouth'' of all teams thrashing them 4-0, their worst Premier League defeat in ''20 years'', before City got their own back for a previous defeat by absolutely destroying them ''6-0'', Chelsea's worst defeat in ''any'' competition since 1991. Cue opposition chants of "Maurizio Sarri, we want you to stay!" Despite winning the Europa League, however, Sarri left Stamford Bridge due to the general sense of unease he was feeling around the club, and went back to Italy to join Juventus, much to Chelsea fans's disappointment and the outrage of his former followers at Napoli.
Chelsea, as noted above, were another of the "ESL Six" ... although by almost all reports, Abramovich and the directors weren't totally on board with this, and only joined because they didn't want to be left behind by their rivals. Notably, they were the first of the founding ESL clubs to jump ship,[[note]]While Chelsea was the last of the ESL Six to ''formally'' withdraw, doing so the day after the other five, it ''was'' the first to announce its intent to leave.[[/note]] doing so minutes after former Chelsea star goalkeeper and current technical director Petr Čech addressed an angry crowd of supporters that were blocking a main road to their ground. Needless to say, when Chelsea pulled out, [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing much rejoicing]] followed.
Abramovich was forced to sell the club in 2022 as a result of Russia's botched invasion of Ukraine, with it being bought by an American-led consortium headed by US billionaire Todd Boehly (the owner of the LA Dodgers). In his first season in charge, the club continued its reputation for spending large sums of money on players, spending more than ''£200million'' in one transfer window to bring in players such as England's star attacker Raheem Sterling, defenders Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly, and former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang. Unfortunately, this did not solve their troubles, and following a torrid run of form, manager Thomas Tuchel was sacked after an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb (whose team cost only £54m, less than the £62m Chelsea spent on Cucurella alone). Tuchel was replaced by highly-rated British manager Graham Potter (whose previous club, Brighton, had, coincidentally, been the team Chelsea signed Cucurella for £62m from). After a truly awful run of form led to Chelsea dropping into the bottom half of the table and the firing of a now haggard looking Potter, to be replaced until the end of the season by their former player and manager Frank Lampard, news quickly followed a torrid run that former Tottenham boss, Mauricio Pochettino would be taking the reins after the end of the season. Unfortunately, despite positive draws against Manchester City, under Pochettino they achieved more or less exactly the same points tally as the previous season - positive results being interspersed with embarrassments such as being absolutely spanked 4-1 by a badly injury-hit Liverpool. Adding insult to injury, three weeks later, despite having a fully fit squad and several more days to prepare, they lost the League Cup final in Extra Time to a Liverpool side that by this point had ''11'' players down (including most of the first team) and finished the match with five players who were 20 or under, and despite that, ''still'' dominated the match. After this nadir, they were promptly witheringly dubbed "the blue billion pound bottle-jobs" by ex-pro Gary Neville.
Famous fans include [[Series/FantasyFootballLeague David]] [[Series/BaddielAndSkinnerUnplugged Baddiel]], [[Music/{{Blur}} Damon]] [[Music/{{Gorillaz}} Albarn]], [[Music/DepecheMode Andrew Fletcher]], [[Music/MadnessBand Suggs]], Creator/GordonRamsay, the late [[Creator/RichardAttenborough Dickie Attenborough]], ex-Prime Minister UsefulNotes/JohnMajor and (apparently) Creator/WillFerrell.
!!Everton
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/everton_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Everton, we've never shone so brightly!\\
Everton, the spirit of the blues!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Toffees\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks\\
'''Current Owners:''' Farhad Moshiri (Majority Shareholder), Bill Kenwright and Jon Woods\\
'''Current Manager:''' Sean Dyche\\
'''Current Captain:''' Séamus Coleman\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Goodison Park[[note]]Capacity: 39,571[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 17th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 9; 1890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1986–87\\
'''FA Cups:''' 5; 1905–06, 1932–33, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1994–95\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1930–31 Second Division Championship; 1928, 1932, 1963, 1970, 1984, 1985, 1986 ''(shared)'', 1987, & 1995 FA Community Shields; 1985–86 & 1989–90 Full Members' Cups\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1984–85 European Cup Winners' Cup
----
Based in Liverpool. One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, they've spent a total of [[TheArtefact 105 seasons in the top-flight]].
Previously thought of as the team that would break the "Big Four" [[note]] defined at the time as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United[[/note]] thanks to strong league and cup runs in the middle 00s (culminating in Champions League qualification in 2005), but have since dropped to mid-table, with financial hardship preventing major squad investment. Still widely considered a 'dark horse' side and one likely to cause upsetting score lines for the bigger teams, in the latter half of the 2010s they re-emerged as a team to be reckoned with, first with extremely talented youngsters Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, ably supported by winger Gerard Deulofeu, in 2015-16. However, this team was undermined by defensive frailty, as brutally exposed by local arch rivals Liverpool. Despite having their most in-form striker injured in a brutal tackle by an Everton centre-back who was immediately sent off [[note]] He compounded his crime by beating the club badge as he walked off, trying to imply that he'd done it for the club and the fans, and earned himself a well deserved DopeSlap from his assistant coach in the process.[[/note]], [[HumiliationConga they sauntered to a 4-0 win]], one so comfortable that [[{{Troll}} Liverpool spent the last quarter of the match practically camped outside the Everton box, trying to get fan favourite defensive midfielder/centre back Lucas Leiva to score, apparently just for the hell of it.]] [[CherryTapping Lucas had played regularly for Liverpool for nine years. In that time, he had scored a grand total of six goals, the last of which had been scored]] ''six years ago.'' This was a tactic so ridiculous that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was caught on tv ''laughing.'' This unsurprisingly led to the sacking of Everton manager [[NiceGuy Roberto Martínez]].
2016-17 got off to a rocky start with new manager Ronald Koeman but once the kinks were ironed in (largely starting in 2017), they qualified for Europe again. 2017/18, on the other hand, was one big EpicFail with Ross Barkley refusing to sign a contract, Romelu Lukaku and fan favourite Gareth Barry both leaving, several signings which turned out to be disappointing, a disastrous Europa League campaign, and Ronald Koeman going through one long HumiliationConga which ended in him being sacked in October. Former Everton player and U23 manager David Unsworth took charge until a new boss was found, with Watford's Marco Silva being headhunted, which led to him being unsettled and, once Watford's form declined, and Everton overtook them in the standings, sacked.
After hiring Sam Allardyce to replace Ronald Koeman the team has found their footing once more, emphasising [[BoringButPractical pragmatic]] and [[StoneWall defensive]] play to avoid conceding goals (the single greatest source of defeat during the early season was not their inability to score but their inability to keep goals out, despite the presence of goalkeeper [[TheAce Jordan Pickford]]). Everton managed to remain undefeated in their first seven games under Allardyce and ascended back to the top half of the league from what was thought to be a relegation battle mere weeks before. Whilst they struggled to find their bearings at points after their initial revival, they remained in the top half, finishing eighth. Under legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti, with a more balanced front line and defence, they've become a threat once more, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin being considered an early competitor for the league's top scorer, and declared his desire to remain at Everton at least until they moved into their new 52,888 capacity stadium (something expected to happen in 2024)... then promptly packed his bags as soon as Real Madrid came calling.
This led to the very unexpected recruitment of another former Real Madrid manager and Liverpool resident - Rafael Benitez. Since Benitez had become internationally famous at Liverpool FC, taking them to Champions League glory, and had in 2007 referred to Everton as a "small club" after a rather drab 0-0 in the usually combustible Merseyside derby (fellow Spaniards have since explained that he meant that they were playing like one, rather than that they were a small club themselves and just conveyed it badly), this was met with decidedly mixed feelings. And by 'mixed feelings', we mean 'threatening banners'. However, even the most rabid Everton fans can't deny either Benitez's remarkable track record or genuine love for the city, and the majority responded to the banners and threats with firm support for the new manager... if with a certain sense of caution. Even after a good start was undermined by injuries and a horrible run of form (including a humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Liverpool, their worst loss in the Goodison leg since August 2003), most of the blame was initially apportioned to the club's hierarchy, fans having got wise to the fact that Benitez was the 5th manager in 5 years (i.e. it was extremely unlikely that the problems were his fault). However, whilst they earned a dramatic win over Arsenal, the slump was not truly arrested, and Benitez himself went out of the door after a poor performance in a loss to than-bottom Norwich (the first time since May 2004 that Everton lost to the then-last place), leading to another change at Goodison - Everton had last scored first in a game under his management in a horrible 5-2 loss to Watford 2-and-a-half months earlier, and, between than and his sacking 12 league games later, had only led for 2 stoppage time minutes through bargain-buy Demarai Gray's winner v Arsenal (they won a cup game away to Championship strugglers Hull, but even then, they trailed after 40 seconds and were taken to extra time), hence the re-utilisation of Ferguson until a new appointment was found, even though certain board members wanted Martinez to come back. The initial choice, highly travelled Vitor Pereira, who won trophies in Portugal and China, but had failed spells with many other teams, including in the German 2. Bundesliga, was very unpopular amongst fans, and Frank Lampard, with a point to prove, came in, a year after being sacked by Chelsea, and signed 2 players as soon as he arrived on Transfer Deadline Day. Lampard prevented their relegation, but found himself fired almost a year later with the team in a similar position, being replaced by former Burnley boss Sean Dyche. Points deductions and a club record winless run thanks to an excellent defensive record being undercut by a profound inability to score, only ameliorated by Nottingham Forest being in similar straits regarding points deductions, meaning that once again, they are hovering above the relegation.
Part of one of (arguably) the most famous rivalries in Football, with neighbours Liverpool. This has ranged everywhere from friendly competition to seemingly utter hatred over the hundred-plus years of the clubs existence. Currently seems to be the latter as of 2024, thanks to an utterly brutal tackle by keeper Jordan Pickford on star Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk in the 2020 Goodison derby putting the latter out for the season and impacting his performance for several years after, for which Pickford - bafflingly - escaped punishment, despite VAR, on the grounds that Van Dijk was offside (ex-refs expressed bemusement, as the rules offer plenty of scope for punishing misdemeanours when the ball is out of play). Silky midfielder Thiago Alcantara was also badly injured (though the perpetrator, Richarlison, was justly sent off). Given that each derby tends to be played in the context of the last at each respective ground, the 2021 Goodison derby was both significantly more vicious than usual and humiliating for Everton, the general sense being that Liverpool were making a point. None of this is entirely surprising: the fixture has a reputation for brutality, officially having the most red cards in Premier League history. However relations between fans remain cordial -- a factor heavily influenced by the fact that many Liverpudlian families contain supporters of both clubs, with the rivalry being characterised as a family feud (in other words, it's vicious, it's personal, and woe betide anyone else who gets involved).
Indeed, in one unusual case, the Gerrard family actually produced ''players'' for both clubs, with defender Anthony Gerrard coming through the Everton youth system and being overshadowed by his vastly more famous cousin Steven Gerrard, captain of Liverpool FC and widely regarded as perhaps the greatest midfielder of his age. While the two did eventually play each other, Anthony had by that point moved to Cardiff City. In 2021, when Liverpool legend Rafael Benitez became the first man since the 19th century to manage both teams, neither fanbase was entirely sure how to react when the two teams faced each other... until Liverpool started thumping Everton, when the Liverpool fans [[{{Troll}} started cheerfully singing Benitez' name.]]
Famous fans include Music/PaulMcCartney (apparently) [[note]] none of Music/TheBeatles were really into football, though early drummer Pete Best is a die-hard Evertonian; the appearance of Albert Stubbins (who played for Liverpool in the 1940s) on the cover of ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' is somewhat random, the most likely explanation for this being that John Lennon thought his name was funny [[/note]], [[Music/TheCult Ian Astbury]], former Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, Claire Sweeney and Gareth Evans.
!!Leicester City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leicester_city_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The foxes are on the prowl!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Foxes\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Srivaddhanaprabha Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Enzo Maresca\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jonny Evans\\
'''Current Stadium:''' King Power Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,312. Has never had a sponsor-free name; previous sponsor was Walkers.[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st in Championship (promoted)\\
'''Premier League Titles:''' 1; 2015–16\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 2020–21\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1924–25, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1970–71, 1979–80, 2013–14, & 2023–24 level 2 champions; 2008–09 League One Champions, 1963–64, 1996–97, & 1999–2000 League Cups; 1971 & 2021 FA Community Shields
----
Came ''out of freaking nowhere'' to win the Premier League title in 2015-16, the first top-flight title in the club's 125-plus-year history (prior to this, the club's main honours had been winning the League Cup three times). By "freaking nowhere", [[DarkHorseVictory we really mean it]] -- they had been in the Championship as recently as 2013-14; were nailed, bolted and hard welded to the bottom of the Premier League table for much of the 2014-15 season (only survived relegation that season by collecting 7 wins and a draw in their final 9 matches thanks in part to their new manager, Claudio Ranieri); and were ''5,000–1'' shots to win the title entering the 2015-16 season. They then proceeded to top the table in September, leading to jokes about how Leicester were going to win the league, only to then ''continue winning''.
For further context, they smashed record after record - they became the first team to be bottom at Christmas in one season and top at Christmas the next, star striker Jamie Vardy (signed four years before from non-league Fleetwood Town for £1 million - in other words, what former England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney then earned in a ''month'') scored goals in ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome eleven consecutive games]]'' breaking the record set by legendary Netherlands and Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and their ''entire first team'' cost £22 million. For context, Manchester United shelled out £36 million for the unproven but talented teenager Anthony Martial and most teams in the top 10 have at least one £20 million player and/or several £10 million-plus players.
Their unexpected success led to some people having to double down on rash declarations, including that of former England and Leicester striker Gary Lineker, current host of ''Series/MatchOfTheDay'' (and face of Walker's Crisps), who had declared when Leicester were top at Christmas that if they won he would host ''Match of the Day'' in his underwear. After Leicester were crowned champions, everyone called him on it, including [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments then Prime Minister David Cameron in Parliament]]. On the first programme of the 2016-17 season, Saturday 13th August 2016, he delivered on his promise, wearing Leicester City shorts no less.
Another impressive thing to note is that while normal service has resumed in the Premier League, they made waves in the Champions League, comfortably winning their group, to make the last 16 against Sevilla. They were unlucky to lose 2-1 in the first leg, but it turned out to be the final straw for their title winning boss Claudio Ranieri, with the side falling towards the relegation zone in the league after losing 5 on the trot. To say that sacking was unpopular was an understatement, yet caretaker Craig Shakespeare won his first 4 league games, and won the return leg against Sevilla to progress to the last 8 of the Champions League, and be English football's sole remaining representative in the competition, where they only lost to eventual finalist Atlético Madrid through a penalty for a foul clearly outside the box.
In 2018, tragedy struck the club following a league match against West Ham United - the helicopter of much-loved owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the man who bought and refurbished the club, then backed their title winning run, crashed in a parking lot outside the stadium[[note]]Srivaddhanaprabha was known for entering and leaving the stadium during home games by helicopter, which he would have land on the pitch[[/note]]. The crash claimed not only his life, but also that of two staff members, the pilot, and a visitor. In matches afterwards, the players - many of whom had been part of the 2015/16 title winning side - were on the brink of tears, and the vast majority of the squad attended the funeral in Thailand. Touchingly, every Premier League club paid their tributes.
Since then, Jamie Vardy has proven evergreen, only getting faster despite his passing years, and demonstrating his skills by coolly grabbing a hat-trick in a ''9-0'' demolition of Southampton (itself the joint largest win in Premier League history, and the joint largest away win in English top flight history full stop) on the way to claiming the Golden Boot at a record-breaking age of 33 in 2019-20, as Leicester finished 5th and qualified for the Europa League.
In May 2021, Leicester reached the FA Cup Final -- one of the first major British sporting events to experiment with large crowds following the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic (attendance was capped at 20,000, significantly below Wembley's capacity). Thanks to the fact that their opponents Chelsea were one of the ESL Six, almost all neutrals wanted Leicester to win -- which they did, overcoming their opponents 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.
In the 2022-23 season, Leicester unexpectedly found themselves struggling, having failed to replace talismanic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and with Vardy and his fellow strikers Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka struggling for goals, culminating in the firing of their FA Cup-winning manager Brendan Rodgers with the team deep in a relegation battle, to be replaced by former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith. This didn't help, and Leicester became just the second Premier League Champion to be relegated. This has led to jokes that they managed to get promoted, win the title and the FA cup, and get relegated back down, in a span during which Tottenham Hotspur, a "big club" with a golden generation, failed to win anything at all. However, led by new manager Enzo Marseca, they have secured their return into the Prem in the 2024-25 season despite bottling a 15-point lead in their Championship sojourn.
!!UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}}
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/liverpool_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:[[Theatre/{{Carousel}} You'll never walk alone!]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1892\\
'''Nickname:''' The Reds\\
'''Kit:''' All-red\\
'''Current Owners:''' Fenway Sports Group (majority), Dynasty Equity (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Jürgen Klopp[[note]]Has announced he will step down at the end of the season.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Captain:''' Virgil van Dijk\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Anfield[[note]]Capacity: 54,074... with plans of expansion[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 19; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1964–65, 1973–74, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2021–22\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies;''' 1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, & 1961–62 Second Division Champions; 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12, 2021–22, & 2023–24 EFL Cups; 1964*, 1965*, 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977*, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986*, 1988, 1989, 1990*, 2001, 2006, & 2022 (* shared) FA Community Shields; 1985–86 Football League Super Cup\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1983–84, 2004–05, & 2018–19 European Cups/UEFA Champions League; 1972–73, 1975–76, & 2000–01 UEFA Europa League; 1977, 2001, 2005, & 2019 UEFA Super Cups\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2019 FIFA Club World Cup
----
Won everything in sight in the 1970s and 80s. Finally won the Premier League in the 2019-20 season. They have the most Champions League wins in England (6) and they have never let anyone forget it. Fans famously sing "You'll Never Walk Alone", a song originally from the musical ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'', which has become so bound up with the club's identity that it is not only the [[CrowdSong Club Anthem]], but the title is the club's motto, on the badge and atop the famous Shankly Gates. It has since become one of the best known and most popular anthems in football, having been adopted by Celtic FC of Scotland (leading to a long-running controversy about which team adopted it first), Club Brugge of Belgium, Feyenoord, FC Twente and FC Cambuur of the Netherlands, Genoa CFC of Italy, and [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Borussia Dortmund, as well as about half the other teams in the German Bundesliga]], even by teams as far afield as FC Tokyo of Japan.
League Champions 19 times (once since the creation of the Premier League, in 2020), FA Cup winners eight times (most recently 2022), League Cup winners a record ten times (most recently 2024), European Cup (AKA Champions League) winners six times (most recently 2019), UEFA Cup winners three times (with the last coming in 2001), Club World Champions once (in 2019).
The club is well known outside of football for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster 1989 Hillsborough Disaster]], where 97 fans were crushed to death prior to an FA Cup semi-final.[[note]]94 died on the day. Three others died from their injuries--one a few days later, one in 1993, and one in ''2021''.[[/note]] Coming only a few years after the Bradford City Stadium Fire, the resultant inquiry led to the Taylor Report, which instituted all-seater stadia and other policies that led to a near total neutralisation of England's notorious hooliganism problem, reforms which, along with the creation of the Premier League, kickstarted the revival of English football.
* At the same time, ''[[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Sun]]'', with its infamous headline 'The Truth', smeared Liverpool fans by claiming that they attacked police officers, as well as that they urinated on and stole from the dead, all in order to deflect blame from the South Yorkshire Police, in collusion with the Government as part of a cover-up (slurs, incidentally, which were disproved and dismissed by the Taylor Report and over 150 witness statements were later proved to have been altered to show the police in a better light). To this day, you quite literally cannot give away a copy of ''The Sun'' in the city of Liverpool, despite numerous grovelling apologies of dubious sincerity. As of February 2017, the club has outright banned ''The Sun'' and its reporters from Anfield, the Melwood training ground and club press conferences, and fellow Merseyside clubs Everton and Tranmere Rovers have since followed suit. When they were told in late 2019 that this would prevent them from potentially hosting any England warm-up matches for Euro 2020, the response was more or less summed up as, "so what?" (and that was the ''polite'' version).
* After decades of campaigning by groups such as 'Justice for the 96'[[labelnote:*]]as noted above, the death toll didn't reach 97 until 2021[[/labelnote]] and latterly by local Labour MP and then Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, raising the matter in Parliament after being heckled with cries of 'Justice for the 96' when giving a speech at the 20th Anniversary of the Disaster, triggering the Second Hillsborough Inquiry. This exonerated the fans in 2012 and changed their official cause of death to 'unlawfully killed' after concluding that 'up to 41' might have survived had the emergency services coordinated better. Afterwards, campaigning groups and Burnham pushed for further inquests into just who was responsible, forcing the resignation of a number of senior police figures. This earned him cheers at the 25th Anniversary of the Disaster, and a speech in Parliament in April 2016, which included a vicious excoriation of those responsible, drew thunderous applause.
* As a side note, the youngest victim of the Hillsborough Disaster, 10-year-old Jon-Paul Gilhooley, was the cousin of a then 9-year-old little boy named Steven. Said little boy grew up to become Steven Gerrard, a club legend, talismanic captain of club and country and to be widely considered by his peers as one of the best players of his generation, with luminaries such as [[TheAce Zinedine Zidane]] calling him the best midfielder in the world, and later a highly successful manager at Rangers FC in Scotland. What could motivate such a man? [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Well, in his autobiography in 2006, he revealed that he played for Jon-Paul.]]
Since 1990, their fortunes have been decidedly mixed, becoming known as the team most likely to come third in any competition you care to name. High points including a Treble in 2001, and an epic underdog comeback Champions League win in 2005 against AC Milan, then one of the best teams on the planet, who raced into a 3-0 halftime lead. Six second-half minutes later, it was 3-3 and Liverpool won on penalties. To this day, no one (including the participants) is entirely sure what happened. For this reason it is generally referred to as 'the Miracle of Istanbul'.
Then there was the FA Cup Final of 2006 against West Ham, in which the score was also 3-3 and was almost singlehandedly won by Steven Gerrard, another Champions League Final appearance in 2007 (Milan got their revenge), a League Cup triumph in 2012 and highly creditable title challenges in 2001/02 and 2008/09. After that, it went decidedly downhill for a few years, before the title challenge of 2013/14. However, this was followed by another steep decline (2014/15 ended with a 6-1 defeat by ''Stoke''), then another sharp rise under Jürgen Klopp confirming the club's reputation as a footballing yo-yo. For this reason, 'Liverpool fan' has sometimes been considered synonymous with 'masochist'. However, under Klopp, they have stabilised as consistent title challengers (and in the 2019/20 season, at long last, winners), becoming one of the most feared attacking teams in Europe.
Historically famous for [[AttackAttackAttack downright mesmerising attacking football,]] spearheaded by lightning fast strikers who would do phenomenally well, get snapped up by Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea and then collapse. Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Philippe Coutinho (attacking midfielder and auxiliary forward) were never quite the same - though Torres managed a late career revival at Atletico Madrid. [[KarmaHoudini Luis Suárez]], on the other hand, did just fine. Under Klopp, and financed by the Fenway Sports Group, they've got sufficient pull and cash to keep whoever they want, even being willing to make an exception to their strict wage structure for legendary forward Mohammed Salah, who signed a new three year contract and there was much rejoicing.
Internationally very popular, with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. Their rivalry with Manchester United is so intense it's pretty much hatred, which led to mass gloating when Liverpool strolled to a 5-0 victory at Old Trafford in 2021, and spent the last 40 minutes JustToyingWithThem. United's 2-1 victory several months later under new manager Erik Ten Hag was taken as the trigger for United's strong season and a sign of Liverpool's drastic drop-off, and an in-form United came to face a rickety Liverpool at Anfield again in March... and promptly got absolutely ''eviscerated'', losing ''7-0'', their joint worst ''ever'' defeat in competitive football, on a scale not seen since 1931. Domestically, the favoured punchbags are Arsenal and Crystal Palace (Arsenal have conceded four goals or more 11 times in the Premier League era. 6 of them have been at Anfield), and occasionally Everton - mainly because the derby atmosphere means that unless the usually technically inferior Everton are right on their game, Liverpool will have absolutely no compunction about going through them like a buzzsaw.
Infamous (like Arsenal) for [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut fizzling out]] dramatically, epitomised by the 08/09 and 13/14 seasons, both followed by steep declines - 2014/15 ended with the aforementioned 6-1 defeat, their worst since ''1963''. Cue the arrival of charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, famous for ''gegenpressing'' style of 'heavy metal football', breaking Bayern Munich's stranglehold on the German title with Borussia Dortmund, then reaching the Champions League final. The clubs being FriendlyFandoms, this was considered a match made in heaven. Klopp's Liverpool were quickly cast as 'Europe's Entertainers', combining the front foot defence of the ''gegenpress'' with an attack led by the 'Fab Four' of wing forward [[LightningBruiser Sadio Mane,]] talismanic [[PintSizedPowerHouse pocket-sized playmaker Philippe Coutinho]], creative striker [[TheLancer Roberto Firmino]], and the apparently unstoppable [[LightningBruiser Mohamed Salah]].
Several evolutions followed: Coutinho's departure to Barcelona for a mind-boggling £142 ''million'' led to several key defensive acquisitions - cultured Dutch centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, world-class Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Brazilian defensive midfielder Fabinho, and Scottish left-back Andy Robertson. Add academy right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who went on to feature in two Champions League finals before he turned 21 and is widely considered to be arguably the one of the best right-backs on the planet, breaking the record for a defender's assists in a league season, before breaking it ''again'' the following year, then rapidly surpassing the record for a defender's assists in the Premier League before he turned 25; and the restoration of talented but injury-prone centre-backs Joe Gomez and Joel Matip meant that Liverpool became a much more balanced team. The defence did its job, while the marauding full-backs provided the front three (renamed 'the Red Arrows') with the ammunition to become the terror of Europe, being the highest scoring front three in a single season in Champions League history. Most recently, the frontline has evolved again, with a revolving cast of agile poacher Diogo Jota, rangy lightning fast WildCard and fan-favourite Darwin 'Captain Chaos' Nunez, quick-footed winger Luis Diaz, and lanky technician Cody Gakpo starring alongside the evergreen Salah. While less reliable than the old 'Red Arrows', the sheer unpredictability and range of different options combined a newfound injection of pace and the eternal menace of Salah means that they remain one of the most feared front lines in Europe, and one of the best counter-attacking teams on the planet. There are not many teams who could arguably pose more of a goal threat when defending a corner than attacking one.
They have since reached three Champions League finals (2018, 2019, 2022), winning in 2019 and losing the other two to Real Madrid, simultaneously going toe to toe with Manchester City in multiple title challenges, missing out on the title by a single point, ''twice'', in 2019 and 2022, along with their 2020 title win (99 points, despite finishing the season in cruise control, only one behind City's 'Centenarians'), racking up three of the top ten points totals in top division history. Given that other teams were often trailing by up to 25 points, there was serious reference to both teams as 'the Big Two'. This, while in the 19/20 season, maintaining a home record of 50 games unbeaten, only the third team to do so after Chelsea (2004-2008) and a previous Liverpool side (1978-1980). Thanks to the oddities of the Covid Pandemic in the 19-20 season, resulting in a 3 month delay, they became simultaneously being the earliest team to win the title (with 7 games to spare) and latest (in actual date).
The downside is that the comparatively lesser resources available to Liverpool (as opposed to City, who can field two title-winning teams with room to spare) and the very physically demanding style Klopp plays is that title challenges are often followed by recovery years. The 2020-21 season included a defensive injury crisis, forcing 20 different centre-back partnerships in just 38 games. Yes, ''20''. And it only got worse, with injuries, illness, and personal tragedies hitting the rest of the squad. That and Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino suffered a mystifying loss of form, plus Burnley breaking their famous 68 home game unbeaten run in January, leading to six back to back defeats at home, meant that Liverpool fans could genuinely wonder if they'd been put under some kind of curse. As it was, they still managed to wrangle Champions League qualification (including a [[DownToTheLastPlay last second winning header]] from ''Alisson'', of all people, ''the first time a Liverpool goalkeeper had scored in the club's then-129 year history''), defying logic to reach 3rd place, only 5 points behind 2nd placed Manchester United. Once all the dust settled, there were two questions: first, 'what the hell just happened?' and 'how the ''hell'' did they do ''that''?'
In 2021-2022, Liverpool won the League Cup (beating Chelsea on penalties), won the FA Cup (beating Chelsea... on penalties... again, after dispatching City in the semi-finals) and casually crushed everyone else in their Champions League group, a so-called 'Group of Death', achieving maximum points, before dismissing Inter Milan, Benfica, and (after a brief scare in the second leg) Villareal, in successive rounds to set up a Champions League Final rematch with Real Madrid. They were the only team with a shot at the mythical 'Quadruple', coming within 8 minutes of snatching the Premier League from under City's noses, before City came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa on the final day, and their scoring and defensive records were second only to City - and that by the finest of margins. They likewise lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid, also by fine margins and thanks to a borderline supernatural goalkeeping performance by Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois. The result was something of a hollow victory: of the four trophies, they won arguably the two least prestigious, both on penalties, and didn't score a single goal in the three finals they played in. Some respect was regained by promptly beating Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield, but their 2022-23 season promptly went downhill from there, with a dramatic slump variously blamed on an exhausted and aging squad, a lack of fresh blood in midfield, defensive injuries, the departure of Sadio Mane, a misfiring Darwin Nunez who varied between the sublime and the ridiculous, being found out, and Klopp's so-called 7th season syndrome. A brutal 5-2 thrashing at Anfield by Real Madrid, after dropping a two goal early lead, summed up the issues for many. While highlights included a monumentally vicious ''7-0'' thrashing of an in-form Manchester United side, and running riot against a luckless Leeds, thrashing them 6-1, before going on a five game winning run, unlike last season it was too little too late - Liverpool's late charge fizzled out with two draws, a 5th place finish and failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.
2023-24 was initially engimatic. The departures of Captain Jordan Henderson, Vice-Captain James Milner (a veteran so experienced that his top-flight career is officially longer than the period between WWI and WWII), and fading defensive midfielder Fabinho, the former and latter to Saudi Arabia, while Milner went to Brighton, were somewhat unexpected. That is to say, while Milner's departure was half-expected, despite hopes he'd continue as a player-coach and stabilising presence, the others definitely weren't. This forced a rapid readjustment, with the smooth recruitment of two highly rated young midfielders in World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, Hungary Captain Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, and the comprehensive fumbling of deals for Moses Caicedo from Brighton and Romeo Lavia from Southampton. Both went to Chelsea. Given the reputation Liverpool have earned for smooth, seamless, and secretive business in the transfer market, this was met with bafflement and speculation that the Caicedo bid was partly [[{{Troll}} to screw with Chelsea]] (given the final price was ''£115 million'', this would make some degree of bizarre sense). Afterwards, the late arrivals of veteran Japan Captain Wataru Endo from VFB Stuttgart to plug the defensive midfield gap, and long admired and highly rated young midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, to augment academy product Curtis Jones and flexible playmaker Harvey Elliot indicated business as usual. After some initial stumbles, the new look midfield cohered neatly, and despite a general assessment that 'Liverpool 2.0' aren't at their best yet and several injury crises, a combination of inspiration, perspiration, and sheer bloody-mindedness, along with Endo, Mac Allister, and Nunez all finding some of their best form and several academy players rising to the occasion magnificently, has allowed them to keep pace with Arsenal and City, exploiting a draw between the two to go two points clear after 29 games. %% The World Cup winner's family name is indeed "Mac Allister", with two words.
A peculiarity of this season is that they've had four players sent off in three matches (one of which was overturned on appeal). The first two results were both wins, oddly enough, including against highly fancied Newcastle, with the observation that Liverpool seem to play ''better'' when down to ten men. Like conceding the first goal, it seems to either wake them up or simply annoy them. The third, where Liverpool went down to ''nine'', was an extremely controversial match against Spurs, where at least one of the sendings off was contested, and a spectacular VAR error meant that Liverpool had a perfectly valid goal ruled offside - and even then, it took until the last kick of the game for a very unfortunate own goal to prevent them from snatching a point. Then, in January, Klopp shocked the football world by announcing his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season. Despite all of this and a mounting injury crisis that as of the end of February put ''12'' first team players in the treatment room at the same time, they've taken first place and (mostly) held it, as well as winning the EFL Cup against Chelsea as "Klopp's Kids" (finishing with five players aged 20 or under) beat "the Blue Billion Pound Bottle-Jobs" in Extra Time, despite all their injuries ''and'' several days less to prepare. While a late Extra Time defeat to United in the FA Cup was deflating, they are still among the favourites for the Europa League, and - currently - have the upper hand in the title race.
Liverpool are also known for their rich history in Europe, thriving on long odds - the more ridiculous, the better. For example: The 2005 Champions League final (3-0 down 54 minutes in, level at 3-3 on 60 minutes - nearly 20 years on, no one, participants included, is quite sure how it happened); the 2016 Europa League Quarter Final against Borussia Dortmund (3-1 down at 60 minutes, 4-3 up at 92 minutes); and the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona (3-0 down on aggregate, missing two star attackers. Level on aggregate on 60 minutes, after two goals in as many minutes, ahead on aggregate/4-0 up on the night on 79). They've previously been dubbed Europe's Comeback Kings (it actually trended on Twitter), and aren't shy of handing out thrashings either; in 2007, they broke the Champions League's goal scoring record against Beşiktaş (''8-0''), and in 2017/18, they stuffed two teams 7-0. Even European giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, AS Roma, Barcelona, and Porto aren't immune. In Barca's case, it was ''another'' memorable comeback ('the Miracle on the Mersey'), destroying them 4-0 at Anfield with Salah and Firmino out through injuries to turn around a 3-0 loss in the first leg. [[note]]Considering Barça had both Lionel Messi and Luis 'Chomp' Suárez in the squad, many neutrals wrote Liverpool off after the first leg[[/note]]. In Porto's case, it's becoming something of a RunningGag: they draw Liverpool and promptly get absolutely stuffed at home. They hosted Liverpool 3 times in 4 seasons. As of 2022, the aggregate score is 14-2, and just to toy with Porto further, in January 2022 they promptly signed Porto's star man Luis Diaz for less than half of his release clause. Diaz immediately fit into the Liverpool squad and was instrumental in helping them lift a cup double and make a run to the Champions League final. In their most recent games, they lost 7-1 on aggregate, this in a group round where Liverpool became the first English team to win all six matches - in a so-called 'Group of Death', no less (this included putting out what was essentially a reserve team away to old rivals AC Milan in the last match. Given Milan's European history and position as leaders of Serie A, this might be considered a mistake. [[CurbstompBattle It wasn't]]). In short, Liverpool are ''dangerous'' in Europe.
Having won six Champions League trophies (in '77, '78, '81, '84, '05, and '19), 5 of them before a rule change in 2009, they are the first and only (thanks to said rule change) English team to be allowed to keep the trophy, a new one being made for the following season. Liverpool fans frequently gloat about this.
Liverpool's fans[[note]]including Creator/JohnOliver, whom American media described as a "superfan"[[/note]], colloquially known as 'the Kop' or 'Kopites', after the Kop End, which itself is named after the hill on which the Battle of Spion Kop was fought in 1900, are some of the most famous in the footballing world and certainly among the most vocal, giving Anfield a reputation as one of the most atmospheric stadiums on the planet, famed for 'the Anfield Roar' - which, following the expansion of the Main Stand, taking the capacity to 54,000, and on completion will be 61,000, has only got that much louder, being voted the joint loudest stadium in Europe along with Barcelona's Camp Nou (which is almost twice as large, holding 99,354). No matter how well or badly the club is doing, the sight and sound of the Kop in full voice is truly breathtaking, and it is routinely cited by ex-pros as the most intimidating place to play in world football. This makes Anfield an intimidating place to go, and when on a particularly strong streak (such as when they went undefeated in the Premier League between April 2017 and January 2021), it's referred to as 'Fortress Anfield'. The current record is one defeat in the last 48 matches. Fans are also a fairly cosmopolitan bunch, with a fanbase estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. The club takes advantage of this with its summer tours to the US, Australia and South East Asia. More local support is drawn from North Wales, Ireland and Scotland, with a long tradition of club legends from those countries, such as all time top scorer Ian Rush (Welsh) and defenders Mark Lawrenson (Irish) and Alan Hansen (Scottish) and, more recently, Andrew Robertson (Scotland Captain). There's also a certain fondness in Germany, partly because Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp is still beloved by fans of his former team, Borussia Dortmund, and also because of the Kopites' historic twinning with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Matchgoers in particular are pathologically loyal to the club; it takes ''a lot'' to make them stop singing for any length of time and if they have done so, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness it's a very bad sign.]] If they have started booing and you are the manager, you are likely to be fired soon afterwards.
More puzzlingly, there's a [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff massive fan base in Norway.]] No one is quite sure why, though cheap plane/ferry tickets to Liverpool may have something to do with it. There's also the relative prominence of Norwegians in Liverpool sides down the years, such as fan favourite John Arne Riise, Champions League winner with Liverpool, famous for having a left foot that passably impersonated [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Mjolnir.]] [[note]] Once, he took a free kick against Manchester United in an FA Cup tie in 2006. Alan 'Smudge' Smith was the unfortunate player standing in the way. He ended up out for eight months with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Unsurprisingly, poor old Smudge was never quite the same again - while he played through the pain barrier until he retired in 2018, he revealed in 2022 that a) he had about ten pins in his ankle, b) he hobbles out of bed every morning, c) his doctor had flat out told him not to go straight-line running for the sake of his health.[[/note]] Additionally, current Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Odegaard grew up as a Liverpool fan.
Merseyside derbies are sell-outs and pretty scrappy matches - they have more red cards than any other fixture in the league - and, often, surprisingly high scoring, since both teams desperately want to win. The balance of power is currently weighted towards the red half of Merseyside, with Everton having failed to register a win at Anfield in the 21st century and consistently getting turned over by Liverpool, sometimes in very embarrassing fashion. When they do, the result is usually UnsportsmanlikeGloating.
However, in times of need both sets of fans can and do become very close, with supporters of both teams often being found in the same family, after Hillsborough there was a chain of scarves [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments connecting Anfield and Goodison Park.]] In essence, the rivalry's more like a family feud - and accordingly, can vary between its current status of mutual hatred and, as in the 80's, being known as 'the Friendly Derby', with one notable FA Cup final featuring both sets of fans mixing freely and singing, 'Merseyside, Merseyside' and, predictably, 'Are You Watching Manchester?' While relations have not so much cooled but frozen, it is notable that to this day, it is the only major derby that does not enforce fan segregation. Oh, and following a particularly nasty newspaper column in ''The Sun'' by Kelvin [=MacKenzie=] (yes, the man who was behind ''that'' headline) aimed at Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, Everton followed Liverpool in banning the paper and its journalists from their grounds.
Liverpool-United derbies, however, are much more combustible affairs, with vile chants about the Hillsborough Disaster aimed at Liverpool fans, some of whom have been known to reply with chants about the Munich Air Disaster, despite routine pleas in the pre-match programs ''not'' to bring the subjects up. On a lighter note, this also means that UnsportsmanlikeGloating is par for the course if one team if doing particularly badly - as demonstrated when Liverpool beat Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford in 2021, having led 4-0 at half time and, after Salah inevitably completed his hattrick, spent the last 40 minutes of the match playing keep-ball while the Liverpool fans cheerfully and ironically serenaded beleaguered United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær with "Ole's at the wheel!" The return fixture wasn't much more fun either, as Liverpool won 4-0 despite playing much of the match in 3rd gear - though the match was more notable for the [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments solemn round of applause in the 7th minute in tribute to United forward Cristiano Ronaldo (who wore the number 7) whose newborn son had just died, something accompanied by a rendition of club anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and the usually unheard of sight of United shirts being waved in the Kop end]]. United then won the next match with Liverpool under new manager Erik Ten-Hag... before promptly getting spanked ''7-0'' in their return to Anfield.
A fun fact for those interested in the business of football (and sport more generally): Liverpool FC is presently the property of Fenway Sports Ventures. Yes, that's Fenway as in Fenway Park. In UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}. With the [[UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} Red]] [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Sox]]. Same owners - who are incidentally, ticket price incident aside, actually very popular thanks to the stadium expansion, investment in the transfer market, visible involvement with the club and securing the services of Jürgen Klopp, with whom the fanbase has an ongoing passionate love affair. Securing the Champions League, then a first top division title in 30 years was just the icing on the cake...
...Until Liverpool were announced as one of the ESL Six, which at least put a dent in the love affair between the supporters and Fenway Sports, with many fans calling for the club's sale (matters have since calmed down following a rapid retreat). Klopp, who didn't know about the plans until after they were publicly reported, strongly opposed them, likely securing his place in the fans' hearts all the more. Liverpool's entire playing squad, led by widely respected captain Jordan Henderson, issued a statement on social media condemning the ESL plans, very bluntly saying, "we don't want this".
!!Manchester City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/manchester_city.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The City is ours!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1880\\
'''Nickname:''' The Citizens\\
'''Kit:''' Sky blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan\\
'''Current Manager:''' Josep "Pep" Guardiola\\
'''Current Captain:''' Kevin de Bruyne\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Etihad Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 55,097. Sponsor is Etihad Airways; sponsor-less name is City of Manchester Stadium.[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 1st in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League Titles:''' 9; 1936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23\\
'''FA Cups:''' 7; 1903–04, 1933–34, 1955–56, 1968–69, 2010–11, 2018–19, 2022–23\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies;''' 1898–99, 1902–03, 1909–10, 1927–28, 1946–47, 1965–66, & 2001–02 second-flight champions; 1969–70, 1975–76, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, & 2020–21 EFL Cups; 1937, 1968, 1972, 2012, 2018, & 2019 FA Community Shields\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 2022–23 UEFA Champions League; 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup; 2023 UEFA Super Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
----
The ''other'' major club from Manchester, perhaps unfairly defined by long-standing crosstown rivalry with Manchester United (For the non-Brit footy fans out there, imagine the LA Clippers and the NY Mets in relation to the Lakers and the Yankees.[[note]]Peculiarly, though, City has gone in with the Yankees to establish a new MLS football club in New York, which is called New York City FC (get it?) and play in City's light-blue strip - but with dark blue and orange accents.[[/note]] That's how they compare Man City to United). In their 117-year history they have won fewer trophies than their rivals (prior to 2012, they hadn't won anything since the 1970s), and until recently were the butt of many a football-based joke thanks to their late-1990s slip down to what's now League One.
However, in 2008 an [[UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates Abu Dhabi]]-based investment group took over the club, bringing in massive amounts of finance. In turn this brought several experienced international stars to the club, making City serious trophy contenders. Following their 2011 FA Cup victory they beat Manchester United to the 2011-12 Premier League, and won the Prem again in 2013–14. Thus, they are now considered part of the "Big 4", usually at Liverpool's expense - and won the 2013-14 title at Liverpool's expense too. The 2012 Premiership title was won with a [[DownToTheLastPlay 94th minute 3-2 win over QPR in the last game of the season]]. Had the match ended at full time[[note]]90 minutes[[/note]], City would have ''lost'' 2-1 and conceded the Premier League to Manchester United by two points. The victory put them level on points, but with a greater goal difference.
Their 2017-18 season saw them destroy everyone in their path to the Premier League title, setting various records on the way: record points tally (100), most goals scored (106), most wins (32), as well as a record winning streak (17). Their only two losses were against Liverpool (as described below), and against Manchester United - and they were leading 2-0 at halftime. They also won the League Cup, thrashing Arsenal 3-0. Despite this, though, they were knocked out the FA Cup by Wigan Athletic in the fifth round, and also had to kiss goodbye to the Champions League in the quarter-finals, again thanks to Liverpool.
As noted, Liverpool tend to get their own back whenever City come to Anfield (most recent result: 3-1 in Liverpool's favour). Until February 2021, it was the only stadium which City hadn't won at in the Premier League following the Abu Dhabi takeover, and they hadn't won there at all since 2003. This status as chief pain in the neck isn't always restricted to Anfield visits, as Liverpool demonstrated when [[CurbstompBattle they turned over City 4-1 at the Etihad]] earlier in the 2015/16 season. On the other hand, when the two met in the 2016 League Cup final, it was City who had the last laugh. And then in 2017/18, Liverpool came to the Etihad... and one sending off later, were thumped 5-0. Then a couple of months later, City's attempt to do their first league double over Liverpool in 80 years, when Liverpool ripped them to shreds, with a face-saving City recovery making it 4-3. They suffered an even worse defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, being humiliated 3-0 in a match where they didn't even get the ball into the box ''once''.
The Sky Blues seem to have gotten better after that, though: in the 2018-19 Premier League season, they held the Reds to a 0-0 draw at Anfield and would have even come out victorious if it weren't for a missed penalty, and then doubled down by winning 2-1 at the Etihad. Going into the final day of the 2018/19 season, the two were locked head to head in what's widely considered to have been the best race for the title in years, being separated by only one point, and each being over twenty points ahead of the next best team with over 90 points each, leading to general agreement that while only one team can win, neither deserves to lose. Both sides won their final matches, giving City the crown. Their League Cup win against Chelsea on penalties and their 6-0 annihilation of Watford in the FA Cup final also made them the first men's football team in England to complete the domestic treble.[[note]]The first ever football team to do that was Linfield of Northern Ireland in 1922. The first English team was Arsenal's women's team, in 2009.[[/note]] Since then, the rivalry has only intensified - after a Liverpool off-season in 2020/21 where Liverpool managed to get every single senior centre-back injured (and a chunk of the midfield, many of whom were filling in at the back) as they limped to a 3rd place finish, both teams shot out of the blocks, and despite City looking like they were going to pull away with a 14-point lead in January, Liverpool hauled them down after two tense 2-2 draws, finally reclaiming top spot in mid-April by two points and a net 9 goal edge - though City have a game in hand. As many have commented, this is essentially recreating the famous 18/19 title race, with higher stakes: City are chasing a League and European double, while Liverpool (after beating City in the FA Cup semi-final and winning the League Cup) are chasing the mythical 'Quadruple' of both domestic cups, the League, and the Champions League - and both could yet meet in the Champions League final too. Then in 2022–23, City swept the Premiership, FA Cup, and Champions League to become the first Premiership side since its city rivals in 1999 (and the first European side since Inter in 2009–10) to claim the mythical "treble".
[[Music/{{Oasis}} Liam and Noel Gallagher]] are famous City fans: the band famously played a sold-out gig at Maine Road, City's former stadium, in 1996. Liam's second band, Beady Eye, also performed a cover of "Blue Moon", the club anthem, in a video for the club revealing the jersey for the 2011-12 season.
City were another one of the ESL Six, though much like Chelsea, their owners and board were not totally on board with the concept. Manager Pep Guardiola, much like Klopp, strongly opposed the ESL.
!!Manchester United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/manchester_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Glory, glory Man United!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Red Devils\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts, black socks\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Glazer Family[[note]]The Glazer family have announced their intentions to sell.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Erik ten Hag\\
'''Current Captain:''' Bruno Fernandes\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Old Trafford[[note]]Capacity: 75,653[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 3rd in Premier League\\
'''First Division/Premier League titles:''' 20; 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\\
'''FA Cups:''' 12; 1908–09, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2015–16\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1935–36 & 1974–75 Second Division Champions; 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17, & 2022–23 EFL Cups; 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965*, 1967*, 1977*, 1983, 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, & 2016 (* shared) FA Community Shields\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1967–68, 1998–99, & 2007–08 European Cup/UEFA Champions Leagues; 1990–91 European Cup Winners' Cup; 2016–17 UEFA Europa League; 1991 UEFA Super Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 2008 FIFA Club World Cup; 1999 Intercontinental Cup
----
England's most successful club; to give you an idea of their success, they have only 4 fewer Premier League titles than all of the other winners ''put together''. A lot of this is down to their most famous manager, who spent over a quarter of a century in the job (1986-2013). The fact that he's called ''Sir'' Alex Ferguson indicates something.
Probably the most famous football club in England, and for that matter the world, with an official fan club that comprises 5% of the planet's population, with arch-rivals Liverpool close behind in both respects. They are also arguably the world's largest sports club, and are regularly at or near the top in overall team value. In 2018, they were valued at £3.2 billion ($4.1 billion), neck-and-neck with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as the most valuable football club, and trailing only the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Dallas Cowboys]] in all of world sport. Because Manchester United fans
Has a long standing rivalry with City - the fact that Old Trafford is located in Trafford (technically outside the City of Manchester, but within the Greater Manchester area) makes most Mancunians who are not fans treat United as a bastard team to the area, though Mancunian United fans will bite back. That said, much like the Liverpool[=/=]Everton rivalry mentioned above, there are times where the fans will unite, such as the anniversary of the Munich plane crash in 1958 which killed several members of the United squad & left several others seriously injured (legendary City goalkeeper Frank Swift, who'd become a football reporter after retiring as a player, also died in the disaster, and at the time the whole of Manchester was in mourning, which would explain why City fans do not use the disaster to taunt United fans), or to pay tributes to the victims of the 2017 terrorist attacks at the Music/ArianaGrande concert in the city.
Equally, there is a similarly longstanding (and, again, arguably much more vicious, lacking the family ties mentioned above) rivalry between United and Liverpool, one that can be traced back to the inter-city rivalry of the industrial revolution as well as the fact that they are by far the two most successful teams in English history. This can lead to epic footballing clashes and to unsavoury scenes on the pitch and in the stands, such as Luis Suárez' racial abuse of Patrice Evra and despite pleading from managers and officials on both sides, both sets of fans winding each other up with 'tragedy chanting' - United fans taunting Liverpool fans about the Hillsborough disaster, and the Scousers responding in kind by taunting the Mancs about Munich.
Post Ferguson, results have been rocky to say the least. His replacement was Everton manager David Moyes, who was actually [[MeetTheNewBoss Ferguson's handpicked successor]]. However, the 13-14 season went horribly wrong for United, and after they were assured of not making the Champions League for the first time in nearly 20 years, Moyes was sacked. 2014-15 got off to a bumpy start, with [[OldMaster Louis van Gaal]] taking the helm. The first half of the season was marked by the injury-plagued squad scraping wins and draws by the skin of their teeth, while Van Gaal tested out different formations and played some players out of position. In April, they found their form, holding onto fourth place on the table (by the skin of their teeth) and managing to defeat Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa with something of the style they were once known for under Ferguson. Many United fans remained unconvinced, particularly due to the protracted transfer saga involving star Goalkeeper David De Gea, the last-minute purchase of the 19-year-old unknown Anthony Martial for ''£36 million'', making him the most expensive teenager in footballing history and a fairly toothless start to the 2015/16 season. This proved to be justified, and United limped to a 5th place finish, losing out on 4th place by goal difference - and, to rub salt in the wound, to arch-rivals Manchester City, but the blow was softened with the club's 12th FA Cup win. Van Gaal was consequently fired
José 'The Special One' Mourinho was van Gaal's replacement and promptly bought highly-rated Juventus (and former United youth) player Paul Pogba, for a then-world record £89 million, among others. United had a strange season - they went through 25 games unbeaten, but, during this run, were held at home by Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham, Hull, West Brom Stoke and Swansea (as well as Liverpool and Everton), with 15 draws throughout the season, meaning they never seriously threatened the top 4 - however, they won the League Cup and then the Europa League, beating Ajax in the final of the latter, the only major honour to elude United. The final straw was a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool. ** Fan-favourite ex-player Ole Gunnar Solskjær was brought in to dispel the gloom, helped by the fact that he was eminently likeable and that he was given the rough GDP of Albania to spend on transfers, with the likes of England centre-back Harry Maguire, attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes, defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, young midfielder Donny van de Beek (whom he proceeded to hardly play), experienced centre-back Raphael Varane, while also bringing through Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, and coaxing Luke Shaw back into the side. Despite this enviable array of talents, Solskjær's lack of tactical acumen and authority (especially required in a dressing room that full of massive egos) was increasingly shown up, as well as the lowered expectations, and a belief that when Mourinho said that getting that squad to second was his greatest achievement, he might have been onto something.
For context, Liverpool's injury ridden 2020/21 season was seen as a writeoff and a disaster. They also finished only 5 points behind second-placed United (who were nowhere close to champions Manchester City) and before the season ended, had been closing fast. In the 2021/22 season, after another a massive outlay that brought in highly coveted wing-forward Jadon Sancho and club legend Ronaldo, this came to a head with several near-misses with embarrassing results (spared only by the intervention of Ronaldo), before Liverpool sauntered to a 5-0 lead at Old Trafford without getting out of third gear (then proceeded to spend the last 40 minutes of the match JustToyingWithThem), making it the first time that a United team had been 4-0 down at half-time in the Premier League era. Compounding this misery was a casual 2-0 dismissal by Manchester City, and in November, Solskjær was sacked after the players admitted they didn't have a clue what they were doing, following a disastrous 4-1 defeat away to Watford. His (interim) replacement was Ralf Rangnick, a highly influential figure in German football known for his acumen in tactics, man-management and team recruitment, and widely regarded as a "mentor" to mainstay EPL managers like Klopp and Tuchel. This did not stop Liverpool obliterating them, again, this time 4-0 at Anfield, with minimal effort.
For the 2022-23 season, United brought in highly-regarded Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, who proceeded to raid the Dutch league for new signings, bringing in Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, and Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez and Brazilian winger Antony from his previous club Ajax, along with Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen[[note]]who had miraculously returned to football the season prior following a cardiac arrest playing for Denmark at Euro 2020[[/note]] and Brazilian defensive-midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid. After a poor start, losing 2-1 at home to Brighton and ''4-0'' away to Eriksen's former team Brentford, they then won their subsequent 4 games, including wins over Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal (with their win over Liverpool being their first in the league since 2018), with Ten Hag establishing a reputation as a shrewd manager and a strong-willed disciplinarian, winning the contest of wills with Cristiano Ronaldo, first leaving him on the bench when he proved unsatisfactory, then dispatching him entirely and being rewarded with an upswing in results. This, winning the League Cup, and only one loss in 22 games put them in the frame as outsiders for the title in early March, going to Anfield in the expectation that, against a defensively rickety and tired Liverpool, they would at least better a record of having scored exactly one goal there in seven years. They promptly suffered the joint ''worst'' defeat in their 145-year history, losing ''7-0'', guaranteeing that United fans will now once again be seeing a grinning Mo Salah in their nightmares.
Thanks to their almost total domination of the domestic game from the early-mid 1990s onwards, it seems impossible to be neutral about Man Utd - you're either a fan, or you ''hate'' them - though this slackened after Ferguson retired in 2013, following which United haven't won the title. Currently American-owned, which doesn't help; the Glazer family (who also
...Or at least it calmed the protests until United were announced as one of the ESL Six in April 2021. That move destroyed what little goodwill the Glazers had managed to cultivate with the fanbase; after the ESL collapsed, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward (a Glazer appointee who'd got the job after advising them on their takeover of the club) resigned, and there were many calls for the Glazers to sell the club...
...which were partially answered in 2023 when the Glaziers sold a 25% share in the club – including control of football operations – to English chemical executive Jim Ratcliffe.
!!Tottenham Hotspur
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tottenham_hotspur.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:To dare is to do!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Spurs[[note]]Sometimes called the Lilywhites. The fans refer to themselves as the Yids or the Yid Army. The Tottenham borough was once known for having a high Jewish population, and the term was initially thrown out as a slur by opposing fans, before the Spurs supporters [[AppropriatedAppellation proudly appropriated it to protect their Jewish neighbors]]. To say this is now controversial with the British Jewish community would putting it lightly. It has been requested that the supporters stop using the term, but no action has taken place yet.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Joe Lewis (Majority Shareholder) and Daniel Levy\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ange Postecoglou\\
'''Current Captain:''' Heung-Min Son\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Tottenham Hotspur Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 61,559[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 8th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1950–51, 1960–61\\
'''FA Cups:''' 8; 1900–01, 1920–21, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1990–91\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1919–20 & 1949–50 Second Division Champions; 1970–71, 1972–73, 1998–99, & 2007–08 League Cups; 1921, 1951, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, & 1991 FA Community Shields; 1902 Sheriff of London Charity Shield\\
'''Continental Trophies:''' 1962–63 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; 1971–72 & 1983–84 UEFA Europa League; 1971 Anglo-Italian League Cup
----
Great rivals with North London neighbours Arsenal. Are considered one of the most entertaining sides in the Premiership, with an expansive style that concedes many goals, but scores many more. For this reason, they are very popular with the neutrals.
Spurs are notorious for their Chairman, Daniel Levy, being one of the toughest negotiators in football. His ruthlessness has seen Tottenham Hotspur pick up some classy bargains (van der Vaart for £8 million from Real Madrid), recoup losses on expensive flops (Darren Bent sold for the exact amount he was bought for) and sell players for some obscene amounts (Gareth Bale being sold for a then world record transfer fee of £86 million).
They are also notorious for choking at vital moments, to the point where "Spursy" or "do a Spurs" is football slang for essentially snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. At the end of the 2009-10 season Spurs became the team that broke the "Big Four" (the first since Everton in 2004-05) and gained the chance to qualify for Champions League football. They did well in the Champions League, beating top Italian teams AC Milan and Internazionale, before going out in the quarter-finals to Real Madrid, but failed to qualify again for the next season. They subsequently placed in the Top 4 following the 2010-11 season but due to the almost unprecedented achievement of Chelsea in coming 6th but managing to win the Champions League - Liverpool had come fifth in the 2004-05 season when they won the Champions League. That time, both Liverpool and 4th placed Everton had gone through the qualifying stages of the Champions League, but this time, Tottenham failed to qualify. This made them the first team in Football to place within the Champions League Qualification places but fail to qualify due to a lower-placed side winning the Tournament.
Their 2018-19 season was particularly positive, despite the team's apparent inability to clutch points while down. In fact, they went ''28'' matchdays without drawing, the first of those coming with a 1-1 in the North London Derby against Arsenal. On the other hand, their Champions League campaign is surely one to remember for the Spurs faithful, as they got out of a fierce group including Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSV, and then beat Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax on the way to make their first ever Champions League final. The second leg of their semifinal against Ajax in particular has shown Lucas Moura scoring a hat-trick in 45 minutes to make up for their 3-goal deficit: the final goal was scored on literally the last second of the match. Unfortunately, they ran into a vastly experienced Liverpool side in the final, which had a point to prove after losing the previous year's final to Real Madrid, and calmly picked Spurs off in a 2-0 win.
In April 2021 Spurs were one of the "ESL Six", withdrawing from the project two days after it was announced, along with the other EPL clubs involved.
It should be noted to the casual observer that Spurs fans' self applied nickname of "Yid Army" is the cause of some controversy. North London has long been well-known for its Jewish population and anti-Semitic chants (including references to ''gas chambers'') would be directed at Spurs fans by opposition supporters -- including fans of North London rivals Arsenal who have just as many Jewish fans as Tottenham. As a consequence, Spurs fans referring to themselves as the "Yid Army" was seen by some as a way to [[NWordPrivileges support the local Jewish community]]. However, to some, this is seen now to be belittling; the comedian and Chelsea supporter David Baddiel [[note]](he of ''Series/FantasyFootballLeague'' and "Three Lions" fame)[[/note]], who is himself Jewish, has been particularly outspoken on TV about this.
Famous fans include Music/{{Adele}}, [[Series/TheApprentice Alan Sugar]] (who used to own the club), Creator/JKRowling, Creator/MarinaSirtis, Creator/HunterDavies (whose 1972 book ''The Glory Game'' was the result of nigh-on unlimited access to the inner workings of the club) [[note]] he's actually a good example of a fan of a lower-league club lending his support to a top-flight one, as he grew up supporting Carlisle United [[/note]] and [[Series/ManVFood Adam Richman]].
!English clubs that used to be big, and other noteworthy clubs
!!Accrington Stanley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/accrington_stanley_fc_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878 (later iterations founded 1868 and 1968)\\
'''Nickname:''' The 'Owd Reds\
'''Kit:''' All-red\\
'''Current Owners:''' Andy Holt\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Doolan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Crown Ground[[note]]Capacity: 5,450[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in EFL League Two\\
'''League Championships:''' 2017–18 League Two Champions; 2005–06 Conference Champions; 2002–03 Northern Premier League Champions; 1999–2000 Northern Premier League Division One Champions; 1902–03, 1905–06, 1973–74, & 1977–78 Lancashire Combination Champions; 1980–81 Cheshire County League Division Two Champions\\
'''Cups Won:''' 2001–02 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup; 2002–03 Northern Premier League Challenge Shield; 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, & 1976–77 Lancashire Combination Cup; 1971–72 Lancashire Combination League Cup
----
This is actually the third League club from the Lancashire town...
* The first, simply called Accrington, was one of the twelve founder member of the Football League back in 1888 but went bust six years later.
* Local side Stanley Villa, named for the fact that they'd been set up by the working men's club on Stanley Street, renamed themselves Accrington Stanley after the collapse of the original Accrington FC. They played in the Football League from 1921 to 1962, mostly in the Third Division North [[note]] established in 1920, the Third Division of the Football League (now called League One) was split geographically between north and south, with both of those divisions jointly forming the third tier, until 1958 when the Fourth Division (now called League Two) was created and the geographic split done away with [[/note]] but they spent two years in the then new Fourth Division at the end. After four seasons as a non-league side, they too went bust. As a result, Accrington Stanley graffiti was used for a long time (especially in comedy) to show that a place was so run down that the graffiti hadn't been cleaned up since the club was playing in the League. Thanks to the below, though, this joke has become somewhat outdated.
* The current club was formed in 1968, and played in various non-league leagues (Lancashire Combination, North West Counties League, etc) for the next few decades. They unexpectedly came to national attention in 1989 thanks to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pieK7b4KLL4 a milk commercial]] in which one of the boys joked that if Ian Rush (the then Liverpool centre forward) didn't drink milk, he'd be "only good enough to play for Accrington Stanley". They rose to the Conference in 2003 and gained promotion to the League in 2006. As a result of winning League Two in 2018, they played in League One until being knocked back down to League Two in 2023.
!!Aston Villa
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aston_villa.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Every week we follow,\\
The boys in claret and blue!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1874\\
'''Nickname:''' The Villans\\
'''Kit:''' Claret (not purple!) shirts with sky-blue sleeves, white shorts (which West Ham copied)\\
'''Current Owners:''' Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens\\
'''Current Manager:''' Unai Emery\\
'''Current Captain:''' John [=McGinn=]\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Villa Park[[note]]Capacity: 42,660[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 7th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 7; 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1909–10, 1980–81\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1886–87, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1904–05, 1912–13, 1919–20, 1956–57\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1937–38 & 1959–60 Second Division Champions; 1971–72 Third Division Champions; 1960–61, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1993–94, & 1995–96 EFL Cups; 1981 FA Charity Shield; 1899 & 1901 Sheriff of London Charity Shields\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1981–82 European Cup; 1982 European Super Cup; 2001 Intertoto Cup
----
Birmingham-based Premier League side.
There are a lot of fictional Villa fans, including Private Pike from ''Series/DadsArmy'', Godber from {{Series/Porridge}} and Nessa from ''Series/GavinAndStacey''.
Real-life Villa fans include [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily William, the Prince of Wales]][[note]] [[https://youtu.be/hpUyNyeTM9A according to William]], among other things, the first match he attended was a Villa one, he loved the atmosphere, and he "desperately didn't want to support Man U or Chelsea like everyone else"[[/note]] and heavy metal legends like [[Music/BlackSabbath Ozzy Osbourne]] and [[Music/NapalmDeath Barney Greenway]].
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, Villa dominated English football in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, winning the League six times and the FA Cup five times (including one Double in 1897, making them the second club to achieve that feat) prior to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Since then, they've had their ups and downs, being the first-ever winners of the League Cup in 1961, getting relegated six years later, spending time in the Third Division in the early 1970s, coming back from that to win the European Cup in 1982 and then getting relgated again five years after that. Since the formation of the Premier League they have rarely looked like title contenders.
Since manager Martin O'Neill's departure in 2010, Villa tended to be lower mid-table and battling relegation. As of 2015/16, they lost that battle, spending the entire season rooted to the bottom of the table. They didn't display enough consistency to look like rebounding immediately, stuck in the middle of the Championship table with no real likelihood of placing in the top six. In 2018, they made the playoff final, but had to capitulate against Fulham; however, under the management of lifelong Villa fan Dean Smith, the side finally punched their ticket back to the Premier League by beating Derby County 2-1 in the playoff final in 2019. Established themselves as a decent side in 2019/2020, before shocking the football world early in 2020/21 by emerging as an early title challenger and destroying the previously imperious reigning champions Liverpool ''7-2'' at Villa Park, one of only two five-goal league defeats Liverpool have suffered in 60 years. Normality subsequently reasserted itself, though, with a poor run of form dropping Villa into mid table, though still not out of the race for European spots entirely. After a run of losses, Smith was sacked, instantly going to Norwich, and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard came in and pulled off improved results and coup signings, such as [[IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine his former teammate]] Phillipe Coutinho. Gerrard was sacked in October 2022 with the team in the relegation zone, to be replaced by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, who proceeded to oversee a remarkable turnaround, with the club on course to finish the season in serious contention for the European qualification places for the first time since O'Neill's departure.
Fierce rivals (in the Second City Derby) with Birmingham City.
!!Barnet
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnet_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1888\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bees\\
'''Kit:''' Amber shirts, black shorts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Anthony Kleanthous\\
'''Current Manager:''' Dean Brennan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Hive Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 6,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in National League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1990–91, 2004–05, & 2014–15 National League Champions; 1965–66 & 1976–77 Southern League Division One Champions; 1988–89 Conference League Cup; 1971–72 Southern League Cup; 1945–46 FA Amateur Cup; 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, & 1985 Mickey Mays Memorial Trophies; 1931–32, 1932–33, 2021–22 Middlesex Senior Cups; 1937–38, 1940–41, 1946–47 London Senior Cups
----
Suburban North London (formerly Hertfordshire) side who became the favourite 'second team' to many after winning the Conference and gaining promotion to the League for the first time in 1991. Have since alternated between League Two and what is now the National League. Well-known for a few things:
Underhill, their old ground, had a pronounced slope from the North Terrace to the South Stand -- the goal in front of the former was 11 feet higher than the goal in front of the latter -- which was for a time the maximum slope allowed by the Football League. Any side winning the toss there always opted to kick uphill in the first half.
In the early 1990s, disputes between chairman Stan Flashman and manager Barry Fry became legendary - the former sacked and reinstated the latter ''eight times'' before Fry finally left for good in 1993.
The club had a running dispute with the local council in the 2000s over the lease on Underhill which ultimately ended in 2013 with the club moving to a new ground, The Hive, in nearby Edgware.
Creator/BradleyWalsh, presenter of ''Series/{{The Chase|GameShow}}'', played for them when they were a semi-pro side in the late 1970s.
Long-running ''Series/MatchOfTheDay'' commentator John Motson was a fan, having worked for a local newspaper before getting a job at Creator/TheBBC.
!!Barnsley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnsley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Helo, hello! We are the Barnsley Boys!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Tykes\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirt, white shorts.\\
'''Current Owners:''' Chien Lee, Paul Conway, Grace Hung, Neerav Parekh, Billy Beane[[note]]yes, ''that'' [[Film/{{Moneyball}} Billy Beane]][[/note]] and The Cryne Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Martin Devaney (caretaker)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Alex Mowatt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Oakwell [[note]]Capacity: 23,009[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1911–12\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1933–34, 1938–39, 1954–55 Third Division North Champions; 2015–16 Football League Trophy
----
Have played at Oakwell since 1888 (the year after they were founded), joined the Football League in 1898. One FA Cup in 1912 (they were also runners-up in 1910)
Barnsley finished third in the Second Division in 1915, the last season before the First World War. When football resumed after the war, it was decided to expand the First Division. Barnsley were the highest-placed team not to have been promoted, but instead a vote gave the extra place to Arsenal, who had finished three places below them. Although the decision was somewhat VindicatedByHistory since Arsenal ''have never been relegated'', it remained a sore point for several years afterwards.
Barnsley have spent more seasons in the second tier than anyone else: They spent their first thirty league seasons there and, after a low point in the 60s and 70s saw them relegated to the fourth tier, spent another sixteenth consecutive seasons there in the 80s and 90s. Despite this, they have only spent one season in the Premier League (1997/98), since which they have yo-yoyed between the second and third tiers. They were most recently relegated to the third tier in 2022.
Since 2017, Barnsley have been owned by an international consortium which includes [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Oakland Athletics]] executive Billy Beane, whose use of statistical analysis in baseball was the subject of the book and film ''Film/{{Moneyball}}''.
Traditionally, they have a friendly rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, and a [[TheFriendNobodyLikes less friendly rivalry]] with Leeds United.
!!Birmingham City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birmingham_city_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I am a City fan,\\
and I am from Birmingham!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Bluenoses.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Paul Suen (majority), Creator/TomBrady (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tony Mowbray\\
'''Current Captain:''' Harlee Dean\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Andrew's [[note]]Capacity: 30,016[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 22nd in Championship (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1892–93, 1920–21, 1947–48, 1954–55 Second Division Champions; 1994–95 Third Division Champions; 1962–63 & 2010–11 Football League Cups; 1990–91 & 1994–95 Football League Trophies; 1905 Birmingham Senior Cup; 1945–46 Football League South Champion
----
Have historically alternated between the top two divisions but are currently in the Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League in 2012.
Despite having little success throughout their history (although arguably two League Cup wins, in 1963 and 2011, is better than most), they were the first English team to ever take part in European competition - and also the first English team ever to reach a European final - the Fairs Cup (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup, which became the Europa League) in both 1960 and 1961, although they lost on both occasions. They competed in Europe again in the 2011-12 season after qualifying for the Europa League by way of winning the League Cup for the second time.
Fierce rivals with Aston Villa in what is known as the Second City Derby. Also rivals with fellow-Midlanders Wolves and West Brom.
Creator/JasperCarrott is a fan and once served as a club director, and used to mention them (usually in an uncomplimentary manner, reflecting the club's distinct lack of success) in his act.
Creator/TomBrady became a minority owner shortly before the start of the 2023–24 season, with his main role initially being in the club's sports science, health, and nutrition programmes.
!!Blackburn Olympic
->'''Established:''' 1878\\
'''Dissolved:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Light Blues\\
'''Kit:''' Light blue shirts\\
'''Stadium:''' Hole-i'-th'-Wall\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1883\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1882 East Lancashire Charity Cup; 1879 & 1880 Blackburn Association Challenge Cups; 1878 Livesey United Cup
----
Famous for being the first [[OopNorth Northern]] team (as well as the first team from a predominantly working-class background) to win the FA Cup, which they did in 1883 by defeating Old Etonians 2-1. Their victory marked a turning point in football's transition from a pastime for upper-class gentlemen to a professional sport. Olympic, however, were unable to compete with wealthier and better-supported clubs in the new professional era [[note]] when the Football League was formed in 1888, a rule was put in place stating that only one club from each town or city could join, and Blackburn Rovers were chosen to represent Blackburn [[/note]], and folded in 1889.
!!Blackburn Rovers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackburn_rovers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Run, run, wherever you may be!\\
We are the Blackburn Rovers FC!]]
->'''Established:''' 1875\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rovers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Blue and Whites, Riversiders, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Riverside Rovers]].[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white halved shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The V H Group\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Eustace\\
'''Current Captain:''' Elliott Bennett\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Ewood Park [[note]]Capacity 31,367[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 19th in Championship\\
'''First Division/Premier League titles:''' 3; 1911–12, 1913–14, 1994–95\\
'''FA Cups:''' 6; 1883–84, 1884–85, 1885–86, 1889–90, 1890–91, 1927–28\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1938–39 Second Division Champions; 2001–02 Football League Cup; 1912 FA Charity Shield; 1986–87 Full Members' Cup
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League and had some success in the early twentieth century, winning the League twice before the First World War.
Came (back) to prominence when the Premier League was created, thanks largely to a spending spree bankrolled by local tycoon Jack Walker that included signing Alan Shearer before Newcastle did - they were runners-up in 1994 before winning it the following year under the management of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish. This led Rovers fans to claim that their club was better than Liverpool, Everton and Spurs - although fans of all three teams would strenuously disagree with that!
Relegated to the Championship in 2012, and almost suffered another relegation in 2013 after being run [[SarcasmMode very well]] by [[IncompetenceInc Indian poultry farmers Venky's]]. Dropped to League One in 2017 but bounced straight back to the Championship the following year.
Fierce rivals with near-neighbours Burnley, with whom they contest the East Lancashire Derby.
!!Blackpool
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackpool_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We follow Blackpool FC\\
We come from the seaside,\\
The only team in football\\
In tangerine and white!]]
->'''Established: 1887\\
'''Nickname:''' The Seasiders; The Tangerines.\\
'''Kit:''' Orange shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Simon Sadler\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neil Critchley\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Maxwell\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bloomfield Road [[note]]Capacity: 17,338[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 8th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1952–53\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1929–30 Second Division Champions; 2001–02 & 2003–04 Football League Trophies; 1917 Anglo-Italian Cup; 1943 Football League War Cup; 1935–36, 1936–37, 1941–42, 1953–54, 1993–94, 1994–95, & 1995–96 Lancashire Senior Cups
----
Their only major honour is winning the FA Cup in 1953, a match known to history as the "Matthews Final" after legendary winger Stanley Matthews inspired the team to come back from 3-1 down to win 4-3; although his team-mate Stan Mortensen scored a hat-trick (the only player to do so in an FA Cup final at Wembley), it is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Matthews for whom that final is remembered]]. It's also considered to be the first major televised sporting event (in Britain at least), as many televisions had at the time been bought or rented by households across the country in anticipation of the Queen's Coronation which took place a month later.
Blackpool graced the old First Division from the 1930s to the 1960s, subsequently sliding down to the Fourth Division before becoming the only club to get promoted from every division of the Football League by way of the play-off system, leading to them spending one season (2010-11) in the Premier League -- before going all the way back down to League Two. Currently in League One, having returned to the Championship before getting relegated again in 2023. Fierce rivals with Preston North End.
!!Bolton Wanderers
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bolton_wanderers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:We're the one and only Wanderers!]]
->'''Established:''' 1874 (as Christ Church F.C.)\\
'''Nickname:''' The Wanderers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Trotters.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Football Ventures\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ian Evatt\\
'''Current Captain:''' Antoni Sarcevic\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Toughsheet Community Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 28,723[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1922–23, 1925–26, 1928–29, 1957–58\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1908–09, 1977–78, & 1996–97 level 2 Champions; 1972–73 Third Division Champions; 1958 FA Charity Shield; 1988–89 & 2022–23 EFL Trophies; 1945 Football League War Cup
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League, and the club that's spent the most seasons in the top flight without actually winning it. FA Cup winners four times, most recently in 1958. Home games at the University of Bolton Stadium (formerly the Reebok Stadium). Bolton alternated between the Championship and the Premier League in the 1990s, but had a more sustained run in the Prem in the 2000s under the management of Sam "Big Sam" Allardyce, qualifying for the UEFA Cup in 2005 by virtue of finishing sixth.
Have experienced severe financial difficulties since 2015, by which time they were back in the Championship; having gone into administration in 2019, the club was on the brink of extinction before being acquired by new owners. Relegated to League Two in 2020, but promoted back to League One the following season.
Rivals with most other Lancashire clubs - Blackburn Rovers, Bury, Oldham Athletic, etc.
!!AFC Bournemouth
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/afc_bournemouth.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The Red Flag a Bournemouth!]] %%sic
->'''Year Established:''' 1899\\
'''Kit:''' Red and black striped shirts\\
'''Nickname:''' The Cherries\\
'''Current Owner:''' Maxim Demin\\
'''Current Manager:''' Andoni Iraola\\
'''Current Captain:''' Neto\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Dean Court[[note]]Capacity: 11,464[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 15th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2014–15 EFL Championship; 1986–87 Third Division Championship; 1983–84 Associate Members' Cup; 1945–46 Third Division South Cup
----
South coast side which won the Championship in 2015, achieving promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club's history. Defied expectations of immediate relegation despite major injury problems. Despite a strong start to the (ultimately COVID-extended) 2019-20 season, more injuries and a run of poor form condemned them to the drop, before making an immediate return to the Premier League the following season (though within a few weeks of the new season, they lost ''[[CurbStompBattle 9-0]]'' to Liverpool).
They regard Southampton as their main rivals, although the rivalry means much less to Southampton fans. Mutual rivalry with Reading. Strongly dislike Leeds United fans, after a Bournemouth v Leeds game on the May Bank Holiday weekend in 1990 was accompanied by Leeds followers going on the rampage and smashing up the town (resulting in the Dorset Police not allowing Bournemouth to play any home games on Bank Holiday weekends for ''thirteen years'' after).
!!Brentford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brentford_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Buck up, B's!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bees\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Matthew Benham\\
'''Current Manager:''' Thomas Frank\\
'''Current Captain:''' Christian Nørgaard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Brentford Community Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 17,250[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 9th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1934–35 Second Division Champions; 1932–33 & 1991–92 Third Division Champions; 1962–63, 1998–99, & 2008–09 Fourth Division/League Two Champions; 1900–01 Southern League Second Division Champions; 1896–97 London League Second Division Champions; 1892–93 West London Alliance Champions; 1893–94 Middlesex Junior Cup; 1894–95 West Middlesex Cup; 1897–98 London Senior Cup; 1897–98 Middlesex Senior Cup; 1908–09 Southern Professional Charity Cup; 1910–11 Ealing Hospital Cup; 1934–35, 1964–65, & 1966–67 London Challenge Cup; 1928 Charity Fund Champions; 1918–19 London Combination Champions; 1941–42 London War Cup
----
West London club which maintains rivalries with near-neighbours Fulham and QPR. Spent much of their existence in the lower two Football League divisions, although they were in the First Division for several seasons... in the 1930s. For over a century, their home games were at Griffin Park -- a ground famous for having a pub on each corner -- until their move to the Brentford Community Stadium which was completed in 2020.
Promoted to the Championship in 2014 (having last graced the second level for a very brief period in the early 1990s), and made the play-offs in their first season in that division. They made the play-offs again in 2020, losing the final to Fulham. The following year, went one better -- beating Swansea City in the play-off final to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Although a bright PL season started to fizzle out in January, the team made headlines by giving a deal to Christian Eriksen, who had been able to return to football after making a full recovery from his horrible on-pitch cardiac arrest in Euro 2020, with a fitted cardioinverter device (he left his previous club Inter, as these devices are against Serie A rules, but fellow former Ajax player Daley Blind is another footballer that uses these, due to a heart condition).
Rock star Music/RodStewart trained with the club as a youth but was not given the chance to play even in a reserve team game so opted to concentrate on his music career.
!!Brighton & Hove Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brighton_&_hove_albion.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We all follow Brighton and Hove Albion!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1901\\
'''Nickname:''' The Seagulls\\
'''Kit:''' Blue (sometimes blue and white striped) shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Tony Bloom\\
'''Current Manager:''' Roberto de Zerbi\\
'''Current Captain:''' Lewis Dunk\\
'''Current Stadium:''' American Express Arena[[note]]Capacity: 30,750. Current Sponsor is American Express; sponsor-less name is Falmer Stadium. Before you ask, no, the stadium is not named after the [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim snow elves.]][[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 6th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1957–58, 2001–02, & 2010–11 third-level champions; 1964–65 & 2000–01 fourth-level champions; 1910 FA Charity Shield; 1942–43, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, & 2021–22 Sussex Senior Challenge Cups; 1959–60 & 1960–61 The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cups
----
Enjoyed prominence in the early 1980s, reaching the 1983 FA Cup final (which went to a replay before they lost to Manchester United). Subsequently slid down to the Fourth Division and narrowly avoided liquidation when their owners sold the ground to property developers, which required the club to play their home matches at Gillingham (some 70 miles from Brighton) for two seasons pending the upgrading of a local athletics stadium which served as their home until the new Falmer Stadium opened in 2011. The club have since progressed upwards, winning promotion to the Premier League in 2017 and, against expectations, staying there, with top-half finishes under Graham Potter and challenging for European qualification under Roberto de Zerbi.
Briefly attracted attention in the early 1990s for an ill-advised kit experiment with blue and white ''striped shorts''. They didn't catch on.
Fierce rivals of Crystal Palace, on the grounds that [[SillyReasonForWar they're the closest half-decent club]]. Palace fans reciprocate this and tend to regard Brighton as their main rivals, despite having several clubs of similar status much nearer.
Creator/DesLynam, who grew up in the area and got his first broadcasting job with [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Radio Brighton]], is a fan. So is Music/FatboySlim; his label, Skint Records, even sponsored the club during the Noughties.
!!Burnley
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burnley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Forever and ever, we'll follow a team!\\
It's Burnley FC, we are supreme!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Clarets\\
'''Kit:''' Claret shirts with sky-blue sleeves\\
'''Current Owners:''' ALK Capital (majority); [[UsefulNotes/NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers J.J.]] and Kealia Watt (minority), Creator/DudePerfect (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Vincent Kompany\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jack Cork\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Turf Moor [[note]]Capacity 22,546[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 1st in Championship (promoted)\\
'''First Divison titles:''' 2; 1920–21, 1959–60\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1913–14\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1897–98, 1972–73, 2015–16, & 2022–23 Second Divisions/EFL Championships; 1981–82 Third Division Champions; 1991–92 Fourth Division Champions; 1960 & 1973 FA Charity Shields; 1991–92 Anglo-Scottish Cup
----
One of the first football clubs to turn professional (in 1883), and one of the twelve founder members of the Football League (which they've won it twice, the last time being in 1960). Notable for a pretty large fall from grace in the 1970s and 1980s, going from top-flight football to narrowly surviving relegation from the Football League.
Promoted to the Premiership in 2009 after winning the Championship play-offs, but dropped back to the Championship the next season. Stayed there until finishing second in 2013–14, earning a place in the Prem once again under Sean Dyche. They went straight back down but rebounded again after an unbeaten second half of the season, and survived 2016-17 in the Prem thanks to formidable home form, in a season in which they also became notable for the story of centre forward Andre Gray, who turned from a homophobic nutcase playing non-League football who'd survived a gangland stabbing, to a Premier League striker and a boyfriend of a Music/LittleMix member. Burnley sold Gray to Watford in 2017 for £20 million, in spite of his having scored just ten goals, admittedly for a side which took the fewest shots in the Prem that were not relegated. Relegated to the Championship in 2022 after six years in the Prem, they rebuilt in the Championship under the stewardship of Man City legend Vincent Kompany, whose fast-paced style of attacking football resulting in them achieving the earliest ever promotion in the league's history. Shortly after they secured promotion, they picked up a couple of high-profile minority investors, first former [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] great [[UsefulNotes/NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers J.J. Watt]] and his wife (and former US soccer international) Kealia and then the Creator/DudePerfect Web video group.
Fierce rivals with fellow East Lancashire side Blackburn Rovers.
Famous Burnley fans include [[UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} England cricketer]] James Anderson (who's from Burnley), [[UsefulNotes/CharlesIII His Majesty the King]] (apparently due to several of his charities operating in the area [[note]]the fact that Burnley wore the Royal coat-of-arms on their shirts in the late nineteenth century is probably coincidental[[/note]]) and Alistair Campbell, a key figure in the [[UsefulNotes/TonyBlair Blair government]] who has described Burnley being in the Premier League as an even greater achievement than the electoral landslide he helped Blair win in 1997.
Turf Moor is the only football ground in England that sells the French liqueur Bénédictine in its bars - a legacy of the First World War, during which soldiers of the East Lancashire Regiment who were stationed in the French town of Fécamp (which is where Bénédictine is made) developed a taste for "Béné and Hot" (basically, Bénédictine mixed with hot water). It's still popular with Burnley fans to this day.
!!Burton Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burton_albion_fc_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1950\\
'''Nickname:''' The Brewers; The Yellow and Black Army\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Ben Robinson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Martin Paterson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Pirelli Stadium [[note]]Capacity 6,912[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2014–15 League Two Champions; 2008–09 Conference Premier Champions; 2001–02 Northern Premier League Champions; 1963–64, 1996–97, 1999–2000 Southern League Cups; 1982–83 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup; 1955–56 Staffordshire Senior Cup; 1953–54 & 1996–97 Birmingham Senior Cups
----
A non-league club who started to get noticed in the late 1990s and early 2000s when they were managed by Nigel Clough (son of Brian); during his first spell in charge, they rose to the Conference and held Man United to a 0-0 draw in the third round of the 2006 FA Cup; subsequently, over 11,000 Burton fans (almost double the Pirelli Stadium's capacity!) went to Old Trafford for the replay (which they lost). Won promotion to the League in 2009, by which time Clough had gone to Derby County. Since then, they've risen as high as the Championship (during Clough's second spell in charge) although they were relegated to League One in 2018.
!!Bury
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bury02.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Shakers\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Football Supporters' Society of Bury Ltd.\\
'''Current Manager:''' Dave McNabb\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Gigg Lane [[note]]Capacity 12,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in North West Counties Football League\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1899–1900, 1902–03\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1894–95 Second Division Champions; 1960–61 & 1996–97 third-tier champions; 2021–22 North West Counties Football League Division One North Champions; 1904 Football World Championship
----
Lancashire side which won the FA Cup twice in the early 1900s [[note]] the second, a 6-0 win over Derby County in 1903, is still the record margin of victory in an FA Cup final and has only been equalled once, by Man City over Watford in 2019 [[/note]] and last graced the First Division in 1929. Finished 2018-19 as runners-up of League Two, thus earning promotion to League One, but were unable to begin the 2019-20 season due to long-standing financial difficulties, resulting in their expulsion from the Football League. The club subsequently went into administration, although in 2022 a group of fans bought the ground and the "Bury FC" trading name. Meanwhile, another group of fans set up a [[SpiritualSuccessor successor club]], Bury AFC. In the summer of 2023 the two groups merged.
Not to be confused with Bury Town, a non-league side from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
!!Corinthian-Casuals
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/corinthian_casuals_fc.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1939\\
'''Nickname:''' The Amateurs; The Chocolate & Pink\\
'''Kit:''' Brown and pink halved shirts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Brian Adamson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Barnes\\
'''Current Stadium:''' King George's Field [[note]]Capacity 2,000[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 21st in Isthmian League South Central Division (relegated)
----
Amateur side based in South London, formed in 1939 from the merger of two famous amateur clubs formed in the 1880s, Corinthian and (unsurprisingly) Casuals. The former in particular were famed for their sportsmanship and the fact that they only played for the love of the game, to the extent of not playing on Saturdays (so their players could play for other clubs) and refusing to participate in the FA Cup as that meant playing for a prize -- although they were as good as the top sides of the day [[note]] for example, shortly after Blackburn Rovers won the FA Cup in 1884, Corinthian played them in a friendly and beat them 8-1 [[/note]], and often contested the Charity Shield (for which they made an exception as the proceeds went to, well, charity) back when it was an amateurs versus professionals affair. Notable players included sporting polymath C.B. Fry [[note]] who represented England at [[UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} cricket]] ''and'' football, in addition to jointly holding the world record for the long jump -- and those are only ''his most notable'' sporting achievements [[/note]], a young Creator/CAubreySmith and Andrew Watson (the first black footballer to play at international level [[note]] although his three appearances for Scotland in the early 1880s predated his time with Corinthian [[/note]]). On two occasions, they provided ''all of the players'' for the England team [[note]] for the 1894 and 1895 fixtures against Wales [[/note]], a feat no other club has ever matched. They also helped to spread the game around the world, being the first football club to tour outside Europe; Corinthians, one of the most successful football clubs in Brazil, is named for them. This has led Corinthian-Casuals to tour Brazil several times in recent years; in 1989, the legendary Sócrates turned out for them in a friendly against their Brazilian near-namesakes (one of his former clubs). Currently in the Isthmian League (six or so divisions below the Premier League), a lone amateur survivor among semi-pro clubs.
Absolutely nothing to do with FootballHooligans, some of whom were referred to as '[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_(subculture) casuals]]' in the late 1970s and early 1980s on account of their dress sense, which favoured designer clothes over working-class clothing and club colours, making them less readily identifiable to the police.
!!Coventry City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coventry_city_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Let's all sing together,\\
Play up Sky Blues,\\
While we sing together,\\
We will never lose!]]
->'''Established:''' 1883\\
'''Nickname:''' The Sky Blues\\
'''Kit:''' All sky blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Doug King\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mark Robins\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Kelly\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Coventry Building Society Arena [[note]]Capacity: 32,609[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 9th in Championship\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1986–87\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1966–67 Second Division Champions; 1935–36, 1963–64, & 2019–20 Third Division/League One Champions; 2016–17 EFL Trophy; 1935–36 Third Division South Cup; 1910–11, 1922–23, & 2006–07 Birmingham Senior Cups; 1959–60 Southern Professional Floodlit Cup
----
West Midlands club, currently in the Championship after winning League One in 2020. Reached the First Division for the first time in the 1960s when Jimmy Hill was the manager (as well as changing the home kit to sky blue, he also wrote the club song - see above). Spent 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight before being relegated in 2001. Their only major honour is the FA Cup, which they won in 1987 by beating favourites Spurs. They suffered a heartbreaking loss in the 2023 Championship playoff final to Luton Town on penalties.
Coventry City used to play at Highfield Road (which became England's first all-seater stadium in 1981) but moved in 2005 to the Ricoh Arena (AKA the City of Coventry Stadium) - although following a protracted dispute over rent they left in 2013, playing their home games in Northampton for a year before returning. Ongoing disputes with the Ricoh's new owners, [[UsefulNotes/RugbyUnion rugby]] club Wasps, led City to move out again in 2019. After two seasons ground-sharing with Birmingham City, they reached an agreement with Wasps which allowed them to return to the Ricoh from 2021-22.
!!Crystal Palace
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crystal_palace_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We'll fight for you,\\
Famous red and blue,\\
Palace Boys are with you,\\
When you play!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1861\\
'''Nickname:''' The Eagles\\
'''Kit:''' Red and blue striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Steve Parish (Majority Shareholder), Joshua Harris and David S. Blitzer\\
'''Current Manager:''' Oliver Glasner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joel Ward\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Selhurst Park[[note]]Capacity: 25,073[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 11th in Premier League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1978–79 & 1993–94 Second Division/EFL Championships; 1920–21 Third Division Champions; 1990–91 Full Members' Cup; 1940–41 Football League South Champions; 1939–40 Wartime South D League Champions
----
A South London club that's historically yo-yo'd between the top two divisions, although since getting promoted back to the Premier League in 2013 they've stayed there. Won the Full Members Cup [[note]] (a short-lived and often-overlooked extra knockout tournament created as an additional competition for First and Second Division clubs in the 1980s after English clubs were banned from European competition post-Heysel, and cancelled with the creation of the Premier League in 1992)[[/note]] in 1991 and have twice been FA Cup finalists, losing to Manchester United both times (1990 and 2016).
Fierce rivals of Brighton & Hove Albion. Neither set of fans likes this rivalry being referred to as the "M23 Derby" (quite possibly because the M23 only goes as far south as Crawley).
!!Derby County
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/derby_county_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:200:All teams who come here,\\
There's nowhere to hide,\\
Everyone is frightened,\\
Of that Derby pride.]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1884\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rams\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' David Clowes\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Warne\\
'''Current Captain:''' Curtis Davies\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Pride Park Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 33,597[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in League One (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1971–72, 1974–75\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1945–46\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1911–12, 1914–15, 1968–69, & 1986–87 Second Division Champions; 1956–57 Third Division North Champions; 1975 FA Charity Shield; 1971–72 Texaco Cup; 1970 Watney Cup
----
East Midlands club and one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. Champions twice in the 1970s (the first under Brian Clough, the second under ex-player Dave Mackay). To date, their last season in the Premier League was in 2007-08 when they managed just one win all season and were relegated with the Prem's lowest-ever points total. Relegated to League One in 2022 after a chaotic season spent mostly staring into the abyss, with money issues meaning they were unable to either sign new players or pay the ones they had, but played well enough under the management of England legend Wayne Rooney that they would've survived had they not been deducted 21 points (equivalent to 7 wins) as punishment for their financial mismanagement.
Long-standing rivals of Clough's ''other'' club, Nottingham Forest.
!!Forest Green Rovers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/forest_green_rovers_crestsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' Forest; The Green; FGR\\
'''Kit:''' Lime green and black striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Dale Vince\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steve Cotterill\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The New Lawn [[note]]Capacity: 141[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 24th in League Two (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2021–22 League Two champions; 1997–98 Southern League champions; 1996–97 Southern League South champions; 1981–82 Hellenic League champions; 1981–82 FA Vase
----
Gloucestershire team based in the small rural town of Nailsworth which, with with a population of just under 6,000, is the smallest place in England to hold a Football League match.
Under the ownership of green energy industrialist Dale Vince, FGR has attracted international attention for being the greenest football club in the world, having become the first carbon-neutral football club to be certified as such under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiative Climate Neutral Now. The pitch - which is certified organic thanks to the use of horse manure as a fertiliser - is cut using a solar-powered lawn-mower. The kit is made from made from a composite material consisting of recycled plastic and coffee grounds. The entire match-day menu is vegan (quite radical, given that meat pies have long been the most popular food item among football fans) and their players are encouraged to go vegetarian. Rivals with Cheltenham Town, a derby which is nicknamed "El Glosico" [[note]](a play on ''El Clásico'', the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid)[[/note]].
Made British football history in July 2023 when, following the departure of manager Duncan Ferguson, the club put academy manager Hannah Dingley in caretaker charge, thus making her the first woman to takes charge of a UK senior men's team. However, she was replaced by Dave Horseman before the season started.
!!Fulham
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fulham_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Craven Cottage, it is our home,\\
We are Fulham, we fight on our own!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Cottagers\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Shahid Khan\\
'''Current Manager:''' Marco Silva\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Cairney\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Craven Cottage[[note]]Capacity: 25,700[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in Premier League\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1948–49, 2000–01, & 2021–22 Second Division/Championship; 1931–32 & 1998–99 Third Division champions\\
'''European Trophies:''' 2002 Interto Cup
----
Historically a club of mixed fortunes, with periods of time in the top flight alternating between time spent in the lower divisions. No major honours, having been beaten finalists in the FA Cup (1975) and the Europa League (2010). Currently yo-yoing between the top two levels, having been promoted to the Premier League in 2020 but dropping right back to the Championship in 2021, only to be promoted back up to the Premier League for the 2022/23 season, where they will remain for 2023/24.
Wolfie Smith, of ''Series/CitizenSmith'' fame, was a fan and was often shown wearing a Fulham scarf.
Formerly owned by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Fayed, who commissioned a 7.5-ft statue of Music/MichaelJackson which stood at Craven Cottage until 2013, when Fayed sold the club and the new owners had it removed [[note]]Jackson, a friend of Fayed, did in fact attend one Fulham match, in 1999 (he also had links with Exeter City through another friend, [[SpoonBending Uri Geller]])[[/note]].
Speaking of those new owners, they're Pakistan-born American auto parts billionaire Shahid Khan and his son Tony. The Khans also own the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL's]] Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling (the latter run day-to-day by Tony).
Since 2016, Craven Cottage has been graced by a statue of George Cohen, the only Fulham player in England's 1966 World Cup winning team. Fulham have also named their hospitality section after him and his winner's medal is on display (the club having bought it from him in 1998).
!!Hartlepool United
[[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hartlepool_united_fc_logo_2017.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Pools; The Monkey Hangers[[note]]a nickname given to people from Hartlepool in general, derives from a possibly apocryphal incident during the Napoleonic Wars involving the people of the town capturing a monkey that had survived a shipwreck off the coast, accusing it of being a French spy and - when it proved strangely unable to deny this - hanging it. The club's mascot is called H'Angus the Monkey as a result. In 2002 H'Angus - or rather, Stuart Drummond, the man in the costume - ran for election as Mayor of Hartlepool and, to the bemusement of many, ''[[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer actually won]]''. He ended up serving three terms, only standing down when the people of Hartlepool voted to abolish the elected mayoralty[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' All blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Raj Singh\\
'''Current Manager:''' Darren Saril\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Victoria Park[[note]]Capacity: 7,858[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 12th in National League\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1904–05 FA Amateur Cup; 1908–09, 1909–10, 1956–57, 1957–58, & 2004–05 Durham Challenge Cups
----
No major honours, although they did make the League One play-off final in 2005. Dropped into non-league football in 2017, won promotion back to League Two in 2021. Well known by viewers of ''Series/SoccerSaturday'' as being the team that Jeff Stelling supports... sometimes, quite vocally. Music/MeatLoaf, Jannick Gers from IronMaiden and Creator/RidleyScott are also fans.
!!Hereford United / Hereford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hereford_united_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:[[labelnote:Click for Hereford badge]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hu_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1924 (Hereford FC founded 2014)\\
'''Nickname:''' The Bulls\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Chris Ammonds\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Caddis\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Edgar Street[[note]]Capacity: 5,250[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 11th in National League North\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1975–76 Third Division champions; 2017–18 Southern League Premier champions; 2016–17 Southern League Division One champions; 2015–16 Midland League Premier champions; 1989–90 Welsh Cup; 1951–52, 1956–57, 1958–59 Southern League Cup; 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 Herefordshire County Cups; 2015–16 Midland Football League Cup
----
Came to national attention in 1972 for the most famous act of [[DavidVersusGoliath giant-killing]] in the history of the UsefulNotes/TheFACup when they beat Newcastle United 2-1 in a third round replay. At the time, Newcastle were in the First Division and Hereford were ''non-league''. Ronnie Radford, scorer of Hereford's first goal (which levelled the scores, forcing the match into extra time) [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun got interviewed every January]] (the month when the cup's third round matches are played) for the next five decades; the match also proved to be a StarMakingRole for John Motson who was commentating on it for ''Series/MatchOfTheDay''.
Hereford got elected to the League that summer, and reached the Second Division for one season in 1976/77, but went down to the Conference after 25 years of League membership; after a brief stint back in the League in the mid-2000s, the club was dissolved in 2014. A successor club, Hereford, currently plays in the National League North.
!!Huddersfield Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/huddersfield_town_afc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:So Town play up, and bring the Cup\\
Back to Huddersfield!]]
->'''Established:''' 1908\\
'''Nickname:''' The Terriers\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Phil Hodgkinson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Andre Breitenreiter\\
'''Current Captain:''' Christopher Schindler\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kirklees Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 24,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 23rd in Championship (relegated)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1921–22\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1969–70 Second Division champions; 1982–83 Third Division champions; 1979–80 Fourth Division champions; 1922 FA Charity Shield
----
Yorkshire side who were ''the'' dominant team in English football... in the 1920s, when they became the first side ever to win the League three times in a row. Flitted between the top two divisions in the 1950s and 1960s, during which they were managed by a pre-Liverpool Bill Shankly and were Denis Law's first club (the sale of him to Manchester City paid for their ground's first floodlights). Following relegation in 1972, Huddersfield bounced between the lower three divisions before winning the Championship play-offs in 2017, giving them Premier League status; they lasted two seasons before being relegated. Notable for being only the second team (after Blackpool) to win the play-offs for all three Football League divisions.
Famous fans over the years have included UsefulNotes/HaroldWilson (who was from Huddersfield) and Creator/PatrickStewart (who's from nearby Mirfield).
!!Ipswich Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ipswich_townsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Uppa Towen!]]
->'''Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blues, The Tractor Boys\\
'''Kit:''' All blue\\
'''Current Owner:''' Gamechangers 20 Ltd. (Majority Shareholders) and Marcus Evans\\
'''Current Manager:''' Kieran [=McKenna=]\\
'''Current Captain:''' Luke Chambers\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Portman Road [[note]]Capacity: 30,311[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 2nd in Championship (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1961–62\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1977–78\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1960–61, 1967–68, & 1991–92 Second Division champions; 1953–54 & 1956–57 Third Division South champions; 1936–37 Southern League champions; 1972–73 Texaco Cup\\
'''European Trophies;''' 1980–81 UEFA Cup
----
A team from the largely rural county of Suffolk (hence the "Tractor Boys" nickname) who enjoyed two brief periods of success, one in the early 1960s (they won the League in 1962), the other in the late 1970s and early 1980s (winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981). This is not unrelated to the fact that two of England's most successful national managers - Sir Alf Ramsey (who won the World Cup in 1966) and Sir Bobby Robson (who reached the World Cup semi-finals in 1990) - both began their managerial careers at Ipswich. Fierce rivals with Norwich City, with whom they contest the East Anglia Derby.
Also noted for the fact that several of their players appeared in ''Film/EscapeToVictory''.
More ignominiously, Ipswich are the joint-record holders (along with Southampton and Bournemouth) of the worst defeat in the Premier League (''9-0''), having been beaten by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United by that score in 1995.
Famous fans include Music/EdSheeran, who has sometimes evoked the town and its local A-road in his songs, even doing so during his opening verse in an Music/{{Eminem}} collaboration. In 2021 he sponsored the team, with his tour sponsoring their shirts, and did promotions at Portman Road.
!!Leeds United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leeds_united_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Marching On Together!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Peacocks[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Whites[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' All-white\\
'''Current Owners:''' 49ers Enterprises[[note]]Yes, ''[[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague those]]'' 49ers; see more below.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Daniel Farke\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Cooper\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Elland Road[[note]]Capacity: 37,890[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 3rd in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1968–69, 1973–74, 1991–92\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1971–72\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1923–24, 1963–64, 1989–90, 2019–20 Second Division/Championships; 1967–68 Leagues Cup; 1969 & 1992 FA Charity Cups\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1967–68 & 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups
----
One of the powerhouses of English football in the 1960s and 1970s under Don Revie, albeit with a ''very'' bad reputation for foul play which led many to know them as "Dirty Leeds". Their all-white kit dates back to his tenure; he had the kit changed in emulation of Real Madrid, the leading club in Europe at the time. Under Revie, Leeds won the League twice, the Fairs Cup twice [[note]] this was the forerunner of the UEFA Cup [[/note]] and the FA and League Cups once each, but were also League runners-up ''five times'' and FA Cup finalist twice. After Revie's departure they reached the European Cup final but lost thanks to what Leeds fans still see as dubious refereeing (they had two penalty appeals turned down and a goal disallowed), with subsequent rioting by fans leading to the club being banned from European competitions for several years.
More recently, Leeds won the League in 1992 (the last season before the Premier League began), but some overambitious financial planning in the early 2000s almost ruined the club completely and saw most of the best players leave; building up large debts in an attempt to invest heavily and suffering financial meltdown as a result is now known as "Doing a Leeds" as a result of this. Leeds have started to climb back up the leagues after briefly playing in the third tier.
Although they were separated by one or two divisions from 2004 to 2020, Leeds holds a strong historical rivalry with Manchester United, dating back from the days when Man U was still Newton Heath and Leeds was a new football team in a rugby town. This rivalry is very unique in English football as it is not based on territorial affiliation or club success but on a historical basis: [[FauxSymbolism Manchester United represents Lancashire and plays in a red kit, while Leeds represents Yorkshire and wears white]], an allusion to a [[UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses particular conflict in British history involving the ruling noble families of the two England counties fighting for the Throne.]]
Despite this gap, they still consider themselves as arch-rivals with Manchester United and Liverpool. Younger fans of both teams are generally left puzzled as to who Leeds actually are. Older fans and the better informed, meanwhile, think that it's hilarious, though Liverpool fans gained something of a grudging respect for Leeds early in the 2020-21 season when the newly promoted side came to Anfield and played with an astonishing lack of a fear for a newly promoted team visiting the defending champions in a stadium they hadn't lost in for over three years - a record that Leeds then nearly broke.
In 2018, after a poor start to the calendar year derailed their promotion hopes, they attracted derision for the EpicFail of a bizarre centenary badge with a fan doing the "Leeds Salute", which involves beating the chest, which was reconsidered a few hours after being unveiled. Despite this, and the sacking of their manager Paul Heckingbottom, the club surprised everyone by signing Marcelo Bielsa, who led Athletic Bilbao to the 2012 Europa League final. Thanks to Bielsa's charismatic leadership, Leeds went through a blistering start to their 2018-19 season, which culminated in a playoff spot finish. However, they lost their chances to promotion after faltering 4-2 at home against Derby County in the playoff semi-finals. That setback only made Bielsa and the Peacocks more determined, though, as they dominated the Championship for the entirety of 2019-20 season to finally punch their ticket back to the Premier League after a 16-year absence. Their attacking flair and complete lack of fear has made them a neutrals' favourite.
''Literature/{{The Damned U|nited}}td'' and its film adaptation, ''The Damned United'', depict the brief 44-day period in 1974 where the club was managed by legendary coach Brian Clough (who had had previous success with Derby and would go onto subsequent success at Nottingham Forest, but who was loathed by many in Leeds for his criticism of the team under Revie).
!!Luton Town
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luton_town.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Everywhere we go,\\
Everywhere we go,\\
It's the Luton boys making all the noise,\\
Everywhere we go!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Hatters\\
'''Kit:''' Orange shirts, navy shorts (although they have sometimes worn white shirts as their home kit)\\
'''Current Owner:''' Luton Town Football Club 2020 Ltd.[[note]]Chairman is David Wilkinson[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Rob Edwards\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Lockyer\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kenilworth Road [[note]]Capacity: 10,356[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 3rd in Championship (won Playoff, promoted)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1981–82 Second Division champions; 1936–37, 2004–05, & 2018–19 Third Division/League One Champions; 1967–68 Fourth Division champions; 2013–14 Conference Premier champions; 1987–88 Football League Cup; 2008–09 Football League Trophy
----
Bedfordshire club which had its most successful period in the 1980s when they got promoted to the First Division in 1982 and won the League Cup in 1988. At that time, though, Luton became infamous for banning away fans from Kenilworth Road following a riot that broke out at an FA Cup tie against Millwall; for the home fans, chairman David Evans brought in a membership scheme under which they would only be allowed into the ground if they were carrying a membership card (something which the [[UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher Thatcher government]] attempted to impose nationwide as a way of combatting football hooliganism). Although the away fan ban was successful from a policing point of view, it was dropped in 1990.
From 2006 onwards, financial difficulties caused the Hatters to fall from the Championship to the Conference, non-league status being assured after they were docked 30 points for financial irregularities in 2008-09, guaranteeing that they finished the season at the bottom of League Two. Luton thereafter spent five seasons in non-league football, during which they performed a ''bona fide'' act of giant-killing in the FA Cup by knocking out Premier League Norwich City in in 2013. Luton won the Conference in 2013–14, securing promotion back into the Football League. More success followed, with Luton winning successive promotions in 2017–18 and 2018–19, sending them back to the Championship. This was capped off by Luton winning the 2023 Championship playoff final over Coventry on penalties, completing a move from non-league to the Premier League in nine years. Of note: (1) Luton's ground of Kenilworth Road is the smallest ever to host Premier League football. (2) Luton midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu became the first player ever to rise from non-league to the Prem without changing clubs.
[[Creator/MorecambeAndWise Eric Morecambe]] was a fan, at one point serving as a club director [[note]] although he was from [[OopNorth the North of England]], he lived in Harpenden, which isn't far from Luton, for many years [[/note]].
Bitter rivals of Watford; games between the two sides -- which have been rare in recent years due to the clubs being in different divisions -- rarely pass without incident.
!!Middlesbrough
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/middlesbrough_fc_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We're the Red Army from Middlesbrough!]]
->'''Established:''' 1876\\
'''Nickname:''' The Boro; The Smoggies\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Steve Gibson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Michael Carrick\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jonny Howson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Riverside Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 34,742[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 8th in Championship\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1926–27, 1928–29, 1973–74, & 1994–95 Second Division/Championships; 1893–94, 1894–95, & 1896–97 Northern League Champions; 2003–04 League Cup; 1894–95 & 1897–98 FA Amateur Cups; 1975–76 Anglo-Scottish Cup\\
'''Worldwide Trophies:''' 1980 Kirin Cup
----
North Yorkshire club, currently playing in the Championship. League Cup winners in 2004 - their only major honour, although they've also been FA Cup and UEFA Cup finalists (in 1997 and 2006, respectively). Have tended to alternate between the top two divisions, coming to national attention for several high-profile foreign signings in the mid-1990s when they were managed by former England captain Bryan Robson - a period which saw them reach both major cup finals and get relegated in the same season. Last graced the Premier League in 2016-17.
The club occasionally falls victim to the AcquiredErrorAtThePrinter trope, with tickets sometimes referring to them as "Middlesborough", as was the case for the 2015 Championship Play-Off Final.
!!Millwall
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/millwall_fc_logo_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:"No-one likes us, no-one likes us, no-one likes us, we don't care..."]]
->'''Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Lions\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Millwall Holdings\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neil Harris\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Den [[note]]Capacity: 20,146[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 13th in Championship\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1987–88 Second Division champions; 1927–28, 1937–38, & 2000–01 Third Division/League One champions; 1961–62 Fourth Division champions; 1907–08 & 1908–09 Western Football League champions; 1894–95 & 1895–96 Southern Football League champions; 1982–83 Football League Trophy
----
Modestly successful Championship side, famous mostly for their rowdy fanbase and extremely violent hooligan firm, the Bushwhackers, fictionalized in films like ''Film/GreenStreet'' and ''Film/TheFootballFactory''. It was crowd trouble by Millwall fans that led to Luton's infamous away fan ban (see above). Their biggest successes were a two-year spell in the top flight back in the 1980s and reaching the FA Cup Final in 2004, losing comfortably to Manchester United. They currently play in the Championship after winning the 2016-17 League One play-off.
In recent years, the traditional "violent Millwall fan" image has begun to become a bit stale, as violence has largely decreased. Frustration at media demonization led to the club's famous chant (see above, sung to the tune of "Sailing").
!!Newcastle United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newcastle_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I went to Blaydon Races,\\
'Twas on the Ninth of June...]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1892\\
'''Nickname:''' The Magpies[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as "The Toon".[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Black and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Public Investment Fund[[note]]Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, chairman is Mohammed bin Salman[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Eddie Howe\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jamaal Lascelles\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St James' Park[[note]]Capacity: 52,338[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 4th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–27\\
'''FA Cups:''' 6; 1909–10, 1923–24, 1931–32, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1964–65, 1992–93, 2009–10, & 2016–17 Second Division/Championships; 1909 FA Charity Shield\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
----
[[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut Perennial underachievers - always looking good on paper but never ''quite'' translating it to success on the pitch.]] Vocal and passionate support in sufficient numbers (their fans are known as "The Toon Army") to still describe themselves as a "big club", even though their last major honours consist of the Intertoto Cup in 2006 [[note]] a Europe-wide pre-qualifying tournament for the UEFA Cup for teams that just missed out on qualifying automatically[[/note]] and before that the Texaco Cup in 1975 [[note]] an innovative attempt at a tournament involving clubs from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which didn't last, ultimately morphing into the Anglo-Scottish Cup before being disbanded. Prince William has suggested establishing a tournament on similar lines, but no-one else seems interested[[/note]], and some would say that's stretching it. They won the Fairs Cup (forerunner of the Europa League) in 1969, but last won the League in 1927 and the FA Cup in 1955. They came close to winning the League again in the mid-1990s under Kevin Keegan, coming second in 1995-96 (despite having a 12-point lead at Christmas) and 1996-97, and subsequently reaching the FA Cup Final in 1998 and 1999 (they lost 2-0 both times, to Arsenal and Man U respectively). Nevertheless, despite a long period of not winning anything, they still maintain the seventh largest club stadium in the UK; Americans, imagine a stadium slightly bigger than that of the New York Yankees! Which is consistently packed out every season. Put simply, in Newcastle you can't be considered a true Geordie unless you support the team. Well-known fans include UsefulNotes/TonyBlair, [[Music/DireStraits Mark Knopfler]], [[Music/{{ACDC}} Brian Johnson]], Music/{{Sting}}, [[https://www.youtube.com/c/WillNE WillNE]] and - venturing into the realms of fiction - [[ComicBook/{{Viz}} Sid the Sexist]].
Until recently the club was owned by Mike Ashley, a London businessman who did not turn up to matches on the reasonable grounds that the fans hated him and would quite happily lynch him. Officially renaming St James' Park "The Sports Direct Arena" was not calculated to go down well. That said, it didn't seem to matter, since even the BBC quickly stopped bothering to call it that and usually referred to it as St James' Park. This all changed in October 2021, when the club was officially bought by the Public Investment Fund of UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia, a deal that made them overnight the richest club in the world by a considerable margin[[note]]For comparison, Man City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed has a net worth of 23.2 billion pounds, while the PIF has a net worth of ''325 billion.''[[/note]] but was also the source of considerable controversy due to the Saudi government's numerous human rights violations. The general consensus among Newcastle fans is that while the PIF share similar controversies and are just as shady as most other bank-rolling club owners, [[GodzillaThreshold the situation around the club became so dire under Ashley that they would have accepted any offer just to get him out.]]
Playing wise, they are - or were - considered a dark horse team and incredibly strong at home. In the 2008–09 season their manager quit seemingly over the notably miserly transfer policy. Despite a valiant effort by former player Alan Shearer, who managed them for the last eight games of the season, they were relegated on the last day. Under new management (although not new owners), they are now back in the top flight, and broke through in 2022–23 with a top-four finish, giving their long-suffering fans the thrill of Champions League football in 2023–24.
!!Norwich City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwich_city_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:On the Ball, City]]
->'''Established:''' 1902\\
'''Nickname:''' The Canaries\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, green shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Creator/DeliaSmith, Michael Wynn-Jones and Michael Foulger\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Wagner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Grant Hanley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Carrow Road[[note]]Capacity: 27,010[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in Championship\\
'''Trophies:''' 1971–72, 1985–86, 2003–04, 2018–19, & 2020–21 Second Division/Championship titles; 1933–34 & 2009–10 Third Division South/League One champions; 1961–62 & 1984–85 Football League Cups
----
The only professional football team in the county of Norfolk, Norwich City have only spent one season outside the top two tiers since 1960 but the only major competition they've won is the League Cup in 1962 (when none of the big teams entered) and 1985 (when they and defeated finalists Sunderland were both relegated). The club had the misfortune to have their most successful period in the late 1980s and early 1990s when English clubs were banned from European competition (any article on Norwich in Europe inevitably includes a list of the seasons they ''should'' have qualified), but did manage a single season in the UEFA Cup in 1993-94, where they had the satisfaction of knocking out German giants [[UsefulNotes/EuroFooty Bayern Munich]] (who had bemused everyone by dubbing [[UsefulNotes/EastAnglia Norwich]] a small village of mustard farmers). The club's anthem, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPVn9eLOkF0 On the Ball City]]", is considered the oldest football anthem still in use. Have a fierce local rivalry with Ipswich Town from the neighbouring county. The fact that Norwich's local rivals are 45 miles away gives an indication of how isolated the city is.
Entered popular culture by playing a supporting role in the film ''Film/MikeBassettEnglandManager'', although the scenes set in Norwich were filmed nowhere near the city, to the locals' annoyance.
Norwich City has a surprisingly high number of celebrity board members. The majority shareholder since 1996 is Creator/DeliaSmith, and Creator/StephenFry was a director for a time. Between 2015 and 2018, the club's chairman was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Balls Ed Balls]]. If American readers don't realise how weird that is, imagine the running mate of the defeated presidential candidate quitting politics to run a sports team in his home town with a celebrity chef and a comedian.
Norwich were the first team to top the Premier League, beating Arsenal 4-2 on the opening weekend of the 1992/93 season after being 2-0 down at half-time. It isn't just a quirk of history either: They were also the first team to be top at Christmas, and were still title contenders at the end of March, only to lose 3-1 to eventual champions Manchester United. They ultimately finished 3rd (still their highest league place) and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Since then, they have been relegated from the Premier League six times, most recently in 2022. Their status as a yo-yo team between the Premier League and Championship is underlined by their having been either promoted or relegated in four consecutive seasons until 2022/23 ended the run.
!!Nottingham Forest
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nottingham_forest.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:Forest, ever Forest,\\
All our hopes are with you,\\
True supporters forever,\\
'til our days are through!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1865\\
'''Nickname:''' The Forest[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Reds or the Tricky Trees.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Evangelos Marinakis\\
'''Current Manager:''' Nuno Espirito Santo\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joe Worrall\\
'''Current Stadium:''' City Ground[[note]]Capacity: 30,576[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 16th in Premier League\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1977–78\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1897–98, 1958–59\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1906–07, 1921–22, & 1997–98 Second Division/Championships; 1950–51 Third Division South champions; 1977–78, 1978–79, 1988–89, & 1989–90 Football League Cups; 1978 FA Charity Shield; 1988–89 & 1991–92 Full Members' Cups\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1978–79 & 1979–80 European Cups; 1979 European Super Cups; 1980 Intercontinental Cup
----
Enjoyed a few years of success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning the League (once) and the European Cup (twice) under the inspirational leadership of Brian Clough. Relegated in the 1990s, and have since yo-yoed between the second and third tiers, before getting promoted back to the Premier League in 2022, where they then broke a record for signing the most players in one transfer window (22). Notable for being the only club to have won the European Cup more often than their own national league (this was in the days when only the League Champions qualified for it; second time around, Forest qualified by virtue of having won it), and also for being the only European Cup winners to have been relegated to their country's third tier.
Fierce rivals with fellow-East Midlanders Derby County.
!!Notts County
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/notts_county_logosvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1862\\
'''Nickname:''' The Magpies[[note]]although unlike Newcastle United, it's sometimes shortened to "The Pies".[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Black and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Alexander & Christoffer Reedtz\\
'''Current Manager:''' Stuart Maynard\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Meadow Lane[[note]]Capacity: 19,841[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 14th in League Two\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1893–94\\
'''Other Domestic Titles:''' 1896–97, 1913–14, & 1922–23 Second Division champions; 1930–31 & 1949–50 Third Division South champions; 1970–71, 1997–98, & 2009–10 Fourth Division/League Two champions\\
'''European Titles:''' 1994–95 Anglo-Italian Cup
----
The oldest professional club in the world, [[OlderThanRadio formed in 1862]], they were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. Despite repeatedly being relegated to the bottom League division (now League Two), the club had never been non-league until 2019. Notts County have accumulated a large amount of trivia over their 150-year existence:
* Famous [[UsefulNotes/EuroFooty Italian club Juventus]] were gifted a set of old Notts County shirts when their old (pink!) shirts faded; Juve have played in black-and-white stripes ever since.
* The stadium at which Notts County play their home games, Meadow Lane, is the shortest distance in the English League from another stadium, the other being the City Ground, home of [[TheRival Nottingham Forest]] [[note]] for the shortest distance between stadia in the UK as a whole, see under Dundee and Dundee United in the Scotland section [[/note]].
* County fans like to sing about being "the only football team in Nottingham", since (despite the name) the City Ground actually lies outside the city's boundaries, in the neighbouring borough of Rushcliffe on the other side of the River Trent.
* Notts County have changed divisions within the English League more times than any other league club, most recently getting relegated back to League Two during the 2014-15 season.
* Most recently the club shocked the football world by hiring former England Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson as Director of Football as well as signing England defender Sol Campbell, having seemingly been [[ItSeemedLikeaGoodIdeaattheTime taken over by a group of wealthy investors from the Middle East]]; [[BasedOnAGreatBigLie however, this turned out to be a fraud on a large scale and the club was sold to current owner Ray Trew for a nominal fee in late 2009. Police fraud investigations continue into these affairs.]] However, [[BigDamnHeroes Trew]] has thankfully since been able to bring spiralling debt under control, avoid administration, attain promotion and relative stability, as well as some notable cup runs.
* Alas, in 2017 Trew sold the club to Alan Hardy, under whose eventful stewardship they were relegated from League Two in 2019, becoming a non-league side for the first time since they were founded over 150 years ago.
* While competing in the National League (the fifth tier of English football), they had an incredible 2022/23 season, getting a record 107 points... [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter only to not get automatically promoted, as Wrexham had gotten ''111'' points]]. They still [[EarnYourHappyEnding got their happy ending]] by winning the promotion playoffs to snag the second promotion spot to League Two.
* Major rivals are Forest (of course) and, as a result of the two Nottingham clubs not having been in the same division for many years, Mansfield Town (which is also in the county of Nottinghamshire). However, during to the 2022/23 season, a rivalry developed between Notts County and Wrexham; the backlash against the hype surrounding the Welsh club following the success of ''Series/WelcomeToWrexham'' seemed to naturally coalesce around Wrexham's main promotion rivals. When a County supporters' group was asked to provide a profile of the club by the documentary's makers, they responded: "No. Shove your shite documentary up your arse", which everyone involved deemed to be ActuallyPrettyFunny. So too was the (entirely unfounded) tabloid rumour that Music/TaylorSwift was interested in buying Notts County as a result of the success of the Wrexham documentary.
!!Oxford United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oxford_united_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We all live in a yellow submarine...]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1893\\
'''Nickname:''' The U's, Yellows\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts and blue shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Erick Thohir & Anindya Bakrie\\
'''Current Manager:''' Des Buckingham\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kassam Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 12,500[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1984–85 Second Division champions; 1967–68 & 1983–84 Third Division champions; 2015–16 League Two champions; 1952–53, 1960–61, & 1961–62 Southern League champions; 1985–86 League Cup; 1952–53 & 1953–54 Southern League Cups
----
Elected to the Football League in 1962 as replacements for Accrington Stanley, they began a steady rise through the divisions that saw them spend two seasons in the top flight during the 1980s. It was followed by a steady fall through the divisions that saw them relegated from the Football League in 2006 to be replaced by ... Accrington Stanley. They regained their league status in 2010 and currently play in the third tier.
During their relatively short stay in the First Division, they won the League Cup in 1986. Their chairman during this period was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell Robert Maxwell]]. Yes, [[Film/TomorrowNeverDies THAT Robert Maxwell]]. This made them the first winner of a major English trophy to be relegated to non-league.
Since they're the only league team in Oxfordshire, their main rivalries are with teams from counties that border it, notably Reading (Berkshire) and Swindon Town (Wiltshire).
!!Portsmouth
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portsmouth_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Play up, Pompey!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1898\\
'''Nickname:''' Pompey\\
'''Kit:''' Blue shirts, white shorts, red socks\\
'''Current Owner:''' Michael Eisner\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Mousinho\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Naylor\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Fratton Park [[note]]Capacity 21,063[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st in League One (promoted)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1948–49, 1949–50\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1938–39, 2007–08\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 2002–03 Second Division champions; 1923–24, 1961–62, 1982–83, & 2023–24 Third Division/League One Champions; 2016–17 League Two champions; 1901–02 & 1919–20 Southern League First Division champions; 1900–01, 1901–02, & 1902–03 Western League First Division champions; 1949 FA Charity Shield; 2018–19 EFL Trophy; 1902–03, 1912–13, 1951–52, & 1986–87 Hampshire Senior Cups
----
Had a strong spell either side of World War II, winning the FA Cup in 1939 and the League in 1949 and 1950. They faded away until the mid-2000s, when they reached the Premier League, quickly establishing themselves before winning the FA Cup in 2008, qualifying for Europe for the first time. Severe financial problems set in the following year, however, with Portsmouth's ownership becoming chaotic and often-changing (at one point being bought by [[TheGhost Ali Al-Faraj]], a mysterious man who ''may not even exist'') and the clubultimately ended up sliding down the divisions until they reached League Two in 2013-14, spending four seasons there before rebounding. Currently owned by controversial former {{Creator/Disney}} CEO Michael Eisner. Strong rivalry with Southampton.
!!Preston North End
[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/preston_north_end_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1880\\
'''Nickname:''' The Lillywhites, The Invincibles\\
'''Kit:''' White shirts, navy shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Wordon Limited\\
'''Current Captain:''' Ryan Lowe\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Deepdale [[note]]Capacity 23,404[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 10th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 2; 1888–89, 1889–90\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1888–89, 1937–38\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1903–04, 1912–13, & 1950–51 Second Division champions; 1970–71 & 1999–2000 Third Division/League One champions; 1995–96 Fourth Division champions; 1940–41 Football League War Cup; 1886–87, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1899–1900, 1938–39, & 1996–97 Lancashire Senior Cups
----
One of the twelve founder members of the Football League and the first Champions... and, since they won the FA Cup in the same season (1888-89), the first club to do the "Double". Their last major success was winning the FA Cup in 1938, and they haven't graced the top division since 1961. Deepdale, their ground, used to be the home of the National Football Museum (which moved to Manchester in 2012).
Their most famous ex-player is Sir Tom Finney, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest-ever footballers; in 2004, a statue of him called "The Splash" was unveiled outside Deepdale [[note]] it was inspired by a famous photo that showed him beating two Chelsea defenders on a waterlogged Stamford Bridge pitch in 1956[[/note]]. Bill Shankly, a team-mate of Finney's at Preston before he went on to manage Liverpool, once said of him that he "would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age - even if he had been wearing an overcoat".
Strong rivalry with Blackpool (called "The Donkey Lashers" by PNE fans).
!!Queens Park Rangers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/queens_park_rangers_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We are the Rangers Boys!\\
Stand up and make some noise!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1882\\
'''Nickname:''' The Rangers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Hoops.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white hooped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Tony Fernandes, Ruben Gnanalingam and Lakshmi Mittal\\
'''Current Manager:''' Marti Cifuentes\\
'''Current Captain:''' Geoff Cameron\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Loftus Road Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 18,489[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 18th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1975–76\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1982–83 & 2010–11 Second Division/Championships; 1947–48 & 1966–67 Third Division champions; 1907–08 & 1911–12 Southern League Champions; 1905–06 Western League Champions; 1966–67 League Cup
----
West London club, currently playing in the Championship at Loftus Road - which since 2019 has been named the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium in honour of a charity which aims to combat knife crime and youth violence; Kiyan Prince was a promising youth team prospect at QPR who was fatally stabbed in 2006, aged 15. League Cup winners in 1967. Rivals with the three other West London clubs - Brentford, Chelsea and Fulham (of which, QPR fans regard Chelsea as their "main" rivals). Have tended to go back and forth between the top two divisions, last gracing the Premier League in 2014-15.
!!Reading
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reading_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:In Dublin's fair city,\\
Where girls are so pretty,\\
I first set my eyes on Sweet Molly Malone!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1871\\
'''Nickname:''' The Royals\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white hooped shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ruben Selles\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Moore\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Madejski Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 24,161[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in League One\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2005–06 & 2011–12 Championships; 1925–26 (South), 1985–86, & 1993–94 Third Division champions; 1978–79 Fourth Division champions; 1987–88 Full Members' Cup; 1941 London War Cup; 1938 Third Division South Cup; 1995–96 & 2021–22 EFL Trophies;
----
Established in 1871 which makes it one of the oldest football clubs in England [[note]] but not ''the'' oldest -- for that, see Notts County above [[/note]] but it didn't join the Football League until 1921 when the Third Division South was created. Made their first appearance in the top flight in 2006-07, where they defied predictions of relegation ... for one season, going back down to the Championship in 2008. Subsequently promoted back to the Premier League in 2012, this time lasting in the top flight for just the one season.
!!Rotherham United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rotherham_united_fcsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1871\\
'''Nickname:''' The Millers\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Chairman:''' Tony Stewart\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steve Evans\\
'''Current Stadium:''' New York Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 12,021[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 24th in Championship (relegated)\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1950–51 & 1980–81 Third Division champions; 1988–89 Fourth Division champions; 1995–96 & 2021–22 EFL Trophies; 1945–46 Football League Third Division North Cup
----
South Yorkshire club which plays its home games at the New York Stadium ([[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer yes, really]] -- the land on which the stadium stands was previously occupied by the Guest & Chrimes Foundry which used to make the fire hydrants for New York City). Formed as the result of a merger between two Rotherham clubs in 1925. Beaten finalists in the first-ever League Cup final (in 1961; they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Aston Villa [[note]] originally, even the League Cup final was played over two legs, home and away; the final switched to a single match at Wembley in 1967 [[/note]]). They've spent much of their existence going between the Third and Fourth Divisions (Leagues One and Two in modern parlance), although in recent years they've been moving between the Championship and League One.
!!Salford City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salford_city_fc_crestsvg.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1940\\
'''Nickname:''' The Ammies\\
'''Kit:''' Red shirts, white shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Project 92 Limited\\
'''Current Head Coach:''' Karl Robinson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Moor Lane [[note]]Capacity: 5,106[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2017–18 National League North champions; 2014–15 Northern Premier League Division One North champions; 2019–20 EFL Trophy; 1977–78 & 1978–79 Manchester Premier Cups
----
Lower-league Manchester club, noted for being taken over by several former Manchester United players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes) in 2014; as a result, the club featured prominently in the [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] documentary ''Class of 92: Out of Their League''. Won promotion to the Football League for the first time in 2019.
!!Sheffield United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheffield_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh Sheffield United,\\
Come thrill me again!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blades\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts, black shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Abdullah bin Musa'ed\\
'''Current Manager:''' Chris Wilder\\
'''Current Captain:''' John Egan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bramall Lane [[note]]Capacity: 32,702[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 18th, 19th, or 20th (relegated)\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1897–98\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1898–99, 1901–02, 1914–15, 1924–25\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1952–53 Second Division champions; 2016–17 League One champions; 1981–82 Fourth Division champions; 1945–46 Football League North champions
----
This Yorkshire team have played in all four divisions and are one of just four clubs to have actually finished top of all four of them (their one League Championship came back in 1898). Gained promotion back to the Premier League in 2019 after a twelve-year absence, getting relegated in 2022, before returning straight back for the 2023/24 season. Fierce rivals with Sheffield Wednesday with whom they contest the Steel City Derby. As of the end of 2018-19 - the last time the two sides were in the same division - United have won 46 of these encounters, to Wednesday's 42 (with 43 draws).
Famous fans include Creator/MichaelPalin and Creator/SeanBean. The latter, who was briefly a director of the club in the 2000s, actually got to play a Sheffield United player in the 1996 movie ''When Saturday Comes''; not only did his character ''not'' die, it was the only one of his films in which he did not have to cover up the "100% Blade" tattoo on his left shoulder.
!!Sheffield Wednesday
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheffield_wednesday_badgesvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Sheffield Wednesday are simply the best,\\
Home or away you have to say\\
we are better than the rest!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1867\\
'''Nickname:''' The Owls\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Dejphon Chansiri\\
'''Current Manager:''' Danny Röhl\\
'''Current Captain:''' Barry Bannan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Hillsborough [[note]]Yes, ''that'' Hillsborough. Capacity: 39,732[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 20th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 4; 1902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, 1929–30\\
'''FA Cups:''' 3; 1895–96, 1906–07, 1934–35\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1899–1900, 1925–26, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59 Second Division champions; 2011–12 League One champions; 1889–90 Football Alliance champions; 1990–91 Football League Cup; 1935 FA Charity Shield
----
Formed as an off-shoot of a local cricket club which played its games mid-week, hence the name. Home games at Hillsborough in the Owlerton district of Sheffield (hence the nickname). Honours include four League titles (although the last of those was in 1930), three FA Cups (the last one in 1935) and one League Cup (1991, the last time a club from outside the top flight won a major trophy). Haven't been in the Premier League since 2000, and the club's very existence came under threat in 2010 due to its perilous financial position (a fate narrowly averted by most clubs outside the Premier League in the early years of the 21st century). Began the 2020-21 season with -12 points (later reduced to -6 on appeal) after they were found guilty of breaching Football League spending rules. Fierce locals rivals with Sheffield United.
!!Southampton
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc_southamptonsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh when the Saints go marching in...[[note]]many clubs use this as a chant, but unlike most, Southampton don't have to change the lyrics.[[/note]]]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1885\\
'''Nickname:''' The Saints\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Sport Republic, backed by Dragan Solak\\
'''Current Manager:''' Russell Martin\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jack Stephens\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Mary's Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,505[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 4th in Championship\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1975–76\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1921–22 (South) & 1959–60 Second Division champions; 1896–97, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, & 1903–04 Southern League champions; 2009–10 Football League Trophy
----
Most recently promoted back to the Premier League in 2012, having previously been relegated in 2005 after spending 27 years in the top division. Fierce rivals with Portsmouth, with whom they contest the South Coast Derby. Their best known ex-player of recent times is Matthew le Tissier, famous for spending his entire professional career with the club; many fans believe that he would have gained more England caps than the eight he did had he played for a more glamorous club. Famous fans include musician Craig David and TV presenter Chris Packham.
Along with Ipswich and Bournemouth, have the unwanted record of having suffered the worst defeat in Premier League history (''9-0''), with the further ignominy of having suffered it ''twice'' in successive seasons, at home to Leicester in 2019 and away at Manchester United in 2021.
!!Stoke City
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stoke_city_fcsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We'll be with you, be with you, be with you\\
By your side we'll always stay,\\
We'll be with you, be with you, be with you\\
Every step along the way!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1863\\
'''Nickname:''' The Potters\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Coates Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Steven Schumacher\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joe Allen\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Britannia Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 27,740[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 17th in Championship\\
'''Trophies:''' 1932–33 & 1962–63 Second Division champions; 1926–27 & 1992–93 Third Division North/Second Division champions; 1890–91 Football Alliance champions; 1910–11 Birmingham & District League champions; 1909–10 & 1914–15 Southern League Division Two champions; 1971–72 League Cup; 1991–92 & 1999–2000 Football League Trophy; 1973 Watney Cup
----
Founded as Stoke (the "City" bit being added in 1926 after Stoke was granted city status), they were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League (although they failed to get re-elected after finishing bottom in the first two seasons). They're also well-known for being the main club of the first-ever Ballon d'Or winner [[note]](European Footballer of the Year)[[/note]], Sir Stanley Matthews who had two spells at the club (1932-47 and 1961-65; he retired just after turning 50, although he later felt he could have probably played for another two years). Their only major honour is the League Cup that they won in 1972. Fierce rivals with Port Vale, with whom they contest the Potteries Derby.
Today, Stoke are known as the Premier League's mid-table 'unfashionable' physical side. This is partly due to media {{Flanderization}}, as for several seasons the club's defining characteristic was the long throw-ins of Rory Delap. He has since retired, and they've partly shaken off the reputation for violent, old fashioned long ball football. Partly. It is still a RunningGag among English football fans to ask if a flair player like Lionel Messi "could do it on a wet Tuesday evening in Stoke". Stoke reached the FA Cup final in 2011, losing 1-0 to Manchester City.
In 2015, they baffled the footballing world by somehow acquiring former Barcelona winger and Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay, and former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan star Xherdan Shaqiri, the then-23-year-old star of the Swiss national team, adding them to a team that already included highly rated former Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić. Shaqiri is particularly notable not just because he was perennially linked to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, but because he's 5'6" and nicknamed 'the Magic Dwarf'. A more incongruous player for a team of Stoke's reputation could not be imagined.
Stoke did well, establishing themselves as an entertaining mid-table threat to the rest of the league on their day, until losing many of the players who got them there in the 2017 close season (Krkić foremost among them). Defensive problems led to a string of heavy defeats and subsequently the sacking of manager Mark Hughes. The new manager Paul Lambert improved the defence, but the attack faltered, leading to their relegation. Shaqiri left for Liverpool in 2018.
!!Sunderland
[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/logo_sunderlandsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:225:Haway the lads!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1879\\
'''Nickname:''' The Black Cats\\
'''Kit:''' Red and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Kyril Louis-Dreyfus[[note]]The current youngest owner of a football team in the English Football League. Also a distant cousin of Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mike Dodds (interim)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Max Power\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stadium of Light[[note]]Capacity: 48,707[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 16th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 6; 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1935–36\\
'''FA Cups:''' 2; 1936–37, 1972–73\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1975–76, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2004–05, & 2006–07 Second Division/Championships; 1987–88 Third Division champions; 1984–85 & 2013–14 Football League Cups; 1936 FA Charity Shield; 2020–21 EFL Trophy; 1903 Sheriff of London Charity Shield; 1892, 1893, & 1895 Football World Championships
----
Known for being a "yo-yo team", meaning they tend to keep getting promoted and relegated, being too good for one division and not quite good enough for the next. Their proudest moment was winning the FA Cup as underdogs against the then-powerhouse Leeds United in 1973, although they have won the League six times (all pre-war). Fierce rivals with nearby Newcastle. Narrowly stayed in the top flight in 2015-16, while their rivals went down, but their luck would run out, as Sam Allardyce left for his ill-fated England job, David Moyes assembled a team made up mostly of players he worked with at Everton and Manchester United that were past their best or unable to fulfil their potential, and they were relegated easily, with a month to spare. It got worse - in the Championship, they didn't win a home game until just before Christmas and suffered a second consecutive relegation. In League One, they made the play-offs but lost out to Charlton Athletic. Strong rivals of Newcastle United.
Sunderland's first two seasons in League One are chronicled in the Netflix documentary series ''Sunderland 'Til I Die''.
!!Watford
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/watfordsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Hoist up the Watford flag,\\
Hear how the Hornet's sing,]]
->'''Eestablished:''' 1881\\
'''Nickname:''' The Hornets\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow shirts, black shorts (although they've sometimes gone in for red shorts instead [[note]] if you ''really'' want to get Watford fans [[FlameWar arguing among each other]], express an opinion either way [[/note]])\\
'''Current Owner:''' Gino Pozzo\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tom Cleverley (interim)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tom Cleverley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Vicarage Road[[note]]Capacity: 21,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 15th in Championship\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 1981–82, 2014–15, 2020–21 Second Division/Championships; 1968–69 & 1997–98 Third Division champions; 1977–78 Fourth Division champions; 1914–15 Southern Football League champions
----
Hertfordshire club [[note]] ''not'' London, although some people do get this mixed up as Watford is located within the M25 [[/note]] which has had its fair share of ups and downs but has never won anything more significant than two third-tier championships. The most famous thing about Watford is that Music/EltonJohn supported the club as a child and invested heavily in them from the mid-1970s onwards, becoming chairman and appointing a promising young manager called Graham Taylor, who managed the club from 1977 to 1987. As a result, Watford rose from the Fourth Division to the top of English football with a [[MundaneSolution simple, yet effective long ball strategy]]. They finished second in the League in 1983 and reached the FA Cup final for the first time a year later (they lost to Everton). Off the pitch, Elton and GT worked hard to engage with the local community and promote Watford as a family-friendly club ... several years before anyone else thought of encouraging families to go to football matches. While Taylor's unsuccessful spell managing the England national team from 1990-93 made him generally unpopular with most English football fans, he remains a revered figure at Watford to this day, and Elton himself has stated that he came to regard Taylor as a brother he never had, who told him in no uncertain terms to get his act together (in terms of his alcoholism and drug-taking) in a way that most football club managers would not have ever dared speak to their chairmen. Taylor managed the club again from 1996-2000, taking them from what is now League One into the Premier League, later served as chairman, and was the club's Honorary Life President until his death in 2017.
Recently, they've been moving between the Premiership and the Championship after being bought by the Pozzo family, who successfully bussed in foreign players from the two other clubs they own - Italy's Udinese and Spain's Granada, turning Watford into a winning team. The flip-side of this has been an [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity extremely high turnover of managers]] in recent years. Since the Pozzos took over in 2012, there have been ''nineteen'' of them, although prior to 2021 the main man was striker Troy Deeney, who after a three-month enforced absence in 2012 (due to his being sent to prison for affray) proved to be nothing short of inspirational on the pitch, cementing himself in the hearts of all Watford fans several months after his release with [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6TnKvlQ2h7s a wonder goal against Leicester City]]. Watford won promotion to the Premier League in 2015 (after an eight-year absence from the top flight) and made it to a second FA Cup final in 2019 -- only to be comprehensively blown away by Manchester City (6-0). The Hornets were relegated back to the Championship the following year but won promotion back to the Premier League in 2021, before being relegated yet again in 2022.
Watford [[ArchEnemy have a distinctly unfriendly rivalry]] with Luton Town, on the grounds that [[SillyReasonForWar they're the closest half-decent club for miles]]. Although the rivalry dates back to the 1880s (when both clubs were founded [[note]] Watford was actually the result of a merger between two local clubs in 1898, but traces its origins back to the foundation of the oldest of those two in 1881 [[/note]]), the animosity intensified in the 1960s and reached a peak in the 1980s, when they were both in the old First Division, with derbies regularly producing crowd trouble. From the late 1990s onwards, though, [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse the clubs didn't play each other for several years]] due to being in different divisions (with Watford trying to get into the Premier League while Luton were wallowing in the lower divisions and even the Conference for a few years); in the 2020-21 season, they found themselves in the same division ''for the first time in fourteen years''. Watford won the Vicarage Road fixture 1-0, with Luton returning the favour with the same scoreline at Kenilworth Road. Two seasons later, following another unsuccessful spell in the Premier League, Watford again found themselves in the same division as Luton, and once again the bragging rights were shared with one home win apiece.
The best-known Watford fan who isn't Elton John or a close relative of Elton John [[note]] he has taken his husband and their kids to matches [[/note]] is probably Chris Stark, DJ and co-presenter of ''Podcast/ThatPeterCrouchPodcast''. Other famous people from Watford, like [[Music/SpiceGirls Geri Halliwell]] and boxer Anthony Joshua, have tended to be somewhat lukewarm in expressing their support [[note]] Halliwell posed for a photo-shoot in a Watford shirt with her bandmates in 1996 and subsequently met with some of the players but has since been referred to as a Chelsea fan, while Joshua has at times declared that he does not support ''any'' football team, although at other times he has also claimed that he supports Watford [[/note]].
!!West Auckland Town
[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_auckland_fc_logo.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1893\\
'''Nickname:''' West\\
'''Kit:''' Yellow and black kit\\
'''Current Manager:''' Gary Forrest\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Wanted Metal stadium [[note]]Capacity: 2,000[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 11th in Northern League Division One (qualified for playoff)\\
'''Domestic Trophies:''' 1959–60 Northern League champions; 1959–60, 1962–63, & 2018–2019 Northern League Cups\\
'''International Trophies:''' 1909 & 1911 Sir Thomas Lipton Trophies
----
Non-league County Durham side. Founded in 1893 as West Auckland, they were famously invited to take part in the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy -- one of the first-ever international football competitions [[note]] it was predated by the Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva which took place in Italy the previous year [[/note]] in Italy in 1909.[[note]] Lipton, a tea merchant (as in, the Lipton tea brand) and philanthropist, proposed an international tournament and invited sides from Italy, Germany, Switzerland and England to take part; the FA refused to have anything to do with it, but Lipton was determined that England should be represented at his tournament and so invited West Auckland, an amateur side mostly consisting of coal miners, to take part; local legend has it that Lipton actually wanted Arsenal (then known as Woolwich Arsenal) to go, but gave his secretary instructions to "contact W.A.", which were misinterpreted [[/note]] They beat Swiss side Winterthur 2-0 in the 1909 final. The tournament was meant to be a one-off but it ended up being repeated two years later -- so West Auckland went back to Italy to defend their title and did so, beating Juventus (yes, ''that'' Juventus) 6-1 in the final. A year later, the club folded due to financial difficulties (caused in part by the club having to pay for their own travel costs to go to Italy not once, but twice) although it was reconstituted as West Auckland Town in 1914. The trophy was pawned to a local hotelier but returned to the club in 1960, only to be stolen in 1994; it has never been recovered, but an exact replica can be found in a secure cabinet in the West Auckland Working Men's Club.
The story of their triumph was made into a TVMovie in 1982; entitled ''The World Cup: A Captain's Tale'', it starred Creator/DennisWaterman as Bob Jones, the West Auckland captain who scored one of the goals in the 1909 final.
!!West Bromwich Albion
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_bromwich_albionsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Boing boing, Baggies!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1878\\
'''Nickname:''' The Baggies\\
'''Kit:''' Navy and white striped shirts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Guochuan Lai\\
'''Current Manager:''' Carlos Corberan\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Brunt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Hawthorns[[note]]Capacity: 26,850[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 5th in Championship\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 1; 1919–20\\
'''FA Cups:''' 5; 1887–88, 1891–92, 1930–31, 1953–54, 1967–68\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1901–02, 1910–11, & 2007–08 Second Division/Championships; 1965–66 Football League Cup; 1920 & 1954 FA Charity Shields; 1977 Tennent Caledonian Cup
----
Currently a mid-table Premiership side. They were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League but have only been Champions once, in 1920. They won their last major trophy (the FA Cup, for the fifth time) in 1968 and then spent 1986 to 2002 out of the top flight. Like Sunderland, they have a reputation as somewhat of a "yo-yo team" - in the nine seasons from 2001-02 to 2008-09, seven resulted in either promotion or relegation, the other two being a defeat in the play-off final and a survival so improbable it was dubbed "The Great Escape".
Statistically, West Brom has the most intelligent fans... [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1984648.stm no, seriously]]. Among said fans are Frank Skinner (of ''Series/FantasyFootballLeague'' fame), Music/EricClapton and [[Music/OneDirection Liam Payne]].[[note]]Who ironically hails from Wolverhampton, home of West Brom's arch rivals Wolves.[[/note]]
!!West Ham United
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_ham_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I'm forever blowing bubbles!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1895\\
'''Nickname:''' The Irons[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Hammers.[[/note]]\\
'''Kit:''' Claret shirts with sky-blue sleeves, white shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' David Sullivan (Majority Shareholder), Daniel Křetínský, the estate of David Gold and Albert Smith\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Moyes\\
'''Current Captain:''' Kurt Zouma\\
'''Current Stadium:''' London Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 60,000[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 14th in Premier League\\
'''FA Cups:''' 3; 1963–64, 1974–75, 1979–80\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1957–58 & 1980–81 Second Division champions; 1964 FA Charity Shield; 1940 Football League War Cup\\
'''European Trophies:''' 1964–65 European Cup Winners Cup; 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference Leage: 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup\\
'''International Trophies:''' 1963 International League Champions
----
An East London club, based at the London Stadium (formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, it having been built to be the main stadium for the London 2012 UsefulNotes/{{Olympic|Games}}s) in Stratford. Mostly hang around the middle of the Premiership table, but occasionally slip down a division (they last played in the Championship in 2011-12). FA Cup winners three times, European Cup Winners Cup winners in 1965, and Europa Conference League winners in 2023. Known as "The Academy of Football" as it's been the starting place for a number of famous footballers, including Geoff Hurst (who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final) Bobby Moore (who captained the 1966 side), Trevor Brooking and Rio Ferdinand.
The Hammers have one of the most die-hard fanbases in the UK; games at their old Upton Park ground were considered some of the most highly charged and atmospheric in the League. They also have one of the most well-known club anthems, a lustily sung version of the old ditty "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", the 'fortune's always hiding' line being something of a club motif, for the fans are proud of their underdog status.
Recently got new owners, one of whom made his money in porn. This is considered better than being owned by a bunch of creditors.
Their hooligan "firm" the Inter City Firm (ICF) was especially notorious - and features heavily in the movie ''Green Street'' (''Green Street Hooligans'' in the USA) and consequently claim Elijah Wood as a celebrity fan. Another famous fan of the team is Music/IronMaiden bassist Steve Harris, who has a bass with a sticker of the team's crest on it (which he commonly plays live with).
''Literature/HarryPotter'' character Dean Thomas is another fan of the team. This was done in tribute to a RealLife friend of Creator/JKRowling - it is in her honour that West Ham is the only football team identified by name in the ''Harry Potter'' series. Going back a few decades, [[Series/TillDeathUsDoPart Alf Garnett]] was quite vocal in his support of West Ham (but his actor Warren Mitchell supported Tottenham Hotspur).
!!Wigan Athletic
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wigan_athleticsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We come from Wigan and we live in mud huts!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1932\\
'''Nickname:''' The Latics\\
'''Kit:''' Blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts\\
'''Current Owner:''' Talal Al Hammad\\
'''Current Manager:''' Shaun Maloney\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tendayi Darikwa\\
'''Current Stadium:''' DW Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 25,138[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 12th in League One\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 2012–13\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 2002–03, 2015–16, 2017–18, & 2021–22 League One champions; 1996–97 Fourth Division champions; 1970–71 & 1974–75 Northern Premier League champions; 1984–85 & 1998–99 Football League Trophies; 1972–73, 1973–74, & 1975–76 Premier League Shields
----
Home games at the DW Stadium which they share with the Wigan Warriors UsefulNotes/RugbyLeague team (which has always been ''much'' more successful than the football team). Founded in 1932 and was non-league until they got elected to the Football League in 1978. Won promotion to the Premier League in 2005, after which they reached the League Cup final in 2006 (which they lost to Man United, 4-0) and then won the FA Cup in 2013 (by way of beating Man City, 1-0) ... [[BittersweetEnding but, alas]], they were relegated in the same season. Relegated from the Championship in 2015, they won League One the following year -- only to get relegated again, following which they won League One again. By 2020 they were in administration, which led to (another) relegation thanks to the subsequent points deduction. After narrowly avoiding relegation to League Two in 2020–21 under new ownership, Wigan topped League One ''again'' in 2021–22 to get promoted back to the Championship, only to get relegated straight back down the following year.
!!Wimbledon
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wimbledon_fc.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Relocated:''' 2004\\
'''Nickname:''' The Dons; The Crazy Gang\\
'''Kit:''' All-navy\\
'''Stadium:''' Plow Lane [[note]]Capacity: 15,876[[/note]]\\
'''FA Cups:''' 1; 1987-88\\
'''Other Trophies:''' 1982–83 Football League Fourth Division champions; 1974–75, 1975–76, & 1976–77 Southern Football League champions; 1930–31, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1962–63, & 1963–64 Isthmian League champions
----
A South London team, playing in all-navy, which came to prominence in the 1980s with a rapid rise up the divisions combined with the newsworthy antics of their players, who included Creator/VinnieJones. Won the FA Cup in 1988 against the all-conquering Liverpool, but had to abandon its Plough Lane ground in 1991 due to new safety rules. After sharing a ground with neighbours Crystal Palace for a time, the owners began to consider moving the team out of London. Eventually they settled on the new town of Milton Keynes, 50 miles north of London. While understandably incredibly unpopular with Wimbledon fans, this move was also criticised by fans of many other clubs who were disturbed at the prospect of American-style "franchises" that moved cities to go where the money was. The move was eventually allowed, on the understanding that the team would be renamed and would not officially retain the history and honours of Wimbledon FC (Wimbledon FC's trophies and memorabilia were handed to the London Borough of Merton, the local authority that administers Wimbledon and district). This leads us to...
!!!Milton Keynes Dons
[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk_dons.png]]
->'''Year Established:''' 2004\\
'''Nickname:''' The Dons\\
'''Current Owner:''' Pete Winkelman\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mike Williamson\\
'''Current Captain:''' Tendayi Darikwa\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Stadium MK [[note]]Capacity: 30,500[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 4th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2007–08 League Two champions; 2007–08 Football League Trophy; 2006–07 Berks & Bucks Senior Cup; 2004 Portimão Cup
----
The team created by the move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes. The name "Dons" is a reference to Wimbledon's old nickname, but most other fans call them "Franchise FC" due to the manner of their creation. In an attempt to appease hostile sentiment among other fans, they do not claim the history of Wimbledon FC but bill themselves as a new club formed in 2004. Taking over Wimbledon's old position in the third tier of the league, they were swiftly relegated to the fourth, but bounced back to the second tier in 2015-16, picking up a minor trophy along the way. However, their stay in the second tier only lasted that season. It got worse for them in 2017–18, as they dropped back to League Two. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing among football fans throughout England (with the exception of Milton Keynes itself), as it meant that for the first time they were in a lower league than...
!!!AFC[[labelnote:*]]'''A''' '''F'''ans' '''C'''lub[[/labelnote]] Wimbledon
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/afc_wimbledon_2020_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:From Batsford to Dave Basset,\\
At Plough Lane we belong,\\
We're the loyal supporters,\\
And we come from Wimbledon!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 2002\\
'''Current Owners:''' Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society\\
'''Current Manager:''' Johnnie Jackson\\
'''Current Captain:''' Will Nightingale\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Plough Lane [[note]]Capacity: 9,300[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 10th in League Two\\
'''Trophies Won:''' 2008–09 Conference South Champions; 2004–05 Isthmian League Division One champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup; 2009–10 Isle of Man Tournament; 2007–08 & 2011–12 champions; 2013–14 London Senior Cup; 2004–05 Surrey Senior Cup
----
Feeling alienated by all of the above, a group of Wimbledon fans [[StartMyOwn founded their own team]], starting in the amateur London leagues. The club was rapidly promoted through the regional leagues and gained entry to the Football League in 2011, only nine years after the club was founded. Although the club does not ''officially'' claim to be a continuation of the old Wimbledon FC, it is regarded by its own fans and most neutrals as its SpiritualSuccessor - Vinnie Jones even gave the club his 1988 FA Cup winner's medal.
Crowd turnout at their home games tends to be significantly higher than both home crowd turnout for other clubs in their division ''and'' MK Dons' average turnout. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in any league, at 78 games! After five seasons in League Two, they won the 2016 promotion playoff, placing them in the same division as MK Dons for the first time. And then during the 2017–18 season, they got approval for a new stadium a stone's throw from Wimbledon FC's old ground, and ended the season in mid-table while seeing MK Dons suffer the drop. The 2018–19 season was mostly a disaster for AFCW, as they were in relegation trouble throughout and survived the drop only on goal difference. Meanwhile, back in League Two, MK Dons finished third, sending them back to League One to rejoin AFCW for another season. Both teams struggled to survive the drop in the 2019–20 season, cut short due to COVID-19; they finished in the last two safe spots of 19th (MKD) and 20th (AFCW). The new ground opened in November 2020. AFCW dropped to League Two in 2022, and barely survived relegation in 2023; MKD suffered its own drop to League Two in 2023, placing the two sides in the same league once again.
Creator/JohnGreen of the WebVideo/VlogBrothers plays a virtual version of AFC Wimbledon on the somewhat confusingly names [[https://www.youtube.com/user/hankgames "hankgames" channel on YouTube]], which has evolved into the [=VlogBrothers=] as a whole sponsoring AFC Wimbledon's shorts and a stand on the old Kingsmeadow ground.
!!Wolverhampton Wanderers
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wolverhampton_wanderers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Hi ho Wolverhampton!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1877\\
'''Nickname:''' The Wolves\\
'''Kit:''' 'Old Gold' (not yellow, not amber) shirts, back shorts\\
'''Current Owners:''' Fosun International\\
'''Current Manager:''' Gary O'Neil\\
'''Current Captain:''' Max Kilman\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Molineux[[note]]Capacity: 31,700[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 13th\\
'''First Division Titles:''' 3; 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59\\
'''FA Cups:''' 4; 1892–93, 1907–08, 1948–49, 1959–60\\
'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1931–32, 1976–77, 2008–09, & 2017–18 Second Division/Championships; 1923–24, 1988–89, & 2013–14 Third Division/League One champions; 1987–88 Fourth Division Champions; 1973–74 & 1979–80 Football League Cups; 1949*, 1954*, 1959, & 1960* FA Charity Shields (*shared); 1987–88 Associate Members' Cup; 1942 Football League War Cup; 1970–71 Texaco Cup\\
'''International Trophies;''' 1967 USA Cup
----
Universally known as "Wolves" in the same way that everyone calls Tottenham Hotspur "Spurs". . Home games at Molineux. Founded in 1877, Wolves were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. They had a successful spell in the 1950s, during which they won the League three times under the management of Stan Cullis and the captaincy of Billy Wright (who captained England a record 90 times, and if you thought David Beckham was the first England football captain to marry a pop star and thus become a celebrity off the pitch, think again -- Billy was married to one of the Beverley Sisters [[note]] a 1950s British pop trio modelled on the Andrews Sisters [[/note]]). At that time, they were one of the first British clubs to install floodlights at their ground, and were dubbed "Champions of the World" due to their success at beating top foreign sides, although these were friendlies as official European competition was not established at the time.
Since then, they've been considered to be the archetypal 'Sleeping Giants' of English football, having some success in the 1970s but dropping as low as the Fourth Division for one season in the mid-1980s. Briefly in the Premier League between 2009 and 2012, they returned there in 2018 and finished seventh in their first season back, earning them a place in the Europa League. Strong rivalry with West Bromwich Albion.
One of their vice presidents is Robert Plant of Music/LedZeppelin.
In 2015, they opened up a new marketing slogan: "Supporting Wolves isn't always easy. But it's never dull. [=#EnjoyTheRide=]"
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'''Current Owners:''' Black and white striped shirts\\
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'''Current Owners:''' Black and white striped shirts\\Owners:''' Alexander & Christoffer Reedtz\\
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** Aside from the Olympics (see below) a Great Britain XI has twice been called into existence for friendlies - in 1947 to commemorate the Home Nations [=FAs=] rejoining FIFA, and in 1955 to celebrate the IFA's 75th anniversary. On both occasions, the opposition was a composite Rest of Europe XI and the colour of the British side's shirts depended on the venue - they wore navy for the 1947 match which was played at Hampden Park and green for the 1955 one which was played at Windsor Park. Wales have twice played a Rest of Great Britain XI - in 1951 to commemorate the FAW's 75th anniversary and in 1969 to commemorate [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily Prince Charles]]'s investiture as Prince of Wales.
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** Aside from the Olympics (see below) a Great Britain XI has twice been called into existence for friendlies - in 1947 to commemorate the Home Nations [=FAs=] rejoining FIFA, and in 1955 to celebrate the IFA's 75th anniversary. On both occasions, the opposition was a composite Rest of Europe XI and the colour of the British side's shirts depended on the venue - they wore navy for the 1947 match which was played at Hampden Park and green for the 1955 one which was played at Windsor Park. Wales have twice played a Rest of Great Britain XI - in 1951 to commemorate the FAW's 75th anniversary and in 1969 to commemorate [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily [[UsefulNotes/CharlesIII Prince Charles]]'s investiture as Prince of Wales.
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'''Trophies Won:''' Trophies inherited from Wimbledon FC (see above); 2008–09 Conference South Champions; 2004–05 Isthmian League Division One champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup; 2009–10 Isle of Man Tournament; 2007–08 & 2011–12 champions; 2013–14 London Senior Cup; 2004–05 Surrey Senior Cup
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'''Trophies Won:''' Trophies inherited from Wimbledon FC (see above); 2008–09 Conference South Champions; 2004–05 Isthmian League Division One champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League champions; 2003–04 Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup; 2009–10 Isle of Man Tournament; 2007–08 & 2011–12 champions; 2013–14 London Senior Cup; 2004–05 Surrey Senior Cup
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Feeling alienated by all of the above, a group of Wimbledon fans [[StartMyOwn founded their own team]], starting in the amateur London leagues. The club was rapidly promoted through the regional leagues and gained entry to the Football League in 2011, only nine years after the club was founded. Although the club does not ''officially'' claim to be a continuation of the old Wimbledon FC, it is regarded by its own fans and most neutrals as its SpiritualSuccessor - Vinnie Jones even gave the club his 1988 FA Cup winner's medal. Crowd turnout at their home games tends to be significantly higher than both home crowd turnout for other clubs in their division ''and'' MK Dons' average turnout. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in any league, at 78 games! After five seasons in League Two, they won the 2016 promotion playoff, placing them in the same division as MK Dons for the first time. And then during the 2017–18 season, they got approval for a new stadium a stone's throw from Wimbledon FC's old ground, and ended the season in mid-table while seeing MK Dons suffer the drop. The 2018–19 season was mostly a disaster for AFCW, as they were in relegation trouble throughout and survived the drop only on goal difference. Meanwhile, back in League Two, MK Dons finished third, sending them back to League One to rejoin AFCW for another season. Both teams struggled to survive the drop in the 2019–20 season, cut short due to COVID-19; they finished in the last two safe spots of 19th (MKD) and 20th (AFCW). The new ground opened in November 2020. AFCW dropped to League Two in 2022, and barely survived relegation in 2023; MKD suffered its own drop to League Two in 2023, placing the two sides in the same league once again.
to:
Feeling alienated by all of the above, a group of Wimbledon fans [[StartMyOwn founded their own team]], starting in the amateur London leagues. The club was rapidly promoted through the regional leagues and gained entry to the Football League in 2011, only nine years after the club was founded. Although the club does not ''officially'' claim to be a continuation of the old Wimbledon FC, it is regarded by its own fans and most neutrals as its SpiritualSuccessor - Vinnie Jones even gave the club his 1988 FA Cup winner's medal. medal.
Crowd turnout at their home games tends to be significantly higher than both home crowd turnout for other clubs in their division ''and'' MK Dons' average turnout. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in any league, at 78 games! After five seasons in League Two, they won the 2016 promotion playoff, placing them in the same division as MK Dons for the first time. And then during the 2017–18 season, they got approval for a new stadium a stone's throw from Wimbledon FC's old ground, and ended the season in mid-table while seeing MK Dons suffer the drop. The 2018–19 season was mostly a disaster for AFCW, as they were in relegation trouble throughout and survived the drop only on goal difference. Meanwhile, back in League Two, MK Dons finished third, sending them back to League One to rejoin AFCW for another season. Both teams struggled to survive the drop in the 2019–20 season, cut short due to COVID-19; they finished in the last two safe spots of 19th (MKD) and 20th (AFCW). The new ground opened in November 2020. AFCW dropped to League Two in 2022, and barely survived relegation in 2023; MKD suffered its own drop to League Two in 2023, placing the two sides in the same league once again.
Crowd turnout at their home games tends to be significantly higher than both home crowd turnout for other clubs in their division ''and'' MK Dons' average turnout. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in any league, at 78 games! After five seasons in League Two, they won the 2016 promotion playoff, placing them in the same division as MK Dons for the first time. And then during the 2017–18 season, they got approval for a new stadium a stone's throw from Wimbledon FC's old ground, and ended the season in mid-table while seeing MK Dons suffer the drop. The 2018–19 season was mostly a disaster for AFCW, as they were in relegation trouble throughout and survived the drop only on goal difference. Meanwhile, back in League Two, MK Dons finished third, sending them back to League One to rejoin AFCW for another season. Both teams struggled to survive the drop in the 2019–20 season, cut short due to COVID-19; they finished in the last two safe spots of 19th (MKD) and 20th (AFCW). The new ground opened in November 2020. AFCW dropped to League Two in 2022, and barely survived relegation in 2023; MKD suffered its own drop to League Two in 2023, placing the two sides in the same league once again.
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!!!AFC Wimbledon
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('''A''' '''F'''ans' '''C'''lub) Feeling alienated by all of the above, a group of Wimbledon fans [[StartMyOwn founded their own team]], starting in the amateur London leagues. The club was rapidly promoted through the regional leagues and gained entry to the Football League in 2011, only nine years after the club was founded. Although the club does not ''officially'' claim to be a continuation of the old Wimbledon FC, it is regarded by its own fans and most neutrals as its SpiritualSuccessor - Vinnie Jones even gave the club his 1988 FA Cup winner's medal. Crowd turnout at their home games tends to be significantly higher than both home crowd turnout for other clubs in their division ''and'' MK Dons' average turnout. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in any league, at 78 games! After five seasons in League Two, they won the 2016 promotion playoff, placing them in the same division as MK Dons for the first time. And then during the 2017–18 season, they got approval for a new stadium a stone's throw from Wimbledon FC's old ground, and ended the season in mid-table while seeing MK Dons suffer the drop. The 2018–19 season was mostly a disaster for AFCW, as they were in relegation trouble throughout and survived the drop only on goal difference. Meanwhile, back in League Two, MK Dons finished third, sending them back to League One to rejoin AFCW for another season. Both teams struggled to survive the drop in the 2019–20 season, cut short due to COVID-19; they finished in the last two safe spots of 19th (MKD) and 20th (AFCW). The new ground opened in November 2020. AFCW dropped to League Two in 2022, and barely survived relegation in 2023; MKD suffered its own drop to League Two in 2023, placing the two sides in the same league once again.
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** Strong rivalry with Blackpool (called "The Donkey Lashers" by PNE fans).
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Strong rivalry with Blackpool (called "The Donkey Lashers" by PNE fans).
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** Strong rivalry with Blackpool (called "The Donkey Lashers" by PNE fans).
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Strong rivalry with Blackpool (called "The Donkey Lashers" by PNE fans).
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!!Fictional English football teams
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'''2022/23 Position:''' 20th in League One\\
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* A peculiarity of this season is that they've had four players sent off in three matches (one of which was overturned on appeal). The first two results were both wins, oddly enough, including against highly fancied Newcastle, with the observation that Liverpool seem to play ''better'' when down to ten men. Like conceding the first goal, it seems to either wake them up or simply annoy them. The third, where Liverpool went down to ''nine'', was an extremely controversial match against Spurs, where at least one of the sendings off was contested, and a spectacular VAR error meant that Liverpool had a perfectly valid goal ruled offside - and even then, it took until the last kick of the game for a very unfortunate own goal to prevent them from snatching a point. Then, in January, Klopp shocked the football world by announcing his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season. Despite all of this and a mounting injury crisis that as of the end of February put ''12'' first team players in the treatment room at the same time, they've taken first place and (mostly) held it, as well as winning the EFL Cup against Chelsea as "Klopp's Kids" (finishing with five players aged 20 or under) beat "the Blue Billion Pound Bottle-Jobs" in Extra Time, despite all their injuries ''and'' several days less to prepare. While a late Extra Time defeat to United in the FA Cup was deflating, they are still among the favourites for the Europa League, and - currently - have the upper hand in the title race.
* Liverpool are also known for their rich history in Europe, thriving on long odds - the more ridiculous, the better. For example: The 2005 Champions League final (3-0 down 54 minutes in, level at 3-3 on 60 minutes - nearly 20 years on, no one, participants included, is quite sure how it happened); the 2016 Europa League Quarter Final against Borussia Dortmund (3-1 down at 60 minutes, 4-3 up at 92 minutes); and the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona (3-0 down on aggregate, missing two star attackers. Level on aggregate on 60 minutes, after two goals in as many minutes, ahead on aggregate/4-0 up on the night on 79). They've previously been dubbed Europe's Comeback Kings (it actually trended on Twitter), and aren't shy of handing out thrashings either; in 2007, they broke the Champions League's goal scoring record against Beşiktaş (''8-0''), and in 2017/18, they stuffed two teams 7-0. Even European giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, AS Roma, Barcelona, and Porto aren't immune. In Barca's case, it was ''another'' memorable comeback ('the Miracle on the Mersey'), destroying them 4-0 at Anfield with Salah and Firmino out through injuries to turn around a 3-0 loss in the first leg. [[note]]Considering Barça had both Lionel Messi and Luis 'Chomp' Suárez in the squad, many neutrals wrote Liverpool off after the first leg[[/note]]. In Porto's case, it's becoming something of a RunningGag: they draw Liverpool and promptly get absolutely stuffed at home. They hosted Liverpool 3 times in 4 seasons. As of 2022, the aggregate score is 14-2, and just to toy with Porto further, in January 2022 they promptly signed Porto's star man Luis Diaz for less than half of his release clause. Diaz immediately fit into the Liverpool squad and was instrumental in helping them lift a cup double and make a run to the Champions League final. In their most recent games, they lost 7-1 on aggregate, this in a group round where Liverpool became the first English team to win all six matches - in a so-called 'Group of Death', no less (this included putting out what was essentially a reserve team away to old rivals AC Milan in the last match. Given Milan's European history and position as leaders of Serie A, this might be considered a mistake. [[CurbstompBattle It wasn't]]). In short, Liverpool are ''dangerous'' in Europe.
* Liverpool are also known for their rich history in Europe, thriving on long odds - the more ridiculous, the better. For example: The 2005 Champions League final (3-0 down 54 minutes in, level at 3-3 on 60 minutes - nearly 20 years on, no one, participants included, is quite sure how it happened); the 2016 Europa League Quarter Final against Borussia Dortmund (3-1 down at 60 minutes, 4-3 up at 92 minutes); and the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona (3-0 down on aggregate, missing two star attackers. Level on aggregate on 60 minutes, after two goals in as many minutes, ahead on aggregate/4-0 up on the night on 79). They've previously been dubbed Europe's Comeback Kings (it actually trended on Twitter), and aren't shy of handing out thrashings either; in 2007, they broke the Champions League's goal scoring record against Beşiktaş (''8-0''), and in 2017/18, they stuffed two teams 7-0. Even European giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, AS Roma, Barcelona, and Porto aren't immune. In Barca's case, it was ''another'' memorable comeback ('the Miracle on the Mersey'), destroying them 4-0 at Anfield with Salah and Firmino out through injuries to turn around a 3-0 loss in the first leg. [[note]]Considering Barça had both Lionel Messi and Luis 'Chomp' Suárez in the squad, many neutrals wrote Liverpool off after the first leg[[/note]]. In Porto's case, it's becoming something of a RunningGag: they draw Liverpool and promptly get absolutely stuffed at home. They hosted Liverpool 3 times in 4 seasons. As of 2022, the aggregate score is 14-2, and just to toy with Porto further, in January 2022 they promptly signed Porto's star man Luis Diaz for less than half of his release clause. Diaz immediately fit into the Liverpool squad and was instrumental in helping them lift a cup double and make a run to the Champions League final. In their most recent games, they lost 7-1 on aggregate, this in a group round where Liverpool became the first English team to win all six matches - in a so-called 'Group of Death', no less (this included putting out what was essentially a reserve team away to old rivals AC Milan in the last match. Given Milan's European history and position as leaders of Serie A, this might be considered a mistake. [[CurbstompBattle It wasn't]]). In short, Liverpool are ''dangerous'' in Europe.
to:
A peculiarity of this season is that they've had four players sent off in three matches (one of which was overturned on appeal). The first two results were both wins, oddly enough, including against highly fancied Newcastle, with the observation that Liverpool seem to play ''better'' when down to ten men. Like conceding the first goal, it seems to either wake them up or simply annoy them. The third, where Liverpool went down to ''nine'', was an extremely controversial match against Spurs, where at least one of the sendings off was contested, and a spectacular VAR error meant that Liverpool had a perfectly valid goal ruled offside - and even then, it took until the last kick of the game for a very unfortunate own goal to prevent them from snatching a point. Then, in January, Klopp shocked the football world by announcing his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season. Despite all of this and a mounting injury crisis that as of the end of February put ''12'' first team players in the treatment room at the same time, they've taken first place and (mostly) held it, as well as winning the EFL Cup against Chelsea as "Klopp's Kids" (finishing with five players aged 20 or under) beat "the Blue Billion Pound Bottle-Jobs" in Extra Time, despite all their injuries ''and'' several days less to prepare. While a late Extra Time defeat to United in the FA Cup was deflating, they are still among the favourites for the Europa League, and - currently - have the upper hand in the title
*
Liverpool are also known for their rich history in Europe, thriving on long odds - the more ridiculous, the better. For example: The 2005 Champions League final (3-0 down 54 minutes in, level at 3-3 on 60 minutes - nearly 20 years on, no one, participants included, is quite sure how it happened); the 2016 Europa League Quarter Final against Borussia Dortmund (3-1 down at 60 minutes, 4-3 up at 92 minutes); and the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona (3-0 down on aggregate, missing two star attackers. Level on aggregate on 60 minutes, after two goals in as many minutes, ahead on aggregate/4-0 up on the night on 79). They've previously been dubbed Europe's Comeback Kings (it actually trended on Twitter), and aren't shy of handing out thrashings either; in 2007, they broke the Champions League's goal scoring record against Beşiktaş (''8-0''), and in 2017/18, they stuffed two teams 7-0. Even European giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, AS Roma, Barcelona, and Porto aren't immune. In Barca's case, it was ''another'' memorable comeback ('the Miracle on the Mersey'), destroying them 4-0 at Anfield with Salah and Firmino out through injuries to turn around a 3-0 loss in the first leg. [[note]]Considering Barça had both Lionel Messi and Luis 'Chomp' Suárez in the squad, many neutrals wrote Liverpool off after the first leg[[/note]]. In Porto's case, it's becoming something of a RunningGag: they draw Liverpool and promptly get absolutely stuffed at home. They hosted Liverpool 3 times in 4 seasons. As of 2022, the aggregate score is 14-2, and just to toy with Porto further, in January 2022 they promptly signed Porto's star man Luis Diaz for less than half of his release clause. Diaz immediately fit into the Liverpool squad and was instrumental in helping them lift a cup double and make a run to the Champions League final. In their most recent games, they lost 7-1 on aggregate, this in a group round where Liverpool became the first English team to win all six matches - in a so-called 'Group of Death', no less (this included putting out what was essentially a reserve team away to old rivals AC Milan in the last match. Given Milan's European history and position as leaders of Serie A, this might be considered a mistake. [[CurbstompBattle It wasn't]]). In short, Liverpool are ''dangerous'' in Europe.
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* City were another one of the ESL Six, though much like Chelsea, their owners and board were not totally on board with the concept. Manager Pep Guardiola, much like Klopp, strongly opposed the ESL.
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City were another one of the ESL Six, though much like Chelsea, their owners and board were not totally on board with the concept. Manager Pep Guardiola, much like Klopp, strongly opposed the ESL.
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'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1924–25, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1970–71, 1979–80, 2013–14, & 2023–24 level 2 champions; 2008–09 League One Champions, 1963–64, 1996–97, & 1999–2000 League Cups; 1971 & 2021 FA Community Shields\\
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'''Other Domestic Trophies:''' 1924–25, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1970–71, 1979–80, 2013–14, & 2023–24 level 2 champions; 2008–09 League One Champions, 1963–64, 1996–97, & 1999–2000 League Cups; 1971 & 2021 FA Community Shields\\Shields
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* After hiring Sam Allardyce to replace Ronald Koeman the team has found their footing once more, emphasising [[BoringButPractical pragmatic]] and [[StoneWall defensive]] play to avoid conceding goals (the single greatest source of defeat during the early season was not their inability to score but their inability to keep goals out, despite the presence of goalkeeper [[TheAce Jordan Pickford]]). Everton managed to remain undefeated in their first seven games under Allardyce and ascended back to the top half of the league from what was thought to be a relegation battle mere weeks before. Whilst they struggled to find their bearings at points after their initial revival, they remained in the top half, finishing eighth. Under legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti, with a more balanced front line and defence, they've become a threat once more, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin being considered an early competitor for the league's top scorer, and declared his desire to remain at Everton at least until they moved into their new 52,888 capacity stadium (something expected to happen in 2024)... then promptly packed his bags as soon as Real Madrid came calling.
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After hiring Sam Allardyce to replace Ronald Koeman the team has found their footing once more, emphasising [[BoringButPractical pragmatic]] and [[StoneWall defensive]] play to avoid conceding goals (the single greatest source of defeat during the early season was not their inability to score but their inability to keep goals out, despite the presence of goalkeeper [[TheAce Jordan Pickford]]). Everton managed to remain undefeated in their first seven games under Allardyce and ascended back to the top half of the league from what was thought to be a relegation battle mere weeks before. Whilst they struggled to find their bearings at points after their initial revival, they remained in the top half, finishing eighth. Under legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti, with a more balanced front line and defence, they've become a threat once more, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin being considered an early competitor for the league's top scorer, and declared his desire to remain at Everton at least until they moved into their new 52,888 capacity stadium (something expected to happen in 2024)... then promptly packed his bags as soon as Real Madrid came calling.
