Football League First Division
The
Football League First Division was the highest division of
The Football League between 1888 and 2004, and the highest division of
English football overall between 1888 and 1992.
For more details on this topic, see History of English football.The Football League was founded in 1888 and originally consisted of a single division of 12 clubs, simply known as The Football League. When the League admitted additional members from the rival
Football Alliance in 1892, it was split into two divisions; the original League was expanded (the two best Alliance members joining) and renamed the First Division, while the rest of the Alliance members were admitted into the
Second Division.
From the next 100 years, the First Division was the undisputed top professional league in English football. Then, in 1992 the 22 clubs making up the First Division elected to resign from the Football League and set up the
FA Premier League. They did so largely to capitalize upon their status as the biggest and most wealthy clubs in the country, and negotiate more profitable
television rights. The Football League was consequently re-organised, with the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions now renamed the First, Second and Third respectively. Thus, the First Division, while still the top level of the Football League, now became the second level of the entire
English football league system.
The First Division was renamed as the
Football League Championship prior to the start of the
2004-05 season, for commercial reasons. However, it remains as the second tier of English football.
The First Division initially consisted of 12 founder clubs; since then it has undergone a series of expansions as football became more popular and the number of quality teams increased. There were also a series of contractions in the late 1980s, although they were soon reversed:
| No. of teams | From | To |
|---|
| 12 | 1888 | 1891 |
| 14 | 1891 | 1892 |
| 16 | 1892 | 1898 |
| 18 | 1898 | 1905 |
| 20 | 1905 | 1915 |
| 22 | 1919 | 1987 |
| 21 | 1987 | 1988 |
| 20 | 1988 | 1991 |
| 22 | 1991 | 1992 |
| 24 | 1992 | 2004 |
1888-1992
See English football champions.1993-2004
See List of winners of English Football League Championship and predecessors.
