1857 Oct 24 Sheffield FC [oldest football club of the world and still existing]
1859 Wanderers AFSC London [founded as Forest FC]
1860 Sep 4 Hallam FC (Sheffield)
Cray Wanderers FC London
1861 Worksop Town FC
1862 Nov 28 Notts County FC Nottingham
1863 Stoke City FC [founded as Stoke FC]
1864 Brigg Town FC
1865 Nottingham Forest FC [founded as Notingham Football and Bandy Club]
Old Etonians FC Eton
1866 Chesterfield FC
1867 Sep 4 Sheffield Wednesday FC [founded as football department of The Wednesday Cricket Club]
1870 Rotherham United FC [founded as Rotherham FC]
Abingdon Town FC [founded as Abingdon FC]
1871 Dec 25 Reading FC
1872 Mar ? Aston Villa FC Birmingham
Accrington FC [dissolved 1896]
1872(?) Shropshire Wanderers FC Shrewsbury [dissolved 188?]
1873 Oct ? Colchester Town FC [dissolved Dec 1937]
1874 Bolton Wanderers FC [founded as Christ Church FC Bolton]
Macclesfield Town FC [founded as Macclesfield FAC]
Finchley FC London [merged 1991 with Wingate FC to Wingate and Finchley FC]
1875 Nov 5 Blackburn Rovers FC
Birmingham City FC [founded as Small Heath Alliance]
Darwen FC
1876 Middlesbrough FC
Port Vale FC Burslem
1877 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC [founded as Saint Luke's FC; merged in Aug 1979 with The Wanderers]
Crewe Alexandra FC
Tyne Association Newcastle
Walsall Town FC [merged 1888 with Walsall Swifts FC to Walsall FC]
1878 Feb ? Blackburn Olympic FC [merger of Black Star and James Street Blackburn; dissolved 1889]
Mar 5 Manchester United FC [founded as Newton Heath LYR FC]
Everton FC Liverpool [founded as Saint Domingo FC]
Grimsby Town FC [founded as Grimsby Pelham]
Chelsmford City FC [founded as Chelsmford FC]
1879 Aug 16 Fulham FC London
Sunderland AFC [founded as Sunderland & District Teachers Association]
Preston North End FC
West Bromwich Albion FC [founded as West Bromwich Strollers]
Doncaster Rovers FC
Matlock Town FC [founded as Matlock FC]
Walsall Swifts FC [merged 1888 with Walsall Town FC to Walsall FC]
1880 Manchester City FC [founded as St Mark's West Gorton]
Plymouth Argyle FC
Trowbridge Town FC
1881 Oct/Nov Southport FC
Nov ? Newcastle United FC [founded as football department of the Stanley Cricket Club]
Leyton Orient FC London [founded as football department of the Glyn Cricket Club]
Swindon Town FC
Watford FC [founded as Watford Rovers]
1882 May 18 Burnley FC
Sep 5 Tottenham Hotspur FC London [founded as Hotspur FC]
Christchurch Rangers London
Barnet FC London [founded as Woodville FC]
1883 Aug 13 Coventry City FC [founded as Singers FC]
Darlington FC
Stockport County FC [founded as Heaton Norris Rovers]
1884 Feb 5 Derby County FC
Leicester City FC
Lincoln City FC
Tranmere Rovers FC Birkenhead [founded as Belmont FC]
Wycombe Wanderers FC
St Jude's London
1885 Apr 11 Luton Town FC [merger of Luton Town Wanderers and Excelsior]
Oct 3 Millwall FC London
Nov ? Southampton FC [founded as St Mary's YMA]
Nov 9 Kingstonian FC Kingston-upon-Thames [founded as Kingston & Surbiton YMCA]
Bury FC
1886 May 20 Shrewsbury Town FC
Queens Park Rangers FC London [merger of St Jude's and Christchurch Rangers]
Arsenal FC London [founded as Dial Square]
Glossop North End FC
1887 Jul 26 Blackpool FC [split from St John's FC]
Ipswich Town FC [founded as Ipswich AFC]
Cheltenham Town FC
1888 Walsall FC [merger of Walsall Town FC and Walsall Swifts FC]
1889 Mar 5 Gloucester City AFC [founded as Gloucester FC]
Mar 22 Sheffield United FC
Oct 10 Brentford FC London
autumn Bournemouth AFC [founded as Boscombe FC]
Bath City FC [founded as Bath AFC]
Nuneaton Town FC [founded as Nuneaton St Nicholas]
Wimbledon FC London [founded as Wimbledon Old Centrals]
1890 Weymouth FC
Yeovil Town FC [founded as Yeovil FC]
Exeter United FC [merged 1904 with St Sidwell's United to Exeter City FC]
1892 Jun 3 Liverpool FC
Maidstone United FC [founded as Maidstone Invicta]
1893 May 18 Gillingham FC [founded as New Brompton FC]
Aug ? Enfield FC [founded as Enfield Spartans]
Sep ? Bristol Rovers FC [founded as Black Arabs FC]
Oxford United FC
1894 Dover FC [dissolved 1983]
Hastings United FC [founded as Rock-a-Nore]
1895 West Ham United FC London [founded as Thames Ironworks FC]
Oldham Athletic AFC [founded as Pine Villa FC]
Bradford Park Avenue FC [founded as Bradford FC]
1896 Margate FC
1897 Northampton Town FC
Mansfield Town FC [founded as Mansfield Wesleyans]
Bristol City FC [founded as Bristol South End]
1898 Apr 5 Portsmouth United FC
Barnsley FC [founded as Barnsley St Peter's]
1899 Scunthorpe United FC
Torquay United FC
1901 Jun 24 Brighton and Hove Albion FC
1902 Jun 17 Norwich City FC
Sep 9 Worcester City FC
1903 May 17 Carlisle United FC
1904 Exeter City FC [merged of Exeter United FC and Sidwell's United]
Jun ? Hull City AFC
Leeds City FC [dissolved 1919]
1905 Mar 10 Chelsea FC London
Jun 9 Charlton Athletic FC London
Sep 10 Crystal Palace FC London
1906 May 19 Southend United FC
1907 Rochdale AFC
1908 Aug 15 Huddersfield Town AFC
Hartlepool United FC [founded as Hartelpools United FAC]
Cambridge City FC [founded as Cambridge Town]
Hendon FC London [founded as Christchurch Hampstead]
1911 May 24 Halifax Town AFC [dissolved 2008]
1912 Cambridge United FC [founded as Abbey United]
1919 Leeds United FC
1922 York City FC
1923 Peterborough and Fletton United FC [dissolved 1932]
1924 Hereford United FC [merger of St Martins and RAOC]
1926 Aldershot FC
1930 Ashfield FC [founded as Aldershot Town FC]
1933 Boston United FC
1934 Peterborough United FC
1937 Mar ? Colchester United FC
1946 Wingate FC London [merged 1991 with Finchley FC to Wingate and Finchley FC]
Abingdon United FC
1947 Corby Town FC
1955 Rugby Town FC [founded as New Bilton Juniors]
1991 Wingate and Finchley FC London [merger of Wingate FC and Finchley FC]
2001 Jun 23 Enfield Town FC
Women Club Foundation Dates
1894 British Ladies FC London [dissolved]
1917 Preston Ladies [founded as Dick, Kerr Ladies FC; dissolved 1965]
1917? St Helens Ladies [dissolved]
191? Blyth Spartan Ladies FC [aka Blyth Spartan Munitionettes; dissolved 1921 (unbeaten)]
1920 late Nov Huddersfield Atalanta Club [dissolved]
1921 Apr ? Hey's Brewery Ladies' AFC Bradford [dissolved]
Manningham Ladies Bradford [aka Lister's Ladies; dissolved]
Stoke United Ladies FC [founded as Stoke Ladies FC; dissolved 1923]
1926? Honeywell Ladies Barnsley
195? Manchester Corinthians [dissolved]
1967 Jun White Ribbon FC London
Swindon Spitfires FC
1968 Birmingham City WFC
1969 Doncaster Rovers Belles LFC [founded as Belle Vue Belles]
Thame Ladies
1970 Southampton WFC
1971 Fylde LFC Wesham [founded as Duke of York]
Lowestoft Ladies FC [dissolved 1983]
1972 Millwall Lionesses LFC London
1973 Aston Villa LFC Birmingham [founded as Solihull FC]
1975 London Bees [founded as District Line LFC]
Plymouth Argyle LFC [founded as Plymouth Pilgrims]
Wolverhampton Wanderers WFC [founded as Heathfield Rovers]
1976 Middlesbrough WFC [founded as Cleveland Spartans]
1979 Southampton Saints GLFC [founded as Red Star]
1983 Everton LFC Liverpool [founded as Holylake WFC]
1985 Crewe Alexandra LFC [dissolved Feb 14, 1993]
Tottenham Hotspur LFC [founded as Broxbourne Ladies]
1987 Arsenal WFC London
1988 Nov ? Manchester City WFC
Bradford City WFC
1989 Derby County LFC
Leeds United LFC
Liverpool FC Women [founded as Newton LFC]
Newcastle United WFC
Sunderland AFC Ladies [founded as The Kestrels]
West Bromwich Albion FC Women
1990 Nottingham Forest LFC
Yeovil Town LFC [founded as Yetminster Ladies]
1991 Blackburn Rovers LFC
Brighton & Hove Albion WGFC [founded as Brighton GPO]
Charlton Athletic WFC London [founded as Bromleigh Borough]
Coventry United LFC
Liverpool Marshall Feds WFC
West Ham United FC Women London
1992 Chelsea FC Women London [founded as Chelsea Ladies FC]
Crystal Palace LFC London
1993 Guiseley AFC Vixens [merged 2014 with Leeds City Vixens]
Keynsham Town LFC [founded as Super Strikers Girls]
Sheffield United WFC
Steel City Wanderers LFC Sheffield [founded as Loxley Girls]
Swindon Town LFC
WFC Fulham London
1995 Burnley FC Women [founded as Burnley FC Girls & Ladies]
Gillingham LFC
Lowestoft Ladies [dissolved 1996]
1997 Luton Town LFC
Portsmouth FC Women [founded as Portsmouth Ladies]
1998 Bristol City WFC [merger of Bristol Rovers Girls & Cable-Tel LFC]
2001 May ? Queens Park Rangers WFC London
Hull City LFC
Stoke City LFC
2002 Lewes FC Women
2003 AFC Wimbledon Ladies London
Sheffield FC Ladies [merger of Norton Ladies and Sheffield FC]
2004 Leicester City WFC
2005 Lowestoft Town Ladies [dissolved 2017]
Morecambe LFC [founded as Lancaster & Morecambe Ladies FC]
Oxford United WFC
2006 May ? Reading WFC
2009 Milton Keynes Dons LFC
2012 Chichester City Ladies & Girls FC
2014 Durham WFC [merger of South Durham & Cestria Girls and Durham University]
Watford FC Ladies
2018 May 28 Manchester United WFC
Thanks to Pete Bradshaw for a correction
Prepared and maintained by Hans Schöggl for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author:
Hans Schöggl
Last updated: 12 Jul 2022
(C) Copyright Hans Schöggl and RSSSF 2005/22
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.