When this seasons various English Leagues kick off it will represent the 125th year of League football in England. The FA will mark this with six significant games across all leagues, except the Premier League, on the opening day. The Leagues below the Premier League actually kick off two weeks earlier and in the Championship you can see Burnley take on Bolton and Derby against Blackburn. Burnley actually played Bolton in the second week of that first season but the game is significant because it involved the first hat-trick in league play.
In the league below Sheffield United will take on Notts County which see’s the Worlds oldest team still playing in a professional capacity on the Worlds oldest professional football ground. While Preston, the first ever League winners take on Wolves. Then in the League below that one, the fourth tier of English football you will find the two ‘celebration’ fixtures include teams not actually involved in that first season. The Hartlepool against Rochdale fixture is there because it is the most played fixture between two clubs, this will be their 137th League meeting. The list is finished off at the newest league ground, Rodney Parade as newly reformed side, Newport hosting Accrington Stanley.
Moving to the Premiership and of the current teams taking part only four were there at the start. In order of their finish that season they were Aston Villa(2nd), West Brom (6th), Everton (8th) and Stoke (12th) from 12 teams. So who was the first person to score in the League? Well that is up for debate as players had no numbers or names on their shirts and all looked quite similar with their moustaches and short hair cuts. Prestons striker Fred Dewhurst has some supporters as the first but most agree it was actually Bolton’s winger Kenny Davenport. The last goal scored currently is a stat held by Premiership side Fulham and on loan midfielder Urby Emanuelson.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
It was actually a Scottishman who founded the League in 1888 after players had been allowed to turn pro three years earlier. Four years later the Second Division was added and a year later 31 clubs made up the two tiers. Newton Heath, who later became Manchester United, joined in the first Division in 1892 and Ardwick (later Manchester City) were added to the Second Division at the same time. Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal joined a year later. The League was halted twice by some Germans kicking off over in mainland Europe but other than that has been uninterrupted.
Heading onto this upcoming season Manchester United hold the most top flight titles with 20 and four clubs hold the record for most consecutive title wins. United have done it twice and of course you would expect Liverpool and Arsenal to be there but last seasons 19th position finishers Huddersfield, who in the 1920’s, also won it three times in a row. Most league wins overall is Manchester United with 2,096 but most top flight wins is Liverpool with 1,803.
So who exactly have won the title since 1888 (keep in mind the suspension of the League for the World Wars):
Manchester United (20)
Liverpool (18)
Arsenal (13)
Everton ( 9)
Aston Villa ( 7)
Sunderland ( 6)
Chelsea ( 4)
Newcastle ( 4)
Sheffield Weds ( 4)
Man City ( 3)
Blackburn ( 3)
Wolves ( 3)
Leeds Utd ( 3)
Huddersfield ( 3)
Tottenham ( 2)
Portsmouth ( 2)
Preston ( 2)
Burnley ( 2)
Derby County ( 2)
Nottingham Forest ( 1)
West Brom ( 1)
Sheffield Utd ( 1)
Ipswich Town ( 1)
As for individual records, currently the player with most career league appearances is the ex England Goalkeeper Peter Shilton who clocked up 1,005 appearances, over 11 clubs. As far as outfield players go Tony Ford holds the record with 931, although none were in the top flight.
Although Ryan Giggs holds the record for most career top flight appearances at one club with 660 for Manchester United he is actually way behind John Trollope who clocked up 770 for Swindon. Giggs doesn’t even hold the record for the oldest player, that is still held by Neil McBain in 1947 aged 51 years and 20 days. Youngest player? Reuben Noble-Lazarus who at 15 years and 45 days old turned out for Barnsley.
Now for the reason we turn into watch sports and soccer in particular, the goals. The most career goals goes to Arthur Rowley with 434 goals. However Jimmy Greaves holds the top flight goal record with 516 while at three London clubs. Dixie Dean scored the most goals (all competitions) in a season with 60 in the 1927-28 season but the 10 goals scored in one game by Joe Payne for Luton in April 1936 was a game that would have been repeated to death in today’s world.
So back 125 years ago when those twelve sides took to the pitch did they think it would have progressed the way it has now with the Premier League now one of the richest Leagues in the world. Also when Kenny Davenport scored that very first goal did he think there would be another 515,411 after that to date? I doubt he was thinking about anything other than his goal and maybe Jack the Ripper, whose second victim was also discovered that very day.
