113-459: MyFootballClub is an English Industrial and Provident Society that sought, starting in August 2007, to recruit at least 50,000 football enthusiasts from across the world to purchase an English association football club . MyFootballClub's premise is to allow its paid members to control the club through a democratic voting process conducted over the internet . Member voting includes matters both on
226-499: A 20% share in the club, Mydalefc plans to have 500 to 1000 payments, giving the club £10,000 to £20,000 from fan payments only. Another UK-based project is Fivepoundfootballclub, an active community which aims to take charge of a lower league club in the UK, excluding England due to the higher cost required for success in that country. Members are required to donate £5 to the investment fund on joining. As of June 2011, this community had drawn up
339-503: A Scottish father and Brazilian mother, returned home after his studies in Southampton with a new profound passion for football. Miller spread this passion of football to his fellow peers in a local athletic club and began to organise local football matches. More importantly, colleges that trained teachers encouraged educators to spread the passion of football and even set up their own football clubs. This encouragement of educators to spread
452-545: A disastrous 44-day spell as Don Revie's successor at Leeds United, enjoyed even greater success at Nottingham Forest , taking the East Midlands club to promotion in 1977, the league title and League Cup in 1978 and to a further League Cup and the European Cup in 1979, before retaining their European crown in 1980. During this run of outstanding success, Clough also shelled out British football's first £1million transfer fee for
565-627: A draw in his four games in charge. Daish left Welling in February 2005 to become manager of Gravesend & Northfleet, which in May 2007 was renamed Ebbsfleet United , and he oversaw the club's move to a full-time playing squad. Daish led Ebbsfleet United to a 1–0 victory in the 2008 FA Trophy Final , and for two seasons running made the Fleet a contender for the Conference National play-offs . His profile
678-464: A fee of £1.5 million. He made an immediate impact, bolstering Coventry's shaky defence and improving their form overall. However, in the four seasons that he spent at Coventry, Daish was never a regular in the first team (he played in only 34 games for the Sky Blues). This was the result of a severe knee ligament injury which eventually forced his retirement from the professional game after two years on
791-474: A further league title, FA Cup and the UEFA Cup before the retirement of Bill Shankly as manager in 1974. His successor Bob Paisley took Liverpool to even greater heights; by the end of the decade, he had guided them to three league titles, another UEFA Cup triumph, and the club's first two European Cups. Liverpool's local rivals Everton , who had been league champions in 1963 and FA Cup winners in 1966, began
904-514: A half years in this role, during which time he took the club to the semi-final of the FA Trophy in 2003, before being sacked in January 2004 following a string of bad results. Following this, he joined Welling United as a coach. For a time, following the dismissal of Paul Parker , Daish served as caretaker-manager of Welling but did not get the job full-time, despite leading the side to three wins and
1017-586: A late revival from Manchester United at Wembley to win the FA Cup final 3–2. Leeds United added a further league title and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, as well as their first FA Cup, before Don Revie departed to take over as manager of the England national football team in the summer of 1974, after the Football Association terminated Sir Alf Ramsey's contract after 11 years, following England's failure to qualify for
1130-457: A major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game . With over 40,000 association football clubs, England has more clubs involved in the code than any other country. England hosts the world's first club, Sheffield F.C. ; the world's oldest professional association football club, Notts County ; the oldest national governing body, the Football Association ; the joint-oldest national team;
1243-664: A major role in English football in the 1960s. They won their first silverware in 1964 when they won the FA Cup, and went on to win the European Cup Winners' Cup a year later. In 1966, they provided three key players in England's World Cup winning side – goalscorers Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters as well as captain Bobby Moore . Liverpool enjoyed even more success during the 1970s. They won
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#17330944837381356-648: A mere nine years after being elected to the Football League. They quickly established themselves in the First Division, finishing sixth in their first season at this level, and even more impressively won the FA Cup a year later, beating league champions Liverpool 1–0 in the Wembley final. Wimbledon would enjoy the longest stay in the top flight of any of the First Division's new arrivals of the 1980s, retaining their tenancy at this level for 14 years. 1988 saw Millwall reach
1469-522: A non-binding vote on takeover preference, with Leeds United initially leading the member voting, followed by Cambridge United and Nottingham Forest . Brooks had said that the club purchased would likely be playing in Football League Two or the Conference National , and MyFootballClub's managers had opened talks with a number of clubs from those leagues. Negotiations between MyFC and various football clubs remained secret during this period due to
1582-462: A proliferation of clubs in and around the city playing " Sheffield rules ". Sheffield hosted the world's first multi-team football tournament, the Youdan Cup , in 1867. In general, each football club, school or university tended to have its own rules, which might differ on such fundamental questions as whether to follow the example of Rugby School by allowing the ball to be carried, with players carrying
1695-405: A representative of Brentford , who told CNN that the deal was "a very positive move for football because the club is owned by people who have real passion for it." Following the approval of the purchase of Ebbsfleet United by the members of MyFC in January 2008, the leadership of MyFootballClub stated that its members would be able to make decisions affecting the club in future, including picking
1808-419: A second spell with the club he had scored more than 200 goals from during his first spell there. The England team made considerable progress during the 1980s after the barren performances of the previous decade, qualifying for every major tournament between 1980 and 1990, with the exception of the 1984 European Championships , although their best run in any of these competitions was a quarter-final appearance at
1921-455: A shortfall of £100,000 in order to avoid administration. A subsequent takeover bid from KEH Sports Limited, a Kuwaiti-based consortium, offered to clear the urgent debts and set a £100,000 transfer budget for the 2013–14 season, as well as committing to construction of a new stand at Stonebridge Road. This was approved by MyFootballClub members vote as well as the Fleet Trust and completed by
2034-528: A shortlist for investment consisting of four clubs in the Welsh League system. Projects outside the UK include: Football in England Women's competition Women's competition FA Women's Super League FA Women's Championship FA Women's National League North FA Women's National League South Women's competition Football is the most popular sport in England . England
2147-464: A three consecutive titles, and Arsenal taking five in total, as well as two FA Cups. Huddersfield, and then Arsenal, were managed by Herbert Chapman , who moved from Huddersfield to Arsenal after the Yorkshire club's second successive title, and died just before Arsenal won their third successive title. By the turn of the 1930s, the national side regularly played against other national teams from outside
2260-537: A two year sponsorship deal was entered into with Slough Town. MyFootballClub agreed to have their name as sponsors on the front of the Slough Town away strip, and on the back of the Slough Town home strip. In addition, members are receiving monthly updates from the joint managers and chairman of Slough Town, as well as video highlights of Slough Town's games. MyFootballclub continued their involvement with Slough Town in season 2015–16 as they renewed their sponsorship of
2373-413: A year later. That first relegation place in 1987 had very nearly been occupied by Burnley , league champions 27 years earlier and First Division members until just over a decade earlier, but victory in their final league game of the season secured their league survival. Another major change which took place in English football during the second half of the 1980s was a restructuring of the divisions. During
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#17330944837382486-574: Is home to the world's first football league, the oldest national governing body, and the oldest national knockout competition. The first modern rules for the game were established in England in 1863. England is one of the oldest national football teams, having played in the first international match in 1872. England won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, and has qualified for the World Cup 16 times. England has more football clubs than any other country, including
2599-578: Is one of only eight teams to win the FIFA World Cup , having done so once, in 1966 . A total of six English club teams have won the UEFA Champions League , formerly known as the European Cup . Football was played in England as far back as medieval times. The first written evidence of a football match came in about 1170, when William Fitzstephen wrote of his visit to London, "After dinner all
2712-590: The 1986 World Cup . Liam Daish Liam Sean Daish (born 23 September 1968) is a football coach, manager and former professional player who was appointed academy manager at Birmingham City in 2022. Daish was a centre-half who played in the Football League for Portsmouth , Cambridge United and Birmingham City , in the Premier League for Coventry City , and in non-league football for Barnet and Havant & Waterlooville . Born in England, he
2825-514: The Birmingham City forward Trevor Francis , who signed for Forest in February 1979. Also among his acquisitions was the goalkeeper Peter Shilton , who went on to win a record of 125 full caps for England. The rise of football hooliganism marred the game throughout the 1970s and 1980s, which contributed to a decline in match attendance. Other factors in falling attendances were the dismal economic conditions and rising unemployment which plagued
2938-589: The British Isles . However, the FA's resignation from FIFA in 1928 meant that England did not contest any of the first three World Cups . The 1939–40 season was abandoned in September 1939 following the outbreak of World War II . However, as with World War I, a special wartime league was played throughout the war years, with the FA Cup again suspended. Ten regional "mini-leagues" were initially established in 1939 as well as
3051-640: The European Cup final , in the Heysel Stadium disaster . The sequel to the tragedy was a ban on English clubs in European competitions, which was not lifted for five years. Due to the ban, many English star players transferred to continental clubs. England's ageing and poorly built stadiums were responsible for two disasters, at Bradford in May 1985 (just before the Heysel tragedy) and Hillsborough in April 1989, resulting in
3164-537: The Football League between 1982 and 1986. Wolverhampton Wanderers found themselves on the verge of closure twice during the 1980s and suffered three successive relegation which pushed them into the Fourth Division in 1986. Their local rivals Birmingham City dropped into the Third Division for the first time in 1989. Sunderland suffered the same fate as Birmingham two years previously, but achieved promotion at
3277-421: The Football League soon after. During the war, competitive football was suspended. However, an unofficial "Wartime Football league" was played from 1915–16 to 1918–19 , although the FA Cup was suspended until after the war. In the 1920–21 season the Football League was expanded, with the new Third Division , which expanded the league south of Birmingham , which until then had been sparsely represented in
3390-632: The Football League Cup and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup . Manchester United also faced competition from their local rivals Manchester City , who overcame a dismal first half of the decade (which included three seasons in the Second Division) to pip United to the league title in 1968, win the FA Cup in 1969 and claim their first piece of European silverware in 1970 when they lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup . West Ham United also played
3503-466: The Football League War Cup which ran six seasons from 1939 to 1945 with West Ham United , Preston North End, Wolverhampton Wanderers , Blackpool , and Bolton Wanderers winning the trophy while in 1943–44 Aston Villa and Charlton Athletic shared the trophy after drawing 1–1. Various leagues and cups, mostly on a regional basis, were organised throughout the war years for five seasons until
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3616-512: The Republic of Ireland , on 19 February 1992 at home to Wales , while Cambridge were pushing for a third successive promotion. However, they fell in the playoffs and were relegated a year later. The quality of his performances for Cambridge United inspired Barry Fry to sign him for Birmingham City for a fee of £50,000 in January 1994. Daish spent just over two years at St Andrew's , making nearly 100 appearances in all competitions. He captained
3729-471: The University of Cambridge between the 1830s and the 1860s. In the second half of the century, a culture of independent "football clubs" began to thrive. It was through the spread of football in elite social groups that allowed the growth of such clubs. It was common for sons descendant of elite locals to return to their home from school and form their own clubs. In 1894, Charles Miller, a young elite son of
3842-537: The World Cup . Although Leeds United were still in the First Division at the decade's end, they failed to win any trophies after Revie left the club. The England team, meanwhile, continued to struggle, failing to qualify for the 1978 World Cup , with Revie defecting to coach the United Arab Emirates side just before this latest disappointment. Things began turn around under his successor Ron Greenwood , who ended
3955-415: The final . Manager Bill Nicholson then built another successful Tottenham side which lifted a further FA Cup in 1967. The most marked success of the era, however, was Alf Ramsey 's England team, which won the 1966 FIFA World Cup on home soil after controversially beating West Germany 4–2 after extra time , the only time the national team has won the trophy. In the late 1960s English clubs dominated
4068-751: The 16th centuries references to organised teams and goals had appeared. There is evidence for refereed, team football games being played in English schools since at least 1581. The eighteenth-century Gymnastic Society of London is, arguably, the world's first football club. The 19th century saw the codification of the rules of football at several public schools , with those of Rugby School (first published 1845) and Eton College (first published 1847) being particularly influential, in addition to those of Harrow , Winchester and Shrewsbury . The need for alumni of different public schools to be able to play against each other resulted in several sets of "compromise laws", often known as Cambridge rules , being drawn up at
4181-415: The 1950s, while Portsmouth won back-to-back league titles in the early postwar years. The Football League was reorganised for the 1958–59 season with Third Divisions North and South discontinued. The top half of each regional Third Division from the previous season formed a new Third Division, while the lower halves formed the new Fourth Division . Modernisation followed in the 1960s, with revolutions in
4294-411: The 1960s saw the promotion of two sides to the First Division who would achieve great success as this level for many years afterwards: Liverpool (in 1962) and Leeds United (in 1964). Liverpool, managed by Bill Shankly , won the league title in 1964, two seasons after promotion, and followed this up with their first-ever FA Cup triumph a year later and a further league title in 1966. Among their players
4407-473: The 1970s by winning another league titles, but failed to add any silverware to their list of honors for the rest of the decade, although they did hold onto their place in the First Division. Arsenal started the 1970s on a winning note by lifting the penultimate Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and then became the second team of the 20th century to win the double when they clinched the league title and FA Cup in 1971. Their next major trophy came in 1979, when they fought off
4520-455: The 1980s and into the 1990s. 1985 saw the promotion of Oxford United to the First Division, 23 years after being elected to the Football League. They survived for three seasons in the First Division and won the League Cup in their first season among the elite. An even bigger success story emerged soon after Oxford's First Division arrival, when Wimbledon won promotion to the First Division in 1986,
4633-478: The 1986 close season, the Football League decided to reduce the First Division to 21 clubs for the 1987–88 season and finally to 20 clubs for the 1988–89 season, while the Second Division would be increased to 23 and finally to 24 clubs in the process. End-of-season promotion/relegation playoffs were introduced for these two transitional seasons, before the playoffs were established as promotion-only deciders from
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4746-451: The British economy for most of the 1970s and into the 1980s, with many clubs in the north of England being hit particularly hard. Many of English football's most famous and successful clubs reached low ebbs during the 1970s and 1980s, in many cases at least partly due to financial problems. Preston North End and Blackpool both fell into the Fourth Division and had to apply for re-election to
4859-473: The Conference and the Football League was increased to two clubs in 2002–03 . In the 1980s, play-offs were introduced throughout the Football League for promotion each season, with one club each season being promoted via the end of season play-offs in addition to those clubs promoted automatically. Liverpool remained the most successful club side in England during the 1980s, winning the league title six times and
4972-410: The FA Cup in 1984 and enjoyed even more success a year later, when they lifted the league title and their first European trophy – the European Cup Winners' Cup. Although they failed to win any trophies in 1986, they did finish runners-up to Liverpool in the league and reached the FA Cup final, where they lost 3–1 to their close neighbours, in a season where Gray's successor in attack, Gary Lineker , found
5085-564: The FA Cup resumed in 1945–46 . The Football League returned the following season. The English national team suffered two shock defeats in the early 1950s: a 1–0 loss to the United States at the 1950 World Cup and a 6–3 defeat to Hungary at Wembley in 1953. However, Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated the Hungarian club Budapest Honvéd , a match which inspired the creation of the European Cup . Chelsea were dissuaded from participating in
5198-517: The FA Cup twice (including the double in 1986). They also won four successive League Cups, and before the Heysel disaster they won the European Cup in 1981 and again in 1984, bringing their total number of victories in European football's biggest competition to four. Everton also enjoyed a resurgence in the 1980s. Following the appointment of Howard Kendall as manager in 1981 and the signing of inspirational striker Andy Gray in November 1983, Everton won
5311-486: The FA and Sheffield rules co-existed, with each code at times influencing the other. Several games were played between Sheffield and London teams, using both sets of rules. After several disputes, the two codes were unified in 1877 when the Sheffield Football Association voted to adopt the FA laws, following the adoption of a compromise throw-in law by the FA. The Sheffield rules had a major influence on how
5424-436: The FA legalised professionalism, and when Aston Villa director William McGregor organised a meeting of representatives of England's leading clubs, this led to the formation of the Football League in 1888. Preston North End were inaugural winners in 1888–89 and were also the first club to complete the double of both winning the league and the FA Cup. Aston Villa repeated the feat in 1896–97 . The League expanded over
5537-435: The First Division for the first time. Tipped by many to go straight back down, they actually topped the First Division briefly in its early stages before finishing 10th – the lowest position they occupied all season. They briefly went top of the league again during the second month of the following season, but finished the season relegated after just two seasons in the First Division. Eventually, promotion and relegation between
5650-522: The Football League. Each division had 22 clubs. The next season the league was again expanded with the Third Division divided into North (with 20 clubs) and South (with 22 clubs) sections, making a total of 86 clubs in the Football League. In the 1923–24 season the Third Division North was expanded to 22 clubs, making a total of 88 league clubs. After half a century of cup finals and internationals being hosted at various venues across England,
5763-712: The League Cup in 1987 and ended their 18-year wait for the league title in 1989, when they beat Liverpool at Anfield in the final minute of the last game of the season to clinch the championship trophy on goals scored. The summer of 1988 saw the first £2million+ transfer fees paid by British clubs. Tottenham Hotspur signed 21-year-old PFA Young Player of the Year Paul Gascoigne from Newcastle United , before Everton swooped for high-scoring forward Tony Cottee from West Ham United. After spending an unsuccessful season in Italy with Juventus , Ian Rush headed back to Liverpool for
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#17330944837385876-549: The Scottish players were all London-based and so not fully representative of Scotland as a nation. The first official international , Scotland v England , was played on 30 November 1872 at Hamilton Crescent , the West of Scotland Cricket Club 's ground in Partick , Glasgow . It was a 0–0 draw watched by 4,000 spectators. On 8 March 1873, England's 4–2 win over Scotland at Kennington Oval
5989-644: The away shirt. MyFootballClub members came from over 70 countries. One of the regions in which MyFootballClub was most popular was Scandinavia , and by the end of October 2007, MyFC had 380 paying members from Norway, 280 from Sweden, 97 from Finland, and 88 from Denmark. By January 2008, over 1,500 Americans had become paid members of MyFootballClub. Additionally, non-English members of MyFC began to attend matches of Ebbsfleet United. For example, on 5 January 2008, at Ebbsfleet's home match against Weymouth , MyFC members that hailed from Berlin , Copenhagen , and Florida were in attendance. Media outlets from all over
6102-416: The ball being allowed to be "hacked" (kicked in the shins) by their opponents. The desire of football clubs for a common code was the impetus behind the foundation of the Football Association (FA) in 1863. Within the FA, there was an acrimonious debate between the "hacking" and "non-hacking" clubs. When the first meetings were held to discuss the FA's laws of football, the "hackers" were in the ascendancy, but
6215-488: The challenge of working with thousands of members to produce a winning team. Alan Kimble and myself are 100% committed to making this work." Opinions on the proposed deal were mixed, as Daish's view was echoed by some football fans, but others, including some people currently involved with the sport, were less sanguine about MyFootballClub's involvement with Ebbsfleet United. Even some football insiders were positive about MyFC's proposed purchase of Ebbsfleet, however, including
6328-534: The close season prior to the 2012–13 season, the MyFootballClub Society membership stood at roughly 1300. A significant drop from the 32,000 peak, but the community remained active in supporting the club both financially and in terms of time. An example of this continued contribution to the club was in June 2012, where the society paid for a new piece of important equipment for the groundsman Peter Norton. Even with
6441-695: The club purchased by MyFC and they will collectively manage that club, by making many of the decisions usually made by the manager and others, through a voting system on the MyFootballClub website. However, they do not actually hold any shares. The watershed figure of 50,000 registrations expressing interest in participation was passed on 31 July 2007, with a total of 53,051 registrations completed at that time. At that point, MyFC began collecting payments from those who had registered as well as any new people who signed up subsequently, opening what MyFootballClub described as "phase 2". Paid-up members would participate in
6554-499: The club, who won the FA Cup in 1983 and again in 1985 under the management of Ron Atkinson . They were captained by Bryan Robson , who also captained the England team for much of the decade, and had been Britain's most expensive footballer on his £1.5million arrival at the club in October 1981. Atkinson was succeeded by Alex Ferguson as manager in November 1986, but by the end of the decade United had gone more than 20 years without winning
6667-549: The club. In April, with the threat of administration, a takeover bid by Spain-based Carlos Kabir Karani was considered and approved in principle by both the Fleet Trust and MyFootballClub. Kevin Rye of Supporters Direct was highly dismissive of the bid, claiming it was "back-of-a-fag-packet stuff", and critical of both MyFootballClub and the Fleet Trust: "To hear a supporter say MyFootballClub are preventing investment from someone shows
6780-442: The confidential nature of the purchase discussions and because of the number of different clubs involved. Also around this time, EA Sports , the sports simulation video games division of Electronic Arts , agreed to a deal with MyFootballClub that "will be supporting us with a significant investment" to boost the group's football club purchasing fund. On 6 August 2007 it was revealed that four clubs had approached MyFootballClub about
6893-442: The continued losses at the club. It was reported in November 2009 that an estimated 23,000 members that had originally signed up prior to the takeover of Ebbsfleet F.C. no longer visited the site, nor contributed towards memberships, leaving around 9,000 active members. By February 2010, the time of the next renewal date for the bulk of the members, it emerged that the renewal rate had fallen to 20% leaving around 5000 members. In
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#17330944837387006-544: The deaths of 56 and 97 people respectively. In 1986–87 automatic promotion and relegation between the Football League and non-league was introduced, with the bottom club in the league being relegated to the Conference . The first club to suffer automatic relegation from the Football League was Lincoln City , who were replaced by the GM Vauxhall Conference champions Scarborough , only to regain their league status
7119-443: The decade by securing England's qualification for the 1980 European Championships , the first major tournament England had qualified for in 10 years. Derby County , promoted to the First Division in 1969 after a lengthy absence, emerged as a force during the 1970s, winning the league title in 1972 under the controversial but effective management of Brian Clough , and again in 1975 under Clough's successor Dave Mackay . Clough, after
7232-436: The desperation people are in and exposes the way that club is being run, which is not in a sustainable way. They have got to get a grip of that business rather than run after a guy who is promising four-year contracts and saying it's okay. It is one of the worst proposals I have ever seen put to anyone." After Karani's bid stalled, MyFootballClub voted to hand over control to the supporter's trust but this still would have left
7345-520: The end of May. During MyFootballClub's control Ebbsfleet was relegated to the Conference South in 2009-10 but was promoted back to the national level at the first time of asking in the 2010–11 and in the 2011–12 season finished a respectable 14th. Ebbsfleet won the FA Trophy for the first time in the club's history in May 2008, months after the MyFootballClub takeover, with the club's support at Wembley apparently boosted to 25,000 by new fans. By
7458-500: The end of the 1988–89 season onward, with the previously two-legged final being altered to a single match at Wembley from 1990 onward. The 1970s saw the FA Cup won twice by Second Division clubs, the first time in the postwar era that the trophy had been won by a club outside the First Division. First, Sunderland lifted the trophy in 1973 at the expense of Leeds United . Three years later, Southampton defeated Manchester United to claim
7571-428: The ensuing celebrations, some Blues fan threw a toy trumpet onto the pitch, which Daish proceeded to play. Although he was not sent off, the referee booked him, taking his season's points tally to 41 which resulted in a three-match ban. Fry was not amused: "I know the referee has directives to adhere to, but to get banned through being booked for that seems a bit harsh." In February 1996, Daish joined Coventry City for
7684-713: The enthusiasm for football aided in the global diffusion of football. For example, William Leslie Poole, a teacher at the English High School in Montevideo, is acknowledged as the founder of the first football club and league in Uruguay. Particularly in London and Sheffield, with Sheffield Football Club , founded in 1857, is recognised today as the world's oldest surviving independent football club. The example of Sheffield F.C., which published its first set of laws in 1859, soon led to
7797-443: The field, in a way similar to MyFootballClub. The People's Club was launched in October 2007 and is a similar scheme looking to allow fans to acquire and run a lower-level English football club. Ownaclub.com, a comparable project founded in 2009, has a similar objective with the key difference being that rather than requiring fans to pay an annual subscription, a one-off payment secures a permanent share of any acquired club. One of
7910-519: The first attempt and were soon challenging for a return to the First Division, while Wolves ended the decade back in the Second Division after two successive promotions. Bolton Wanderers, four times FA Cup winners, were relegated to the Fourth Division in 1987, but were promoted at the first time of asking. In August 1974, a Blackpool fan was stabbed to death at the back of the Spion Kop, Bloomfield Road at Blackpool's home match with Bolton Wanderers . It
8023-546: The first season of the European Cup in 1955–56 , but Manchester United ignored such advice and went on to reach the semi-final of the 1956–57 edition , losing to the eventual winners Real Madrid . In the following season's European Cup , Manchester United were involved in the Munich air disaster : this also affected the national team as three of the players who died – Roger Byrne , Tommy Taylor and Duncan Edwards – were established England internationals. Their manager Matt Busby
8136-419: The first silverware of their history. In 1980, the trophy was won by a Second Division club for the third time in eight seasons when West Ham United triumphed over holders Arsenal. The 1980s saw five different clubs reach the First Division for the first time. In 1981, Swansea City reached the First Division after climbing from the Fourth Division in just four seasons – the fastest rise of any club throughout
8249-574: The game such as the George Eastham case allowing players greater freedom of movement, and the abolition of the maximum wage in 1961. Tottenham Hotspur became the first club to win the Double in the 20th century in 1960–61 , retained the FA Cup the following season, and then became the first English club to win a European trophy, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1962–63 when they beat Atlético Madrid 5–1 in
8362-502: The joys of unrestrained youth." Kicking ball games are described in England from 1280. In 1314, Edward II , then the King of England , said about a sport of football and the use of footballs , "certain tumults arising from great footballs in the fields of the public, from which many evils may arise." An account of an exclusively kicking "football" game from Nottinghamshire in the fifteenth century bears similarity to association football. By
8475-471: The last years of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, with wins for Leeds United , Newcastle United and Arsenal . Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup in 1967–68 when they beat Benfica 4–1 at Wembley in the final . Liverpool (four), Nottingham Forest (two), and Aston Villa (one) won the European Cup in a successful period between 1977 and 1984. The first half of
8588-545: The latest projects in the UK is Mydalefc, planning to start a new Woking based football club on level 10 of the English football league system , the project starting March 2013 asks fans to contribute £20 allowing them to help make decisions about the club ahead of its registering with the Surrey County Football Association, planned to happen between late 2014 and early 2015. The fans are planned to own at least
8701-455: The league at the time. They topped the First Division more than once during the 1981–82 season before finishing sixth. However, Swansea's successive story was short-lived, and their second season among the elite ended in relegation, and by 1986 they were back in the Fourth Division, having narrowly avoided going out of business. In 1982, Watford reached the First Division under the chairmanship of Elton John , management of Graham Taylor , and with
8814-574: The league title, although they had finished in the top four on no less than seven times during the decade. Tottenham Hotspur also enjoyed success during the 1970s and 1980s. They won the League Cup twice during the early 1970s as well as the inaugural UEFA Cup in 1972, but suffered relegation to the Second Division in 1977. They achieved instant promotion under recently appointed manager Keith Burkinshaw , who then guided Spurs to back-to-back FA Cups and then another UEFA Cup triumph before stepping down as manager in 1984. Their North London rivals Arsenal won
8927-433: The membership total had fallen to around 4,000 and by March 2013, the membership had dropped below 1000 members Projects that are similar to MyFootballClub exist in both England and in at least 11 other countries. The ownership of the semi-professional English football club Biggleswade United inaugurated myBUFC in September 2007, which aims to put the management of that club in the hands of paid-up members, both on and off
9040-455: The modern game of football developed. Among other things they introduced into the laws of the game are the concepts of corners , and free kicks for fouls. International football began when teams representing England and Scotland met in a match at Kennington Oval in south London on 5 March 1870. A total of five games were played between the two teams to 21 February 1872 but they are not recognised as official internationals by FIFA because
9153-480: The national stadium at Wembley was opened in 1923, with the " White Horse Final " being the first FA Cup final to be played there. Bolton Wanderers defeated West Ham United to win this landmark game. Bolton Wanderers would win the FA Cup on three occasions during the 1920s. The inter-war years were dominated by Huddersfield Town , Everton and Arsenal , who won eleven of the eighteen league titles contested between them, with Huddersfield and Arsenal each grabbing
9266-442: The net more than 40 times in all competitions. Despite the sale of Lineker to Barcelona in the summer of 1986, Everton retained their league title the following season. Manchester United endured a difficult time in the 1970s following the retirement of Matt Busby as manager. They suffered relegation to the Second Division in 1974, but achieved instant promotion and went on to win the FA Cup in 1977. The 1980s brought more success for
9379-606: The next 25 years as football boomed in England, from one division of twelve clubs in 1888, to two divisions by the 1892–93 season , with a total of 28 clubs and with the gradual addition of more clubs, a total of 40 by 1905–06 . It remained at 40 until the league was suspended after the 1914–15 season with the outbreak of World War I . During this time clubs from the North and Midlands dominated, with Aston Villa, Sunderland , The Wednesday (later renamed Sheffield Wednesday) and Newcastle United all winning three or more league titles in
9492-455: The offer for Akinde. On 29 August 2008, MyFC members approved Akinde's transfer by more than an 82% majority. Over time, fewer decisions were put to members, and of less impact at the club. Even as early as September 2008, commentators noted that participation in votes on the MyFC website had decreased since the initial takeover decision, raising concerns about the ability of MyFootballClub to cover
9605-531: The oldest national knockout competition, the FA Cup ; and the oldest national league, the English Football League . It also has 31% of the population interested in Football . Today England's top domestic league, the Premier League , is one of the most popular and richest sports leagues in the world, with five of the ten richest football clubs in the world as of 2022. The England national football team
9718-461: The other two clubs besides Ebbsfleet United that MyFC had come closest to purchasing were League Two's Mansfield Town and Leigh RMI , then of the Conference North . On 13 November 2007, MyFootballClub announced that it had agreed in principle to purchase Conference National club Ebbsfleet United , which had been known as Gravesend & Northfleet F.C. until early in 2007. Ebbsfleet United
9831-438: The period leading up to World War I. Other clubs to win league titles in this period include Sheffield United , Manchester United and Everton . London-based clubs enjoyed little success during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the first major trophy being won by a London-based club being Tottenham Hotspur's FA Cup triumph in 1901, when they were still a Southern Football League club, although they were elected to
9944-586: The pitch, such as team selection and player transfers, and off the field, like what type of food to serve at the stadium. From 2008 to 2013, MyFootballClub owned 75% of Ebbsfleet United F.C. With its purchase of a majority share of Ebbsfleet United, MyFootballClub became the first online community to fully run a professional sports club in history. MyFC was engineered by former football journalist Will Brooks. Brooks initially estimated MyFC's purchase fund at £ 1,375,000 if 50,000 people were to sign up as members. All members have voting rights on certain decisions in
10057-427: The possibility of a sale. Shortly thereafter, The Independent reported that MyFootballClub had raised approximately £ 500,000 in the first 20 days it had been collecting funds from members to purchase a football club. On 3 September 2007 it was reported that Halifax Town had approached MyFootballClub in an attempt to save the football club from a winding-up order over unpaid taxes. In May 2008, it became public that
10170-432: The postwar years. Under the management of Stan Cullis , they were league champions three times and FA Cup winners twice between 1949 and 1960. Although they failed to make a major impact in either of their European Cup campaigns, they did beat some of European football's most respected club sides in a series of friendlies at Molineux Stadium during the 1950s. Arsenal continued their run of success for several years after
10283-463: The publication of the 1863 set of Cambridge rules (which forbade hacking) enabled the "non-hackers" to prevail and the FA's first Laws of the Game , published in December 1863, banned hacking and carrying the ball. The FA, initially dominated by London-based clubs, saw its influence gradually spread over the country by the success of FA Cup , first contested in the 1871–72 season. Between 1863 and 2021,
10396-507: The resumption of league football, winning two league titles and an FA Cup between 1948 and 1953. Their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur won the league title for the first time in 1951, and by the end of the decade were challenging for honors once again under new manager Bill Nicholson and captain Danny Blanchflower . Another London club, Chelsea , won the league title in 1955. Newcastle United were FA Cup winners three times in
10509-408: The sale of Ebbsfleet United , MyFootballClub were approached by a number of football clubs that were seeking a sponsorship agreement. The teams that were considered by the members were Slough Town , Leamington , Cleethorpes Town , Chichester City , Southam United and South Park . Following a number of votes, Slough Town were selected as the team that MyFootballClub would sponsor. In July 2013,
10622-459: The sale to a vote of its members. MyFC members had seven days to register their opinion on the club's £635,000 takeover. For the sale to be finalised, 50% of the votes cast had to be in favour, with no quorum required. 18,112 MyFootballClub members voted on the takeover, with 95.89% (17,368 members) in favour of purchasing a controlling stake in Ebbsfleet United. Ebbsfleet United manager at
10735-404: The scoring prowess of Luther Blissett and John Barnes in attack. They finished runners-up in the league in their first top division season and were FA Cup runners-up in their second, and survived in the First Division until 1988. Taylor later managed the England team, while Barnes went on to help Liverpool win five major trophies and was a regular member of the England side for the second half of
10848-534: The side to the Division Two championship in 1994–95 and to victory in the 1995 Football League Trophy Final at Wembley . Fry, who managed him throughout his spell at Birmingham, once said of Daish that if a squadron of F-111s attacked the Birmingham penalty area he would attempt to head them away. On 10 December 1994, Daish – then Birmingham City captain under Fry – scored a goal against Chester to make it 0–4. In
10961-429: The sidelines. Daish joined non-league Havant & Waterlooville in 1999, going on to make 157 appearances (1 as substitute) in league and cup competitions, scoring 15 goals, before his playing career was finally ended by a knee injury sustained in October 2002. In April 2000, Daish took on a joint-manager role alongside Mick Jenkins at Havant & Waterlooville after Billy Gilbert stood down. He spent three and
11074-400: The starting lineup for matches, but a later members' vote resulted in a decision to leave selection issues to head coach Liam Daish. Ebbsfleet United's first trip to Wembley Stadium , and victory in the 2008 FA Trophy added to the publicity for the project, but questions about an internet society owning a football club remained. In August 2008, members of MyFootballClub were presented with
11187-413: The time Liam Daish voiced his support for the deal soon after it was publicly announced. Speaking on the official Ebbsfleet United website, Daish said: "Everyone has worked wonders to get this club into the top half of the Conference. We all agree the club needs something extra to take it to the next step. As a football fan, I think the MyFootballClub idea is fantastic. And as the coach, I look forward to
11300-468: The time MyFootballClub members voted to sell the club in early 2013, membership numbers had dropped to 1,000 and fans were protesting against its continued involvement as the club stood on the verge of administration. MyFootballClub received a "modest sum" from the sale of Ebbsfleet United, and in May 2013 were considering options for the Society, including sponsorship of a club or partial ownership. Following
11413-442: The type of choice usually reserved for small board of directors: whether to approve a transfer of a player to another club. Ebbsfleet received a £140,000 offer from an unnamed club for forward John Akinde , and as the members of MyFC are the legal owners of the Fleet, they voted on whether to accept that offer. Shortly after the vote for members was publicly announced, it was reported that Championship side Bristol City had made
11526-493: The world have also showed interest in the project, including news organizations from Australia, Chile, Germany, India, Italy, Sweden, the United States, and Vietnam. By 14 May 2008, paid-up membership in MyFC reached 30,000 people. The 31,000th paid-up member joined on 11 September 2008. The first renewal date for most members was 19 February 2009. By 23 February total membership stood at slightly less than 9,500. By March 2010,
11639-479: The world's first club, Sheffield F.C., and the world's oldest professional club, Notts County. England's top domestic league, the Premier League, is one of the most popular and richest leagues in the world. The British Empire's cultural power spread the rules of football to areas of British influence. England the home of football, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were
11752-423: The youths of the city goes out into the fields for the very popular game of ball." He also went on to mention that each trade had their own team, "The elders, the fathers, and the men of wealth come on horseback to view the contests of their juniors, and in their fashion sport with the young men; and there seems to be aroused in these elders a stirring of natural heat by viewing so much activity and by participation in
11865-527: The £150,000 realised from the Akinde transfer, plus possible add-on fees, Ebbsfleet faced estimated annual losses of approximately £800,000, and their financial situation remained precarious notwithstanding the investment of funds from MyFC. As well as suffering a decline in membership, relations between MyFootballClub and the club had deteriorated by November 2012. By the beginning of 2013, MyFootballClub were considering options for relinquishing their shareholding in
11978-402: Was Roger Hunt , who played in attack for England's World Cup winning side of 1966. Leeds United had appointed Don Revie , an FA Cup winner for Manchester City as a player in 1956, as their new manager in 1961, and he guided them to promotion in 1964. A year after promotion, they only missed out on the league title on goal average, finally winning it in 1969, by which time they had already won
12091-530: Was capped five times at senior level by the Republic of Ireland , for which he qualified by descent. After his playing career was shortened by a knee injury in 2002, he continued his football career as a manager and coach. He had spells as manager of Havant & Waterlooville, Welling United (on a caretaker basis), Ebbsfleet United and Nuneaton Town , and coached for five years in Portsmouth's academy before joining Birmingham City as academy manager. Daish
12204-584: Was born in Portsmouth , Hampshire, and began his career with his hometown club Portsmouth F.C. However, he only made one appearance for the club's first team before he was released in 1988. He went in search of first-team football, which he found at Cambridge United . While at Cambridge, Daish helped the club to successive promotions from the Fourth to the Second Division . He also made his international debut for
12317-400: Was chosen out of the nine football clubs that approached MyFC about a possible purchase. A process of due diligence was entered into, with "lawyers and the accountants...looking through the books and the accounts to make sure there are no skeletons in the cupboards." On 16 January 2008, MyFootballClub publicly announced the terms of its proposed purchase of Ebbsfleet United and put the terms of
12430-430: Was raised by the takeover of Ebbsfleet by MyFootballClub , although the website's initial boasts that its members – and not Daish – would pick the team had as of 22 May 2010 yet to come to fruition. Daish left Ebbsfleet by mutual consent after discussions with new owners and eight years in charge on 17 May 2013. Daish joined Conference Premier club Nuneaton Town on 22 September 2014 as first-team manager, and left at
12543-534: Was seriously injured but survived; he had already taken United to FA Cup glory in 1948 and another league title triumph in 1952 with an earlier side which featured the likes of Johnny Carey , Jack Rowley and Stan Pearson . Two English teams, a London XI and Birmingham City , both lost to Barcelona in the first two finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1958 and 1960. Wolverhampton Wanderers were another highly successful English club side during
12656-443: Was the first-ever victory in international football. The late nineteenth century was dominated by the growing split between the amateur and professional teams, which was roughly aligned along a North-South divide . Northern clubs were keen to adopt professionalism as workers could not afford to play on an amateur basis, while Southern clubs by the large part stuck by traditional "Corinthian" values of amateurism . Eventually, in 1885
12769-400: Was widely reported as being the first hooligan death at an English football match, and other clubs who gained notorious reputations for hooliganism during the 1970s and 1980s included Chelsea , Millwall , West Ham United , and Leeds United . The nadir came in May 1985, when Liverpool fans hooliganism, combined with poor policing and infrastructure, led to the deaths of 39 Juventus fans before
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