List of former English Football League clubs

The former member clubs of the English Football League are football clubs that lost their status in the League by resigning, or by relegation, by becoming defunct, merging with another club, or expulsion. Clubs presently playing in the Premier League are also included in this article.

Boston United were relegated from the League after a 3–1 defeat to Wrexham on the final day of the 2006–07 season, ending a five-year spell in the League. Wrexham were relegated in 2008, ending an 87-year spell.

The English Football League comprises professional clubs from England and Wales, and was established in 1888 as The Football League (First Division). In 1892, the Second Division was formed. A Third Division was introduced in 1920, before being regionalised as North and South.^[1] In 1958 these became the national Third and Fourth Division.^[2] The Premier League superseded the First Division as the top-flight of the English football league system in 1992, with the other three divisions renamed the First, Second and Third Divisions.^[3] They were rebranded again in 2004 as the Championship, League One and League Two.^[3]

Until 1986, clubs could lose their League status by failing to gain re-election after finishing in the bottom four of the bottom division (fourth tier).^[4] From the 1986–87 season, the club finishing bottom was relegated to the Conference National (now National League), the highest level of non-League football,^[5] depending on the ability of the Conference champions to meet FA requirements.^[6] Since 2002–03, the bottom two clubs of League Two face relegation to the National League.^[7]

Clubs

The tables show the first and last seasons in which each club competed in the League. Some clubs' membership was intermittent between their first and last seasons.

Clubs shown in bold were among the founder members of the League. As of 2023, the founder member clubs playing in the League are Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Derby County, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke City, and West Bromwich Albion. Preston have continuously been League members, whereas the others (except Notts County) have played in the Premier League at one time or another. Notts County has recently returned to the League after four seasons in the National League.

Four former members of the old Football League Division One no longer play in the Football League or Premier League: Bury, Bradford Park Avenue, Darwen, and Glossop North End.

Where a defunct club has been succeeded by a phoenix club, the new club is listed.

Former member clubs (no longer at English football levels 1–4)

Club	First League season	Last League season	Reason	Current status	Ref(s)
Aberdare Athletic	1921–22	1926–27	Not re-elected	Merged with Aberaman as Aberdare and Aberaman, later Aberaman Town and now Aberdare Town in the South Wales Alliance League Premier Division	[8]
Accrington	1888–89	1892–93	Resigned	Defunct	[9]
Accrington Stanley (1891)	1921–22	1961–62	Resigned	Defunct, but a new Accrington Stanley formed in 1968 and are playing in EFL League Two	[10]
Aldershot	1932–33	1991–92[a]	Liquidated	Defunct, Aldershot Town later formed and are playing in the National League	[11]
Aldershot Town	2008–09	2012–13	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[12]
Ashington	1921–22	1928–29	Not re-elected	Playing in the Northern Premier League Division One East	[13]
Barnet	1991–92	2025–26	Relegated	Playing in the EFL League Two	[14]
Bootle	1892–93	1892–93	Resigned	Defunct. A new club, formed as Langton in 1953, changed name to Bootle in 1973, and now playing in the Northern Premier League Division One West	[15]
Boston United	2002–03	2006–07	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[16]
Bradford Park Avenue	1908–09	1969–70	Not re-elected	Defunct, revived version of the club playing in the Northern Premier League Division One East	[17]
Burton Swifts	1892–93	1900–01	Merged with Burton Wanderers to form Burton United	Defunct, a successor club formed in 1950 Burton Albion F.C. plays in EFL League One	[18]
Burton United	1901–02	1906–07	Not re-elected	Defunct, a successor club formed in 1950 Burton Albion F.C. plays in EFL League One	[19]
Burton Wanderers	1894–95	1896–97	Not re-elected; later merged with Burton Swifts to form Burton United	Defunct, a successor club formed in 1950 Burton Albion F.C. plays in EFL League One	[20]
Bury	1894–95	2018–19	Expelled; later merged with successor club, Bury A.F.C.	Expelled during the 2019–20 season without playing a match, due to inability to pay liabilities. Playing in the Northern Premier League Division One West	[21]
Carlisle United	1928–29	2024–25	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[22]
Chester City	1931–32	2008–09	Relegated	Defunct, successor club Chester playing in the National League North	[23]
Dagenham & Redbridge	2007–08	2015–16	Relegated	Playing in the National League South	[24]
Darlington	1921–22	2009–10	Relegated	Defunct, revived version of the club playing in the National League North	[25]
Darwen	1891–92	1898–99	Resigned	Defunct, AFC Darwen later formed and are playing in the North West Counties League Division One North	[26]
Durham City	1921–22	1927–28	Not re-elected	Defunct. Revived club playing in the Wearside League Division One	[27]
Forest Green Rovers	2017–18	2023–24	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[28]
Gainsborough Trinity	1896–97	1911–12	Not re-elected	Playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division	[29]
Gateshead	1919–20	1959–60	Not re-elected	Defunct. New Gateshead (National League) and South Shields (Northern Premier League Premier Division) clubs formed	[30]
Glossop	1898–99	1914–15	Not re-elected	Playing in the North West Counties League Premier Division	[31][32]
Halifax Town	1921–22	2001–02	Relegated	Defunct, FC Halifax Town later formed and are playing in the National League	[33]
Hartlepool United	1921–22	2022–23	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[34]
Hereford United	1972–73	2011–12	Relegated	Defunct, successor club Hereford playing in the National League North	[35]
Kidderminster Harriers	2000–01	2004–05	Relegated	Playing in the National League North	[36]
Leeds City	1905–06	1919–20[b]	Expelled	Defunct, successor club Leeds United playing in the Premier League	[37]
Loughborough	1895–96	1899–1900	Not re-elected	Defunct	[38]
Macclesfield Town	1997–98	2019–20	Relegated	Defunct, successor club Macclesfield playing in the National League North	[39]
Maidstone United	1989–90	1991–92[c]	Liquidated	Defunct, revived version of the club playing in the National League South	[41]
Merthyr Town	1920–21	1929–30	Not re-elected	Defunct, revived version playing in National League North	[42]
Middlesbrough Ironopolis	1893–94	1893–94	Resigned	Defunct	[43]
Morecambe	2007–08	2024–25	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[44]
Nelson	1921–22	1930–31	Not re-elected	Defunct, revived version playing in the North West Counties League Division One North	[45]
New Brighton	1923–24	1950–51	Not re-elected	Defunct	[46]
New Brighton Tower	1898–99	1900–01	Liquidated	Defunct	[47]
Newport County	1920–21	1987–88	Relegated	Defunct, revived version of the club playing in EFL League Two	[48]
Northwich Victoria	1892–93	1893–94	Resigned	Playing in the Midland League Premier Division	[49]
Rochdale	1921–22	2022–23	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[50]
Rotherham County	1919–20	1924–25	Merged with Rotherham Town (1899) to form Rotherham United	Defunct, Rotherham United playing in the EFL League One	[51]
Rotherham Town	1893–94	1895–96	Resigned	Defunct, Rotherham United playing in the EFL League One	[52]
Rushden & Diamonds	2001–02	2005–06	Relegated	Defunct, AFC Rushden & Diamonds playing in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands	[53][54]
Scarborough	1987–88	1998–99	Relegated	Defunct, Scarborough Athletic later formed and are playing in the National League North	[55]
Scunthorpe United	1950–51	2021–22	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[56]
Southend United	1920–21	2020–21	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[57]
Southport	1921–22	1977–78	Not re-elected	Playing in the National League North	[58]
Stalybridge Celtic	1921–22	1922–23	Resigned	Playing in the Northern Premier League Division One West	[59]
Sutton United	2021–22	2023–24	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[60]
Thames	1930–31	1931–32	Resigned	Defunct	[61]
Torquay United	1927–28	2013–14	Relegated	Playing in the National League South	[62]
Wigan Borough	1921–22	1930–31	Resigned midway through season	Defunct, successor club Wigan Athletic playing in EFL League One	[63]
Wimbledon	1977–78	2003–04	Relocated and became Milton Keynes Dons.	Became Milton Keynes Dons are playing in League Two	[64]
Workington	1951–52	1976–77	Not re-elected	Playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division	[65]
Yeovil Town	2003–04	2018–19	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[66]
York City	1929–30	2015–16	Relegated	Playing in the National League	[67]

Current members of the Premier League (2025–26)

Club	First League season	Last League season	Ref(s)
Arsenal	1893–94	1991–92	[68]
Aston Villa	1888–89	2018–19	[69]
Bournemouth	1923–24	2021–22	[70]
Brentford	1920–21	2020–21	[71]
Brighton & Hove Albion	1920–21	2016–17	[72]
Burnley	1888–89	2024–25	[73]
Chelsea	1905–06	1991–92	[74]
Crystal Palace	1920–21	2012–13	[75]
Everton	1888–89	1991–92	[76]
Fulham	1907–08	2021–22	[77]
Leeds United	1920–21	2024–25	[78]
Liverpool	1893–94	1991–92	[79]
Manchester City	1892–93	2001–02	[80]
Manchester United	1892–93	1991–92	[81]
Newcastle United	1893–94	2016–17	[82]
Nottingham Forest	1892–93	2021–22	[83]
Sunderland	1890–91	2024–25	[84]
Tottenham Hotspur	1908–09	1991–92	[85]
West Ham United	1919–20	2011–12	[86]
Wolverhampton Wanderers	1888–89	2017–18	[87]

See also

• List of Scottish Football League clubs
• Timeline of English football

Footnotes

1. Aldershot resigned during the 1991–92 season and the club's record was expunged from the table.^[11]
2. Leeds City were expelled and forcibly wound up by the FA during the 1919–20 season and the club's place, record and remaining fixtures in the league were assumed by Port Vale.^[37]
3. Maidstone United were included in the fixtures for the 1992–93 season but folded and resigned after postponing their first match.^[40]