12 FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The Football League was formally founded on the 17 April, 1888 at the Royal Hotel in Manchester, after a month of organization between William McGregor (a director at Aston Villa) and the 12 clubs who came to start the first season of league football in September of that year.Of those twelve founding members, all but one have had success in the league and most have been in the four tiers ever since.
Here's how their fortunes have faired along with the major domestic honours:
| Seasons (129 so far) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Current Tier | Total | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Notes |
| Accrington | 5 | 5 | Folded in 1896 after five years in the football league | ||||
| Aston Villa | 1 | 128 | 113 | 13 | 2 | 7 Titles and 7 FA Cups | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2 | 129 | 73 | 50 | 6 | 3 Titles and 6 FA Cups | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2 | 129 | 74 | 35 | 18 | 2 | 4 FA Cups and 2 League Cups |
| Burnley | 2 | 129 | 61 | 50 | 11 | 7 | 2 Titles and 1 FA Cup |
| Derby County | 2 | 129 | 66 | 57 | 6 | 2 Titles and 1 FA Cup | |
| Everton | 1 | 128 | 124 | 4 | 9 titles, 5 FA Cups, 2 League Cups and a Cup Winners Cup | ||
| Notts County | 3 | 125 | 30 | 37 | 36 | 22 | 1 FA Cup win |
| Preston North End | 2 | 129 | 47 | 54 | 23 | 5 | Champions twice (in the first 2 seasons) and 2 FA Cups |
| Stoke City | 2 | 96 | 44 | 44 | 8 | 1 League Cup | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 2 | 129 | 81 | 46 | 2 | 1 Title and 5 FA Cups | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2 | 129 | 72 | 51 | 4 | 2 | 3 Titles, 4 FA Cups and 2 League Cups |
Forest's Records Against The Founding Members
| Competitive Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | First Game | Last Game | P | W | D | L | F | A |
| Accrington | ||||||||
| Aston Villa | Dec 04, 1880 | May 07, 2026 | 138 | 41 | 32 | 65 | 193 | 240 |
| Blackburn Rovers | Jan 31, 1880 | Dec 21, 2022 | 126 | 39 | 33 | 54 | 178 | 217 |
| Bolton Wanderers | Oct 20, 1892 | May 05, 2019 | 94 | 36 | 26 | 32 | 150 | 132 |
| Burnley | Nov 26, 1892 | Apr 19, 2026 | 112 | 39 | 30 | 43 | 159 | 162 |
| Derby County | Oct 01, 1892 | Jan 22, 2022 | 111 | 43 | 30 | 38 | 159 | 161 |
| Everton | Sep 03, 1892 | Dec 30, 2025 | 136 | 48 | 28 | 60 | 167 | 227 |
| Notts County | Nov 16, 1878 | Aug 09, 2011 | 96 | 40 | 26 | 30 | 139 | 121 |
| Preston North End | Feb 13, 1892 | Feb 22, 2022 | 109 | 34 | 32 | 43 | 144 | 152 |
| Stoke City | Sep 10, 1892 | Feb 12, 2022 | 112 | 45 | 34 | 33 | 162 | 137 |
| West Bromwich Albion | Feb 27, 1892 | Apr 18, 2022 | 139 | 47 | 34 | 58 | 214 | 240 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Nov 05, 1892 | Feb 11, 2026 | 141 | 47 | 31 | 63 | 200 | 232 |