The English Football Portal
Football is the most popular sport in England. England 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 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 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; 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 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. (Full article...)
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Everton have a notable rivalry with Liverpool F.C., who were formed after a dispute over the rent at Anfield, Everton's old ground, in 1892; since then Everton have been based at Goodison Park as a result of the split. The club have a large fanbase and regularly attract large crowds.
Did you know...
- ...that despite being organised on St. Andrew's Day, the first official international football match (comic pictured) did not result in a home win?
- ...that the first ever golden goal was scored in the Cromwell Cup final at Bramall Lane, Sheffield in 1868, giving Sheffield Wednesday a 1-0 victory?
- ...that the England national football team trained on the football pitch of the Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, as it is the only one identical to the one in Russia on which they played in October 2007?
- ...that English football referee Gary Willard once had to be given a police safety escort off the pitch after sending off three home team players in a single game?
- ...that Leyton F.C. had to win a High Court action in order to call itself the oldest football club in London?
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The league was founded in 1905, and was strongly dedicated to amateurism. The champions did not even receive a trophy, league policy being that the honour sufficed. Teams less able to compete financially thus gravitated to it rather than the Southern League, while those with ambition and money would move in the opposite direction.
Although the league established itself as one of the strongest leagues in the country, routinely providing the winners of the FA Amateur Cup, it was still seen as being at a lower level than the Southern League and Northern Premier League which were the top regional semi-professional leagues.
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England playing Estonia in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying round Group E match. The match took place at Wembley Stadium in England. England dominated the game and came away with a 3-0 victory with goals from Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Rooney and an own-goal from Taavi Rähn. The victory left England second, five points clear of Russia.
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