Portal:English football 

Culture · Geography · Health · History · Mathematics · Natural sciences · Philosophy · Religion · Society · Technology

  

The English Football Portal

Football in England is of incredible importance to the English public, as it is the national sport of England, and as such has an important place within English national life. The sport is almost always referred to simply as football; it is unusual for it to be called soccer and it is only referred to as "association football" in very limited circumstances. Any unqualified reference to football in an English context should be read as a reference to association football rather than to any other member of the football family of sports.

Kicking ball games are described in England since at least 1280. England can boast the earliest ever documented use of the English word "football" (1409) and the earliest reference to football in French (1314). A description of an exclusively kicking ball game from Nottinghamshire in the fifteenth century bears similarity to football. There is good evidence for refereed, team "foteball" games being played in English public schools since at least 1581. The modern global game of football was first codified in 1863 in London by the English Football Association, the oldest football association in the world. The modern passing game is believed to have been innovated in London in the early 1870s. England is home to the oldest association football clubs in the world (dating from at least 1857), the world's oldest competition (the FA Cup founded in 1871) and the first ever football league (1888). For these reasons England is considered the home of the game of football.

Show new selections
  

Selected article

The 1888 Royal Arsenal squad, from left to right: Front row: Morris, Babour, Charteris; Seated: Brown, Connolly, Danskin; Standing: Horsington, Wilson, Beardsley, Bates (captain), McBean, Scott; Back: Parr
The History of Arsenal Football Club between 1886 and 1966 covers their time from the club's foundation, through the first two major periods of success (the 1930s, and the late 1940s and early 1950s, respectively) and the club's subsequent decline to mid-table status in the 1960s. Arsenal Football Club were founded in 1886 as a workers' team from Woolwich, South East London. They turned professional in 1891 and joined the Football League two years later. They were promoted to the First Division in 1904 but financial problems meant they were close to bankruptcy by 1910.

They were bought out by Sir Henry Norris that year and to improve the club's financial standing, he moved the team to Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, North London in 1913. After World War I he arranged for the club's promotion back to the First Division, in controversial circumstances. It was not until the appointment of Herbert Chapman that Arsenal had their first period of major success; Chapman modernised and reformed the club's practices and tactics, and under him and his successor George Allison (who took over after Chapman's death in 1934), Arsenal won five First Division titles and two FA Cups in the 1930s.

  

Did you know...

Lee Grant
  

Selected competition

2000 champions Chester City's stadium
The Conference League Cup is the generic name of an English football competition, open to clubs playing in levels 5 or 6 of the English football league system, (steps 1 and 2 of the National League System), which covers the three Football Conference divisions.

The Conference League Cup was formed for the inaugural season of the Football Conference, in 1979-80 and existed for twenty-two seasons before being axed at the end of the 2000-01 season. It was briefly reformed for the 2004-05 season, but it was again agreed not to renew the competition for the next season. With the transfer of sponsorship of the Conference to Blue Square for the start of the 2007-08 season two seasons later, the re-introduction of the competition was announced, scheduled to commence that very year.

  

WikiProjects

Direct relation

FootballEnglandEnglish football task force

WikiProject Football Task Forces and sub-projects

ArgentinaAustraliaIrelandItalyNetherlandsSpainTaiwanUSA and Canada

  

Selected picture

The opening ceremony of Euro2004
Credit: en.wikipedia user Joao Castro

The opening ceremony of Euro 2004 saw hosts Portugal portrayed as a ship, symbolizing the voyages of the Portuguese explorers, sailing through a sea of the flags of all competing countries. England were eventually knocked out on penalties to the hosts in the quarter-finals.

  

In the news

  

Categories

  

Featured content

Articles: 2007 UEFA Champions League FinalArsenal F.C.Aston Villa F.C.Chelsea F.C.City of Manchester StadiumDover Athletic F.C.Duncan EdwardsEngland national football team managersEverton F.C.Gillingham F.C.Thierry HenryHistory of Arsenal F.C. (1886–1966)History of Aston Villa F.C. (1961–present)History of Bradford City A.F.C.History of Gillingham F.C.History of Ipswich Town F.C.History of Stoke City F.C.Ipswich Town F.C.Manchester City F.C.Margate F.C.Norwich City F.C.Portman RoadPremier LeaguePriestfield StadiumBobby RobsonSheffield Wednesday F.C.Gilberto SilvaStocksbridge Park Steels F.C.Valley ParadeYork City F.C.

Lists: List of Arsenal F.C. playersList of Aston Villa F.C. managersList of Aston Villa F.C. playersAston Villa F.C. seasonsList of Birmingham City F.C. managersBirmingham City F.C. seasonsList of Birmingham City F.C. playersList of Birmingham City F.C. statistics and recordsBradford City A.F.C. seasonsList of Bristol Rovers F.C. managersList of English Football League managers by date of appointmentEnglish football championsList of Everton F.C. managersList of Gillingham F.C. managersList of Gillingham F.C. playersGillingham F.C. seasonsList of Ipswich Town F.C. managersList of Ipswich Town F.C. playersList of Ipswich Town F.C. Players of the YearList of Ipswich Town F.C. statistics and recordsIpswich Town F.C. seasonsLeeds United A.F.C. seasonsList of Liverpool F.C. managersList of Liverpool F.C. playersLiverpool F.C. seasonsList of Manchester City F.C. managersManchester City F.C. seasonsList of Manchester United F.C. managersList of Manchester United F.C. playersManchester United F.C. seasonsMargate F.C. seasonsList of Norwich City F.C. Players of the YearList of York City F.C. Clubmen of the YearList of York City F.C. managersList of York City F.C. playersYork City F.C. seasonsList of York City F.C. statistics and records

Topics: Gillingham F.C.Ipswich Town F.C.York City F.C.

  

Topics

Leagues

Premier League

The Football LeagueFootball League ChampionshipFootball League OneFootball League Two

Football Conference

Conference NationalConference NorthConference South

Northern Premier League

Northern Premier League Premier DivisionNorthern Premier League Division One NorthNorthern Premier League Division One South

Southern Football League

Southern Football League Premier DivisionSouthern Football League Division One MidlandsSouthern Football League Division One South & West

Isthmian League

Isthmian League Premier DivisionIsthmian League Division One NorthIsthmian League Division One South

More...

Cups

FA CupFootball League CupFA Community ShieldFootball League TrophyFA TrophyConference League CupFA VaseFA National League System Cup

England national sides

England national football teamEngland B national football teamEngland C national football teamEngland national under-21 football teamEngland national under-20 football teamEngland national under-19 football teamU-18U-17U-16

More...

Other Topics

The Football AssociationList of venuesList of English football stadia by capacityFootball records in EnglandList of foreign Premier League players

  

Things to do

Collaborate: Help improve the article Italy national football team, this is the focus of the current football article improvement drive

Expand stubs: Competitions in EnglandNational teamsOrganisations

Expand club articles of teams from England. See also: the United Kingdom

Expand biographies of English people associated with the game

Create: Most wanted articlesRequested articles

Add: InfoboxesImages (General requests, Requested images of people)

Review: articles currently under review

Assess: Assessment requestsAssess an article

Revert Vandalism on this portal and on English Football articles

Assist in maintaining this Portal

  

Related portals

Purge page cache

 Sports    Games    American football    Association football    Baseball    Basketball    College football    Chess    Cricket    Cycling    Golf    Gymnastics    Ice hockey    Olympics    Rugby league    Rugby union    Swimming    Tennis