The world's first association football league, named simply The Football League, was created in 1888 by Aston Villa's club director William McGregor. It was dominated by those clubs who had supported … See more

At the top is the single division of the Premier League (level 1, which is often referred to as the "top-flight"), containing 20 clubs. Below the … See more

Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.
• FA Cup: Levels 1 to 5
• EFL Cup: Levels 1 to 4
• EFL Trophy: Levels 3 to 4 (16 U21 teams from clubs in Levels … See more

• English football portal
• League system
• List of association football competitions See more

The system consists of a pyramid of leagues, bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. A certain number of the most … See more

1. Premier League (level 1, 20 teams): The bottom three teams are relegated.
2. English Football League Championship (level 2, 24 teams): Top two automatically promoted; next four … See more

Level one in the pyramid, the top division of English football, is run by the Premier League (which gives its name to the competition in that division), the winners of which are regarded … See more