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 … See more

Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.
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• English football portal
• League system
• List of association football competitions
• National League System (the system involving the 5th–10th tiers of English football, organised by the FA) 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 successful clubs in each league can rise … 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

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