[Chart now includes 2008-2009 League Cup Title and 2008-2009 Premier League Title, both to Manchester United; and 2008-2009 FA Cup Title, to Chelsea.]
This chart measures major trophies won by English football clubs, since the first FA Cup Final, in 1872, up to the 2008 Champions League Final of 21st May, 2008. The clubs’ kits are shown in descending size, to represent major trophies won.
Six different titles are represented, with three of these titles given half weight.
The 3 titles given full weight are… 1. FA Cup, 1872-2008 [official name: the Football Association Challenge Cup]. 2. English First Division Title, 1890-1992/ Premier League Title, 1993-2008). 3. European Cup, 1956-1992/ UEFA Champions League Title, 1993-2008.
The 3 titles given half-weight are… 4. League Cup, 1961-2008 [official name: the Football League Cup]. 5. Fairs Cup, 1958-1971 [the official name was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup]/ UEFA Cup, 1972-2008. 6. UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 1961-1999 [defunct].
Shown are the top 26 currently existing League clubs. When two or more clubs were tied on total weighted trophies (ie, 2 points for League Title, FA Cup, or Champions League Title; 1 point for League Cup, UEFA Cup, or Cup Winners’ Cup), I listed the most recent title-winner first. This occurred four times: between #’s 10.-11., #’s 12.-13., #’s 18.-21., and #’s 23.-24.
Defunct, or Amatuer/ Non-League clubs who won FA Cups in the 19th Century are listed at the far right, bottom. The first FA Cup took place on 16th March, 1872 {see this}. The match was won by Wanderers FC {see this}, who hailed from Battersea Park, south-west London. They defeated Royal Engineers 1-0, at Kennington Oval, in Lambeth, south London. There were less than 2,000 spectators. Here is a nice account, from the FA- CupFinals site [Note, when you click to the site, go to the blue bar at far left, and click on "1870s" below the 'Final Details' list {Click here}.
As it happens, every football club that has won the English Title made the top 26. [On the list of trophies below each club's kit, the English Title is referred to as "League Title".] Two clubs that have never won the English Title are in the top 26: Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. The Trotters have won the FA Cup 4 times, the last a half-century ago in 1958. Bolton’s highest league finish was one season later, in 1959, when they finished in 4th place. They did manage a 6th place finish in 2005. The Hammers have won 3 FA Cups (their last in 1980) and a Cup Winners’ Cup (in 1965); the East London club’s best league finish was 5th place in 1999.
There are 9 currently existing clubs that have won just one FA Cup, but no other major trophies. They are listed at the far right of the chart, at the top. There are similarly 9 clubs that have won League Cups, but no other major trophies, including Leicester City, who have won the League Cup 3 times, and Norwich City, winners of this trophy twice (see far right, center).
All kits are up to date, for the 08/09 season.
Thanks to the Colours Of Football site (http://www.colours-of-football.com), for the kits.
Thanks to the Albion Road site {Click here}, for fact-checking…which is a way of saying thanks to Jeremy for convincing me that I should include the Cup Winners’ Cup titles in the chart.
