The EFL wouldn’t exist without these six Championship clubs, Preston North End and Derby deserve more respect

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We all love the English Football League, but we’d wager you can’t name all the 12 founding clubs that started it all way back in 1888.

These days, the EFL is split into a huge ladder of teams ranging from the dizzying heights of the Premier League, through the Championship, the best league in the world, all the way down to League Two, the National League and beyond.

The 92 teams in the EFL all have their own rich history, with many of them being able to say they’ve played at the top, even if they’re lower down in the hierarchy these days.

At the moment, we’re firmly focused on the battle at the top and the bottom of the second tier as we wait and see what teams will make up the 2025/26 Championship campaign. But, for a moment, let’s take a step back in time, shall we?

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The 12 founding clubs of the EFL contain some big surprises

On April 17, 1888, the EFL was officially formed, and the rest is history, as they say. And, it turns out, we have just 12 teams to thank for making it all happen.

Of those 12 teams, top flight stalwarts like Everton and Aston Villa, as well as Wolves, were part of the founding group.

But, six of the current teams in the Championship were also involved. Blackburn Rovers, past Premier League winners, of course, were there. As were Burnley, Stoke City, and West Brom.

Perhaps surprisingly, two teams that have historically struggled in recent years, Derby County and Preston North End, were also at the table for that first meeting of the EFL 137 years ago.

Alongside them, Bolton Wanderers, Notts County, and — believe it or not — Accrington Stanley, made up the final 12 for the first-ever season of Football League action.

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Football fans forget how successful Presto North End and Derby County were

You might think of Preston North End as one of the most average Championship teams around these days, and their perennial midtable finishes would back that up.

But, they’re actually one of the oldest English clubs, and have a long history of great success, too. They’ve won eight league titles, including two in the old First Division (1888/89 and 1889/90) and are the only team to have been crowned champions in each of the four divisions.

Preston have also won the FA Cup twice, way back in that impressive 1888/89 campaign, and in 1937/38, which was their last major success.

As for Derby, the Rams have two top flight league titles in their trophy cabinet (1971/72 and 1974/75) and one FA Cup (1946), too. They also have four Division Two titles and a Third Division title to their name.

So, not only do we have to thank both teams for helping establish the EFL as we know it, but they also deserve a lot more respect for their achievements in the game, too.