The English Football League is the oldest league system dating way back to 1888. However, quite incredibly, some teams still competing today were founded as early as the 1860s and competed in the FA Cup since 1871. The football pyramid in England boasts a rich heritage and tradition and has gone from strength to strength with each passing decades over the last 140 years.
If you are keen to explore some of the oldest clubs when placing match wagers in 2025, there are countless teams to check out. This article will run through some of the teams who were founded first in England so that you can keep an eye out for these storied sides when making your bets.
Notts County
Notts County are officially the oldest club in the Football League have been founded way back in 1862. The Magpies played in the first ever league season which kicked off 26 years after their formation.
The club actually lost its proud claim to fame in 2019 after being relegated to the National League and dropping out of the four tier Football League. However, the team earned promotion back to League Two in 2023 to retake the mantle of the oldest club in the Football League system.
It’s a proud status symbol for the Magpies and Notts County is world-renowned having played football long before the likes of modern-day giants like Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.
If you are eager to wager on Notts County this season via a betway log in, the club is currently pushing for promotion to League One and will have a minimum aim of finishing in the play-off places come May.
Stoke City
Stoke City were founded in 1863 according to ‘The Book of Football’ which was published in 1905. However, that date had been disputed. In 1868, newspaper reports wrote about the Stoke Ramblers and stated the team had been formed that season.
In 1878, the club underwent a merger and was then known as Stoke. This team was liquidated in 1908 and so, after failing to gain re-election to the Football League, the side played in the Birmingham & District League and Southern League Divisions One and Two before returning to the Football League and the Second Division for the 2019/20 campaign.
When Notts County, who also inspired Juventus’ kits in the early 20th century, dropped to the fifth tier, Stoke could claim to be the oldest club in the Football League. Since the turn of the century, the Potters have spent the vast majority of their time in the top two tiers and well-established again in the upper echelons of the pyramid.
This season, if you are planning to access a betway log in to wager on Stoke matches, the team are enjoying an impressive campaign in the Championship under Mark Robins. After seven successive seasons in the bottom half, Stoke are pushing for promotion and are sat in the play-off places heading into the festive period.
Wrexham
Wrexham Football and Athletic Club was founded two years after Notts County in 1864 before being renamed Wrexham Football Club in 1872. This team was wound up in eleven years later and replaced by Wrexham Olympic Football Club before being renamed Wrexham Football Club again in 1888.
Despite being based in North Wales, the team joined the inaugural Third Division North in 1921 and even reached the second tier between 1978 and 1982.
In more recent times the club spent 15 years in the Conference (named the National League from 2015) but three successive promotions to return to the Championship for the first time in 43 years.
Wrexham are now competing well in the second tier, taking on the likes of Southampton, Ipswich and Blackburn and, if wagering on the team after accessing the betway log in, it’s important to note the team is particularly strong at the Racecourse, the world’s oldest international football stadium still hosting national team matches, having hosted Wales’ first home international back in 1877.
Everton
Everton are the 16th oldest club in England but are perhaps the most storied having enjoyed a long and illustrious history at the top of the game. Established in 1878 as St Domingo FC, the team were called Everton a year later and the Toffees were one of the founder members of the Football League.
Since then, no club has played more seasons in the top-flight of English football, or played as many top-flight games with the Blues spending just four campaigns in the second tier, from 1930 to 1931 and later 1951 to 1954.
Everton have won nine league titles, five FA Cups and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1985 while in 1928, legendary centre forward Dixie Dean scored 60 goals in one season which is a record that still stands today.
The Blues are ever-presents in the Premier League but have endured a number of difficult seasons recently having had to battle relegation during the 2020s. Leaving Goodison Park, their home for 133 years, in May 2025, Everton now play at Hill Dickinson Stadium and will be hoping for better times ahead.
When predicting matches involving the Toffees via a betway log in, it’s important to note the team has experienced some up and down form, beating Manchester United with ten men for instance, before losing 4-1 against Newcastle.
Overall, the English Football League has been built on the stories of many classic clubs or boast proud traditions and have been competing for well over a century.
Looking Ahead
The League of Ireland Premier Division continues evolving, balancing tradition with modernization. While financial constraints remain compared to wealthier European leagues, the competition’s authenticity and community focus give it unique appeal. As Irish soccer builds on its century-long foundation, the Premier Division stands positioned to grow its influence both domestically and on the European stage.