The Football League was founded in 1888 by
Aston Villa director
William McGregor. It originally consisted of a single division of 12 clubs (
Accrington,
Aston Villa,
Blackburn Rovers,
Bolton Wanderers,
Burnley,
Derby County,
Everton,
Notts County,
Preston North End, Stoke (now
Stoke City),
West Bromwich Albion, and
Wolverhampton Wanderers), known as The Football League. When the League admitted additional members from the rival
Football Alliance in 1892, it was split into two divisions. For the next 100 years, the First Division was the top professional league in English football. In 1992, the 22 clubs making up the First Division elected to resign from the Football League and set up the
Premier League. The Football League was consequently re-organised, with the Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions renamed the First, Second, and Third respectively. Thus, the First Division, while still the top level of the Football League, became the second level of the entire
English football league system. The First Division was renamed the
Football League Championship prior to the start of the
2004–05 season, as part of a league-wide rebrand. The Football League rebranded itself as the English Football League prior to the
2016–17 season, with its top level becoming the
EFL Championship at that time. Liverpool were the most frequent winners of the First Division when it was the top flight of English football, winning it a total of 18 times. ==Trophy and players' medals==