Football records in England - Definition and Overview

League

Records in this section refer to The Football League from its founding in 1888 through to 1992, and to both the FA Premier League and The Football League from 1992 to the present.

Championships

• Most League championships: 18
  • Liverpool
    • 1900-01, 1905-06, 1921-22, 1922-23, 1946-47, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1987-88, 1989-90
• Most League championships, consecutive: 3
  • Huddersfield Town
    • 1923-24, 1924-25, 1925-26
  • Arsenal
    • 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35
  • Liverpool
    • 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84
  • Manchester United
    • 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01

Wins

• Most wins, season: 33
  • Doncaster Rovers (Football League Third Division (North), 1946-47)
    • Played 42, Won 33, Drew 6, Lost 3
• Most wins, consecutive games: 14
  • Manchester United (Football League Second Division, 1904-05)
  • Bristol City (Football League Second Division, 1905-06)
  • Preston North End (Football League Second Division, 1950-51)
• Most wins, consecutive games at start of season: 13
  • Reading F.C. (Football League Third Division, 1985-86)
• Most wins, consecutive home games: 25
  • Bradford Park Avenue (Football League Third Division (North), 1926-27)
• Most wins, consecutive away games: 10
  • Tottenham Hotspur (Football League First Division, 1959-60)

• Fewest wins, season: 1
  • Loughborough Town (Football League Second Division, 1899-00)
    • Played 34, Won 1, Drew 6, Lost 27

• Most points, season (2 points for a win): 74
  • Lincoln, (Football League Fourth Division, 1975-1976)

• Most points, season (3 points for a win): 105
  • Sunderland, (Football League First Division, 1998-99)

Losses

• Most losses, season: 34
  • Doncaster Rovers (Football League Third Division, 1997-98)
    • Played 46, Won 4, Drew 8, Lost 34

• Fewest losses, season: 0
  • Preston North End (Football League First Division, 1889-99)
    • Played 22, Won 18, Drew 4
  • Liverpool (Football League Second Division, 1893-94)
    • Played 28, Won 22, Drew 6
  • Arsenal (FA Premier League, 2003-04)
    • Played 38, Won 26, Drew 12

• Arsenal F.C. played 49 Premier League matches without defeat over the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons which is the longest undefeated run in the recognized "top flight" divisions.

• Least points, season (2 points for a win): 8
  • Loughborough Town, (Football League Second Division, 1899-00)
  • Doncaster Rovers, (Football League Second Division, 1904-05)

• Least points, season (3 points for a win): 17
  • Stoke (Football League First Division, 1984-85)

Appearances

• Most appearances, individual, career: 1,005
  • Peter Shilton (1966-1997)
• Most appearances, individual, career, at one club: 770
  • John Trollope (Swindon Town F.C. 1960-1980)
• Most appearances, individual, consecutive games: 401
  • Harold Bell (Tranmere Rovers F.C. 1946-1955)

Goals

• Most goals, individual, career: 434
  • Arthur Rowley (619 appearances, 5 clubs, 1946-1965)
• Most goals, individual, season: 60
  • Dixie Dean, Everton (1927-28)
• Most goals, individual, game: 10
  • Joe Payne, Luton Town
    • Luton Town vs Bristol Rovers (13 April, 1936)

• Fastest goal: 4 seconds
  • Jim Fryatt, Bradford Park Avenue
    • Bradford Park Avenue vs Tranmere Rovers (25 April, 1964)
• Fastest hat-trick, time between first and third goals: 2 minutes 20 seconds
  • James Hayter, Bournemouth
    • Bournemouth vs Wrexham (23 February, 2004)

Attendance

• Highest attendance, single game: 83,260
  • Manchester United vs Arsenal (Football League First Division, 17 January, 1948)
• Lowest attendance, single game: 469
  • Thames vs Luton Town (Football League Third Division (South), 6 December, 1930)

Transfers

• Highest transfer fee: £30 million
  • For Rio Ferdinand, from Leeds United to Manchester United (July, 2002)

FA Premier League

Championships

• Most championships: 8
  • Manchester United
    • 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03

(Have also won seven leagues before Prem. divison)

• Most championships, consecutive: 3
  • Manchester United
    • 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01

Wins

• Most wins, season, 38 games: 28
  • Manchester United (1999-2000)

• Fewest wins, season, 38 games: 4
  • Sunderland (2002-03)

Losses

• Most losses, season, 42 games: 29
  • Ipswich Town (1994-95)

• Fewest losses, season, 38 games: 0
  • Arsenal (2003-04)

Goals

• Most goals, individual, career: 243
  • Alan Shearer (still active, figure correct as of end of 2003-04 season)
• Most goals, individual, season, 42 games: 34
  • Andy Cole (Newcastle United, 1993-94)
  • Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1994-95)
• Most goals, individual, game: 5
  • Andy Cole (Manchester United)
    • Manchester United vs Ipswich Town (4 March, 1995)
  • Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)
    • Newcastle United vs Sheffield Wednesday (19 September, 1999)

• Fastest goal: 10 seconds
  • Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur)
    • Bradford City vs Tottenham Hotspur (9 December, 2000)
• Fastest hat-trick, time between first and third goals: 4 minutes 32 seconds
  • Robbie Fowler (Liverpool)
    • Liverpool vs Arsenal (28 August, 1994)

• Biggest home win, goal difference: 9
  • Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town (4 March, 1995)
• Biggest away win, goal difference: 7
  • Nottingham Forest 1-8 Manchester United (6 February, 1999)

• First Premiership goal: Brian Deane (Sheffield United)
  • Sheffield United vs Manchester United (15 August, 1992)

FA Cup

Final

• Most wins: 11
  • Manchester United
    • 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
• Biggest win, goal difference: 6
  • Bury 6-0 Derby County (1904)

All rounds

• Biggest win, goal difference: 26
  • Preston North End 26-0 Hyde United (1st round, 15 October, 1887)

League Cup

Final

• Most wins: 7
  • Liverpool
    • 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003

All rounds

• Biggest win, goal difference: 10
  • West Ham United 10-0 Bury (2nd round, 2nd leg, 25 October, 1983)
  • Liverpool 10-0 Fulham (2nd round, 1st leg, 23 September, 1986)
• Biggest aggregate win, goal difference: 11
  • 13-2: Liverpool vs Fulham
    • Liverpool 10-0 Fulham, Fulham 2-3 Liverpool (2nd round, 1986)
  • 12-1 West Ham United vs Bury
    • Bury 1-2 West Ham United, West Ham United 10-0 Bury (2nd round, 1983)
  • 11-0 Liverpool vs Exeter City
    • Liverpool 5-0 Exeter City, Exeter City 0-6 Liverpool (2nd round, 1981)

Non-league

• Longest Unbeaten run: 78
  • AFC Wimbledon (Combined Counties League/Isthmian League First Division, February 26 2003-November 27 2004)
    • Played 78, Won 69, Drew 9