Football Clubs Founded in the 1870s
The 1870s saw rapid growth in English football. The first FA Cup (1871-72) gave clubs a competitive structure, and the sport spread from its heartlands in Sheffield and London to B...
138 clubs found from 1870–1879
Abingdon Town
Est. 1870·Northcourt Road
England
Est. 1870·London
Faringdon Town
Est. 1870
Invergordon
Est. 1870
Maidenhead United
Est. 1870·Maidenhead
Marlow
Est. 1870·Marlow
Reigate Priory
Est. 1870
Stranraer
Est. 1870·Stranraer
Brading Town F.C.
Est. 1871
Henley Town
Est. 1871
Henley Town F.C.
Est. 1871
Horsham
Est. 1871·SOUTHWATER
Reading
Est. 1871·Reading
Reading City
Est. 1871·Reading
Southall
Est. 1871·STANWELL
Sturminster Newton United
Est. 1871
Uxbridge
Est. 1871·West Drayton
AFC Telford United
Est. 1872·Telford and Wrekin
Angers
Est. 1872
Bury Town
Est. 1872·West Suffolk
Cefn Druids
Est. 1872·Herne Bay
Cuckfield Town
Est. 1872
Dumbarton
Est. 1872·West Dunbartonshire
Hillingdon Borough
Est. 1872·Ruislip
Islington Borough
Est. 1872
Kettering Town
Est. 1872·Kettering
Le Havre
Est. 1872·Le Havre
Randers FC
Est. 1872
Rangers
Est. 1872·Glasgow
Roman Glass St George
Est. 1872·Almondsbury
Saffron Walden Town
Est. 1872·Saffron Walden, Essex
Scotland
Est. 1872·Glasgow
Chippenham Town
Est. 1873·Wiltshire
Colchester Town
Est. 1873
Gainsborough Trinity
Est. 1873·Gainsborough
Halesowen Town
Est. 1873·Halesowen
Aston Villa
Est. 1874·Birmingham
Biggleswade Town
Est. 1874·Central Bedfordshire
Bishop's Stortford
Est. 1874·East Hertfordshire
Bishop/qs Stortford
Est. 1874
Bolton Wanderers
Est. 1874·Bolton
Colliers Wood United
Est. 1874·LONDON
Darlaston Town
Est. 1874·Walsall
Eagley
Est. 1874
Grantham Town
Est. 1874·South Kesteven
Greenock Morton
Est. 1874·Greenock
Hamilton Academical
Est. 1874·Hamilton
Heart of Midlothian
Est. 1874·Edinburgh
Heart Of Midlothian B
Est. 1874
Northwich Victoria
Est. 1874·NORTHWICH
AFC Bournemouth
Est. 1875·Bournemouth
Beith
Est. 1875
Birmingham City
Est. 1875·Birmingham
Birmingham City (A)
Est. 1875
Blackburn Rovers
Est. 1875·Blackburn
Bournemouth
Est. 1875·HEREFORD
Bournemouth FC
Est. 1875·HEREFORD
Bournemouth Poppies
Est. 1875·HEREFORD
Hibernian
Est. 1875·Edinburgh
Hibernians
Est. 1875
Kington Town
Est. 1875
Newtown
Est. 1875·Exeter
Royston Town
Est. 1875·Royston
Royton Town
Est. 1875
Wokingham Town
Est. 1875·Wokingham
Bangor City
Est. 1876
Caernarfon Town
Est. 1876·Bangor
Falkirk
Est. 1876·Falkirk
Keyworth United
Est. 1876
Melksham Town
Est. 1876·Salford
Middlesbrough
Est. 1876·Middlesbrough
Partick Thistle
Est. 1876·Glasgow
Port Vale
Est. 1876·Stoke
Radcliffe Olympic
Est. 1876
Radcliffe Olympic F.C.
Est. 1876
Rocester
Est. 1876
Stafford Rangers
Est. 1876·Stafford
Stourbridge
Est. 1876·Dudley
Wales
Est. 1876·Cardiff
Windsor
Est. 1876
Witham Town
Est. 1876·Braintree
Witham Town FC
Est. 1876
AFC Wolverhampton City
Est. 1877·Wolverhampton
Buxton
Est. 1877·High Peak
Clapton FC
Est. 1877
Clyde
Est. 1877·Hamilton
Crewe Alexandra
Est. 1877·Crewe
Glasgow University
Est. 1877
Golspie Sutherland
Est. 1877
Harwich & Parkeston
Est. 1877·Tendring
Harwich & Parkeston F.C.
Est. 1877·Harwich
Newmarket Town
Est. 1877·Newmarket, Suffolk
St Mirren
Est. 1877·Paisley
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Est. 1877·Birmingham
Alloa Athletic
Est. 1878·Alloa
Arbroath
Est. 1878
Ashton United
Est. 1878·Ashton-under-Lyne
Brora Rangers
Est. 1878·Brora
Burnham
Est. 1878·Buckinghamshire
Chelmsford City
Est. 1878
Clapton
Est. 1878
Coggeshall Town
Est. 1878
Edinburgh University
Est. 1878
Everton
Est. 1878·Liverpool
Grimsby Town
Est. 1878·Cleethorpes
Hurst
Est. 1878
Ipswich Athletic F.C.
Est. 1878·Ipswich
Ipswich Town
Est. 1878·Ipswich
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
Est. 1878
Llandudno
Est. 1878
Manchester United
Est. 1878·Manchester
Matlock Town
Est. 1878·Matlock
Padiham
Est. 1878·Burnley
Warminster Town
Est. 1878
West Bromwich Albion
Est. 1878·Birmingham
Wimborne Town
Est. 1878·Dorset
Alnwick Town
Est. 1879
Bacup Borough
Est. 1879
Cliftonville
Est. 1879·Belfast
Doncaster Rovers
Est. 1879·Doncaster
Fulham
Est. 1879·London
Fulham FC Women
Est. 1879
Gillingham Town
Est. 1879·Gillingham
Halstead Town
Est. 1879·Halstead, Essex
Harlow Town
Est. 1879·Harlow
Hoddesdon Town
Est. 1879
King's Lynn
Est. 1879
King/qs Lynn
Est. 1879
Montrose
Est. 1879·Montrose
Ringwood Town
Est. 1879
Shepshed Dynamo
Est. 1879·Loughborough
St Cuthbert Wanderers
Est. 1879
St Gallen
Est. 1879·St. Gallen
St Neots Town
Est. 1879·Huntingdonshire
Sunderland
Est. 1879·Sunderland
Sunderland RCA
Est. 1879
Sutton Coldfield Town
Est. 1879·Birmingham
Swindon Town
Est. 1879·Swindon
Football in the 1870s
The 1870s saw rapid growth in English football. The first FA Cup (1871-72) gave clubs a competitive structure, and the sport spread from its heartlands in Sheffield and London to Birmingham, Lancashire and beyond. Clubs like Aston Villa (1874), Bolton Wanderers (1874), Blackburn Rovers (1875), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1877) and Everton (1878) were all founded during this decade of expansion.
Questions About 1870s Football Clubs
The 1870s saw a significant surge in club formation, with dozens of clubs (many now in the Premier League and Football League) established during this decade.
Football in the 1870s was still amateur. The FA Cup began in 1871-72, and matches often drew thousands of spectators. The professionalism debate was already simmering.