The English All Time Table Top Ten: Is your team there?

The internet can be at the best of times a weird and wonderful tool and today I stumbled across a league so big, where some of its participants have played over four thousand games, even the most nerdy football statistician in the world would swoon at the site of it.

I am talking about the English all time league table: a league compiled of every match ever played by each English team then ranked in order. The top ten produces a surprising mix of teams, especially so if looked at through the eyes of a modern day football fan. So then let’s get to the top ten:

In positions 10 – 7 in the league are Sunderland on 5157 points with a goal difference of +588 followed by Burnley on 5193 points on -4. Four points and 839 goals ahead of them are Aston Villa in 8^th below Everton in 7^th with 5213 points, +817 goals difference.

Positions 6 – 4 are comprised of teams currently sitting outside the Premier League somewhat surprisingly totalling the number of current non – Premier League teams to four including Burnley. Sheffield United has amassed 5268 points, Wolves currently finish stronger with 5302 points and in 4^th place finish Preston North End ten points ahead of Wolves.

The top three are the best of the best. The cream of the crop of any and every English team that has ever existed. There is no room for current champions Manchester City in the top ten, or even room for current European Champions Chelsea in the top 20.

There is room however for Arsenal in 3^rd place whose place has been cemented for probably decades to come seeing as they finished a massive 302 points ahead of 4^th placed Preston. Their goal difference is a staggering +1753, perhaps underpinning the importance of scoring goals consistently throughout any and every campaign. Notably, Arsenal has nearly won twice as many games at home compared to their away record and the same applies for numbers 2 and 1. It looks as though getting your home form right is essential to prolonged success.

Liverpool finishes all time runners-up having amassed 5744 points from 4303 games. 140 points and five all-time home wins ahead of them, the champion of English champions, are Manchester United. A bitter pill for Liverpool fans to swallow I’m sure, especially for the stubborn Kenny Dalglish who persistently named Liverpool as the most successful English club of all time during his time as manager last season.

Who are bottom of the league, I hear you mentally ponder. That title belongs to Bootle football club. They are based in Merseyside and members of the North West Counties League Premier Division.  The original Bootle F.C. were formed in 1880 however was reborn in 1953 as Langton after folding during the 1953-54 campaign. I think it’s fair to say that Bootle FC and its fans remain victors in defeat to this day with the mere existence of its football team.

Tomos Llewellyn