From 1888 until 1992, the Football League Championship was the ultimate prize in English football. A small group of 12 founder member clubs - Accrington, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Everton, Preston North End, Aston Villa, Derby County, Notts County, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Stoke City - formed the first ever football league competition in the world in 1888. Remarkably, 121 years later, eight of that collection lined up as part of the elite of English football for season 2009-10.
In 1992, the creation of the FA Premier League demoted the Championship into the second tier of the game in England (initially as the first division and then, from 2004-05, the Championship), but the ancient trophy remains up for grabs Click here to view FA Premier League champions
po Won play-off final to be promoted to FA Premier League
| YEAR | CHAMPIONS | SECOND | THIRD | FOURTH | |
| 1889 | PRESTON | Aston Villa | Wolves | Blackburn | |
| 1890 | PRESTON | Everton | Blackburn | Wolves | |
| 1891 | EVERTON | Preston | Notts County | Wolves | |
| 1892 | SUNDERLAND | Preston | Bolton | Aston Villa | |
| 1893 | SUNDERLAND | Preston | Everton | Aston Villa | |
| 1894 | ASTON VILLA | Sunderland | Derby | Blackburn | |
| 1895 | SUNDERLAND | Everton | Aston Villa | Preston | |
| 1896 | ASTON VILLA | Derby | Everton | Bolton | |
| 1897 | ASTON VILLA | Sheffield Utd | Derby | Preston | |
| 1898 | SHEFFIELD UTD | Sunderland | Wolves | Everton | |
| 1899 | ASTON VILLA | Liverpool | Burnley | Everton | |
| 1900 | ASTON VILLA | Sheffield Utd | Sunderland | Wolves | |
| 1901 |