Key moments from The Football League's history:

TIMELINE

1885 - Professionalism legalised

1888 - Football League founded with 12 founder members

1888 - First ever fixture played in The Football League (Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa)

1889 - Preston North End become first club to win League Championship

1891 - Goal nets introduced, penalty kicks introduced

1891 - Football League expands to 14 clubs

1891 - 'The Lady' trophy first presented winners of The Football League Championship (to Everton)

1892 - Football League expands to 28 clubs and introduces a Second Division

1898 - Automatic promotion and relegation introduced (2 up and 2 down)

1901 - Maximum wage introduced

1920 - Introduction of a Third Division with expansion to 66 clubs

1921 - Expansion to 86 clubs with introduction of regional Division Three North and Division Three South

1923 - Expansion to 88 clubs

1925 - New offside law introduced

1938 - Laws of football re-written

1939 - Compulsory numbering of player shirts in The Football League introduced

1950 - The Football League expands from 88 to 92 clubs

1951 - White ball used for the first time

1956 - First floodlit game - Portsmouth v Newcastle United

1958 - Divisions Three North & South become Divisions Three & Four

1960 - League Cup launched

1960 - First ever live Football League match shown on television (Blackpool v Bolton Wanderers)

1961 - Maximum wage scrapped

1965 - Substitution allowed for injuries

1966 - Substitution allowed for any reason

1973 - 3 up and 3 down promotion and relegation introduced

1976 - Goal difference replaces goal average

1976 - Red and yellow cards introduced to indicate when players had been sent off or booked

1981 - 3 points for a win introduced

1982 - League Cup becomes the first major competition to bear the name of a sponsor in a deal with the National Dairy Council. The competition becomes the Milk Cup

1983 - League sponsored by Canon

1983 - The Football League Trophy is launched, known originally as the Associate Members Cup

1984 - The Football League Trophy is renamed the Freight Rover Trophy

1986 - League Cup becomes Littlewoods Cup; League sponsored by Today newspaper

1986 - Automatic promotion/relegation with Football Conference introduced (1 up, 1 down)

1986 - Play-Offs (promotion and relegation) introduced for new season

1987 - League sponsored by Barclays Bank

1987 - Two substitutes per team introduced

1987 - The Football League Trophy sponsored by Sherpa Vans

1989 - The Football League Trophy sponsored by Autoglass

1990 - League Cup becomes Rumbelows Cup

1992 - First Division breaks away to form Premier League

1992 - League Cup becomes Coca-Cola Cup

1993 - League sponsored by Endsleigh Insurance

1994 - The Football League Trophy becomes the Auto Windscreens Shield

1996 - League sponsored by Nationwide Building Society

1998 - League Cup becomes Worthington Cup

2000 - The Football League Trophy sponsored by LDV Vans

2003 - League Cup becomes Carling Cup

2004 - Divisions 1, 2 & 3 renamed The Championship, League 1 & League 2

2004 - League sponsored by Coca-Cola

2006 - Johnstone's Paint becomes the sponsor of the Football League Trophy

2007 - League announces new broadcasting deal with BSkyB and BBC for season 2009/10 until season 20011/12

2010 - League agrees biggest title sponsorship in its history with npower

For a detailed history of The Football League please click here for our 'History' section.