Key moments from The Football League's history:
1885 - Professionalism legalised
1888 -
Football League founded with 12 founder members
1888 - First ever fixture played in The Football League (Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. 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' Championship trophy first presented (to Everton)
1892 - Football League expands to 28 clubs and introduces a Second Division
1898 - Automatic p
romotion 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 3 North and Division 3 South
1923 - Expansion to 88 clubs
1925 -
New offside law
1938 - Laws re-written
1939 - Compulsory numbering of p
layer shirts in The Football League
1950 - The Football League expands from 88 to 92 clubs
1951 -
White ball first used
1956 -
First floodlit game - Portsmouth v Newcastle
1958 - Divisions Three North & South become Divisions Three & Four
1960 -
League Cup launched
1960 - First ever live Football League game on TV (Blackpool vs. Bolton Wanderers)
1961 -
Maximum wage removed
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
1982 -
League Cup sponsored by Milk Cup
1983 -
League sponsored by Canon
1983 - The Football League Trophy is launched, known originally as the Associate Members Cup
1984 - The 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 substitues allowed by The Football League
1987 - The Trophy sponsored by Sherpa Van
1989 - The 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 Trophy becomes the Auto Windscreens Shield
1996 - League sponsored by Nationwide Building Society
1998 - League Cup becomes Worthington Cup
2000 - The Trophy sponsored by LDV Vans
2002 - ITV Digital collapse
2003 - League Cup becomes Carling Cup
2004 - Divisions 1, 2 & 3 renamed The Championship, League 1 & League 2
2004 - League agrees biggest title sponsorship in its history with Coca-Cola
2005 - The Trophy reverts to the Football League Trophy
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 new title sponsorship deal with npower
For a detailed history of The Football League please click here for our 'History' section.