London, the city with the most football clubs in the world

London is home to numerous football clubs, some of which are amongst the most famous on the planet. Here are all the clubs that represent the English capital in the world of professional football.

West Ham United – Founded as Thames Ironworks in 1895, this popular football club was renamed to West Ham United in 1900. In 1904 it started playing its home matches on Boleyn Ground a stadium which they will leave in the summer of 2016 in order to relocate to the London Olympic Stadium. Their current stadium was designed by Henri Pilipe Tiite Parker and is located in Upton Park in East London. The ground has a capacity of 35.016 spectators and is one of the largest stadiums in the city. Throughout the years West Ham United has never won the English championship but has managed to acquire three FA Cups and one European Cup Winners` Cup in 1965. The club is known for its amazing football academy which has produced footballers such as Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, Rio Ferdinand, Bobby Moore, Mark Noble the team’s current capital and many, many more.

Fulham F.C. – The football club of Fulham was established in 1879 and is one of the oldest London based teams. It currently plays in the Football League Championship which is the second tier of professional English football. The club plays its home games at the Craven Cottage stadium which is situated in area of Fulham in Central London. The venue has a capacity of 25.700 seats and was opened in 1896. Just like West Ham United, Fulham F.C has never managed to win the English championship. The club’s biggest success to date is reaching the 2010 UEFA Europa League final, a match which they lost to Atlético Madrid.

Tottenham Hotspur F.C. – Commonly known as Spurs this illustrious football club was founded in 1882 and play in the Southern League from 1896 to 1908. Today it is part of the English Premier League and is one of the richest football teams in the world. The club’s home stadium is White Hart Lane and it is situated in the eponymous area of Tottenham. It was designed by famous Scottish architect Archibald “Archie” Leith and was officially opened on the 4^th of September, 1899. The Spurs have managed to win two English championships in 1951 and 1961), eight FA Cups, four League Cups, two European Cup Winners` Cups and one UEFA Cup since their creation. The current captain of the team is French international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who came to Tottenham from the Olympique Lyonnais.

Queens Park Rangers F.C. – Shortly known as QPR, this club is named after the noted London area of Queen’s Park. The team was established in 1882 and played on different grounds until it settled at Loftus Road in 1917. The venue lies in the West London area of Shepherd’s Bush and was opened in 1904. It has a capacity of 18.000 people and in 1981 become the first football ground in Britain to have an artificial pitch. QPR currently plays in the Football League Championship after it was relegated from the Premier League during the 2014-2015 season. The club’s biggest achievement occurred in 1967 when it won the League Cup in a legendary final match against West Bromwich Albion.

Chelsea F.C. – Founded in 1905, Chelsea is currently one of the world’s top football teams. The club is the reigning champion of the Premier League and is managed by one of the most successful coaches in the football history, Jose Mourinho. Chelsea F.C plays its home matches at the well-known Stamford Bridge which is the second largest club owned stadium in London. The venue lies in the aforementioned area of Fulham and was opened in 1877. Since then it has been the subject of two major renovation projects. To date Chelsea is the only London football club to have won the Champion’s League which is the most prestigious football tournament in the world. The team has also won:

• 5 English Championships
• 7 FA Cups
• 5 League Cups
• 4 Community Shields
• 1 Europa League
• 2 Cup Winners’ Cup
• 1 UEFA Super Cup

Crystal Palace F.C. – This club was also founded in 1905 and is named after the well-known Crystal Palace Exhibition Building which was destroyed by fire in 1936. Since the mid-1960s, the club has mostly played in the top two tiers of English football. Presently the team is part of the Premier League and plays its home games at Selhurst Park in South London. The construction of the stadium began in 1922 and ended two years later in 1924. Since then the venue has been renovated at four occasions and expanded in 1969 and 1994. At the moment Selhurst Park has a capacity of 26.255 spectators. Unlike most London based club, Crystal Palace has never won any major trophies. The club’s biggest success is its third place during the 1990-1991 edition of the English First Division the predecessor of the Premier League.

Millwall F.C. – Nicknamed “The Lions”, Millwall F.C was founded in 1885 and is one of London’s most popular football teams due to the club’s extravagant fan base. The club currently plays in the Football League One which is the third tier of professional English football and occupies The Den. The stadium was established in 1993 and has a capacity of 20.146 seats. To date, Millwall F.C has never won any major or minor trophies.

Arsenal F.C. – Arsenal was founded in 1886 and is one of the most successful and popular clubs in English football. In 2014 the club was valued at $1.3 billion which made it the 5^th most valuable football club in the world. Arsenal plays its home games at the newly built Emirates Stadium which is one of the largest stadiums in London and England. The venue is located in the North London area of Holloway and was officially opened in 2006. The stadium has a capacity of 60.260 people and is presently one of the most modern football venues on the planet. The club’s honours include 13 domestic championships, 12 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 14 Community Shileds, and one Cup Winners` Cup.

Other London based football clubs

About the Author:

Kim Jacobs

Kim Jacobs is a removals coordinator with over 11 years of experience as part of the Get man and van team and other firms in the home and office relocation industry in London. Before joining our company, Kim has worked in various logistical and transportation companies and institutions such as Transport for London, The Removals Ombudsman, and has coordinated moving projects with some of the biggest suppliers of various goods such as IKEA, HomeBase, Amazon, Sainsbury's and others. While working as a chief removals coordinator, Kim also enjoys sharing her expertise with others through writing in our blog.