With the 25th season of the Premier League kicking off in two weeks, it seems an appropriate time to see how the English Football League has evolved since it began nearly 130 years ago.
The first league was formed in 1888 with just 12 teams, all from the North or Midlands. The founder members were: Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Bolton, Burnley, Derby, Everton, Notts County, Preston, Stoke, West Brom and Wolves. It was the first football league in the world.
All of those 12 clubs all are still playing in the Football League. Burnley, Everton, Stoke and West Brom are in the Premier League this coming season. Another five are in the Championship -- Villa, Bolton, Derby, Preston and Wolves. Struggling Blackburn have slipped into League One while League Two hosts Accrington and Notts County.
Preston, who fielded many Scottish players, dominated that opening season. Undefeated in 22 games, they finished 11 points ahead of runners-up Aston Villa and also won the FA Cup, earning themselves the nickname "The Old Invincibles".
Preston won the league again the following year, but that was to be the last time. They also triumphed in the FA Cup once more in 1938.
The league proved a great success and in 1892 the Second Division was introduced, which saw teams from the South entering the fray, with Woolwich Arsenal probably the most prominent club.
Despite a four-year break for the First World War, football's appeal was rapidly growing. The Third Division arrived in 1920 and proved very popular, many teams joining from the already established Southern League. They added another division the following year, which led to a Third Division South and Third Division North. By 1923 a total of 88 clubs were competing in the four divisions.
This was the set-up for nearly four decades, interrupted only by World War II. Then in 1958 Division Four was introduced with the top 12 teams from the North and South divisions forming a new Third Division and the remaining 24 moving into Division Four. It remained that way until the Premier League was formed in 1992, with the old Division Two moving up to One, Three becoming Two and so on.
The most recent change occurred in 2004 with the introduction of the Championship (replacing Division One). This also led to League One and League Two, with the Conference becoming a fifth tier.
The last winners of the English top flight title before the introduction of the Premier League were Leeds United who were involved in a thrilling season-long tussle with Manchester United in 1991-2. In one quirky spell, the two sides played one another three times in just 13 days, in the FA Cup, League Cup and regular League.
The Red Devils had been the favourites to take the title for the first time in 25 years. But Man U suffered an unprecedented late slump, winning just four of their last 14 games and Leeds clinched the title by four points. The Leeds side at that time included former Man U star Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister and briefly, Eric Cantona.
Man U manager Alex Ferguson didn't have to worry as the next season his team took the title when main rivals Aston Villa faltered in the final run-in. Ferguson was out on the golf course when Villa lost to Oldham, handing United the title. The Man U manager was not aware of it until another golfer approached him on the final green, saying: "Excuse me Mr Ferguson, you are the champions."
Man U went on to win four of the first five Premier League titles as Ferguson won a total of 13 Premier League crowns.
Leeds were not so fortunate and in the 2003-4 season they were relegated. With a host of financial and management problems they have been unable to get back into the top flight.
The Premier League has been a qualified success. It is arguably the most entertaining league in the world and has attracted most, but not all, of the best players and managers. The fact that it is shown on television in 210 countries underlines its appeal. And of course it make tons of money.
But it has its critics.
Huge sums of money have been made but not much of it is filtering down to the lower leagues where many clubs are in serious financial trouble. Players and their agents are earning obscene amounts of money and transfer fees have become quite ridiculous. Ticket prices too have gone through the roof.
Someone not shy to voice his opinion is Accrington chairman Andy Holt who tweeted recently that the Premier League should "hang your heads in shame". Holt told the BBC that the lower leagues desperately need financial help. "Football is in crisis," he said. "The lower leagues are really struggling."
Like most European leagues, the dominance of a just a few clubs carries the long-term danger of fans losing interest, but Leicester City's extraordinary triumph two years ago suggests there is still hope for the smaller teams. Even so, only six different clubs have won the Premier league title, Man U (13), Chelsea (5), Arsenal (3), Man City (2), Blackburn (1) and Leicester (1).
To date, 47 different clubs (49 if you include this year's promoted clubs Brighton and Huddersfield) have competed in the Premier League, although for some of the less fashionable it was a very brief visit. Barnsley, Blackpool, Cardiff and Swindon lasted just one season.
Ironically, all clubs that were former champions before the Premier League came into existence, have played in the Premier League, with the sole exception of the original league champions Preston, who kicked things off all those years ago.