Written by Floris-Jan Keus
London is known worldwide as the football capital, this has everything to do with the 17 football clubs that are based in London. These football clubs are located in different parts of the English capital. In this blog, we highlight all London football clubs that play in the Premier League, Championship and League One.
1. Premier League Clubs
2. Championship Clubs
3. League One Clubs
4. Other Football Clubs in London
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These 6 London clubs play at the highest level op football in England: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Fulham.
| Club | Founded | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 1886 | Emirates Stadium |
| Brentford FC | 1889 | Brentford Community Stadium |
| Chelsea | 1905 | Stamford Bridge |
| Crystal Palace | 1905 | Selhurst Park |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1882 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium |
| Fulham | 1879 | Craven Cottage |
Founded at the end of 1886 by workers from the Royal Arsenal, the royal arms factories in Woolwhich, Arsenal is indispensable in the Premier League. Arsenal won the most prizes of all football clubs in London: 13 league titles, 13 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 16 Community Shields and 1 European Cup II. However, it’s already 15 years ago that Arsenal won the title in the Premier League.
You can reach the Arsenal stadium, the Emirates Stadium, by taking the dark blue Piccadilly line in the direction of Cockfosters. After that you have two options to get off; Holloway Road or Arsenal. Our tip is to get off at Arsenal, because you have the opportunity to take a look at the old Highbury. Nowadays, it’s an apartment complex but the old main stand still looks the same from the front.
Brentford was founded in 1889 and best known for their old Griffin Park stadium, which had a pub on each corner of the stadium. Today, Brentford plays at the Brentford Community Stadium, which has been home to the football club since 2020. By winning the play-off final, Brentford achieved promotion to play in the Premier League in season 2021-2022.
Chelsea, founded on March 10, 1905, is the only London club ever to win the Champions League. Since the first of July in 2003, Chelsea has been a permanent member of the top 6 of the Premier League. On that day Mr. Abramovich took over the club and the financial possibilities were endless. Of the six championship titles, the club won 5 after 2003.
The Chelsea stadium, Stamford Bridge, can be reached via the dark green District line with the Wimbledon stop as final station. Get off at Fulham Broadway station, walk 400 meters to the left and you will see Stamford Bridge immediately.
Crystal Palace was founded on September 10, 1905, named after the crystal palace built for the 1851 world exhibition. The Eagles play their games in southern London at iconic Selhurst Park.
Want to visit Selhurst Park? At Blackfriars train station, take the Thameslink line to Gatwick Airport and get off the train at Norwood Junction. Turn onto Oliver Grove and turn left onto Holmesdale Road. After 500 meters go straight on, the stadium is on your right.
The biggest rival of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, saw the light of day on September 5, 1882. In recent years, the Spurs have performed so well that they are part of the top 6 in the Premier League. Despite these good performances, it has been more than fifty years since Tottenham became champion.
In the season 2018/2019 Tottenham Hotspur moved into its new stadium, now the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which is built on the same site as the old White Hart Lane. During the entire previous seasons they played their games at Wembley.
Tottenham Hotspur matches
Fulham, founded in 1879, is the oldest London club to play in the Premier League. However, throughout history, Fulham has never managed to win a prize. In 1975 and 2010, The Cottagers were close to winning a prize. Unfortunately in 1975 the club lost the FA Cup final to West Ham United and in 2010 the Europa League final to Atlético Madrid.
Fulham matches
This season there are five clubs from London competing in the Championship, the second highest level in England. Millwall and Queens Park Rangers have been playing at this level for a while. Recently only Watford (2021-2022) played in the Premier League.
| Club | Founded | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton Athletic | 1905 | The Valley |
| West Ham United | 1895 | London Stadium |
| Watford | 1881 | Vicarage Road |
| Millwall | 1885 | The New Den |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1882 | Loftus Road |
Charlton Athletic plays its matches in the southeast of London. The Addicks play their matches in the iconic stadium The Valley. In this stadium the supporters saw their club playing in the Premier League between 2001 and 2007. In the 2003-2004 season, Charlton Athletic even finished 7th and in 1947 it won its only prize by winning the FA Cup. Since relegation in 2007, Charlton Athletic has fluctuated between the Championship and the League One.
West Ham United was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks. From 1900 the name changed to West Ham United and in 1919 the club joined the Football League (the predecessor of the Premier League). The most memorable prize the club won is the FA Cup; in 1964, 1975 and 1980. West Ham moved from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium in 2016, with the club now regularly selling out home fixtures, as the London-based side continue to go from strength to strength.
Officially, Watford FC, founded in 1881, is not in the city of London, but in the suburb of Watford which is part of the metropolis of London. Since 2022-23 Watford FC is part of the Championship again. Watford plays its home games on Vicarage Road. The stadium can be reached by taking the metro towards Watford (Metropolitan line).
Millwall, from the south of London, was founded in 1885. The club is, partly due to the famous movie Green Street, known as a raw English club. In the 91 seasons of Millwall in the Football League it managed to be promoted 11 times but also relegated 9 times. Millwall played most of her history on the second or third level. The biggest achievement of the club is reaching the FA Cup final in 2004, allowing The Lions to enter Europe.
Queens Park Rangers, abbreviated QPR, was founded in 1882. They achieved the most important result in club history in 1967, when QPR won the League Cup. The Hoops also became champions in the lower divisions a few times. QPR plays its home games on Loftus Road. The stadium is fairly close to the city centre of London.
Two London football clubs are currently playing in the Football League One, the third level of England. Coincidentally, both football clubs London have a rich history: Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient.
| Club | Founded | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Leyton Orient | 1881 | Brisbane Road |
| Bromley FC | 1892 | Hayes Lane |
Leyton Orient has a rich history and a passionate fan base. Founded in 1881, the club has experienced both triumphs and challenges throughout its existence. With a home stadium at Brisbane Road, Leyton Orient has competed in various football leagues. Under manager Richie Wellens, the club was crowned champions of EFL League Two in the 2022-23 League Two campaign, meaning that they will be playing in EFL League One from the 2023–24 season.
Bromley FC was founded in 1892 and is based in south-east London. The Ravens, as the club is also known, played outside the Football League for many years before earning promotion to the Football League via the play-offs in 2024 for the first time in their history. Two years later, Bromley were even crowned League Two champions, allowing the club to play in League One for the first time in their history in 2026.
Bromley’s stadium, Hayes Lane, can be reached by taking the train from London Bridge Station towards Bromley South. Get off at Shortlands, then walk for around 10 minutes towards Hayes Lane.
Two London football clubs are currently playing in the Football League Two, the third level of England. Coincidentally, both football clubs London have a rich history: AFC Wimbledon and Barnet FC.
| Club | Founded | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Wimbledon | 2002 | AFC Wimbledon |
| Barnet FC | 1888 | The Hive Stadium |
AFC Wimbledon is a special club with a unique story. The club was founded in 2002 by supporters of the former Wimbledon FC, after that club moved to Milton Keynes and continued as MK Dons. Starting from scratch, AFC Wimbledon climbed into the Football League in just nine years, something the original Wimbledon FC took no less than 88 years to achieve.
Until 2017, Wimbledon FC had to share their stadium with amateur club Kingstonian FC, which was owned by Chelsea. In 2020, the club returned to a brand-new stadium on the familiar Plough Lane, the area where the history of the original Wimbledon FC began. The stadium, called the Cherry Red Records Stadium, has a capacity of no less than 9,000 spectators and is easy to reach by underground or bus.
Barnet FC was founded in 1888 in Edgware, in north-west London. The club was founded by two schoolboys who organised football matches at a friendly level until 1892/1893. They then joined the North London League, where they quickly found success and continued to earn promotion to higher divisions. However, Barnet FC only started playing at professional level in the English Football League in 1991, after winning the Football Conference. Since 2013, the club has played in a new stadium called The Hive London, which has a capacity of more than 6,500 spectators.
The stadium is also easy to reach by public transport. From the nearest station, it is only a two-minute walk to the stadium.
In addition to the three biggest competitions in England, six other football clubs from London also play in League Two and the Conference International.
Sutton United play in League Two. Dagenham & Redbridge and Wealdstone play in the Conference International. In total, no fewer than seventeen (!) clubs from London play at a professional level. Also read our blog about the best London derbies.
Have you always wanted to take a football trip to London? View our overview of football matches, filter on London as a city and see all football matches in London.