All the very latest football news across Europe!

It's all change with the Premier League transfer window this year as it opens and closes earlier than before.

The new dates are to ensure that all transfers are completed before the start of the 2018/19 season.

The Premier League has confirmed the transfer window will open at midnight on 17th May.

It will then close at 5pm on 9th August - instead of 31st August, which it has been in previous years.

The reason for the changes to the transfer window are so clubs avoid disruption to their squads once the Premier League season has kicked off on 11th August.

In fact, deals can be agreed before 17th May, however, the paperwork cannot be processed until the window has officially opened.

That means domestic transfers can be completed from midnight on 17th May, but transfers from abroad can only be finalised once the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) opens at midnight on 8th June.

In France, the transfer window will open on 9th June. In Italy and Germany it will be on 1st July and in Spain it will be on 2nd July.
The windows in those four leagues will close on 31st August.

The EFL transfer window is already open.
It opened on Monday, 7th May for domestic transfers. Clubs involved in play-offs can sign players now - but cannot play them until their season is over.

The EFL window closes at the same time as the Premier League, at 5pm on 9th August - five days after the new EFL season begins.

EFL clubs will still be able to sign players on loan until 31st August. They can also sign free agents up until the same date.

Everton have confirmed manager Sam Allardyce has left the club with immediate effect -skysports.com

The sacking of Allardyce means Everton will have to pay Allardyce £6m in compensation, after less than a year in charge. Ex-Watford boss Marco Silva is favourite to take over at Goodison Park - Daily Express

David Moyes has left West Ham. Moyes met David Sullivan on Monday to discuss whether he should carry on in the job as West Ham manager. Following that meeting it was reported in a club statement that he was unlikely to stay, despite the fact that he was only appointed last November - skysports.com

Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta is very close to becoming the club's new manager, taking over from Arsene Wenger. Talks between the Gunners and the 36-year-old Spaniard have progressed well, with former team-mate Santi Cazorla lined up for a backroom role - Independent, Daily Mail and Daily Mirror

Ex-Gunners captain Patrick Vieira, 41, says he has been left disappointed at the club's "token gesture" after being contacted about the vacant managerial position at Arsenal - skysports.com

Mauricio Pochettino is ready to snub Chelsea's advances to stay loyal to Tottenham - Daily Star

Danny Rose hopes Tottenham will give boss Mauricio Pochettino "what he wants" this summer as the club look to move to the next level. Danny Rose hopes Tottenham will give boss Mauricio Pochettino "what he wants" this summer as the club look to move to the next level- skysports.com

England manager Gareth Southgate will name his 23-man squad for this summer's World Cup in Russia today!
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will not be included. Southgate is unable to call up Liverpool pair Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez along with Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, who have been ruled out through injury - BBC Sport

Southgate said that "19 or 20" of his squad had been decided upon, with Liverpool's Adam Lallana and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Newcastle's Jonjo Shelvey and Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek among those in contention for the fringe places - BBC Sport

Manchester City's Joe Hart is furious after believing West Ham manager David Moyes cost him a World Cup place - Daily Mirror

Cristiano Ronaldo is wanted by Manchester United, who have two plans to sign the Real Madrid forward - Diario Gol (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

The first includes a swap deal with Paul Pogba and a fee of £43m, while the second would see them launch a £142m bid to re-sign their former player - Diario Gol (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Real Madrid's 28 year-old midfielder Toni Kroos is leaning towards a move to Manchester United.
He has been earmarked as a replacement for the retired Michael Carrick, with the Germany international said to be keen on a Premier League move - Don Balon (Spanish news outlet)

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will try to tempt AC Milan defender Leonardo Bonucci to Old Trafford this summer - Tuttosport (Italian sport newspaper published in Turin)

Paul Lambert's future as Stoke manager is still hanging in the balance, ahead of talks with the club hierarchy this week - Daily Telegraph

Championship side QPR will name ex-England boss Steve McClaren as their new manager to replace Ian Holloway, who was sacked last week - skysports.com

Eden Hazard insists he is happy at Chelsea but has challenged the club to match his ambition with new signings this summer. Asked what would persuade him to sign a contract extension with the club, Hazard said: "I'm waiting for new players next season. I want good players because I want to win next season the Premier League. That's why I'm taking my time. It's something big. I need to think about a lot of things. One thing I'm sure is that I'm happy here." - skysports.com

Clubs will have to part with £88m in order to sign highly-rated Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, with the Daily Star reporting that Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested.
The Senegalese international has been linked with a move away from the Serie A side over the last few windows - Daily Star

West Ham want Burnley and England keeper Tom Heaton to replace Joe Hart next term - The Sun

Manchester United are confident of signing 29-year-old Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld and are willing to spend more than £40m on the Belgium international - London Evening Standard

Inter Milan will bid for Manchester City and Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan if they qualify for the Champions League - Corriere dello Sport in Italian - (Italian national sports newspaper based in Rome)

A bidding war could break out as a number of top clubs are eyeing Leicester defender Harry Maguire. The 25-year-old centre back is wanted by Manchester City, as well as a number of other top Premier League clubs, and will be subject of close attention when he plays for England at this summer's World Cup - Daily Mirror.

Newcastle will make on loan Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, 29, their first summer signing from Sparta Prague - The Sun

Atletico Madrid will watch Kieran Tierney in the Scottish Cup final and join the race for the Celtic full-back. The 20-year-old has caught the eye with the Scottish Premiership champions, with Man Utd, Tottenham and Bournemouth also said to be interested - The Sun

Leicester and West Ham will make moves to sign Manchester City's Patrick Roberts, who has been on loan at Celtic since 2016, after the Scottish Cup final - Daily Express

Romelu Lukaku will be fit to start for Manchester United in Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Arsenal have held talks with 26-year-old Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri, who is valued at £40m by the Ligue 1 club. However, Premier League rivals Chelsea are favourites to sign the Ivory Coast international - Daily Mirror

Everton, Newcastle and Huddersfield are among the clubs in pursuit of Schalke 04 and Kosovo international Donis Avdijaj - Daily Mail

Huddersfield's on-loan defender Terence Kongolo looks to have made his last appearance for the club. The Terriers signed the 24-year-old from Monaco in January on loan for the rest of the season. Town fans had been hoping Kongolo would extend his stay in England but he now looks set to return to France with his latest Instagram post - skysports.com

League One champions Wigan Athletic want to turn 23-year-old Leicester left-back Callum Elder's loan into a permanent deal. The Australian has one year left on his contract at the King Power Stadium - Daily Mail

Stephen Thompson is close to selling his majority shareholding in Dundee United to an American investor - Daily Express

Manchester United and Liverpool are in line to be invited to take part in a new 24-team Club World Cup which could earn the clubs more than £100m - The Times

Liverpool are to sign midfielder Isaac Christie-Davies, 20, on a free transfer after the Englishman was not awarded a new contract at Chelsea - ESPN

Diego Maradona has signed a three-year contract to join top-flight Belarusian club Dinamo Brest as their new chairman. Argentine legend Maradona, a former World Cup winner recognised as one of the all-time greats, last month stepped down as coach of United Arab Emirates second division club Al-Fujairah after they failed to gain automatic promotion to the first division - skysports.com

All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

With the new season well underway and the summer transfer window slamming shut in just 10 days' time, many clubs across Europe are frantically trying to tie-down players to new deals or are looking to bring in new players to fill any voids in their squads!

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Zinedine Zidane, Arsene Wenger, Sam Allardyce, Liverpool, Tottenham, Valencia, Danny Drinkwater, Andriy Yarmolenko, Giorgio Chiellini, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Ajax to name but a few!


Sam Allardyce has told Sky Sports News HQ that Joe Hart will be named in his first England squad on Monday. The Manchester City man has been dropped by manager Pep Guardiola, and is set to leave the Etihad before the end of the window - skysports.com

Chelsea are set to make a £25m bid for Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini - The Sun

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane insists James Rodriguez is happy at the club, despite links in the British press with a move to Chelsea and Arsenal - skysports.com

Santos striker Gabriel Barbosa could be set to link up with Brazilian team-mate Neymar at Barcelona, with Manchester United and Leicester also interested - The Sun

Arsene Wenger has admitted he hopes Arsenal's signing of Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi "will be done" before the transfer deadline - SFR Sport (French TV station)

Valencia say defender Shkodran Mustafi won't be sold in this transfer window. Mustafi has already agreed in principle to move to Arsenal. The defender has a £43m buyout clause and is in the Valencia's squad for their first La Liga game of the season against Las Palmas tonight - skysports.com

Arsenal may have to spend £50m on acquiring defender Shkodran Mustafi - Daily Mirror

Tottenham are keen on signing Barcelona forward Munir. The 20-year-old has also reportedly gathered interest from Everton and Stoke, and is rated at around £13m - Sport (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is weighing up a move for Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko - The Sun

England midfielder Danny Drinkwater, 26, will become the latest Leicester City player to sign a new contract this week, thought to be worth £90,000-a-week - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

There have been plenty of reports over the weekend linking Middlesbrough striker Jordan Rhodes with a move to the Championship, with Wolves at the front of the queue to sign him. 'Boro paid £12million to sign him from Blackburn last January but he was left out of the squad for the win at Sunderland yesterday - skysports.com

Tottenham have made a number of offers for Espanyol's 21 year-old Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez - skysports.com

Sunderland have bid £3m for Barnsley defender Alfie Mawson as they prepare to lose Lamine Kone - Daily Mail

Newcastle forward Siem De Jong has joined PSV Eindhoven on a season-long loan - skysports.com

Tim Krul is set to sign a new one-year contract with Newcastle, but will leave the club on loan to join Ajax. The goalkeeper is reportedly wanted as a replacement for Jasper Cillessen, who is close to joining Barcelona - Daily Mail

West Brom are keen on signing Southampton's forgotten man Jay Rodriguez on loan. Hull City are also interested - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

West Brom have signed Everton defender Brendan Galloway on a season-long loan deal - skysports.com

Hull City have offered Abel Hernandez a new bumper deal in an effort to keep the striker at the club. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Newcastle and Aston Villa - Hull Daily Mail

Nottingham Forest face a battle to keep hold of teenage midfielder Oliver Burke before the transfer window closes, with Arsenal, Sunderland and West Ham all circling the Scotland winger - Daily Mirror

Hull City caretaker-manager Mike Phelan has urged the club to allow him to beef up the squad after their fine opening to the Premier League campaign - Daily Mail

Arsenal are interested in signing Porto midfielder Yacine Brahimi, after failing to sign Leicester City star Mahrez. The Dragoes value him around £35milliom - Daily Mirror

Phil Jones could be sold to free up enough space for Southampton defender Jose Fonte to join Manchester United - Daily Express

Championship side Wolves have signed Cameron Borthwick-Jackson on a season-long loan from Manchester United, as well as Ola John from Benfica - skysports.com

Fiorentina want to sign West Ham's 24 year-old Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang - Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian newspaper)

Liverpool are poised to sell 23 year-old defender Tiago Ilori to Olympiakos for £5milliom. The defender has made just three appearances since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2013 - The Sun.

Atletico Madrid are interested in 22 year-old Portuguese born Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva - AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Antoine Griezmann admits he would be tempted by a move to the Premier League if he left Atletico Madrid - The Guardian

Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado, 28, is expected to complete a permanent move from Chelsea to Juventus in the next few days - ESPN

Los Angeles Galaxy have ruled out a move for Joleon Lescott, with the 34-year-old defender seeking a way out of Championship club Aston Villa - Daily Mirror

Leon Britton has signed a one-year extension to his Swansea contract, keeping him at the club until 2018 - skysports.com

Former QPR and Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt wants to move to Marseille. The 27-year-old, currently at Benfica, is desperate to leave the club and "return home" - France Football (French football news website)

FC Porto have convinced Portugal Under-21 striker Andre Silva, 20, to sign to a new five-year contract - ESPN

Reading manager Jaap Stam is hoping to sign defender Tyler Blackett from Manchester United skysports.com

Liverpool set the highest possession rating for a losing team in the Premier League with 80.6 per cent against Burnley at the weekend - Daily Mail

Cheltenham Town are set to sign free agent forward Jeffery Monakana - skysports.com

How The English Premier League Season Finished A Decade Ago!

The 2003/04 Premier League season was a unique season for many reasons!

Arsenal, Leeds United, Leicester City, Middlesbrough, Roman Abramovich, Glenn Hoddle, Arsène Wenger, Claudio Ranieri, Steve McClaren, Peter Reid, Chris Coleman, Sam Allardyce, David O’Leary, Sir Bobby Robson, Scott Parker, Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry were all in the headlines for various reasons.

Nine of the twenty clubs that competed in the Premier League that season, a decade ago, were not plying their trade in the 2013/14 Premier League season just gone, one in particular is now a 4th tier league club!

What a difference a decade makes!

Here is a round up of where the twenty clubs that fought out the 2003/04 Premier League season finished in the league and any influencing factors or personnel that made an impression, good or bad!

20th: Wolverhampton Wanderers

Back in the top flight after 20 years away, Wolves did not win any of their opening seven Premiership fixtures and it was obvious that the season was going to be a long and hard struggle. Wolves finished bottom on 33 points, six points from safety with a goal difference of -39. They scored the fewest goals (38) during the season. They also failed to win any of their 19 away games during the season.

19th: Leeds United

Leeds was relegated in a season that saw their debts rise to £100 million and a lot of their key players sold. Peter Reid and Eddie Gray were both sacked during the season after a run of poor results, with Kevin Blackwell taking over towards the end of the season. Leeds had the dubious honour in the 2003/04 season of conceding the most goals of any club (79) combined with the most losses(21).

18th: Leicester City

Leicester finished the season in the bottom three and were relegated back to the first division after being promoted the previous season. Micky Adams failed to keep his side up in a season which saw three of his players Keith Gillespie, Frank Sinclair and Paul Dickov accused of sexual assault in La Manga, although all charges were dropped. That season Leicester won fewer games than any other side, just six out of 38 games played.

17th: Everton

The Toffees finished just above the relegation zone on 39 points after winning just nine of their 38 games throughout the season. This would be Wayne Rooney’s last season for the club, after he signed for Manchester United at the end of the season.

16th Manchester City

City finished in 16th position in their first season since leaving Maine Road, with Kevin Keegan’s side only confirming their stay in the division on the penultimate game of the season. Striker Nicolas Anelka was top scorer hitting 16 of their 55 goals scored in total that season.

15th: Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn had qualified for Europe in the two previous seasons and it was quite a surprise for Graeme Souness’ side to be batting relegation. The side managed a decent run towards the end of the season and were safe by the end of April and eventually finished 15th in the table.

14th: Tottenham Hotspur

A dismal start to the season cost Glenn Hoddle his job and he was sacked as manager on 21 September after two-and-a-half years at the helm. Director of Football David Pleat took over first team duties until the end of the season, but was unable to inspire Tottenham to a challenge for European qualification nor either of the cup competitions, and a 14th place finish in the final table was Tottenham's lowest since 1998. On the plus side Robbie Keane hit 14 goals for the North London side. Jacques Santini was appointed as the new head coach at the end of the season.

13th: Portsmouth

Portsmouth's Premiership debut was a fine one, as they finished 13th and established Fratton Park as one of the hardest Premiership grounds to get a result at. Harry Redknapp’s side had some impressive results at Fratton Park, including 1-0 wins over Liverpool and Manchester United and a 6-1 thumping of Leeds United. Only their dismal away form prevented them from finishing even higher, but it was still a very good season for the only newly promoted side to preserve their Premiership status. Yakubu Aiyegbeni hit 16 goals for Pompey, Teddy Sheringham was named 'Player of the Month' in August 2003 and Harry Redknapp won 'Manager of the Month' in April 2004.

12th: Southampton

Southampton finished 12th, the season after finishing in their highest ever position in the Premier League (8th). The Saints finished above their south coast rivals Portsmouth, but were shocked in March when Gordon Strachan handed in his resignation and was replaced by Paul Sturrock, even though former manager Glenn Hoddle was favorite. James Beattie bagged 14 goals for Southampton that season.

11th: Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough missed out on a top half finish by two points after losing 5-1 to Portsmouth on the last day of the season. However, Steve McClaren became the first Middlesbrough manager in 128 years to win a major trophy after 'Boro defeated Bolton to win the League Cup at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

10th: Birmingham City

Birmingham City had one of their best seasons in the Premier League, spending most of the season challenging for a Champions League place before a late slump saw them drop to tenth. Mikael Forssell was their top goalscorer with 17 goals.

9th: Fulham

Fulham finished in the top of the table for the first time in the Premier League, in what turned out to be a very good first season in charge for Chris Coleman who at the time of his appointment was the youngest top-flight manager ever.
Louis Saha was transferred to Manchester United for a fee of £12.4 million in January 2004 having already scored 15 goals so far that season.

8th: Bolton Wanderers

After two near misses with relegation, Sam Allardyce finally established Bolton as a Premiership team. They were League Cup runners-up and an eighth place finish was the club's highest final position for some 50 years. Jay-Jay Okocha won 'Player of the Month' in November 2003 and Sam Allardyce was named 'Manager of the Month' twice that season in November 2003 and January 2004.

7th: Charlton Athletic

The Addicks finished in their highest league position since the 1950’s, even though their late season slump cost them qualification into Europe. Midfielder Scott Parker was awarded the young player of the season award by the PFA, beating the likes of Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Glen Johnson who were also nominated.

6th: Aston Villa

Villa finished 6th in David O’Leary’s first season in charge, but this was not enough to qualify for Europe. They entered December on the brink of the relegation zone, but a great run of form beginning over Christmas took them into the top six during March. It was only defeat on the last day which saw them miss out on European qualification. Juan Pablo Ángel was Villa's top scorer with 16 goals.

5th: Newcastle United

Sir Bobby Robson guided Newcastle to 5th place on goal difference ahead of Aston Villa, and secured the Magpies a place in the UEFA Cup. Their fifth-place finish was achieved despite bad runs at both the start and the end of the season, with the club failing to win their first six and their last five league games. In fact they finished the season having drawn an astonishing 17 of their 38 league games and achieving only two away wins all season. Alan Shearer with 22 goals was the top scoring Englishman in the Premier league that season. In October 2003 Sir Bobby Robson won 'Manager of the Month' and Alan Shearer won 'Player of the Month.'

4th: Liverpool

Gerard Houllier’s side finished in the final Champions League place on 60 points, with Michael Owen finishing on 16 goals for the season. However, this was not enough for the Liverpool board with Houllier being replaced by Rafa Benitez and Michael Owen being sold to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

3rd: Manchester United

United won the FA Cup in May, but this success only partly compensated for a failure to win the Premiership title which, for at least the first half of the season, had looked likely to end up at Old Trafford. Ruud van Nistelrooy was on song as usual with more than 30 goals in all competitions, but the loss of Rio Ferdinand for the final four months of the season (part of his penalty for failing to attend a drugs test on 22 September 2003) coincided with United surrendering their Premiership crown and finishing third in the final table. The 2003/04 season was also Cristiano Ronaldo's first season at Old Trafford following his move from Sporting Lisbon in the summer. In December 2003 Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes won 'Manager of the Month' and 'Player of the Month' respectively.

2nd: Chelsea

Chelsea finished 2nd in Roman Abramovich’s first season at the club, even after spending more than £100 million on new players in the summer of 2003. In came the likes of Hernan Crespo, Damien Duff, Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole and Claude Makélélé. The side did reach the Champions League semi-finals, but none of their new signings could help them win a trophy. Claudio Ranieri was replaced by José Mourinho at the end of the season. Ranieri was named 'Manager of the Month' on two occasions that season.

1st: Arsenal

Arsenal completed an entire Premiership season without losing a single game. Their final record read 26 wins, 12 draws and 0 defeats and a total of 90 points, eleven clear of Chelsea. Striker Thierry Henry with 30 league goals was undoubtedly the finest player in a brilliant side, though the likes of Robert Pires with 14 goals from midfield and Patrick Vieira earned similar plaudits for their own excellent performances. But it had not always looked like this. Until February, Arsenal had bounced between first and third place, as the three-way race with Chelsea and Manchester United seemed unpredictable. However Arsenal got even better in the second half of the season while their rivals faltered, and the title was wrapped up before the end of April. Arsène Wenger won two 'Manager of the Month' awards that season and capped it off with the prestigious 'LMA Manager of the Year' award. Henry was named PFA Players' Player of the Year as well as being the League's top goalscorer and Arsenal scored the most goals (73) and conceded the fewest (26), in what was a truly memorable season for The Gunners!

Arsenal's 'Invincibles' celebrate winning the 2003/04 Premiership title.

A well-grounded football education - Notts County FC

*Ground Name: Meadow Lane (opened 1910)
*Address: Meadow Lane Stadium, Meadow Lane, Nottingham NG2 3HJ
*Main Club Number: 0115 952 9000
*Club Founded: 1862
*Club Nickname: The Magpies
*Ground Capacity: 19,588
*Current League status: Npower League One
*Official Club Website: www.nottscountyfc.co.uk
*Email address: office@nottscountyfc.co.uk

*Record Attendance: 47,310 vs York City, FA Cup 6th Round, 12th March 1955
*Record League Victory: 11-1 vs Newport County, Division 3 South, 15th Jan 1949
*Nearest Train Station: Nottingham station is a 10-15 min walk from the ground
*Pubs for away fans: Vat and Fiddle, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem and the Brewhouse Yard

The Ground:
County moved to Meadow Lane in 1910, but today it is a modern all-seater stadium with a near 20,000 capacity, excellent views and modern facilities. The Main Stand or Derek Pavis Stand is a single-tier stand that runs the length of the pitch, and houses offices and the changing rooms. At the far end behind the goal is the two-tier Kop. Away fans were housed there until the 2008/09 season. Now away fans are housed in a section of the Jimmy Sirrel Stand, named after the club's greatest manager. The stand runs the length of the pitch and has a flag pole on the front of the roof on the half-way line. Behind the other goal is the single-tier Family Stand. The ground sits on one side of the River Trent, located only 300 metres away from rivals Nottingham Forest's City Ground, which lies on the other side of the River Trent.

Meadow Lane - home of Notts County FC

Rivals:
Fiercest - Nottingham Forest. However, during recent stints in the lower levels of the Football League, rivalry has increased with Nottinghamshire neighbours Mansfield Town. Other clubs sharing local rivalries with Notts County are Derby County, Leicester City and Chesterfield United.

Famous/Celebrity fans:
Kenneth Clarke - Politician (former Chancellor)
Harold Shipman - Britain's worst ever serial killer was a Notts County fan.

Legends that have worn the shirt:
Dixie Dean - 1938–1939
Tommy Lawton - 1947–1951
Tony Hateley - 1958–1963
Jeff Astle - 1959–1964
Les Bradd - 1967–1978
Don Masson - 1968–1974
Mark Draper - 1988–1994
Tommy Johnson - 1989–1992
Also Jimmy Sirrel (Manager): 1969-1975 & 1978-1982

County Villans:
Sam Allardyce (Manager): 1997–1999
Tony Hackworth: 2001–2004
Darren Caskey: 2001–2004

Trivia/Facts:
Notts County are the oldest Football League club in the world, and are founder members of the Football League. They are set to celebrate their 150 year anniversary next year, 2012.

Cray Wanderers, based in Bromley, Kent were founded in 1860 and currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football. If they are ever promoted to the fourth flight, they will take the place of Notts County as the oldest professional team in the world.


# Next time I shall be picking another English Football League club at random, in my efforts to give all my readers the opportunity of 'a well-grounded football education.'