AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
In February 1306 Robert Bruce murdered John Comyn, a leading rival, in a church. Bruce went on to take the crown, but Edward's army overran the country yet again after defeating Bruce's small army at the Battle of Methven. Despite the excommunication of Bruce and his followers by Pope Clement V, his support slowly strengthened; and by 1314, with the help of leading nobles such as Sir James Douglas and the Earl of Moray, only the castles at Bothwell and Stirling were still under English control.
Edward I died in Carlisle in 1307. His heir, Edward II, moved an army north to break the siege of Stirling Castle and again take control. Robert defeated that army at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, securing temporary independence. In 1320, a letter to the Pope from the nobles of Scotland (the Declaration of Arbroath) went part of the way towards convincing Pope John XXII to overturn the earlier excommunication and cancel the various acts of submission by Scottish kings to English ones so that Scotland's independence could be recognised by other European countries.
In 1326, the first full Parliament of Scotland met. The parliament was made from an earlier council of nobility and clergy around 1235, but in 1326 representatives of the burghs—the burgh commissioners—joined them to form the Three Estates.
In 1328, Edward III signed the Treaty of Northampton which declared Scottish independence under the rule of Robert the Bruce. Four years after Robert's death in 1329, England invaded Scotland yet again, looking to put the "Rightful King"—Edward Balliol, son of John Balliol—to the Scottish throne, starting the Second War of Independence. In the face of tough Scottish resistance, led by Sir Andrew Murray, attempts to secure Balliol on the throne failed. Edward III lost interest in Balliol after the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War with France. In 1341 David II, King Robert's son and heir, was able to return from temporary exile in France. Balliol finally resigned his empty claim to the throne to Edward in 1356, before retiring to Yorkshire, where he died in 1364.
In 1603, Elizabeth I, queen of England and of Ireland, died. The king of Scotland was the queen's heir apparent, and James VI of Scotland (son of Mary, Queen of Scots) became king of England and king of Ireland. James VI and I (from Scotland's House of Stuart) went to England to control the government, and none of Scotland's kings came to Scotland for more than one hundred years.
In 1707, Scotland and England were joined in the Act of Union to make one big Kingdom, the Kingdom of Great Britain. When Ireland joined in 1801, the United Kingdom was created. Scotland was an important part of the colonialism and imperialism of the British Empire. Scots colonists emigrated throughout the empire, and a large diaspora of Scots lives throughout the world as a result. The Scottish Enlightenment was an important part of the Age of Enlightenment. Philosophers like David Hume and Adam Smith led the Scottish Enlightenment.
Soldiers fought some of the wars caused by Jacobitism in Scotland. The Jacobites wanted the Roman Catholic House of Stuart, and not the Protestant House of Hanover to be kings of Britain and of Ireland. The last land battle in Great Britain was the Battle of Culloden in 1745. At that time the government's British Army stopped the Catholic rebellion led by Charles Edward Stuart. Scots-speakers and English-speakers moved many Gaelic speakers off lands in the Scottish Highlands, and many emigrated to the British Empire and the United States. In the 19th century, George IV visited Scotland. After that, Scotland and Scottish culture became more popular. Tourism to Scotland started in the 19th century.
In a referendum in 1997, a majority of voters in Scotland chose to have political devolution. The Scottish Parliament, Scottish Government, and the office of first minister of Scotland was set up in 1999.
One first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, led the Scottish National Party's Scottish Government from 2007. in 2014, the Scottish independence referendum ended in a majority (55%) voting against independence from the United Kingdom. Nicola Sturgeon became first minister on 19 November 2014.
The official languages of Scotland are English, Scots and Gaelic. English is spoken by most people in Scotland, while only a small number, mostly in the Western Isles, speaks Gaelic. Gaelic began declining in the late Middle Ages when Scottish kings and nobles preferred English.
Football is the most popular sport in Scotland. Three of the big cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, have two or three big football teams, and most cities have at least one team. The two most famous teams in Scotland are known as the "Old Firm". These are Celtic and Rangers. These two Glasgow clubs have a lot of history, and are fierce rivals, often causing fights, riots and even murders between the fans. Rangers are world record holders, having won the most amount of league titles of any football team, currently 54.
Scotland were the winners of the Homeless World Cup in 2007 and are the current champions after they won in August 2011. They defeated Mexico 4–3 in Paris, France.
The other main clubs in Scotland are Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United. These teams are in the Premier League right now, and usually take the most places in the top six of the league.
Some other Scottish clubs include Gretna, who won three titles in a row, moving from the Third Division, to the SPL in only three seasons. Gretna ran out of money, and they were shut down. Also, Raith Rovers, who famously played UEFA Cup Winners, Bayern München. Raith Rovers were knocked out by Bayern München, but managed to lead 1-0 at half time. Queen of the south also reached the Europa league, after reaching the 2008 Scottish cup final. they lost 3 -2 to Rangers.
The top division of Scottish Football is called the "Scottish Premier League" (or SPL), and is currently sponsored by the Clydesdale Bank, a large Scottish Bank. In 2013, its name was changed to "Scottish Premiership".
In 1925, 1984 and 1990, Scotland were winners of the Five Nations' Gran Slam, having beaten all four other teams - England, Wales, Ireland and France.
Golf is a popular sport in Scotland. It is unique, as Scotland is the birthplace of golf, and there are many public golf courses where people can play for small fees. Everywhere else in the world, golf is a game for the rich.
Sandy Lyle was the first Scottish golfer to win a major title in modern times. Colin Montgomery is one of the best players never to have won a major championship after finishing second five times.
Scotland is also involved with motorsports. Former F1 driver David Coulthard is a thirteen time Grand Prix winner. Jackie Stewart is a 3-time F1 World Champion and regarded as one of the best drivers ever. Jim Clark was a 2-time F1 World Champion and regarded as one of the best ever with Fangio, Schumacher and Senna. Paul di Resta, born in Livingston, is a current F1 driver for the Force India team. Colin McRae was also the 1995 World Rally Champion.
Scotland were the world champions of the unusual sport of Elephant Polo in 2004. Elephant Polo, registered as an Olympic sport with the Nepal Olympic Committee, was invented by Scotsman Nathan Mochan in 1983.
Andy Murray, originally from Scotland, is currently the United Kingdom's best tennis player, having won singles titles at the US Open, and Wimbledon, where his 2013 win ended a 77-year wait for a British man to win the competition. He also won Olympic Gold in the men's singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. His brother, Jamie Murray, is a successful doubles player.
Traditional Scottish musical instruments include: the bagpipe, accordion, the fiddle, the harp and tin whistle.
Northern Ireland (, Ulster ) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom, which is on the island of Ireland.
The whole island of Ireland used to be a kingdom, called the Kingdom of Ireland but after the Act of Union in the year 1800, it became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This stayed until 1922, after a civil war, when Ireland was divided into the Republic of Ireland, the sovereign state that takes up the southern part of the island, and Northern Ireland, which stayed as part of the UK.
About 1.8 million people live in Northern Ireland, which has the capital and largest city is Belfast. The historic administrative roles of its 6 counties have since 1972 been replaced by 26 unitary authorities Counties of Northern Ireland.
Sometimes people use other names for Northern Ireland. Some call it Ulster, even though some parts of Ulster are actually in the Republic of Ireland. Others call it "the North" or "the Six Counties", because they do not want to recognize that a part of the island of Ireland is not fully independent and the north of it is actually in the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is the smallest part of the United Kingdom at 5,345 sq mi.
The only official flag in Northern Ireland is the Union Flag of the United Kingdom. The Ulster Banner, however, is still used as the by loyalists and unionists, and to represent Northern Ireland internationally in some sporting competitions.
English is spoken by almost everyone in Northern Ireland. Another important language is Irish (sometimes called "Irish Gaelic") and a language known as Ulster Scots, which comes from Eastern Ulster and Lowland Scotland. The Irish language became less widely spoken in the 20th century, but a revival has led to increased usage, especially in Belfast, the Glens of Antrim and counties Tyrone and Fermanagh. This revival has been driven largely through the creation of Irish-language schools. The Irish language is spoken by some nationalists (whether Catholic or Protestant) people. Ulster Scots is almost exclusive to areas of North Antrim and the Ards Peninsula.
Some languages like Chinese, Urdu or Polish are becoming more common in Northern Ireland as people from other countries move to Northern Ireland.
Christianity is the largest religion in Northern Ireland, with over 80% of the population identifying themselves with a Christian denomination at the 2011 census. Almost 42% of these people identify as Protestant, 41% as Roman Catholic, and just over 17% as nothing or another religion. The largest Protestant churches are the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland.
Since the Belfast Agreement (sometimes called the Good Friday Agreement) of Friday, 10 April 1998, there has been mainly peace between the two communities in Northern Ireland, the Protestants and Catholics. This agreement was agreed by most of the people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as the Irish and British governments. It allows for the self-government of Northern Ireland and greater North-South co-operation and co-operation between Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Additionally, it makes clear the right of the people of Northern Ireland to decide their constitutional future and select whether they are British citizens, Irish citizens or both.
The most popular sports in Northern Ireland are association football, gaelic football and rugby union. Athletics, boxing, cricket, golf, hockey, hurling, snooker and motor sports are also common. Most sports are organised on an all-Ireland basis, and in international competitions, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland compete together as Ireland (e.g. Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland national cricket team). The main exception is football.
Football in Northern Ireland is governed by the Irish Football Association (IFA). In international competitions Northern Ireland has its own team - the Northern Ireland national football team. The Northern Ireland team has qualified for three FIFA World Cups (in 1958, 1982 and 1986). Perhaps the most famous player from Northern Ireland was George Best.
Track and field athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete either with athletes from Great Britain (as the team "Great Britain & Northern Ireland"), or with athletes from the rest of Ireland (as "Ireland").
Belfast is home to the Ulster Rugby team (which competes in the Pro 12 league and Heineken Cup), and the Belfast Giants ice-hockey team.
Trains are run by NI Railways which run from Belfast to Portrush, Londonderry, Bangor, Larne, Portadown and Newry. The Enterprise is run by both NI Railways and Irish Rail and links Belfast to Dublin.
Great Britain is an island in the north-west Atlantic Ocean, one of the British Isles. It is the biggest European island, off the coast of Continental Europe. To the west of Great Britain is Ireland, across the Irish Sea. Across the English Channel to the south of Great Britain is France. Across the North Sea to the east is Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway. Together with many other smaller islands, Great Britain and Ireland have the name British Isles.
The island is part of the United Kingdom, a sovereign state which shares the name Britain with the island. Three of the United Kingdom's countries are mostly on Great Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales. The largest city on Great Britain is London. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and also the capital of England. Most of Great Britain is part of England. The northern third of the island is part of Scotland. In the south-west of Great Britain is Wales.
The United Kingdom had the name Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Act of Union 1800. Northern Ireland is not on the island of Great Britain, but it is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. (The island of Ireland contains nearly all of the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign state, as well as nearly all of Northern Ireland.) Great Britain is not the official name of a present-day state. Some people call the United Kingdom "Great Britain" and people from other parts of the United Kingdom may not like it when people make this mistake.
Great Britain is the largest island of the United Kingdom. Politically, Great Britain means England, Scotland, and Wales in combination, but not Northern Ireland.
Islands such as the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, Anglesey, the Hebrides, and the island groups of Orkney and Shetland are all part of the United Kingdom. In geography they are not part of Great Britain. For political uses and law, these islands are part of Great Britain because they are parts of the two old kingdoms: Scotland and England (including Wales).
Great Britain does not include the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, which are self-governing crown dependencies.
The writings of the Roman cartographer Ptolemy used the name "Great Britain" for the island in the 2nd century AD. He used the name "Megale Britannia" or "Great Britain" () to show the difference between this larger island and Ireland. For Ireland, Ptolemy used the name "Mikra Britannia" or "Little Britain" ().
In the later Middle Ages, the kings of England were also the kings of Ireland. However, the two kingdoms were separate, even though they had the same king. In 1603, the two kingdoms in Great Britain (Scotland and England) also started to share the same king. In 1604, James VI and I was the first king to be named "King of Great Britain". He was the king of Scotland when England's queen, Elizabeth I, died. From Elizabeth, James inherited the kingdoms of England and Ireland, whereby Great Britain (and the British Isles started) to share one king. People started to use the Union Jack flag in the time of King James, who had ordered ships to use it in 1607. The flag joined the flag of Scotland and the flag of England together in one flag. However, the three kingdoms were separate.
The political union that joined the kingdoms of England and Scotland happened because of the Acts of Union 1707. These acts of parliament merged the two nations' parliaments (the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England), and joined the two kingdoms into a new Kingdom of Great Britain, or the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The whole island became one kingdom in this way on 1 May 1707, while Anne as queen. The Union Jack changed to its present design, which now has another saltire.
The Parliament of Ireland and the Parliament of Great Britain also merged with one another because of the Act of Union 1800. In 1801, Great Britain and Ireland started to be one kingdom: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This happened on 1 January 1801, while George III was king. The Irish Free State left the United Kingdom in 1922, and in 1927, the UK's name changed to be the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
List of English football teams
This is a list of English football teams and the leagues they play in.
These are the Scottish football (soccer) teams and the leagues they played in for the 2005/06 season.
It was founded in 1903. They play at the Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen.
In the 1980s Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager of Aberdeen F.C. and they won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983.
They were started in 1888. They play at Celtic Park in Glasgow. They are rivals with Rangers F.C..
Celtic were the first British team to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup. Celtic did this in 1967. The final of the European Champion Clubs' Cup was in Lisboniure6f4y68uy746ghuthguyfu43678hgdjhdfuiy8974yrtouihdshfjhy
Hibernian Football Club were founded in 1875. They play in the Scottish capital of Edinburugh at Easter Road Stadium. Hibernian or, "The Hibees" play in green and white shirts with white shorts and stokings. A traditionally Catholic team, they play in the Scottish Premiere League, or SPL.
"Glory glory to The Hibees,
Glory glory to the Hibees,
And The Hibs go marching on!"
Rangers Football Club were formed in 1873 and are the most successful football team in world football history reaching an unprecedented fifty one league titles in the 2004/2005 season. Rangers achieved European success in 1972; they won the European Cup Winners Cup. Overall they have won over a hundred major trophies throughout their history. Ranger's play their rivals Celtic F.C. in the famous "Old Firm Derby".
Rangers home ground is Ibrox Stadium which is in Glasgow, Scotland.
In June 1893, Dundee Football Club was formed by an amalgamation of two city teams, Our Boys and East End. Dundee have played at Dens Park Stadium since 19th August 1899. Dundee became the Champions of Scotland on 28th April 1962 for the first and only time to date. Dundee have also won the Scottish Cup once, in 1910.
List of French football teams
These are some French football (soccer) teams.
1967 (MCMLXVII) was .
List of German football teams
These are the German football teams and the leagues they played in for the 2013/14 season (1st to third league). The highest German league is the Bundesliga (First Division). Below it is the second "Bundesliga" (Second Division). The Third Division is called 3. Liga. The Fourth Division, called "Regionalliga" is split into a northern, a southern and a western part. The northern part is called "Regionalliga Nord", the southern part "Regionalliga Süd" and the western part "Regionalliga West".
List of Italian football teams
List of Spanish football teams
Welsh League
The Welsh League is a football league in Wales. Some large Welsh clubs play in England's Football League.
These are the Welsh football (soccer) teams that played in the Welsh League for the 2003/04 season:
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is an English football club based in London that currently plays in the English Premier League.
The club was founded in 1886 and was originally called Dial Square F.C. named after a sundial on the side of a factory. The team plays in a traditional red and white kit. They played at Highbury in North London from 1913 - 2006, but now they play at the Emirates Stadium. The current captain of the side is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Their biggest rivals are Tottenham Hotspur, and the two play against each other in what is called the North London Derby.
Arsenal won the First Division and Premier League 13 times and the FA Cup 10 times. They are the only British club to have been the subject of a feature film.
In 2003/04 season Arsenal broke the record for the longest unbeaten run in all competitions spanning over a season with over 38 games. They were hailed as the 'New Invincibles'.
The Evelina approach was the main reason Arsenal were able to achieve this, first implemented by manager Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal are also the team who have gone the longest in the Premier League without being relegated. They were last relegated during WW1 over 90 years ago.
The current manager of Arsenal is Mikel Arteta. The assistant manager is Fredrik Ljungberg. Their new Emirates Stadium was opened on the 27th of October 2006, by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Arsenal also has a women's team called Arsenal Ladies F.C.. The ladies team is the only team in women's football history to have ever won four trophies in one season. The most famous, and successful, Arsenal manager before Wenger is thought to be Herbert Chapman. Chapman won the First Division with Arsenal twice and the FA Cup once.
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club (nicknamed Villa), is an English football club based in Birmingham. They have played at Villa Park, in Aston, since 1897. They were one of the teams that started the English Football League in 1888. They were also one of the teams that started the Premier League in 1992. They are one of five English clubs to have won the European Cup. They won this in 1982. They have also won the Football League First Division seven times, the FA Cup seven times, the League Cup five times, and the European Super Cup once.
Villa have a large rivalry with nearby team Birmigham City. This is called the Second City Derby, and they have been playing against each other since 1879. The team's main home colours are claret and light blue. Their badge is a yellow lion. The club is owned by the NWSE group (owned by Egyptian Nassef Sawiris) and American Wes Edens.
Aston Villa have won European and domestic league trophies. The club's last English trophy was in 1996 when they won the League Cup, and most recently they won the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club, is an English football club.
The club play in the Championship, their current manager is Gary Monk. Their home ground is St.Andrews
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers F.C. is an English football club. They play at Ewood Park, which is in Blackburn, Lancashire. The manager of the club is Tony Mowbray.
Blackburn Rovers won the FA Premier League once in the 1994/1995 season. However, in 1999, they were relegated.
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers F.C. is an English football club. It is based 15 miles north of Manchester. The club plays in the Championship, the second highest league in England. Their home is the Reebok Stadium. It holds around 28,723 people. Their manager is Dougie Freedman. At home they play in a white shirt, navy blue shorts & white socks. Away they play in a navy blue shirt, white shorts and navy blue socks.
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club, is an English football club.
The club plays in the Football League One.
Chelsea F.C. is an English football club that plays in the English Premier League. Their home stadium is Stamford Bridge in Fulham, London.
Chelsea is considered to be one of the most successful clubs of England, having won many trophies, including 6 Premier League, 2 UEFA Champions League, 2 UEFA Europa League, 5 League Cup, 8 FA Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup and 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup titles. Their all-time highest goalscorer is Frank Lampard and their most successful goalkeeper (on the basis of clean sheets and titles statistics) is Petr Čech. Chelsea is owned by the Russian billionaire businessman Roman Abramovich.
There was a supposed breakaway European Super League that Chelsea were apart of but this quickly collapsed as many English teams pulled out due to fan disagreement. Chelsea were the first of the English teams to pull out after Chelsea fans protested outside of the stadium before their match against Brighton.
Chelsea started in 1905 and played the second division of the league. They won their first trophy in 1955, when they became Champions of the First Division. They won the FA Cup in 1970, 1997, 2000 and 2007. They won the League Cup in 1965, 1998, 2005 and 2007. In 1970s Chelsea failed to maintain their position of the first division, due to the financial difficulties. In 1990s they challenged the title of Premier League. They came close but did not win it until 2005 and 2006.
In 2003 the Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich, purchased Chelsea and invested lots of capital to employ new football players. He also hired Luiz Felipe Scolari as the manager of the club. Abramovich also employed Peter Kenyon as the chief executive to be responsible for the commercial strategies of the club. This made Chelsea stronger, and they won the Premier League in consecutive years. A third straight FA Premier League title slipped through Chelsea's fingertips after their failure to defeat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, meaning that Manchester United had won their ninth league title in fifteen tries.
On September 20, 2007, the very successful manager José Mourinho left the club by "mutual consent". This exit came just days after a shockingly poor performance which saw them barely scrape out a 1-1 draw in a Champions League tie against Norwegian side Rosenborg B.K.. Following Mourinho's exit, Chelsea made Director of Football Avram Grant, the former manager of Israel from 2002 to 2006, the new manager of the club, until May 2008. Grant took over with Chelsea trailing in the Premier League "title race" behind Manchester United and Arsenal, and managed to keep Chelsea in the hunt for the league until the last game of the season. He got Chelsea into the Champions League Final for the first time as well as the Carling Cup Final, but he was sacked at the end of the season, along with assistant Henk ten Cate. Grant was sacked from the job after he lost in the final in a 5-6 penalty shootout loss to Manchester United and replaced by Luiz Felipe Scolari, the then-Portugal coach, in August. However, after a poor run of results Scolari was sacked on February 9, 2009. Guus Hiddink took over the club until the rest of the season. In early June they played in the FA Cup final against Everton, where Chelsea won 2-1, after Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba scored goals. In that final, Louis Saha of Everton scored the fastest goal in FA Cup history, in 25 seconds. A week later, the former Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti was named as the new manager of Chelsea. Antonio Conte was their manager until July 2018 and helped them win the 2016/17 league title. Frank Lampard, former Chelsea player, became Chelsea F.C.'s successor manager. He was sacked in mid-season of 2020/21 following series of poor performances. Thomas Tuchel replaced him, and successfully took Chelsea to the finals of UEFA Champions League 2020/21, played against Manchester City, held in Istanbul, Turkey. Chelsea won the final 1-0, with the winning goal scored by Kai Havertz.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English football club from the city of Liverpool. The club currently competes in the Premier League and have played more seasons in the top league of English football than any other team.
Everton were founded in 1878. They have a long rivalry with Liverpool, mostly because both clubs have their home grounds in the same city. When they play each other, the match is known as the "Merseyside derby".
In the 1890s Everton played at Anfield, which later became Liverpool's stadium. However, the owner of the stadium increased the rent by a lot, so the club decided to stop paying and leave and build their own instead. Everton were then moved to a new stadium called Goodison Park.
Everton started out in 1878 with the name St Domingo's FC. At first it was only for people who went to St Domingo's church, but so many people were interested they let people from the local area join as well. A year later the club was renamed Everton Football Club, after the area. Everton's first ever match was against a team called St Peter's in 1879. Everton won 6-0.
Everton entered the FA Cup in the 1886/87 season. They were beaten 1-0 by Rangers in the first round. As football became more and more popular around England, the clubs realised they needed an organised league. In 1888 the Football League was founded. Everton were one of the 12 founding members. Preston North End won the first two leagues and Everton won the third in 1891. They won their second ever trophy, the FA Cup, in 1905 but did not win another until 1916. It was not until 1927 that Everton had their first period of long success. In 1925 they signed Dixie Dean and in 1927 he scored 60 goals in 39 games, setting a new world record and taking Everton to another league title. Everton were relegated to the second division in 1930/1931. Within a year they were promoted again, and remained in the first division until they were relegated again in 1950/51 (which resulted in three seasons in the second tier). This makes them the English football team with the second most consecutive seasons in the top league of English football, behind Arsenal who have been in the top flight continuously since 1919/20.
Everton's second successful period came after 1961 when Harry Catterick was appointed manager. With Catterick in charge Everton won two league titles and four cups between 1961 and 1970. This success did not last however, and after three years of low league finishes Catterick quit his job. The club finished in mid-table positions for the rest of the 1970s with a line of unsuccessful managers. In 1981 the club appointed Howard Kendall to be the new manager. He turned Everton around and eventually became the most successful manager in the clubs history, winning two league titles and three cups between 1981 and 1987. This era also brought Everton's one and only European title, the Cup Winners Cup in 1985. They won the final 3-1 against Rapid Vienna of Austria. The semi final saw Everton beat German champions Bayern Munich 3-1, a match voted the greatest of all time at Goodison Park.
In 1985 several Liverpool and Juventus fans died when the crowd started fighting at a stadium in Heysel, Belgium. UEFA decided that Liverpool fans were mainly to blame. Because of this all English clubs were not allowed to play against European teams until 1991. This denied Everton the chance to defend their European title and the team gradually broke up. Many of their best players left to other European clubs.
The club did not do very well in the early 90s. They nearly got relegated twice and went through lots of money problems. However they still became one of the first members of the new English Premier League when it started in 1992. They were quite successful under manager Joe Royle, who took over in 1994. In his second season in charge he kept Everton clear of relegation and won the FA cup, the club's first trophy in seven years. The club had steady improvement under Royle, finishing 6th and 7th in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
After two seasons however the club's performance went downhill and Kendall was sacked after barely avoiding relegation in the 1998-99 season. Former player Walter Smith took over for three seasons, but failed to perform well. He spent a lot of money on players but didn't lead the team to good league positions. David Moyes took over in 2002 and has been one of the club's most successful managers to date. Under his management Wayne Rooney was brought into the first team and he was quickly sold to Manchester United for £28 million, a club record fee. Moyes later broke the transfer record again in 2008 with the signing of Marouane Fellaini.
Moyes led Everton to a 4th place finish in the 2004–05 season, their best finish ever. Since 2006 Everton have enjoyed regular top 10 finishes and reached the last 16 of the UEFA Cup in 2007 and were runner-ups in the 2009 FA Cup final. From the 2006-07 season until the 2012–13 season, which was the last season that Moyes was in charge, Everton placed in the top 8 positions.
At the end of the 2012–13 season Moyes left the club for Manchester United. He had managed Everton for 11 years. Moyes was replaced by Roberto Martínez. Martinez led Everton to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup and the FA Cup in 2015–16. However, he was sacked with two games left in the season due to poor performances.
He was replaced in the summer of 2016 by Ronald Koeman. In his first season at the club, he guided them to the group stages of the Europa League, after finishing 7th in the previous Premier League season. He was sacked the following season after leaving the club in the relegation zone.
Everton usually wear Royal blue shirts with white shorts and white socks.
They wore many different kit colours in their first few years. At first, they wore white shorts and white shirts with blue stripes. However, many players who moved to Everton still wore the shirts of their old team, so things were confusing. To solve this the club introduced an all black kit to the club, as black dye was cheap and easily available. However many fans thought this was boring and morbid so a red band was added across the chest.
It was not until the 1901/02 season that the colours of royal blue and white were first introduced. This kit has stayed, with a few small changes, almost exactly the same from then until the present day. In 1986, a white hoop was added to the chest, but the fans did not like this at all and it was quickly changed back again.
Everton's current shirt sponsor is SportPesa. They are an African online betting firm based in Nairobi, Kenya. Previous shirt sponsors included: Chang Beer (2004-17), Kejian (2002-04), mobile network operator One2one (1997-2002), Printer company Danka (1995-97), and electronics company NEC (1985-95). Everton were the first Premier League team to take off shirt sponsors from their child shirts because they did not like advertising alcohol to children.
Everton's current kit manufacturers are Umbro. They have been the club's kit manufacturer three times previously (1974–83, 1986–2000, and 2004–09). Other previous manufacturers are Le Coq Sportif (1983–86, 2009–12), Puma (2000–04) and Nike (2012–14).
Everton take their name from the district of Everton in Liverpool where it was originally formed.
Everton's nickname is the "Toffees", or sometimes the "Toffeemen". This comes from one of two toffee shops that were located in Everton village at the time the club was founded. Both Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House and Old Mother Nobletts Toffee Shop claim to have started off the nickname. At first Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House was very popular with fans because it was near to their stadium in the Everton district. Old Mother Nobletts Toffee Shop sold sweets called 'Everton mints', which proved even more popular. Faced with going out of business, Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House got a licence to throw free toffees to the crowd inside the ground before the match. This tradition continues even today. A teenage girl is chosen from the crowd to throw mints to the crowd before the match.
At other times in their history Everton have also been known as 'The Black Watch', 'The Blues' and, in the 1980s, 'The School of Science'.
Like many Premier League football clubs, Everton's players walk out onto the pitch to a particular song at the beginning of every match. With Everton it is the theme tune to a 1960s television series called Z-Cars. Z-Cars was about police working in a made up town, which many people believed was based on real life Liverpool.
When Everton were first created, they played at Anfield. The owner of the stadium put the rent up by so much the club decided to stop paying and leave and build their own instead. Everton then moved to their new stadium called Goodison Park, which was opened in 1892. They still play there today.
Everton are currently planning a new stadium called , which is located at the Bramley-Moore Dock. It will have a capacity of 52,000, and will be completed in 2023 or 2024.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is an English football club from London that currently plays in the EFL Championship in the 2021–22 season. It plays in a white shirt and black shorts for home games. For away games, it played in red shirts and white shorts in 2013/14, but has played in colours such as green, yellow or black. The team's away kit in 2014 is navy with orange sleeves. Shahid Khan owns the club. He is from the United States, and also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars, a famous NFL team.
The club was made in 1879 as Fulham St. Andrews. Lots of famous players used to play for Fulham, like Johnny Haynes (1950s), Bobby Moore (1970s), George Best (1970s) and Edwin van der Sar (2000s). Fulham have won one international tournament; the Intertoto Cup in 2003. They also were runner-up of the 2009-10 UEFA Europe League. They lost to Atletico Madrid in the final.
When Mohamed Al-Fayed bought Fulham in 1997, it was in the 3rd division of English football (Football League One). He put lots of money into the club, and he made good choices about the club. The club won promotion two times, which means that in 2001 it was now in the top division of English Football, the Premier League.
Fulham's stadium is called Craven Cottage. It was built 100 years ago. It has a pretty building in one corner of the pitch, this is the "Cottage". The fans of Fulham like to call it "The Cottage", and it can have 27,000 people sitting in it.
From 2002 to 2004, Fulham had to play at Loftus Road, which is the ground of Queens Park Rangers, near the BBC headquarters. This was because the club needed to renovate Craven Cottage because of new rules. The rules said that nobody can stand at football games, so the club had to install new seats.
Some people who live near to Craven Cottage do not like having a big club near to them. They made it hard for the club to be allowed to make the changes. This is why the changes took a long time, even though it was easy work for the builders.
Because of the "Cottage", the club and its supporters are called "The Cottagers".
The club plays in the Premier League, the top football league in England. The club is managed by Scott Parker in the 2020/21 season.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club () (originally, Everton Athletics in 1892) is a professional association football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. They play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club has won 6 European Cups, an English club record, 3 UEFA Cups, 4 UEFA Super Cups, 19 League titles (Including 1 Premier League), 7 FA Cups, a record 8 EFL Cups, title and 1 FIFA Club World Cup title. Liverpool is the honorest English club with 48 official trophies in total. Liverpool's anthem is "You'll Never Walk Alone".
Liverpool won their first League championship in 1901, and their second in 1906. They played their first FA Cup final in 1914, losing 1–0 to Burnley. The last domestic trophy they won was the EFL Cup in February 2012, after beating Cardiff City. They have also won the Champions League six times, the most of any British side. Their 5th success was in Istanbul in 2005. The game was won after Liverpool tied 3–3 with A.C. Milan, after being down 3–0 at half-time. The Reds then won the penalty shootout, partly due to goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek's saves. Their 6th and most recent success was in 2019 when they beat fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid. Liverpool F.C. have won England's top football league 18 times. The club won the 2019-20 Premier League title, thirty years after their last first division title win in the 1989-90 season.
Liverpool has had two tragedies in their history. The first was the Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985, which led to the death of 39 Juventus fans and the second was the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, which lead to the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans.
Since the establishment of the club in 1892, 45 players have been club captain of Liverpool F.C. Andrew Hannah became the first captain of the club after Liverpool separated from Everton and formed its own club. Alex Raisbeck, who was club captain from 1899 to 1909, was the longest serving captain before being overtaken by Steven Gerrard who served 12 seasons as Liverpool captain starting from the 2003–04 season. The present captain is Jordan Henderson, who in the 2015–16 season replaced Gerrard who moved to LA Galaxy.
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English football club. The club is coached by Pep Guardiola and currently play in the English Premier League.
The club plays in the Premier League and is owned by a royal family from Abu Dhabi. As of 1 September 2008 they are the richest club in the Premier League. They won the 2011–12 Premier League championship, their first in the top flight since the 1967–68 season. After finishing second in 2012–13, they won the Premier League championship again in 2013–14. Their current stadium is the Etihad Stadium (noncommercial name: City of Manchester Stadium). The stadium is part-owned by Manchester City Council, and could only be built on the understanding that Manchester City would take a tenancy after the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which the club agreed to do. The owner of Manchester City Sheik Mansour bought 200 million pounds.
The following players have previously made a league or cup appearance for Manchester City and are currently on loan at other teams:
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club (F.C.) is a football club that plays in the Premier League. They play their home games at Old Trafford which is in Greater Manchester.
Matt Busby led the club to lots of success by using the youth players until the Munich air disaster in 1958, where many United footballers and staff died. Sir Alex Ferguson led the club to many titles, including the treble (Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League), from 1986 to 2013, when he retired. The club has 3 UEFA Champions League titles, 20 league titles, 12 FA Cups, and a FIFA Club World Cup.
Manchester United are the most successful club in England and have won 20 league titles, which is more than any other team. They have also won 12 FA Cups and 3 European Cups.
The club started as Newton Heath L&YR F.C. in 1878. All of the team worked at Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. After nearly closing in 1902, John Henry Davies took over and changed the club's name to Manchester United F.C.. Manchester United made Matt Busby their manager after World War II. Matt Busby used the youth team to get new players, and this was very successful. The club won the Football League in 1956 and 1957. The success was stopped by the Munich air disaster in 1958, when eight of the club's players died. It was thought that the club might close, but it did not. They won the Football League in 1965 and 1967, and the European Cup in 1968.
In 1986, manager Ron Atkinson was sacked by the club because they were in danger of being relegated. They brought in Sir Alex Ferguson. He did not win anything for the first couple of years.
The team won their first trophy under Ferguson, the 1990 FA Cup, against Crystal Palace in the replay after a 3-3 draw. The next season, United won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup. In 1993, Manchester United won the very first Premier League. In 1999, Manchester United won the treble, made of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. Manchester United won the league 7 times again until Sir Alex Ferguson retired after the 2012–13 season. From the 2006–07 season to the 2008–09 season, Man United won the league 3 times in a row. The club also won its third UEFA Champions League in 2008 against Chelsea F.C., and almost won the next season as well but lost to FC Barcelona in the final. They won their first FIFA Club World Cup in December 2008.
David Moyes was made manager in 2013. In April 2014, he was sacked by the club and club legend Ryan Giggs became player-manager (when a player is also the manager at the same time). They finished in 7th place. In 2014, Louis Van Gaal took over. He led United to a 4th-place finish. In 2015, after winning 3-0 against Sunderland, Man United reached 1st place for the first time in over two years. However, after losing 0-3 to Arsenal, they dropped to 3rd place. Van Gaal was sacked at the end of the season and José Mourinho replaced him. He then led the club to a League Cup and Europa League victory in the 2016–17 season. Mourinho was sacked in December 2018 because of poor results and replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Since Mourinho was fired in the middle of the season, United brought in a temporary manager for the rest of the season. A former player, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer moved from his position at Molde to manage Manchester United. Under Solksjaer, United won 14 of their remaining 19 games that season. This good run meant they qualified for UEFA Champions League that season. United made Solksjaer their permanent manager in March 2019.
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Bold indicates a place of third or higher.
The Old Trafford became the club's home ground in 1909, and the stadium was constructed to a capacity of 77,000. In the Second World War, bombings damaged the stadium. While the stadium was being fixed, they played "home" games at Manchester City's Maine Road. The stadium was converted to an all-seater stadium in 1993 for safety reasons, but the capacity fell to 44,000. In 1995, expansions in the North Stand raised the capacity to 55,000. In the middle of 1999, the East and West Stands were expanded to give the stadium a capacity of 67,000. Then between 2005 and 2006 8,000 more seats were added to make a capacity of 75,000.
United has many rivalries including Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds United and Arsenal. Their most intense rivalry is with "The Citizens" (Manchester City). This is because both clubs are from Manchester and each time they play against each other it is called the Manchester Derby.
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club, is an English football club. Their stadium is the Riverside Stadium.
The club plays in the Premier League. The manager is Neil Warnock.
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English football club in Newcastle upon Tyne. Newcastle play in the Premier League. In the 2008/09 season they were relegated after 16 years in the top flight, but won promotion back into the Premier League by winning the Football League Championship. In the 2015/16 season, they were relegated again.
Newcastle United was formed in 1892 after the two rival clubs Newcastle West End and Newcastle East End grouped together. They have played their matches at the ground St.James' Park ever since. This ground holds 52,000 people, and is one of the biggest in England. It is located just inside the centre of Newcastle.
Newcastle originally played in red shirts and white shorts. In fact, there was a kit clash in their very first League match, away to the then-named Woolwich Arsenal. The home side wore red, so Newcastle played in their change kit of black and white stripes. A permanent switch to black and white soon followed, most likely to reduce kit clashes, and perhaps as a further attempt to appease West End fans. The decision was taken in 1894, as the minutes from the club meeting reveal: ‘It was agreed that the Club’s colours should be changed from red shirts and white knickers to black and white shirts (two inch stripe) and dark knickers.’.
On the 24th day of May 2009 which was also the last day of thr season, Newcastle were relegated to the second tier of English football, the Coca-Cola Championship. They returned to the top flight of English football, winning the Championship in the 2009/10 season. In the 2010/11 season, they finished mid-table. The club then went on to finish 5th place in the 2011/12 season.
Traditionally the loudest support for the club came from the Gallowgate End - a stand in St. James' Park. This stand is where Alan Shearer once used to watch Newcastle play when he was a child.
The record transfer fee the club has paid is £17 million (around $30 million) for Michael Owen, in August 2005. Alan Shearer was the previous record transfer at £15 million, which was also the world's largest transfer fee when he signed in 1996.
The Newcastle United's number 9 shirt is one of the most famous shirts in the world. Legends such as Hughie Gallacher, Malcolm McDonald, Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer have worn the famous shirt.
2015-2016 Season
The current season has been one of great difficulty for the club.
Portsmouth F.C.