<P> This page lists English association football clubs whose men's sides have won competitive honours run by official governing bodies . Friendly matches and matches played between reserve / youth sides are not included . The Football Association, and its mostly self - governing subsidiary bodies the English Football League and Premier League, run national competitions, while football associations FIFA and UEFA run international and European competitions . </P> <P> England's first football competition, the FA Cup, began in the 1871--72 season, making it the oldest football competition in the world . Arsenal hold the record number of wins, with 13 . League football began in the next decade with the founding of The Football League in 1888--89 . The name First Division was adopted in 1892, when The Football League gained a second division . The First Division remained the highest division of the English football league system until 1992, when the Premier League was founded . Manchester United have won the most top division titles, with 20 . The English equivalent of the super cup began in 1898 with the inauguration of the Sheriff of London Charity Shield, pitting the best professional and amateur sides of the year against each other . The trophy would develop into the FA Charity Shield in 1908, which was later renamed the FA Community Shield in 2002 . Manchester United hold the record in the competition with 21 wins . The Football League created its own knockout competition in 1960, the League Cup . The Anglo - Italian League Cup was created in 1969 to match English cup winners against the winners of the Coppa Italia, and was permanently disbanded in 1976 . In 1985, the Full Members Cup and Football League Super Cup were created as substitutes for UEFA competitions after UEFA responded to the Heysel Stadium disaster by banning English clubs . They finished in 1986 and 1992 respectively . The Football League Centenary Trophy marked The Football League's 100th birthday, in the 1988--89 season . </P> <P> Lower down in the hierarchy of English football are competitions run by the above national governing bodies, but organised for clubs ineligible for higher competitions . These include the Texaco Cup, EFL Trophy, and Anglo - Italian Cups . Regional competitions are organised by County Football Associations . Before the advent of league football, most clubs founded in the early years of English football played in county competitions, whose importance was second only to the FA Cup . Since the start of national league football, county cups are contested by lower league and semi-professional sides, as well as the youth and reserve teams of Football League clubs . </P>

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