Bolton Wanderers

Bolton have established themselves as a respected Premier League club since rejoining the top flight in 2001. The Trotters made their Premier League bow in 1995 but were relegated after just one season when they finished bottom.

They returned to football's elite a year later after winning the Division One title, but went down again - this time on goal difference. Sam Allardyce guided Bolton back up in 2001 and the club has gone from strength to strength.

Bolton qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history in 2005 after finishing sixth. After an eighth-place finish the year after, they came seventh last season to make the UEFA Cup again. They were one of 12 founder members of the Football League which was formed in 1888.


The club was founded as Christ Church FC in 1874, but changed its name to Bolton Wanderers three years later. Bolton finished FA Cup runners-up in 1894 and were losing finalists again 10 years later, before making it third time lucky with victory over West Ham in the 1923 final. More FA Cup success arrived in 1926 when they beat Manchester City and again in 1929 with a triumph over Portsmouth.

There was another FA Cup Final appearance in 1953, but Bolton suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of a Stanley Matthews-inspired Blackpool. Five years later, they made up for the disappointment by winning the FA Cup for the fourth time with victory over Manchester United.

Bolton had a 29-year spell from 1935 in the top flight and eventually slipped into the league's lowest tier in 1987. They eventually clawed their way back to the Premiership in 1995. And as a Division One team, made an heroic run to the League Cup Final but lost out to Liverpool.

They suffered the same fate again - losing to Middlesbrough in the 2004 League Cup Final - although a club-best finish of eighth in the Barclays Premierhip softened the blow.

Blackburn Rovers

Formed by a group of public school old boys in 1875, Blackburn's early history was littered with FA Cup triumphs. It wasn't until 1912 that the First Division title came to Ewood Park for the first time, and Rovers followed up this success with another championship win two years later. Former Blackburn and England favourite Bob Crompton was in charge for the famous FA Cup final victory over Huddersfield in 1928, and the club enjoyed top-flight football until 1936. Blackburn found themselves playing Third Division football in the 1970s before local-boy-made-good Jack Walker transformed the club's fortunes. Walker's financial backing and shrewd appointment of Kenny Dalglish as manager in 1991 resulted in Rovers gaining promotion and becoming founder members of the Premier League in 1992.
Blackburn Rovers' Premier League experience is one of football's most compelling stories. Promoted to the inaugural competition in 1992 following 26 years outside the top flight, Rovers became the first team to take the crown from Manchester United in 1995. Jack Walker bought the club and aimed to end their mediocrity in the old Second Division and his dream came true after one of the Premier League's most exciting title races ever. Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton provided the firepower with their 'SAS' partnership to finally bring the championship back to Ewood Park. However, the Rovers story took another turn. They became the first Premier League champions to suffer relegation from the league in 1999. they again returned to top division for the 2001/02 season. Rovers then clinched a European place in 2002/03 by finishing a fine sixth. However, they were brought back down to earth during an injury-hit 2003/04 season as an early European exit combined with a 15th place finish meant a disappointing campaign. But under new coach Mark Hughes, the former Rover who replaced Graeme Souness in September 2004, the club are back on the up and returned to Europe after finishing sixth in the 2005/06 season.
CLUB HONOURS :-
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
1911-12, 1913-14, 1994-95

CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS 1912

F.A. CUP WINNERS
1884, 1885, 1886, 1890, 1891, 1928

LEAGUE CUP WINNERS 2002

Aston Villa

History:-
Original members of the Football League in 1888, Aston Villa are one of the Premier League's founding clubs. Formed in late 1874, Villa were the team to beat in the league's early years with a series of titles and FA Cup victories. A move to a purpose-built ground, Villa Park, from their Perry Barr home in 1897 came just a week after their league and FA Cup Double triumph that year. The Villans secured their sixth league title in 1910 and added further FA Cup glories in 1913 and 1920 as their trophy cabinet bulged. FA Cup success in 1957 and a League Cup triumph in 1961 increased their haul of silverware, but by 1970 Aston Villa were playing Third Division football. However, the club were about to enjoy a remarkable turn of fortunes, with two more League Cups and a return to the top flight followed by their greatest triumph - the European Cup in 1982.

Present :-
Aston Villa have brought together a strong squad which has helped the club flourish in the Premier League. Villa's defence is built around the experience of Sweden international Olof Mellberg and Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen while the emerging talent of Steven Davis brings a spark to the club's midfield. Ron Atkinson took Villa to the brink of Premier League title glory in 1993, but they were pipped to the post by Manchester United. Atkinson then overcame his former club in the League Cup final in 1994 and successor Brian Little emulated the feat in 1996, defeating Leeds United 3-0. John Gregory kept up the high standards, and the side never finished below halfway in the Premier League under his tenure. A run to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 1998 was an outstanding achievement, as Villa retained their hard-to-beat reputation. Former England boss Graham Taylor - who took Villa to second place in the old First Division in 1990 - returned in 2002 for a second brief stint in charge which ended in May 2003. Ex-Leeds manager David O'Leary stepped in and managed the club for three years, before leaving Villa Park in July 2006 in 'an amicable parting of ways', before Martin O'Neill was named as the Irishman's successor. There were changes in the boardroom too, with American billionaire Randy Lerner replacing Doug Ellis as the club's chairman in September 2006.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
1893-94, 1895-96, 1896-97,1898-99, 1899-00, 1909-10, 1980-81 CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS 1981
F.A. CUP WINNERS 1887, 1895, 1897, 1905, 1913, 1920, 1957
LEAGUE CUP WINNERS
1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996

London's most successful Premier League club was formed by workers at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich and was initially known as Dial Square before adopting the name Royal Arsenal in 1886. Renamed Woolwich Arsenal in 1891, they moved to Highbury in 1913 and dropped the prefix.
Arsenal are recognised as one of the giants of English football and a consistent challenger for top honors. Arsenal, under the leadership of enigmatic Frenchman Arsene Wenger, shook off their 'boring' image and began to serve up some of the most attractive football in the league. Thanks in the early days to the immense influence of Tony Adams and the astute signings of players such as Thierry Henry-(now Barcalona), Patrick Vieira - now departed for Juventus - and Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal climbed back to the top of the pile. Their rise culminated in a second Premier League and FA Cup double in 2002, to add to their 1998 achievement. Three runners-up finishes in the intervening years displays how the north London giants have lived up to their high standards over the last decade. The famous old Arsenal defence has a new look these days, but the replacements, and the recruits to midfield and attack have done enough to assure fans that they can live up to the achievements of their predecessors. The Gunners added a third Premier League crown of Wenger's reign as their astonishing and unprecedented unbeaten run throughout the entire 2003/04 league season saw them lift the title. The 2006/07 season saw the Gunners move away from Highbury - their home for the previous 93 years - to the plush new Emirates Stadium.
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
1930-31, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1937-38, 1947-48, 1952-53, 1970-71, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04
CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS
1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004
F.A. CUP WINNERS
1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005
LEAGUE CUP WINNERS
1987, 1993

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