User:Timbouctou/Bordeaux

Key

 * South 1 = Southern League First Division
 * South 2 = Southern League Second Division
 * South 2L = Southern League Second London Division
 * Premier League = Premier League
 * Championship = EFL Championship
 * Division 1 = Football League First Division
 * Division 2 = Football League Second Division
 * Division 3 = Football League Third Division
 * Division 3S = Football League Third Division South
 * Division 4 = Football League Fourth Division
 * BCCL = Bucks & Contiguous Counties League
 * United = United League


 * Pld = Matches played
 * W = Matches won
 * D = Matches drawn
 * L = Matches lost
 * GF = Goals for
 * GA = Goals against
 * Pts = Points
 * Pos = Final position
 * PR = Preliminary Round
 * QR1 = First Qualifying Round
 * QR2 = Second Qualifying Round
 * QR3 = Third Qualifying Round


 * QR4 = Fourth Qualifying Round
 * QR5 = Fifth Qualifying Round
 * QR6 = Sixth Qualifying Round
 * R1 = Round 1
 * R2 = Round 2
 * R3 = Round 3
 * R4 = Round 4
 * R5 = Round 5
 * QF = Quarter-finals
 * SF = Semi-finals
 * F = Final
 * W = Winners

Early history
The club was formed on 15 April 1898 as a result of the amalgamation of two strong local clubs, Watford St. Mary's and West Herts. West Herts began life as Watford Rovers in 1881, when George Devereux de Vere Capell, Earl of Essex and owner of Cassiobury Park, gave a group of boys permission to use the grounds for football. However, the agreement stipulated that the team could not play organised competitive matches on the estate. Members of the group included Henry Grover, the man later recognised as the club's founder, and Charlie Peacock, who played for Hertfordshire, became involved with board meetings at the club, and became the proprietor of the Watford Observer, the local newspaper. Over the next five years the team participated exclusively in friendly matches against schools and local clubs. Matches played when the club was not entering competitions included the first recorded fixture against future rivals Luton Town; a 1–0 home win to Watford on 5 December 1885. In the 1886–87 season, Watford Rovers entered the FA Cup for the first time, although they were eliminated in their opening game. They have competed in at least one competition in every season since. From 1886 Rovers participated in the Herts Senior Cup, a competition open to all clubs in Hertfordshire, winning it on four occasions. They also participated in the Hennessey Cup—open to clubs within a 10 mi radius of Uxbridge—between 1888 and 1891. Rovers' first match against Watford St Mary's was a 7–4 home win on 17 January 1891. The teams met on eleven further occasions prior to their amalgamation in 1898. In total, Rovers and their successors West Herts won six times, St Mary's four times, and the remaining two matches ended in draws.

League history
From 1896–97 until 1919–20, the Football League and Southern League ran in parallel, and were organised by separate bodies. The Southern League was therefore not part of the English football league pyramid. In 1920–21, the Southern League First Division was absorbed by the Football League, thus becoming part of the English football pyramid, initially as the Football League Third Division. From 1921–22 until 1957–58, the Third Division South operated as the third highest level of English football, running in parallel with the Third Division North. From 1958–59 until 1991–92, Division 1 was the highest level of English football, Division 2 the second highest, Division 3 the third highest and Division 4 the fourth highest. The Premier League was formed in 1992–93, and since then has been the highest level of English football. Division 1 became the second level, and Division 2 the third level. In 2004–05, Division 1 was renamed as the Football League Championship.