You hear the names of all the famous English sides, but have you ever thought why they are called what they are?
First of all, you need to remember that density and amount of clubs in England means not everyone gets to name themselves for the city they play in. Some clubs even play in the same stadium as another team on a permanent or temporary basis.
A good way to imagine the English Premier League is that England is about the size of the state of Georgia. Imagine having seven professional teams with their own 30-40,000 seat stadiums just in Atlanta.
In recent years, there have been up to seven clubs from London in the EPL at any one time, none of which go by the city's name. In fact, they are scattered to the four corners of the city with their own distinct fan bases. Some are named for their neighborhood, a church or the original founders. Unlike American sports, the teams differentiate themselves by their names and colors because they are often as close as a few blocks from each other. Tottenham and Arsenal are within two miles of each other in North London while Everton and Liverpool's stadiums are separated by a few hundred yards. The best analogy for how densely packed the teams are in the U.S. could be college basketball teams in the same city like the Big 5 in Philadelphia or even high school football in Texas.
Either way, do not call an English team by both their club name and nickname. You will really not sound in the know by calling the team the Arsenal Gunners. It's one or or the other. Even worse would be Portsmouth Pompey or Middlesbrough Boro. Just to confuse you, English professional hockey and basketball teams take their cue from American teams like London Towers or Sheffield Sharks. It's really a matter of culture and perspective.
Read on and soon you will know your Teesside from your Tyneside.
Arsenal
Founded: 1886
Nickname: Gunners
The club was originally founded in south London by workers at Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory. After moving to North London, the name was shortened to Arsenal. The nickname Gunners comes from what the workers used to make, when they weren't playing soccer, of course. They play in Highbury which is the name of the stadium and the area around it.
Aston Villa
Founded: 1874
Nickname: Villains
Located in the steel city of Birmingham in the West Midlands, Aston Villa were founded by four members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel cricket team who were looking for a sport to play during the winter. The Aston part of the name came from nearby Aston University. Indeed, their first match was played against Aston Brook St. Mary's. Villains is a natural extension of Villa, which is what most soccer fans in the know call them. They even play their matches at Villa Park.
Birmingham City
Founded: 1875
Nickname: Blues
Founded in 1875 under the name of Small Heath Alliance, it was not until 1905 that they were known as Birmingham City. The nickname Blues comes from their uniforms. They are only called 'City' when it is clear the reference is to them, usually on a TV broadcast or on their own website. City could refer to any number of teams in England.
Blackburn
Founded: 1875
Nickname: Rovers
The men who formed the club had 17 members of the Blackburn Grammar School in the city of the same name. However, the team could not just call itself Blackburn as their main rival at the time was Blackburn Olympic. They took the name Rovers which was a common name in English soccer to describe teams that moved from ground to ground to play games. Doncaster, Bristol and Tranmere are other clubs who call themselves Rovers. The club is located a half-hour drive north of Manchester.
Bolton Wanderers
Founded: 1874
Nickname: Trotters
Founding members of the soccer league, Bolton Wanderers are one of seven original members to have never won the topflight. They were originally known as Christ Church. The club got their name because they wandered to so many different playing fields and headquarters in their early existence that it was suggested that the club should change its name to Bolton Wanderers, and in 1877, the name came into being. If only some Bolton supporter would lecture us in excruciating detail on how they became the Trotters. Bolton is a town located between Liverpool and Manchester, or as we like to think of it, south of the North Pole.
Charlton Athletic
Founded: 1905
Nickname: Addicks
Charlton is the area in southeast London where the team plays. According to the team's official website, one theory on their nickname is that the phrase is simply a corrupted form of ‘Athletic’, but the majority of historians agree the most likely explanation dates back to a fish and chip shop in 1908 and that ‘Addicks’ derived from ‘haddock’. At that time, Arthur Bryan was a local fishmonger who helped underwrite the cost of establishing Charlton at The Valley, and the club and its opposition used to dine on fish suppers following matches. The story goes that if the team lost they would dine on the less popular cod but a victory would secure a haddock supper. Charlton have also been known as the ‘Robins’ and the ‘Valiants’, but these references have been forgotten in the last decade
Chelsea
Founded: 1905
Nickname: Blues
The pride of Southwest London, Chelsea's origin dates back to the 1870's as well. Their stadium, Stamford Bridge, was originally used by a track and field team. The land was purchased by two brothers with the intent of turning it into a soccer ground. Initially the stadium was offered to Fulham FC to play there, they turned down the chance and so instead a new side, Chelsea FC, was born in 1905 and moved into the new Stamford Bridge stadium. Their nickname, of course, comes from their uniforms. The Lion on their logo is descendant from England's national team which is known as the Three Lions.
Everton
Founded: 1878
Nickname: Toffees
Located in Liverpool, the club was founded by St. Domingo Methodist Church which was looking to find an activity for its cricket players to do in the winter. St. Domingo FC became Everton FC in 1878, named for the district around the church, because other city residents wanted to join the team. In 1892, they moved from Anfield to Goodison Park, their present home. Even though they have been known as the Blues for their royal blue kits, they are also called "The Toffees" or "The Toffeemen".
According to an Everton's fan site, there are two versions to explain how this name was adopted: the better known is that, in those days, a Mrs Noblett had a candy store near Goodison called Mother Noblett's Toffee Shop, where she advertised and sold her tasty merchandise on match days. Another reason might be that there was a house called Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House near the Queen's Head hotel. The word "toffee" also referred to Irishmen, of which there was a large population in the Liverpool area at the turn of the century.
Fulham
Founded: 1879
Nickname: Cottagers
A church named St Andrews of West Kensington found the club in 1879 in London as Fulham St Andrews. Over the next decade, that name was dropped to just Fulham. They are called the Cottagers because their home since 1896 has been Craven Cottage. They are actually in a groundshare this year with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road while Craven Cottage is re-built.
Leeds United
Founded: 1920
Nickname: Whites
Leeds is between Manchester and York in the north central part of the country.. Leeds United entered the league in 1920 after being formed from the ashes of Leeds City. They are called the Whites for the all-white uniforms they wear at home.
Leicester City
Founded: 1884
Nickname: Foxes
Leicester Fosse Football Club played friendlies in their first four years of existence before signing their first professional in 1888. The team struggled financially through different leagues in the early 20th century. When Leicester was upgraded from a borough to a city, the team's name changed to Leicester City in 1919. The club entered the league in 1894 and have never been out of the top two divisions. Foxes comes from the proliferation of hunting activity in the area in central England.