If fanbase is an indication of a club’s size and potential, then these are England’s biggest ten clubs, in order, based on average league attendances in the Premier League era, including any seasons spent in the lower divisions: Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

Then move back in time to between the Second World War and the start of the Premier League in 1992. Which different clubs appear in the top ten over that 46-year period? The answer is none – the top ten are exactly the same, albeit in a different order. What about even farther back to between the two world wars? Again, the very same ten clubs were attracting the largest attendances