Winner Stays On... since 1888!

Found this on X/ Twitter.

https://twitter.com/WSOChampions

Don't tell Levy - he'll claim it as an ENIC trophy.

Having defeated reigning champions Bournemouth,

🏅 𝚃𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙷𝙰𝙼 𝙷𝙾𝚃𝚂𝙿𝚄𝚁

become the #WSOChampions of English football!

🏆 Crowning
@SpursOfficial
Champions for the next 14 days
🏆 Totalling 1693 days as Champions in #THFC's history.

Explanation below:

When, on September 8, 1888, English league football first kicked off, four clubs won: Derby County, Everton, PNE and WBA.

On that day, theirs were the rightful claims to be the best in England. These claims would be tested - and perhaps lost - the following weekend.

In both sides' next match, WBA beat Derby. That day, the latter lost their claim to be the best, while the Baggies retained their Winner-Stays-On title.

On the same day, Everton and Preston won. Thus, on September 15, 1888, four became three: Everton, PNE and WBA.

On the third weekend of the English league, PNE avoided defeat, but Everton & WBA could not, losing to Aston Villa & Blackburn, respectively.

As a result, the Toffees & Baggies lost their #WSOChampions titles, which passed to Villa & Blackburn. The winners stayed on.

By January 1893, what began as four had become two: Everton & Stoke.

On January 28, 1893, Everton visited Stoke's Victoria Ground. The Toffees won to unify the WSO title for the first time.

Of course, Everton held the title only as long as they avoided defeat.

Across thousands of matchdays since, the title has passed to & from dozens of the most-celebrated & lesser known clubs in English football.

To this day, #WSOChampions can claim to be the team that beat the team that beat the team that beat the team that beat the team that beat the team that beat the team that beat the team that beat the team...

... all the way back to that first Saturday in September 1888.