THE DOMESTIC ENGLISH FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT. 20 TEAMS COMPETE IN THE 'BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD' AS IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED. AT THE MINUTE, THE TWO GIANTS ARSENAL AND CHELSEA ARE LEADING THE WAY.

WHAT USED TO BE CALLED DIVISIONS ONE, TWO AND THREE. NOW CALLED THE COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP, AND LEAGUES ONE AND TWO. 24 TEAMS COMPETE IN EACH. THE TOP TWO TEAMS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND LEAGUE ONE GAIN PROMOTION TO THE NEXT LEAGUE, AND THE TOP THREE IN LEAGUE TWO. THE NEXT FOUR TEAMS GO INTO THE PLAY-OFFS TO REALLY ADD EXCITEMENT TO THE LEAGUE!

THE 'TRUE' ENGLISH FOOTBALL COMPETITION. THE BIG GUNS SUCH AS ARSENAL AND CHELSEA COMPETE, INCLUDING THE BEST OF THE REST IN THE PREMIERSHIP, THE COCA-COLA LEAGUES, THE CONFERENCE, AND SOME AMMETEUR CLUBS MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES. HE CURRENT HOLDERS OF THE FA CUP ARE MANCHESTER UNITED.

THIS IS 'THE TOURNAMENT WITHOUT A SOUL'. THE CARLING (LEAGUE) CUP IS STAGED BETWEEN THE TEAMS OF THE PREMIERSHIP, AND THE THREE LOWER LEAGUES. FOR SOME REASON THOUGH, THIS TOURNAMENT DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME AUROR ABOUT IT AS THE FA CUP, AND IT SHOWS. CROWDS ARE LOW, AND THE TEAMS IN THE PREMIERSHIP NEARLY ALWAYS FIELD THEIR RESERVE TEAM.

THE TEAMS WHO FINISH FIRST AND SECOND IN THE PREMIERSHIP QUALIFY FOR THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, THE BIGGEST COMPETITION REGARDING EUROPEAN CLUB FOOTBALL. THE TEAMS WHO FINISH THIRD AND FOURTH IN THE PREMIERSHIP GO THROUGH TO THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS WHICH ARE PLAYED OVER TWO LEGS. PORTO ARE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS. THE LAST ENGLISH TEAM TO WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WERE MANCHESTER UNITED IN 1999, AS THEY SCORED 2 INJURY TIME GOALS TO DEFEAT BAYERN MUNICH 2-1 AT THE NOU CAMP.

THE TEAMS WHO FINISH FIFTH AND SIXTH IN THE PREMIERSHIP QUALIFY FOR THE UEFA CUP. THIS ISN'T AS BIG A TOURNAMENT AS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE,BUT UNLIKE THE LEAGUE CUP, IT'S A TROPHY WELL WORTH WINNING. NEWCASTLE UNITED (THE BEST) REACHED THE SEMI-FINALS LAST SEASON, AND WERE KNOCKED OUT BY OLYMPIC MARSEILLE ON AGGREGATE. THE LAST ENGLISH SIDE TO WIN THE UEFA CUP WERE LIVERPOOL IN 2001. THEY BEAT ALAVES IN AN ENTHRALLING EXTRA-TIME 5-4 VICTORY.

EVERY 4 YEARS, THE ELITE 16 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE COMPETE FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY. IN 1996, ENGLAND HOSTED A THOROUGHLY MEMORABLE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. ENGLAND HAD AN EXCELLENT RUN, AND REACHED THE SEMI-FINALS; DISPOSING OF SPAIN ON PENALTIES, AND HAMMERING THE DUTCH 4-1 ALONG THE WAY.

THE SIXTEENTH WORLD CUP WAS STAGED IN FRANCE, AND WAS A SUCESS. FOR ENGLAND, IT WAS SOMETHING TO BUILD ON. THEY HAD A HARD TIME IN THE GROUP STAGE, BUT WENT THROUGH TO THE KNOCK-OUT STAGES WITH 2-0 WINS OVER TUNISIA AND COLOMBIA, SANDWHICHING A 2-1 DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF ROMANIA. THE KNOCK-OUT ROUND THREW UP ARGENTINA, WHO DISPOSED OF ENGLAND ON PENALTIES AFTER AN EXCITING 2-2 DRAW. MORE PROOF THAT ENGLAND AND PENALTIES DON'T MIX.

IT WAS ANOTHER FASCINATING TOURNAMENT, BUT NOT A GREAT ONE FOR ENGLAND. TWO 3-2 DEFEATS TO PORTUGAL (AFTER BEING 2-0 UP), AND ROMANIA (AFTER CONCEDING A LAST MINUTE PENALTY) SANDWHICHED A 1-0 VICTORY OVER GERMANY! ENGLAND WOULD HAVE TO IMPROVE IN THE NEXT TOURNAMENT.

ONE OF THE BEST WORLD CUPS IN HISTORY, AND THE FIRST TO BE HELD IN ASIA. ENGLAND MADE UP FOR THE DISSAPOINTMENT OF EURO 2000 BY REACHING THE QUARTER-FINALS. ALONG THE WAY, ENGLAND BEAT ARCH RIVALS ARGENTINA 1-0, AS DAVID BECKHAM'S PENALTY MADE SWEET REVENGE FOR HIS RED CARD AGAINST THE SAME COUNTRY IN FRANCE '98.

AFTER ALL THE HYPE ABOUT EURO 2004, IT DISSAPOINTED. IT WAS A RELATIVELY POOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUT ENGLAND PLAYED IN THE BEST GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT WHEN FRANCE BEAT THEM 2-1. TEENAGE SENSATION WAYNE ROONEY THEN SCORED TWICE IN THE NEXT TWO GAMES, TO HELP ENGLAND SEE OFF THE SWISS 3-0, AND CROATIA 4-2. THANKS TO REFEREE URS MIEIR THOUGH. ENGLAND WERE DUMPED OUT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS AFTER A 2-2 DRAW WITH PORTUGAL WHICH LEAD TO THE DREADED PENALTIES.