From top flight to non-league: The rare honour in English football

English football is celebrated worldwide for its passion, depth and history, but it is also defined by a uniquely complex league system.

Over the years, the structure has been reshaped several times, most notably in 1992 when the Premier League was formed as a breakaway from the old First Division.

Today, the five leading tiers of the pyramid are the Premier League, the Championship, League One, League Two and the National League.

Only a handful of clubs have managed to compete in all five divisions. The biggest names in the game — Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea — have never been close to such a journey, as they have not dropped far enough to test themselves outside the top two levels.

At the same time, for smaller clubs, the achievement is equally elusive: financial limitations often prevent them from climbing high enough to reach the Championship, let alone the Premier League.

In 2010, Grimsby Town's relegation to the National League made them the sixth team to achieve the feat, joining Wimbledon, Wigan Athletic, Carlisle United, Oxford United and Luton Town. Since then, Leyton Orient, Notts County and Oldham Athletic have followed.

The history is not always straightforward, however. The evolution of the pyramid, with divisions introduced, renamed or abolished over time, leaves some cases open to interpretation.

Wimbledon is the best-known example: the original club reached the Premier League, but its decline and controversial relocation to Milton Keynes saw AFC Wimbledon formed as a phoenix club, eventually climbing from the very bottom of the league system to reclaim its place among the 92.

Clubs to have played in all five top divisions of English football

1. Wimbledon / AFC Wimbledon

2. Wigan Athletic

3. Carlisle United

4. Oxford United

5. Luton Town

6. Grimsby Town

7. Leyton Orient

8. Notts County

9. Oldham Athletic