Burnley Football Club is a professional football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The club competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, following relegation from the Premier League in 2023â24. Founded in 1882, Burnley were one of the first to become professional and subsequently put pressure on the Football Association to permit payments to players. They entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1885â86 and were one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888â89. Burnley were the second, and are one of only five sides to have won all four professional divisions of English football.