The FCR Historical Index is constructed using a structured historical performance rating model designed to evaluate football clubs based on long-term competitive outcomes rather than short-term results.
At its core, the methodology seeks to preserve historical continuity, comparability across eras, and methodological stability between annual index editions.
Core Principles
The FCR methodology is built on the following principles:
- Historical continuity Club performance is evaluated within a long-term historical framework, allowing comparisons across different football eras and competitive environments.
- Competitive relevance Only officially recognised competitions with verifiable outcomes are included in the index framework.
- Methodological stability Index construction rules remain consistent across editions to ensure that changes in club positions reflect competitive evolution rather than methodological drift.
- Annual index cuts The index is published as an annual historical cut, fixing club positions at a specific point in time rather than reacting to short-term fluctuations.
Performance Evaluation Framework
Club ratings are derived from aggregated competitive participation and results across eligible competitions. The methodology incorporates both recent and historical performance components, ensuring that sustained competitive legacy is prioritised while maintaining sensitivity to long-term change.
Short-term performance spikes or isolated seasons do not disproportionately influence index positions.
Competition Selection
Only competitions that meet defined structural and verification criteria are included. These include domestic, regional, continental, and global tournaments where complete and verifiable records are available.
As historical coverage expands, additional competitions may be incorporated into future index editions.
Historical Coverage
The FCR Historical Index currently includes verified football competition data dating back to:
- 1872 for men’s football
- 1969 for women’s football
Historical records are continuously reviewed and expanded as new verified sources and archival material become available.
Revisions and Transparency
Each annual edition represents the best available historical data at the time of publication. As with all historical indices, revisions may occur in future editions as additional verified records are incorporated or as structural coverage evolves.
Such revisions are applied consistently across the historical framework to preserve index integrity.
Interpretation
The FCR Historical Index is not a predictive model and should not be interpreted as an indicator of match outcomes or short-term team strength.
Instead, it provides a historical classification framework intended for analysis, research, and comparative reference.