Relocation isn’t actually the completed factor in soccer, but it surely’s occurred greater than you may suppose over time.
Right here, we inform the tales of just a few golf equipment who’ve relocated from their unique houses – whether or not of their very own volition or as a result of elements past their management.
For sake of readability, we’ve led with every membership’s present identify, whereas referencing any earlier guises from their historical past.
Anorthosis Famagusta
Anorthosis Famagusta followers, 2021 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Pressured out of their native Famagusta when Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and occupied the northern a part of the island, Anorthosis have been in exile for greater than 50 years – and have performed their residence video games within the south-eastern metropolis of Larnaca since 1986.
In 2008, the a number of Cypriot champions made historical past by turning into the primary membership from the Mediterranean nation to qualify for the Champions League group stage.
Arsenal
The Woolwich Arsenal staff from the 1908/09 season (Picture credit score: Alamy)
These days, after all, we all know Arsenal as considered one of North London’s two footballing giants – however that wasn’t at all times the case.
Having flirted with chapter, the Gunners relocated to their iconic outdated Highbury residence in 1911, 25 years after the membership was established by munitions staff on the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich – located on the south financial institution of the River Thames.
Atlante
Atlante (in blue and pink stripes) in motion towards Cimarrones de Sonora, 2018 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Founder members of the Mexican high flight in 1943, Atlante have spent most of their existence based mostly within the capital, Mexico Metropolis – the place they used to play on the well-known Estadio Azteca, till poor attendances precipitated a 2007 transfer to Cancun, the place they promptly gained their third league title.
They returned to Mexico Metropolis in 2020 – solely to up sticks once more, this time to town of Zacatepec de Hidalgo, after being pressured out of their floor on the finish of 2024.
Clyde
The Clyde badge on the dugout on the membership’s former Broadwood Stadium residence (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Having been based mostly at grounds in and round Glasgow, Clyde – who take their identify from the river working by way of Scotland’s largest metropolis – moved to the brand new city of Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire in 1994.
The three-time Scottish Cup winners spent virtually three many years at Cumbernauld’s Broadwood Stadium, earlier than starting a groundshare at Hamilton Academical’s New Douglas Park in 2022 – forward of a deliberate return to Glasgow.
Houston Dynamo
A detailed-up of the Houston Dynamo badge on a house shirt (Picture credit score: Alamy)
The relocation of sports activities groups is a well-known idea within the USA, in American sports activities and soccer alike – and MLS’ Houston Dynamo are one such instance.
In 2005, the San Jose Earthquakes left California for Texas and finally grew to become the Dynamo – who proceeded to win back-to-back MLS titles in 2006 and 2007. (Considerably confusingly, the Earthquakes had been re-formed in 2007.)
Livingston
Livingston followers on the 2004 Scottish League Cup ultimate, through which the membership beat Hibernian to win their first main trophy (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Taking their identify from their present hometown, the biggest settlement in West Lothian, Livingston have existed in varied guises.
Based in 1943 because the works staff of the Ferranti engineering firm in Edinburgh, the Lions started life as Ferranti Thistle – earlier than turning into Meadowbank Thistle after their 1974 transfer to Meadowbank Stadium, the place they performed till relocating to Livingston in 1995.
Manchester United
An aerial view of Outdated Trafford (Picture credit score: Alamy)
In comparison with most different golf equipment on this checklist, Manchester United didn’t go far in any respect – however the Purple Devils’ historic relocations are an necessary a part of their story.
Beginning out as Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) in 1878, United adopted their present, world-famous id in 1902 – by which era they’d left Newton Heath for the Clayton space of Manchester. They moved into Outdated Trafford in 1910.
MK Dons
Wimbledon followers protest towards the proposed relocation of the membership to Milton Keynes, 2002 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
In 2003, in one of the vital controversial moments in English soccer historical past, financially embattled Wimbledon relocated 45 miles north-west to Milton Keynes. The 1987/88 FA Cup winners grew to become MK Dons the next 12 months.
After the transfer had been authorized in 2002, enraged Wimbledon followers shaped a phoenix membership: AFC Wimbledon, who reached the Soccer League in 2011 – and had been taking part in a division above MK, understandably their arch-rivals, by 2018.
Odisha FC
Odisha FC (in black and purple) in motion towards Punjab FC, 2024 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Indian Tremendous League outfit Odisha FC had been on the transfer lower than 5 years after their formation within the nation’s capital as Delhi Dynamos.
They took up residence virtually 800 miles away in Bhubaneswar within the state of Odisha in 2019 and gained their first trophy, the Indian Tremendous Cup, 4 years later.
Panionios
Panionios’ residence colors (Picture credit score: Alamy)
As we’ve seen, loads of golf equipment have modified cities – however Greece’s Panionios don’t even play in the identical nation as they had been shaped in.
Arrange by the big Greek inhabitants within the Turkish metropolis of Izmir, the membership was pressured to up sticks for Athens in 1922, following Turkey’s victory within the Greco-Turkish struggle.
Qarabag
A Qarabag fan celebrates with a flag, 2017 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
By far probably the most profitable membership in Azerbaijan, profitable 10 out of a doable 11 league titles between 2014 and 2024, Qarabag are initially from the city of Aghdam within the Caucasian nation’s Karabakh area.
Nevertheless, when Aghdam was seized by Armenian forces in 1993 through the First Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict – through which their former participant and supervisor Allahverdi Baghirov was killed – Qarabag needed to discover a new residence, and so they’ve been based mostly within the Azerbaijani capital of Baku ever since.
Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar Donetsk gamers have a good time a objective towards Brest in a Champions League match performed in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 2025 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
One other membership displaced by struggle, Shakhtar Donetsk relocated as a result of battle of their native Donbas area in 2014.
Since then, Ukrainian soccer’s dominant power of the 21st century have been based mostly in Lviv, Kharkiv and the capital Kyiv – whereas taking part in European residence video games in Poland and Germany, amid Russia’s invasion of their residence nation.
PFC Sochi
PFC Sochi’s residence floor, the Fisht Olympic Stadium (Picture credit score: Alamy)
PFC Sochi grew to become the primary skilled soccer membership in Russia’s main Black Sea resort metropolis in 2018, taking part in on the Fisht Olympic Stadium, a venue for that 12 months’s World Cup.
Their basis got here after the relocation of Dynamo Saint Petersburg, who made the appreciable transfer of some 1,200 miles. They had been promoted to the Russian Premier League for the primary time in 2019.
Tokyo Verdy
Tokyo Verdy followers, 2018 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Champions of Japan on seven events through the 80s and 90s, Tokyo Verdy began out as Yomiuri FC in 1969.
In 2001, the membership made the comparatively brief transfer up the coast from Kawasaki to Tokyo, taking on residence at Ajinomoto Stadium and altering their identify from Kawasaki Verdy to their present moniker.
Truro Metropolis
Truro Metropolis gamers have a good time after profitable the 2007 FA Vase ultimate at Wembley (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Struggling financially within the early 2010s, Cornwall’s greatest membership Truro Metropolis offered their floor to builders and relocated greater than 100 miles east to Plymouth, groundsharing with Plymouth Parkway.
After much more distant groundshares at Torquay United, Taunton City and Gloucester Metropolis – over 150 miles from Truro – the Tinners returned residence in 2024 to play on the new Truro Metropolis Stadium.
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix followers, 2017 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
On condition that they play in a completely completely different nation to the vast majority of golf equipment of their league (Australia’s A-League), Wellington Phoenix’s relocation didn’t make a complete lot of distinction when it comes to journey time to away video games.
Taking up the A-League licence of the ailing Auckland-based New Zealand Knights in 2007, the Phoenix’s stadium within the nationwide capital is affectionately often known as ‘The Cake Tin’ for its distinctive round form.
