The comprehensive report looked at recent data from The Charity Commission, focusing on the primary charity or foundation for each football club across England’s top four divisions.

Once all data had been collected it was Chelsea who ended up top of the pile after spending more than £7.5 million in 2018/19 through the Chelsea Foundation.

FOOTY.COM highlighted Chelsea’s work at all levels, ranging from their notable partnership with global charity partner Plan International right down to the smaller, local initiatives run by the Foundation. These include the fact that the Foundation organised for 70 families of seriously ill children to meet with players, underlining the direct, personal impact a club can have.

The work of Plan and the Foundation will be celebrated this weekend as Stamford Bridge will undergo a Plan International takeover for Saturday’s match against Bournemouth as we launch our new campaign to help transform the lives of 10,000 children.

Chelsea Foundation Chairman, Bruce Buck, said: ‘We are rightly proud of the work that we deliver in all our communities at home and abroad.

‘It is source of pride to everyone at the club and the Foundation that this ground-breaking work has been recognised and that Chelsea are leading the way in using football to inspire, motivate and educate.’