The FA Premier League (which, for sponsorship reasons, is often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in the UK and the Barclays English Premier League internationally) is a league competiton for English football (soccer) clubs located at the top of the English football league system (above The Football League), making it England's main football competition.
Overview
The FA Premier League comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. It was created in 1992, when the top division football clubs broke away from the Football League after securing a greatly improved TV rights deal with the then fledgling satellite television company Sky Television. The new name was simply a commercial restructuring and a branding exercise as there was no innovation in competitive terms; an identical first tier league had existed the previous season. The Premiership is said to boast some of the best players in the world - English and foreign.
The competition
There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. At the end of each season the three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Football League Championship and the top two teams from the Championship, together with the winner of a play-off involving the 3rd to 6th placed clubs, are promoted in their place.
The top four teams in the Premiership qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with the top two teams directly entering the group phase. The third and fourth placed teams enter the competition at the third qualifying round and must win a two-legged knockout tie in order to enter the group phase. One team automatically enters the UEFA Cup, two teams if the FA Cup Champion and runner-up and League Cup Champions are already entered in the UEFA Champions League.
Sponsorship
Since 1993, the FA Premier League has been sponsored. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. So far, all the sponsors have referred to the competition as the 'Premiership'. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:
- 1993–2001: Carling (FA Carling Premiership)
- 2001–04: Barclaycard (Barclaycard Premiership)
- 2004–08: Barclays (Barclays Premiership)
Worldwide reach
Promoted around the world as "The Greatest Show On Earth", the FA Premier League is the world's most popular and most watched sporting league, followed worldwide by over a billion people[1]. Over 260 foreign players compete in the league, and 101 stars from England's domestic leagues competed in the
in Korea and Japan. It is widely watched overseas, with matches being shown in over 150 countries. Premier League teams such as Manchester United and star players such as Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard or Ruud van Nistelrooy have become worldwide sporting icons. The Premier League is particularly popular in Scandinavia, with ferry operators offering "football ferries" to Norwegian football fans wishing to see their favourite teams in action. The Premier League and its clubs also enjoy popularity in Canada; games are aired every Saturday in most parts of the country.
History
The FA Premier League was formed on 20th February 1992 and took over as the professional league from season 1992–93. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions. A number of events during the mid and late Eighties had sent clear signals that fundamental changes were needed to the structure of professional football. The English game was at possibly its lowest ever. Stadiums were crumbling, supporters were faced with poor facilities, hooliganism was rife and English football was banned from European competition. The old First Division became a selling league as many top players were lured by the financial attractions of the continent.
A radical restructuring was required if English football was to prosper. A proposal for the establishment of the league was tabled that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17th July 1991 by the game's top-flight clubs established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League. The newly formed top division would have commercial independence from the Football Association and the Football League, giving the FA Premier League license to negotiate its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements.
In 1992 the First Division Clubs resigned from the football league en masse and on 27th May 1992 the FA Premier League was formed as a limited company, which worked out of an office at the then Football Association's headquarters, Lancaster Gate.
Premier League clubs, 2005–06
| Club |
Finishing position last season |
First season in top division |
First season of current spell in top division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal*† | 2nd | 1904–05 | 1919–20 |
| Aston Villa*† | 10th | 1888–89 | 1988–89 |
| Birmingham City | 12th | 1894–95 | 2002–03 |
| Blackburn Rovers† | 15th | 1888–89 | 2001–02 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 6th | 1888–89 | 2001–02 |
| Charlton Athletic | 11th | 1936–37 | 2000–01 |
| Chelsea*† | 1st | 1907–08 | 1989–90 |
| Everton*† | 4th | 1888–89 | 1954–55 |
| Fulham | 13th | 1949-50 | 2001–02 |
| Liverpool*† | 5th | 1894–95 | 1962–63 |
| Manchester City† | 8th | 1899–1900 | 2002–03 |
| Manchester United*† | 3rd | 1892–93 | 1975–76 |
| Middlesbrough† | 7th | 1902–03 | 1998–99 |
| Newcastle United | 14th | 1898–99 | 1993–94 |
| Portsmouth | 16th | 1927–28 | 2003–04 |
| Sunderland | 1st in The Championship, promoted | 1890–91 | 2005–06 |
| Tottenham Hotspur*† | 9th | 1909–10 | 1978–79 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 17th | 1888–89 | 2004–05 |
| West Ham United | 6th in The Championship, promoted via the play-offs | 1923–24 | 2005–06 |
| Wigan Athletic | 2nd in The Championship, promoted | 2005–06 | 2005–06 |
* Played in every Premier League season.
† Founding member of Premier League
Former Premier League Members
| Club |
Years in most recent spell in top division |
First season in most recent spell in top division of English football |
Final season of most recent spell in top division of English football |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | 1 | 1997–98 | 1997–98 |
| Bradford City | 2 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 |
| Coventry City† | 34 | 1967–68 | 2000–01 |
| Crystal Palace† | 1 | 2004–05 | 2004–05 |
| Derby County | 6 | 1996–97 | 2001–02 |
| Ipswich Town† | 2 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
| Leeds United† | 14 | 1990–91 | 2003–04 |
| Leicester City | 1 | 2003–04 | 2003–04 |
| Norwich City† | 1 | 2004–05 | 2004–05 |
| Nottingham Forest† | 1 | 1998–99 | 1998–99 |
| Oldham Athletic† | 3 | 1991–92 | 1993–94 |
| Queens Park Rangers† | 13 | 1983–84 | 1995–96 |
| Sheffield United† | 4 | 1990–91 | 1993–94 |
| Sheffield Wednesday† | 9 | 1991–92 | 1999–2000 |
| Southampton† | 27 | 1978–79 | 2004–05 |
| Swindon Town | 1 | 1993–94 | 1993–94 |
| Watford | 1 | 1999–00 | 1999–2000 |
| Wimbledon† | 14 | 1986–87 | 1999–2000 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1 | 2003–04 | 2003–04 |
† Founding member of Premier League
Notes:
- Team movements for 2005–06 season:
- Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Southampton were relegated to The Championship. On a dramatic final day of the season, last-place West Bromwich Albion defeated Portsmouth, but had to see other results go their way. Norwich City, who started the day outside the drop zone, were destroyed 6–0 by Fulham. Southampton lost 2–1 to Man United. Palace were eight minutes from survival and leading Charlton 2–1, but Charlton equalised, consigning the Eagles to the drop.
- Sunderland have won The Championship for 2004–05, assuring themselves of a return to the Premier League for 2005–06.
- The second automatic promotion spot is taken by Wigan Athletic, which will play in the top flight for the first time in their history.
- The third and final promotion spot is taken by West Ham United when they defeated Preston North End 1–0 in the playoff final on May 30th, 2005, at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Past Premier League winners
 |
| Past winners of the Premier League |
| Season | Winner | Total wins* | Remarks | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Manchester United | 1 (8) | First Premier League winners | Aston Villa |
| 1993–94 | Manchester United | 2 (9) | Also won the FA Cup | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1994–95 | Blackburn Rovers | 1 (3) | First league championship since 1914 | Manchester United |
| 1995–96 | Manchester United | 3 (10) | Also won the FA Cup | Newcastle United |
| 1996–97 | Manchester United | 4 (11) | Newcastle United | |
| 1997–98 | Arsenal | 1 (11) | Also won the FA Cup | Manchester United |
| 1998–99 | Manchester United | 5 (12) | Also won the FA Cup, UEFA Champions League |
Arsenal |
| 1999–2000 | Manchester United | 6 (13) | Arsenal | |
| 2000–01 | Manchester United | 7 (14) | Arsenal | |
| 2001–02 | Arsenal | 2 (12) | Also won the FA Cup | Liverpool |
| 2002–03 | Manchester United | 8 (15) | Arsenal | |
| 2003–04 | Arsenal | 3 (13) | Undefeated in League | Chelsea |
| 2004–05 | Chelsea | 1 (2) | Also won the League Cup | Arsenal |
* Premier League championships (total English football championships)
Up to 1992, the winners of the First Division of The Football League were the English football champions.
Liverpool hold the overall record with 18 championships.
The other two top honors that an English club can win are the FA Cup and the European Cup. Winning the FA Cup and the League Championship is known as a double. Manchester United is the only team to win all three, known as the treble.
Records
- Most Points (95) - Chelsea, 2004-05 season
- Fewest Points (19) - Sunderland, 2002-03 season
- Most Wins in a Season (29) - Chelsea, 2004-05 season
- Fewest Wins in a Season (4) - Sunderland, 2002-03 season
- Most Consecutive Games Unbeaten (49) - Arsenal, 2003-05 seasons
- Fewest Goals Scored in a Season (21) - Sunderland, 2002-03 season
- Fewest Goals Conceded in a Season (15) - Chelsea, 2004-05 season
- Most Goals Conceded in a Season (100) - Swindon Town, 1993-94 season
- Most Clean Sheets in a Season (25) - Chelsea, 2004-05 season
Top flight champions in English football
The following clubs have won the top division in English football, that is the Football League from 1888–89 to 1991–92 and the Premier League from 1992–93 to 2004–05.
- 18 wins: Liverpool
- 15 wins: Manchester United
- 13 wins: Arsenal
- 9 wins: Everton
- 7 wins: Aston Villa
- 6 wins: Sunderland
- 4 wins: Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday
- 3 wins: Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 2 wins: Burnley, Chelsea, Derby County, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Preston North End, Tottenham Hotspur
- 1 win: Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion
Top scorers
By season
| Season | Top scorer, club | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–93* | Teddy Sheringham, Tottenham Hotspur | 22 |
| 1993–94* | Andy Cole, Newcastle United | 34 |
| 1994–95* | Alan Shearer, Blackburn Rovers | 34 |
| 1995–96 | Alan Shearer, Blackburn Rovers | 31 |
| 1996–97 | Alan Shearer, Newcastle United | 25 |
| 1997–98 | Chris Sutton, Blackburn Rovers Dion Dublin, Coventry City Michael Owen, Liverpool |
18 |
| 1998–99 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Leeds United Michael Owen, Liverpool Dwight Yorke, Manchester United |
18 |
| 1999–2000 | Kevin Phillips, Sunderland | 30 |
| 2000–01 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Chelsea | 23 |
| 2001–02 | Thierry Henry, Arsenal | 24 |
| 2002–03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy, Manchester United | 25 |
| 2003–04 | Thierry Henry, Arsenal | 30 |
| 2004–05 | Thierry Henry, Arsenal | 25 |
| * For the first 3 seasons of the Premier League (1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95) there were 22 clubs and therefore 42 games played by each club. For all seasons since there have been 20 clubs and therefore 38 games played. | ||
All-time
As of April 2005
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Shearer | 250 |
| 2 | Andy Cole | 172 |
| 3 | Robbie Fowler | 155 |
| 4 | Les Ferdinand | 150 |
| 5 | Teddy Sheringham | 139 |
| 6 | Thierry Henry | 134 |
| 7 | Dwight Yorke | 121 |
| 8 | Michael Owen | 118 |
| 9 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | 114 |
| 10 | Ian Wright | 113 |
The "Curse of Christmas"
Over the history of the Premier League, the so called "Curse of Christmas" became apparent—from the first season onwards, the team who was bottom of the league on Christmas Day was always relegated. This curse was only broken in season 2004–05, when West Bromwich Albion finished 17th on the final day.
| Season | Team | Final Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Nottingham Forest | 22nd |
| 1993–94 | Swindon Town | 22nd |
| 1994–95 | Ipswich Town | 22nd |
| 1995–96 | Middlesbrough | 20th |
| 1996–97 | Nottingham Forest | 20th |
| 1997–98 | Barnsley | 19th |
| 1998–99 | Nottingham Forest | 20th |
| 1999–2000 | Sheffield Wednesday | 19th |
| 2000–01 | Bradford City | 20th |
| 2001–02 | Leicester City | 20th |
| 2002–03 | West Ham United | 18th |
| 2003–04 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 20th |
| 2004–05 | West Bromwich Albion | 17th (safe) |
See also
References
- ^ Campbell, Dennis, 'United (versus Liverpool) Nations', The Observer, January 6 2002.
External links