Is it Soccer or Football, the name depends on where you live in our world. Regardless, the sport of soccer (what we call it here in the USA) has skyrocketed in popularity since the late 90s. One league that has benefitted from a ten-fold television revenue increase is the Premier League. Renamed in 1992, the premier league has become the most-watched and one of the most competitive leagues in world football. The premier league is a soccer league based in the United Kingdom. With 20 teams, the 4 teams that finish the highest in the standings table qualify automatically for the most competitive league in Europe, the Champions League. The bottom 3 are automatically relegated to the second tier of the UK’s leagues, the championship. Subsequently, there are two leagues below the championship: league 1 and league 2. With so many sponsorships and fierce rivalries, it’s no wonder the premier league has earned its status as one of, if not the best among Europe’s top 5 leagues. How did it all begin? Listed below is part 1 of the history of the premier league: explained.
Before 1992, the premier league existed under a different name and a different organization. Dubbed the “Football League”, English soccer existed for nearly 104 years under the football association (FA). During the late 1980s, the top clubs in the football league attempted to pull away from the league and create their own version of a league dubbed the “Super League”. At the same time, an influx of money was coming in from deals the football association closed. Realizing their potential to capitalize on the opportunity to create a super league, discussions were held with the top teams to convince them to stay within the league. Eventually, the idea of a super league fell through and the top clubs continued to play.
However, the discussion of forming a new league was revived. In the 1990/91 season, there were several proposals made to change the league. The football league was challenged in its efforts spread the wealth of a few teams around the league to teams lacking financial resources to invest in their player roster, facilities and organization. Stadiums were in shambles, the UK was banned from all European competition, and hooliganism seemed to have no end. The future of the league was uncertain.
Stay tuned for part 2, coming soon!