7 Interesting Things Every Beginner Should Know About The Premier League.
- Think Football Ideas
- Dec 20, 2022
- 6 min read
The English Premier League recently celebrated its thirty-fourth birthday as arguably the most prestigious league in world football.
Since its inception in 1992, the Premier League has grown far beyond the expectations of its creators, attracting elite players, world-class managers and billions of viewers worldwide, evolving into the sporting giant we know today.
For Premier League newcomers or beginners to the English game, there is still plenty to learn about the competition’s rich history and its place in the modern football landscape.
Now, let's delve into the 7 Interesting Things A Beginner Should Know About The Premier League.
How Did The Premier League Begin?
Which Teams Have Played In The Premier League?
Who Has Won The Premier League Title?
Which Players Hold Individual Premier League Records?
Which Teams Hold Premier League Records?
Who Are The Premier League’s Greatest Ever Managers?
How Much Is The Premier League Worth?
How Did The Premier League Begin?
The English Football League was first established way back in 1888 and for over a century existed without major change. The country’s top tier was traditionally referred to as 'Division One’ and domestically became the pinnacle of the nation’s sport.
Yet by the 1980s, the English game was at an all-time low with hooliganism both at home and abroad, amidst safety concerns over ageing stadiums that were unfit for purpose.
So in the early 90’s, a proposal to revamp the entire top flight was given the green light. An ambitious concept that would allow English football to thrive.
The new League system would be independent of England’s FA or Football Association, able to organise its broadcasting and sponsorship, which ultimately brought great financial potential. In May 1992, the twenty-two teams from Division One resigned, and immediately the Premier League was born.
Which Teams Have Played In The Premier League?
More than fifty clubs have now played in the Premier League since the competition began in 1992. Yet only six of those clubs have never been relegated from the League, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton, and Chelsea.
Barnsley, Blackpool, and Swindon Town all played just a single season in England's top flight. A handful of teams have been promoted from the Championship (England's second tier) a record four times, including Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Sunderland, West Brom, and Norwich City.
However, Norwich City are considered somewhat of a 'yo-yo' club, having also been relegated back to the Championship on no less than six separate occasions!
Who Has Won The Premier League Title?
Of the fifty aforementioned squads to have graced the Premier League, only seven have succeeded in winning the English game's top prize.
Manchester United won the inaugural Premier League title back in 1992 and went on to lift the trophy a record thirteen times in total. Following their dominance under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have established themselves as one of the most successful sides in Premier League history, having amassed eight titles, whilst Chelsea have been crowned Champions on five occasions.
Arsenal are three-time winners. Notably, during the 2003/04 season, their ‘Invincibles’ side infamously played an entire 38-game campaign without loss, a feat achieved only once before by Preston North End in 1889.
Two clubs, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City, famously have one title each to their name, while Liverpool have also enjoyed major success in the modern Premier League era.
Which Players Hold Individual Premier League Records?
The record for most Premier League appearances belongs to Gareth Barry who featured 653 times in the competition. Spanning a twenty-two-year period, he played for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton, and West Brom.
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs is the top dog in terms of assists (162), with Kevin De Brune (119), Cesc Fabregas (111) and Wayne Rooney (103) trailing behind the Welsh Wizard's impressive number of goal involvements.
Alan Shearer remains the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer after scoring 260 goals for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, a record that has still not been broken.
The ex-England striker’s consistency across fourteen campaigns has placed him comfortably ahead of the pack, as Harry Kane seals second spot with 213 goals.
Wayne Rooney sits in third place, registering 208 times for both Everton and Manchester United. Between the posts, Petr Cech is the undisputed 'clean sheet king.'
The former Chelsea and Arsenal stopper prevented the opposition from scoring 202 times for both Chelsea (162) and Arsenal (40) and won four ‘golden gloves’ - an award presented to the goalkeeper who keeps the most Premier League clean sheets each season.
Which Teams Hold Premier League Records?
Unsurprisingly, Manchester United have accumulated the most points in Premier League history, with Arsenal taking the second spot just ahead of Chelsea in third.
Despite dominating the modern era, Manchester City’s overall historical points tally was impacted by several difficult decades before their rise to football superpower status.
However, they do hold the record for most points won in a single season when, during the 2017/18 season, City lost just once and, as a result, amassed an incredible 100 points!
The fewest number of points gained during a Premier League campaign belongs to Derby County. In 2007/2008, the Midlands club finished with just 11 points and managed just one victory in 38 attempts.
Who Are The Premier League’s Greatest Ever Managers?
Based upon statistics alone and more specifically ‘win percentage,’ Pep Guardiola is the Premier League’s greatest-ever manager.
During his reign at The Etihad so far, the Spaniard has been victorious 74% of the time, Alex Ferguson has a win ratio of 65%, closely followed by Jurgen Klopp with a 63% win rate.
However, such rigid data doesn't always tell the whole story. For example, in 2003, Trevor Brooking took charge of West Ham, winning two of his three games at the helm.
This technically gave him one of the highest win percentages in Premier League history, although statistics alone rarely tell the full story.
A questionable statement for sure. In terms of Premier League title wins, Sir Alex Ferguson stands out as the most successful boss, lifting the trophy on no less than thirteen separate occasions. Relative newcomer Pep Guardiola already has six titles under his belt, and Arsene Wenger holds a trio of Championships.
The former Arsenal manager's lasting influence on the English game can't be understated either.
Arguably, he led a revolutionary culture shift with fresh approaches to conditioning (players' diet habits and training routines) and brought a ‘foreign flair’ first seen in his turn-of-the-century Gunners’ teams. Pep Guardiola has even claimed that ‘the Premier League’s style is because of him.’
The summer just after Wenger led his Gunners to title glory, Jose Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2004 as a European Cup winner with Porto. His immediate impact on the Premier League has rarely been emulated.
For those with knowledge of the game beyond England, it came as no surprise when the Portuguese maestro won his first four league games in charge of Chelsea and went on to claim the title with an impressive 95 points.
He would lift the trophy again the following season and a third time on his return to the club in 2014/15. His side's playing style was nearly revolutionary within the English game. A mixture of brutish defensive stability and direct attacking flair became almost unplayable.
Claudio Ranieri provides a 'curveball' choice for the greatest manager accolade, following his achievements with Leicester City across the 2015/16 season, the Italian guiding The Foxes to the most unlikely of Premier League titles at odds of 5000/1.
How Much Is The Premier League Worth?
The Premier League is worth many billions of pounds and remains comfortably the richest domestic football league in the world, thanks to its enormous global audience and commercial power.
Compared to other major European leagues, the Premier League continues to generate significantly larger broadcasting and sponsorship revenues.
The average value of a Premier League club is a staggering £1 billion, according to Forbes list of ‘most valuable clubs in the world’; nine out of the top twenty positions are occupied by teams currently in England's top flight.
As anticipated, Manchester United holds the title of the Premier League's most valuable team, with a reported valuation approaching £5 billion. In contrast, Bournemouth is the least valuable, with an estimated worth ranging from £200 to £300 million.
TV rights are integral to the League’s financial clout and the recent signing of a three-year mega deal worth £10 billion. That’s just over £3 billion per season. The ‘true’ value of the Premier League could be as much as £30 billion!
More than thirty years after its creation, the Premier League continues to captivate audiences around the globe with its drama, intensity, history and world-class talent. For many fans, it remains the ultimate football competition to watch and follow.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Follow Think Football Ideas across our social channels, on Facebook, X [Twitter] and Instagram.
Comments