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THE HISTORY OF THE F.A. PREMIER LEAGUE
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The FA Premier League was formed on 20 February 1992 and took over as the top 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.
On 11 May 1985 56 fans lost their lives when fire broke out at Bradford City's ground. Later that the season, on 29 May, the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus saw the Heysel disaster. Violence broke out between rival supporters, which led to the deaths of 39 fans and resulted in a five-year blanket ban on English clubs in European football. Disaster also struck in April 1989 when 96 football fans were killed and over 150 seriously injured at Sheffield Wednesday's ground, Hillsborough, as they became crushed on an overcrowded terrace at the FA Cup semi final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
The English game was at possibly its lowest ebb. Stadiums were crumbling, supporters were faced with poor facilities, hooliganism was rife and English football was exiled from European competition. The old First Division became a selling League as many top players were lured by the financial attractions of the Continent.
Following Hillsborough, Lord Justice Taylor recommended a huge programme of investment in order to make football grounds safe and comfortable environments for supporters and to help eliminate crowd disorder problems of the past. One of the key elements of the Report was the introduction of an all-seater policy at designated football grounds.
Football’s image had been severely tarnished and the English game was suffering from an acute lack of investment. By 1992 Clubs were facing huge costs, as the scale of meeting the recommendations of the Taylor report became apparent. In addition many top clubs voiced growing concerns over their inability to compete for the top players in the transfer market and bridge the gap with European clubs who had advanced considerably during the English Clubs enforced exile from European competition.
A radical restructuring of the game 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 F.A. Premier League.
The newly formed top division would have commercial independence from the Football Association and the Football League, giving the F.A. 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 the 27th May 1992 the F.A. Premier League was formed as a limited company, which worked out of an office at the then Football Association’s headquarters, Lancaster Gate.
From the outset of the F.A. Premier League there was a commitment to reduce the league from twenty-two clubs to twenty, reflecting the collective will to the development of excellence in the game at club and international level. This change was made at the end of the 1994-95 season.
The first matches kicked off on Saturday 15th August 1992 and when Brian Deane scored the first ever F.A. Premier League goal few could have imagined that the competition would come so far in such a short period time. One of the major factors in this rapid development was the F.A. Premier League’s relationship with television.
Television has played a major role in the history of the F.A. Premier League. The money from TV deals has been vital in helping to create excellence both on and off the field. The initial decision to go with Sky was, again, a radical decision, but one that has paid off. At the time pay television was a relatively untested proposition in the UK market, as was charging fans to watch live televised football. However a combination of Sky’s marketing strategy, the quality of the F.A. Premier League football and the public’s appetite for the game has seen the value of the F.A. Premier League’s broadcast rights soar and delivered huge benefits to the game.
The first Sky television agreement was worth £191 million over five seasons. The next contract, negotiated to start from the 1997/98 season, rose to £670 million over four seasons. The Premier League’s current £1.1 billion deal with Sky runs over the course of three seasons from August 2001.
The money generated from the broadcast and sponsorship deals has helped transform the F.A. Premier League into the best domestic league competition in the world. Clubs stadia and facilities in the 1980’s were often said to be more akin to those of the 1880’s. Fan’s watched as their Clubs invested over £1 billion transforming their grounds, making their stadia the envy of Europe.
Attracted by rising standards the likes of Jurgen Klinnsmann, Gianfranco Zola and Gianluca Vialli were soon appearing at top-flight grounds.
The F.A. Premier League continues to attract the world’s finest players. There are now over 260 foreign players in the Barclaycard Premiership. An indication of their quality is the fact that 101 stars from England’s domestic leagues competed in the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.
In addition to attracting top overseas stars foreign coaches also started plying their trade in the F.A. Premier League. The likes of Ruud Gullit, Arsene Wenger and Gerrard Houllier introduced coaching techniques and practices that have served to benefit all aspects of the game.
The cosmopolitan makeup of the F.A. Premier League, as well as the exciting style of play, has contributed to the league’s growing international popularity. Overseas television coverage has also grown to such a level that matches are now seen in over 150 countries to a home reach of 450 million people worldwide.
The F.A. Premier league’s top teams were now competing in Europe with notable successes for Manchester United (Champions League 1999), Arsenal (Cup Winner’s Cup 1994), Chelsea (Cup Winner’s Cup 1998) and Liverpool (Uefa Cup 2001). In the 2002/03 season the Premier League had a total of eight Clubs involved in European competition – Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leeds, Blackburn and Fulham.
The will to pursue excellence at all levels can be seen through the creation of the F.A. Premier League Academy structure. Developed in tandem with the Football Association’s ‘Charter for Quality’ it was launched in 1998. This investment in skills and facilities will help create the Premiership and international footballers of the future. Already some of the graduates of the academy system are performing star roles in the Barclays Premiership, such as Joe Cole and Damien Duff, and it is hoped that the establishment of the Barclaycard Premiership Reserve League will help assist the development of Academy players to the first-team.
The F.A. Premier League’s £20 million investment in the Football Foundation in partnership with government, Sport England and the Football Association will help ensure that the grassroots of the game receive the necessary funding where it is required most. Through the Foundation a new generation of modern football facilities in parks, local leagues and schools is being put in place, as well as providing capital and revenue support.
The last 11 years has seen great improvements in the relationship between Clubs and their supporters. Acting upon the recommendations of the Football Task Force the Premier League has overseen the introduction of Club Customer Charters to ensure fans get a fair deal from their Club. The F.A. Premier League also commissions an annual fan survey and oversees Club supporter panels in order that supporter’s views are aired at every level.
The history of the F.A. Premier League is one of setting standards for others to follow both on and off the field. Together with the Clubs new ideas are constantly being discussed and implemented to help maintain the F.A. Premier League as the leading domestic league competition. The 2001/02 season saw the introduction of ‘professional’ referees. Under the stewardship of Philip Don the Select Group are committed to increasing standards of consistency, decision making and fitness for the good of the game and the competition.
The F.A. Premier League, in partnership with the Clubs, is formulating a comprehensive corporate social responsibility programme. Using the motivational, educational and community based attributes intrinsic to football to work with society’s young and disadvantaged. Our work with the Prince’s Trust, Football Aid, Kick it Out and government departments helps thousands of people every year.
Eleven years after its formation, the F.A. Premier League has confirmed its position as the world’s best domestic league competition. Over 10,000 goals have been scored and over 100 million people have passed through the turnstiles, with average attendances rising to an all-time high of 34,324 in 2001-2, some 60.5% up from the inaugural season.
Undoubtedly the most successful team in the history of the F.A. Premier League has been Manchester United with eight titles out of the 11 – a magnificent achievement and testament to the managerial skills of Sir Alex Ferguson. However there have been many great teams, players and moments: Blackburn Rovers return to the big time with Jack Walker’s millions, Kenny Dalglish’s guidance and Alan Shearer’s goals; Newcastle United, dubbed ‘the entertainers’ under Kevin Keegan; two stylish doubles for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger; Liverpool’s re-emergence and a five cup haul under the passionate and determined Gerrard Houllier. What is certain is that during the course of a Premier League season many stories unfold. Each year the competition has produced twists and turns at both ends of the table. Indeed, the race for the title in 1995-96 was so close, Wembley Stadium had been booked on Thursday 16th May and tickets printed for a one-off title decider between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
The 2001/02 season saw the F.A. Premier League end its nine-year association with Carling to start a new partnership with Barclaycard.
The first season of the Barclaycard Premiership saw possibly the most interesting and exciting title race in the history of the F.A. Premier League. Arsenal – unbeaten away all season, unbeaten home and away since Christmas and scoring in every game – were crowned Champions with only one game to go after being pushed all the way by Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle.
The second season of the Barclaycard Premiership matched the first for excitement and tension in the title race. Manchester United launched a superb run which saw them end the season with an 18-match unbeaten streak of 15 wins and three draws, collecting 48 points from a possible 54 to overhaul reigning champions Arsenal in the closing stages of the campaign. Newcastle and Chelsea were also in contention and secured deserved Champions League places. Former champions Blackburn ended the season with a flourish to secure a UEFA Cup place alongside Liverpool and defeated FA Cup finalists Southampton.
Newly-promoted Manchester City marked their return to the top-flight by ending the season in the top-half of the table, while Birmingham brought even more French flair to the competition with the signing of Christophe Dugarry.
This season the F.A. Premier League sees the return of Leicester City and also welcomes Portsmouth and Wolves, the 37th and 38th Clubs to have been members of the F.A. Premier League.
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