Also known as the Barclays Premier League, English Premier League is one of the most-watched soccer leagues across the world. If you love sports, especially football, there is a good chance that you already know something about this league. More than 650 million homes from across the globe have access to English Premier League football on television.
But if you’re new to the thrills and excitement of the Barclays Premier League, you have just arrived in the right place. Here, you will find all the details and key facts about the Premier League in England, including history, the clubs and the bookies that allow gamblers to bet on different matches. Read on to learn more.
The Basics of the Premier League in England
At its most basic, the English Premier League is the lead soccer competition in the UK. Developed following many years of under-investment in playing talent and stadiums, the Premier League in England played its first season in 1992/1993 and was initially composed of 22 football clubs. In the 1995/1996 season, the league reduced the number of clubs to 20.
Widely considered as the elite soccer club league in the world of football, the Barclays Premier League is owned by all the member clubs. The membership of the Premier League is dependent on the success or performance of the respective football teams.
Currently, there are 20 football clubs and the season runs between August and May. Every team in the league plays against each other twice in a single season; once away and once in the home ground. This provides each team with a total of 38 games in one season. Any team that wins get a total of three points, zero points when it loses and one point for a draw.
The team with the highest points at the end of every season becomes the champion. If it happens that two or three teams have the same points at the end of the season, then the goal difference helps to decide the winner.
Every season, the last three teams are relegated to the Championship, which is the second level of English football. Three teams from the second level, which is the Championship are promoted to occupy the space of the relegated ones.
Across the universe, the Premier League in England has more than 80 live broadcast partners. These partners help broadcast all the Premier League games in more than 200 countries in the world. The league attracts top football stars and talents from across the globe thanks to its high standards of football.
Additionally, thousands of football fans watch the Premier League matches in different stadiums, and the excellent performance of top teams in the European football competitions means that it is one of the best leagues in Europe.Â
The History of the Premier League in England
In the early 1990s, First Division clubs in England believed that a radical reform of football was required if they were to develop and become the best in the world. So on 17th July 1991, all clubs in the English First Division agreed to sign the Founder Members Agreement, which established the primary principles for setting up the league.
The Premier League in England would have commercial independence from both the FA and the Football League, allowing it to organise its sponsorship and broadcast agreement. In early 1992, all the 22 First Division football clubs resigned from the Football League, and after three months, the English Premier League was launched as a limited company.
After its establishment, the inaugural English Premier League campaign started on 15th August 1992, with all the 22 football clubs. The 22 club members of the newly formed league included Wimbledon, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest, QPR, Oldham Athletic, Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds United, Everton FC, Coventry City, Ipswich Town, Chelsea FC, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Arsenal.
Out of these clubs, six have never been relegated including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal. When the league was established, there was the idea to reduce the number of football clubs to 20 in order to promote development as well as excellence at both club and international levels. In the 1994/1995 season, the league managed to reduce the number of clubs. At the end of this season, four football clubs were relegated and only two promoted.
The Clubs in the English Premier League
Since the formation of the Premier League, a total of 47 different clubs have competed. Bournemouth, which was promoted in the 2015/2016 season from the Championship was the forty-seventh. Only seven clubs have played in all the 23 seasons of the Premier League, and seven have won the title including Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Leicester, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Liverpool and Manchester United have won the title more than any other team.
Premier League Trophies
English Premier League maintains only two types of trophies which include the genuine trophy and a spare replica. The current champions hold the genuine trophy, and the league holds two trophies since there are possibilities that two teams could win the competition on the final day. Additionally, there is a unique gold version of the Premier League trophy that is awarded to a team that completes a season without any defeat. Arsenal is the only team that has ever received this special trophy.
Royal Jewellers Asprey of London is the one who created the current trophy, which consists of a malachite plinth and golden crown base. The plinth only weighs 15kg while the trophy weighs 10kg. The trophy’s main body is solid silver gilt and sterling silver, while the plinth is created from Malachite, which is a semi-precious stone.
The Premier League in England: Investing in the Future of Football
The league recognises its responsibilities to contribute to English football as well as to achieve high standards of corporate social responsibility. This league invests in the football talents of tomorrow, and it is dedicated to funding and helping a new generation of facilities.
All football clubs in the Premier League are at the centre of helping their communities and fans. Some of them partner up with various online bookies to help communities. On the hand, the league itself utilise the power of football to involve local communities in various programmes that help address four main social issues of health and wellbeing, education, equalities and social inclusion. Also, the Premier League in England features an International Good Causes programme, with the Premier Skills at the heart of that.
Final Thoughts
The Premier League or the EPL is one of the top football leagues in Europe. And many football fans love it for various reasons. The league is well-organised, features competitive teams as well as the best talents from across the world. Additionally, all the games are available to fans from all parts of the universe.
If you love sports as well as online betting, then the Premier League matches are the best to wager on. Due to the nature of the games, you will enjoy the best odds at your favourite bookies not to mention the excitement that different matches offer.
