Premier League
The Premier League was established in 1992, succeeding the Football League First Division, which originated in 1888. Today, it is widely regarded as the strongest and most competitive football league in the world.Although English clubs do not claim major European trophies as frequently as Spanish teams, the Premier League is still viewed as the toughest league overall.
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| Premier League 1992 |
Facts and Records
The Premier League, officially founded in 1992 but rooted in the Football League formed in 1888, is the top division of English football and is organized by The Football Association (FA).
Historically, it has been known as the Football League from 1888 to 1992, before adopting its current name. Manchester United holds the record for the most league titles with 20 championship wins, including those from the Football League era. Everton has participated in the most seasons, appearing 119 times across the league’s history. Alan Shearer remains the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 260 goals, counted only from the Premier League era.
History
The origins of the Premier League trace back to a difficult era for English club football. Stadium attendance had dropped to record lows, and the league had become infamous for hooliganism. During the 1985–86 season, the league even began without television coverage due to failed broadcasting negotiations. It was during this period that the country’s biggest clubs started discussing the possibility of creating a new, independent top-tier competition.
The formation of the Premier League marked a historic split from the Football League, whose traditions dated back to the late 19th century. Although the Premier League separated from the Football League organization, it remained part of the English football pyramid: the lowest-placed clubs in the Premier League would still be relegated to the second tier, while the top clubs from the second division would earn promotion.
New TV deals were struck with broadcasters who recognized the sport’s rising commercial potential. Sky secured the media rights and introduced longer, five-hour broadcast slots. Influenced by the American NFL style, Sky implemented features such as Monday Night Football to enhance the viewing experience, helping transform English football into the global spectacle it is today.
League system
A full overview of the current league system in England is shown in Table 1.
| Club | Tier |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 1 |
| Championship | 2 |
| League One | 3 |
| League Two | 4 |
| National League | 5 |
| National League North / South | 6 |
Teams and players
Teams with most titles
| Club | Titles |
|---|---|
| Manchester United | 13 |
| Manchester City | 9 |
| Chelsea | 5 |
| Arsenal | 3 |
| Liverpool | 2 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 |
| Leicester City | 1 |
Premier League winners year by year
| Season | Winner | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Liverpool | 84 |
| 2023-24 | Manchester City | 91 |
| 2022-23 | Manchester City | 89 |
| 2021-22 | Manchester City | 93 |
| 2020-21 | Manchester City | 86 |
| 2019-20 | Liverpool | 99 |
| 2018-19 | Manchester City | 98 |
| 2017-18 | Manchester City | 100 |
| 2016-17 | Chelsea | 93 |
| 2015-16 | Leicester City | 81 |
| 2014-15 | Chelsea | 87 |
| 2013-14 | Manchester City | 86 |
| 2012-13 | Manchester United | 89 |
| 2011-12 | Manchester City | 89 |
| 2010-11 | Manchester United | 80 |
| 2009-10 | Chelsea | 86 |
| 2008-09 | Manchester United | 90 |
| 2007-08 | Manchester United | 87 |
| 2006-07 | Manchester United | 89 |
| 2005-06 | Chelsea | 91 |
| 2004-05 | Chelsea | 95 |
| 2003-04 | Arsenal | 90 |
| 2002-03 | Manchester United | 83 |
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | 87 |
| 2000-01 | Manchester United | 80 |
| 1999-00 | Manchester United | 91 |
| 1998-99 | Manchester United | 79 |
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | 78 |
| 1996-97 | Manchester United | 75 |
| 1995-96 | Manchester United | 82 |
| 1994-95 | Blackburn Rovers | 89 |
| 1993-94 | Manchester United | 92 |
| 1992-93 | Manchester United | 84 |
The record for the most points in a single season is 100, achieved by Manchester City in 2017–18, averaging approximately 2.6 points per match.
Top goalscorers
Among them, Thierry Henry stands out with the highest goals-per-match rate, averaging an impressive 0.68 goals per game.
Football League titles
This dataset represents all English clubs that have won the top-flight league title — covering both the Football League era and the Premier League era — along with the total number of championships each club has earned and the season in which they first won, for the period spanning 1888 to 2024.
| Club | Titles | 1st title | Football League titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 20 | 1907-08 | 7 |
| Liverpool | 20 | 1900-01 | 18 |
| Arsenal | 13 | 1930-31 | 10 |
| Manchester City | 10 | 1936-37 | 2 |
| Everton | 9 | 1890-91 | 9 |
| Aston Villa | 7 | 1893-94 | 7 |
| Sunderland | 6 | 1891-92 | 6 |
| Chelsea | 6 | 1954-55 | 1 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 4 | 1902-03 | 4 |
| Newcastle | 4 | 1904-05 | 4 |
| Blackburn | 3 | 1911-12 | 2 |
| Huddersfield Town | 3 | 1923-24 | 3 |
| Wolverhampton | 3 | 1953-54 | 3 |
| Leeds United | 3 | 1968-69 | 3 |
| Preston North End | 2 | 1888-89 | 2 |
| Burnley | 2 | 1920-21 | 2 |
| Portsmouth | 2 | 1948-49 | 2 |
| Tottenham | 2 | 1950-51 | 2 |
| Derby | 2 | 1971-72 | 2 |
| Sheffield United | 1 | 1897-98 | 1 |
| West Bromwich | 1 | 1919-20 | 1 |
| Ipswich Town | 1 | 1961-62 | 1 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1 | 1977-78 | 1 |
| Leicester City | 1 | 2015-16 | 0 |
Before the 2004–05 season, the top three lower divisions were rebranded: Division One became the Championship, Division Two became League One, and Division Three became League Two.
The audience
Capacity of Premier League stadiums
| Team | Stadium name | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Emirates Stadium | 60,260 |
| Bournemouth | Dean Court | 11,464 |
| Burnley | Turf Moor | 21,401 |
| Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | 41,631 |
| Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | 25,456 |
| Everton | Goodison Park | 39,572 |
| Hull | KCOM Stadium | 25,450 |
| Leicester | King Power Stadium | 32,312 |
| Liverpool | Anfield | 54,167 |
| Manchester C | City of Manchester | 55,097 |
| Manchester U | Old Trafford | 75,653 |
| Middlesbrough | Riverside Stadium | 33,764 |
| Southampton | St Mary's Stadium | 32,505 |
| Stoke | Stoke-on-Trent | 27,902 |
| Sunderland | Ellis Short | 49,000 |
| Swansea | Liberty Stadium | 20,972 |
| Tottenham | White Hart Lane | 36,228 |
| Watford | Vicare Road | 21,977 |
| West Bromwich | The Hawthorns | 26,852 |
| West Ham | Olympic Stadium | 60,010 |
Attendance per season
The money
The Premier League is one of the world’s wealthiest football competitions. Its television rights deals are extremely valuable, generating massive revenue for both the league and its clubs. Premier League matches are broadcast in more than 180 countries, and within the first 15 years of its formation, club revenues collectively increased by more than 1,000% — far surpassing those of the EFL Championship.
Broadcast revenue is distributed through three main components:
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Equal Share Payments – the largest portion, divided equally among all clubs;
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Facility Fees – awarded based on how often a club appears in live televised matches;
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Merit Payments – distributed according to final league position.
Additional income comes from ticket sales, with prices rising significantly throughout the Premier League era. The league’s financial boom also attracted a large influx of international players and managers, permanently reshaping the style and character of English football.
Furthermore, kit sponsorship deals contribute enormous value, with total revenue expected to exceed €100 million per year.
Qualification for European Cups
Relegations
Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, The Club (2018)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_League
http://www.football-league.co.uk
