The Premier League is an English league for professional football clubs. It is the country's leading football competition and forms the highest level of the English football league system. The competition began in the 1992–93 season, when the country's top clubs broke away from The Football League, and is regarded as one of the strongest football leagues in the world. As of 2008, sixteen Premier League seasons have been completed, although only four different clubs have been crowned champions. Manchester United have won the league eleven times, Arsenal three times, Chelsea twice, and Blackburn Rovers once. The reigning champions are Manchester United, who won a third consecutive title in the 2008–09 season.
History
After several years of discussion over the possibility of a so-called "Super League" being formed by English football's leading clubs, the Premier League came into existence in 1992 when the top clubs broke away from the 104-year old Football League.[1] Manchester United won the first title in the 1992–93 season, the first time the club had won the championship of English football for 26 years.[2] United repeated the feat the following season,[3] but the club's bid for a third consecutive championship was halted in the 1994–95 season by Blackburn Rovers, who won the title for the first time since 1914.[4]
The record for the most points accumulated in a Premier League season belongs to Chelsea, who accumulated 95 points over 38 games in the 2004–05 season. At the other end of the scale, Derby County accumulated just 11 points in the 2007–08 season, beating Sunderland's record of 15 points. Derby County also hold the record for the fewest goals scored in a season, having scored just 20 goals in 2007–08, while Manchester United hold the record for the most goals scored, with 97 in the 1999–2000 season.
Seasons
N1. ^ In addition to the Premier League champions, who also qualify for the Champions League
N2. ^ Includes only those teams who qualified by virtue of their league position, not those who qualified by other means such as winning the FA Cup
N3. ^ Includes only goals scored in the Premier League
N4. ^ Sheringham changed clubs shortly after the start of the season. He scored one goal for Nottingham Forest and 21 for Tottenham Hotspur.
References
- ^ "History of The Football League". The Football League. http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/History/HistoryDetail/0,,10794~1357277,00.html. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ Hughes, Rob (4 May 1993). "Old Trafford stands united in celebration – Football". The Times. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F91FAE6DEFF4AA0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ Holt, Oliver (9 May 1994). "United limp to Robson's final bow – Football". The Times. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F924211DA272325&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ "Blackburn triumph as losers take all – Football". The Times. 15 May 1995. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F92479A6B53A663&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ Ross, James M. (7 November 2008). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engtops.html. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
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