Premiership Formation

[cliffkram]

So the Prem is just over a decade old, right? How was it actually formed? Did the FA just say "Right, we'll take all the teams in Division 1 and just call them the Premier League now"? If they did, why bother changing the name?

[basso001]

Formation? Most of 'em play a 4-4-2.

Oh, you wanted us to be serious?
The teams of the old first division said, "Right. That's it. We're way too big to play with you lot."
They resigned en masse from the Football League and went off to play in their own sandbox.

b.

[cliffkram]

So then after that I assume that they had to sign a new contract with the Football League that says the winners of Division 1 can be promoted to the Premiership. Wouldn't the League say "to hell with you, you dont want to play with us, then you cant have our teams"

[musicl]

Thats what they did say!

[cliffkram]

Then how did they cut a deal for promotion from League to Prem?

[Boro_lad]

1 word

money.

[DAGSports]

Originally posted by Boro_lad
1 word

money.

Indeed, EPL began giving the Football League TV money in return for assurances that they would participate in promotion-relegation (and thus Football League clubs would not be permanently barred of a real chance to make Europe by getting promoted to the Premiership).

Once the FA signed off on the agreement and said they would oversee non-business matters, and NewsCorp blew away ITV for TV rights, namely guarantees of weekly live matches, the EPL was formed.

[cliffkram]

Originally posted by DAGSports
...NewsCorp blew away ITV for TV rights, namely guarantees of weekly live matches, the EPL was formed.

NewsCorp? As in Rupert Murdoch/Fox TV? I didn't know they owned Sky.

[Boro_lad]

well he does

[owian]

Originally posted by cliffkram
NewsCorp? As in Rupert Murdoch/Fox TV? I didn't know they owned Sky.

Yep he does although he is evil there is an advantage for american fans that fox sports world already has the rights to all the epl highlights and games and benefits them to have cross promotion.

[cliffkram]

that being said, is there coverage of MLS on Sky Sports? FSW does the game of the week and MLS Wrap. I ask because I'm moving to England soon and want to know if i'll be able to follow MLS on Sky or NASN.

[Boro_lad]

mls is shown on channel 5 at like 3am

[Captain Splarg]

Originally posted by Boro_lad
mls is shown on channel 5 at like 3am


4:30am, and usually the game is shown on a thursday

[RichardL]

Originally posted by cliffkram
Then how did they cut a deal for promotion from League to Prem?
promotion was never in doubt. Apart from anything else, it's not as if the original 22 clubs (those that resigned) were the hand-picked 'elite' of the game - unless you believe the 'big clubs' wanted permanent competition with the likes of Wimbledon, Oldham, Luton and Notts County, and to exclude the likes of Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle .

[Boro_lad]

middlesbrough were in the first premiership season :P

[basso001]

Originally posted by RichardL
promotion was never in doubt. Apart from anything else, it's not as if the original 22 clubs (those that resigned) were the hand-picked 'elite' of the game - unless you believe the 'big clubs' wanted permanent competition with the likes of Wimbledon, Oldham, Luton and Notts County, and to exclude the likes of Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle .
Thanks, Richard. I had a feeling it went something like that, but I wanted someone who actually knew the answer to provide it.

b.

[gothamite]

There's a great book about it called "Premiership."

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074344065X/qid=1077061883/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-5544440-0237443