139-680: The Elite Player Performance Plan ( EPPP ) is a youth development scheme initiated by the Premier League . The intention of the EPPP is to improve the quality and quantity of home-grown players produced by top English clubs. Measures introduced by the EPPP to free up movement of younger players by establishing a hierarchy of association football academies in England and fixing the transfer fees between academies have proved controversial and some smaller clubs closed their academies in response to
278-771: A "B" team and their academy with a "C" team. Premier League The English Premier League ( EPL ) is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system . Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL). Seasons usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away. Most games are played on weekend afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures. The competition
417-410: A 2003 Football Fans Census survey, Aston Villa fans thought of Birmingham City as their main rivals, though this was not always the case. Birmingham's supporters are generally referred to as "Bluenoses" in the media and by the fans themselves; the name is also used in a derogatory manner by fans of other clubs. A piece of public sculpture in the form of a ten-times-life-size head lying on a mound near
556-584: A First Division match against Aston Villa, it became clear that it could no longer cope with the demand. Director Harry Morris identified a site for a new ground in Bordesley Green, some three-quarters of a mile (1 km) from Muntz Street towards the city centre. The site was where a brickworks once operated; the land sloped steeply down to stagnant pools, yet the stadium was constructed in under twelve months from land clearance to opening ceremony on Boxing Day 1906. Heavy snow nearly prevented
695-645: A PIF-backed consortium through the league's Owners' and Directors' test , many MPs, Newcastle United fans and related parties to the deal denounced the Premier League for its perceived lack of transparency and accountability throughout the process. On 6 July 2021, consortium member Amanda Staveley of PCP Capital Partners said that "fans surely deserve absolute transparency from the regulators across all their processes – to best ensure that they act responsibly. They (the Premier League) are performing
834-498: A central control room, which is equipped with multiple camera angles and the ability to replay footage at various speeds. A study evaluating fan reception of VAR in the Premier League was made by Otto Kolbinger and Melanie Knopp and was done by analysing Twitter data. The researchers used sentiment analysis to measure the overall positive or negative attitudes towards VAR, as well as topic modelling to identify specific issues that fans are discussing related to VAR. The study found that
973-427: A club record 267 goals in 445 games, and won 12 caps for England . In 1931, manager Leslie Knighton led the club to their first FA Cup final , which they lost 2–1 to Second Division club West Bromwich Albion . Though Birmingham remained in the top flight for 18 seasons, they struggled in the league, with much reliance placed on England goalkeeper Harry Hibbs to make up for the lack of goals, Bradford excepted, at
1112-564: A failure to agree revisions to the original terms of agreement; in April 2023, Richardson, López and their proposed chief executive, former Charlton Athletic chairman Matt Southall, were sanctioned by the EFL after admitting breaching regulations by taking effective control of the club without approval. In April 2023, Birmingham Sports Holdings confirmed letters of intent had been signed to sell 24% of Birmingham City plc shares held by themselves and
1251-565: A fenced-off field in Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook , where admission could be charged. A year later, they moved again, to a field adjoining Muntz Street, Small Heath , near the main Coventry Road , with a capacity of about 10,000. The Muntz Street ground was adequate for 1880s friendly matches, and the capacity was gradually raised to around 30,000, but when several thousand spectators scaled walls and broke down turnstiles to get into
1390-607: A friendly match against Borussia Dortmund in 1957. By the early 1960s a stand had been built at the Railway End to the same design as the Main Stand, roofs had been put on the Kop and Tilton Road End, and the ground capacity was down to about 55,000. Resulting from the 1986 Popplewell Report into the safety of sports grounds and the later Taylor Report , the capacity of St Andrew's was set at 28,235 for safety reasons, but it
1529-562: A function like that of a government regulator – but without the same systems for accountability." On 22 July 2021, Tracey Crouch MP – chair of the fan-led review into the UK's football governance – announced in the review's interim findings that the Premier League had "lost the trust and confidence" of fans. The review also recommended that a new independent regulator be created to oversee matters such as club takeovers. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters had earlier spoken out against
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#17327654739341668-495: A further £343 million in solidarity payments to EFL clubs. The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes, with a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. For the 2023–24 season , the average Premier League match attendance was 38,375, second to the German Bundesliga 's 39,512, whilst aggregated attendance across all matches
1807-439: A level of ownership that required them to make an offer for the remainder. To keep the company running, TTA arranged loans which it settled with discounted shares to the same value; the process of creating such shares diluted the percentage holding of all shareholders. Attempts to diversify the company's holdings to make it less reliant on the football club were similarly funded. To reduce the club's losses in light of breaches of
1946-473: A long-standing and fierce rivalry with Aston Villa , their nearest neighbours, with whom they play the Second City derby . The club's nickname is Blues, after the colour of their kit , and the fans are known as Bluenoses. Birmingham City were founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875, and from 1877 played their home games at Muntz Street . The club turned professional in 1885, and three years later became
2085-429: A narrow base of six clubs. In the five seasons following the 2011–12 campaign, Manchester United and Liverpool both found themselves outside of the top four three times, whilst Chelsea finished 10th in the 2015–16 season. Arsenal finished 5th in 2016–17 , ending their record run of 20 consecutive top-four finishes. In the 2015–16 season , underdogs Leicester City won the Premier League. With 5000/1 odds of winning
2224-562: A pre-tax profit of £4.3M in the year ending 31 August 2008. In July 2007, Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung, via the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK)-listed company Grandtop International Holdings Limited (GIH), bought 29.9% of the plc from its directors. Although his intention to take full control of the club initially came to nothing, GIH completed the purchase in October 2009 at a total cost of £81.5M, re-registered
2363-407: A record six English clubs having won fifteen European championships in total. Fifty-one clubs have competed in the Premier League since its inception in 1992: 49 from England and two from Wales . Seven of them have won the title: Manchester United (13), Manchester City (8), Chelsea (5), Arsenal (3), Blackburn Rovers (1), Leicester City (1), and Liverpool (1). Manchester City hold
2502-693: A relief to the club not only financially: the vice-chairman claimed that as a "big club ... people expect us to have a shirt sponsor and we have been lagging behind". Later sponsors included car retailer PJ Evans/Evans Halshaw (1988–1989), Mark One (1989–1992), Triton Showers (1992–1995), Auto Windscreens (1995–2001), Phones 4u (2001–2003), Flybe (2003–2007), F&C Investments (2007–2011), foreign exchange company RationalFX (2011–2012), "lifestyle and leisure" business EZE Group (2012–2013 and 2015–2016), e-cigarette company Nicolites (2013–2014), mobile payment enabler Zapaygo (2014–2015), 888sport (2016–2019) and BoyleSports (2019–2023). In June 2020,
2641-506: A series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs. The number of clubs was reduced from 22 to 20 in 1995 , when four teams were relegated from the league and only two teams promoted. The top flight had only been expanded to 22 teams at the start of the 1991–92 season – the year prior to the formation of the Premier League. On 8 June 2006, FIFA requested that all major European leagues, including Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga , be reduced to 18 teams by
2780-472: A single division and the Football League with three. There was no change in competition format; the same number of teams competed in the top flight, and promotion and relegation between the Premier League and the new First Division remained the same as the old First and Second Divisions , with three teams relegated from the league and three promoted. The league held its first season in 1992–93 . It
2919-456: A special shareholder during the election of the chairman and chief executive and when new rules are adopted by the league. The current chief executive is Richard Masters , who was appointed in December 2019. The chair is currently Alison Brittain , who took over the role in early 2023. The Premier League sends representatives to UEFA's European Club Association , the number of clubs and
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#17327654739343058-547: A time when many such firms had associations with racist or right-wing groups. The fans' anthem, an adaptation of Harry Lauder 's " Keep Right On To The End of the Road ", was adopted during the 1956 FA Cup campaign. The Times 's football correspondent described in his Cup final preview how the Birmingham clans swept their side along to Wembley – the first side ever to reach a final without once playing at home – on
3197-552: A two-year agreement in 1986, but by 1988, in a deal agreed with ITV , the price rose to £44 million over four years, with the leading clubs taking 75% of the cash. According to Scholar, who was involved in the negotiations of television deals, each of the First Division clubs received only around £25,000 per year from television rights before 1986, this increased to around £50,000 in the 1986 negotiation, then to £600,000 in 1988. The 1988 negotiations were conducted under
3336-404: A win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference , and then goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, the head-to-head record between the tied teams is taken into consideration (points scored in
3475-403: A £5 billion television rights deal, with Sky and BT Group securing the domestic rights to broadcast 128 and 32 games, respectively. This deal will rise to £6.7 billion for the four seasons from 2025 to 2029. The league is projected to earn $ 7.2 billion in overseas TV rights from 2022 to 2025. Clubs were apportioned central payment revenues of £2.4 billion in 2016–17 , with
3614-601: Is a professional football club based in Birmingham , England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Its first team plays in EFL League One , the third tier of English football , following relegation in 2024. As Small Heath, they played in the Football Alliance before becoming founder members and first champions of
3753-476: Is believed to be the first time in Premier League history that a game was paused to allow Muslim players to eat and drink after the sun had set in accordance with the rules of the faith. The 2022–23 season was the first to take a six-week break between November and December 2022 to allow for the first winter World Cup , with a return for the Boxing Day fixtures. The Premier League players decided to take
3892-399: Is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world." Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said in defence: "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle, or at the bottom that make it interesting." Between 2005 and 2012, there was a Premier League representative in seven of
4031-401: Is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a shareholder , with one vote each on issues such as rule changes and contracts. The clubs select a chairman, chief executive, and board of directors to oversee the daily operations of the league. The Football Association is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Premier League, but has veto power as
4170-477: Is responsible for electing three members to UEFA's Club Competitions Committee, which is involved in the operations of UEFA competitions such as the Champions League and UEFA Europa League . The Premier League has faced criticism of its governance due to an alleged lack of transparency and accountability . Following the Premier League's blocking of the attempted takeover of Newcastle United by
4309-470: The 1994–95 FA Premier League and Newcastle led the title charge over United for much of the 1995–96 season . As the decade closed, Arsenal replicated Manchester United's dominance by winning the League and FA Cup double in 1997–98 , and together they would form a duopoly over the league between 1997 and 2003. The 2000s saw the rise of Liverpool alongside the "Big 2", followed by Chelsea finally breaking
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4448-410: The 2011–12 season , becoming the first club outside the "Big Four" to win since Blackburn Rovers in the 1994–95 season . That season also saw two of the "Big Four" (Chelsea and Liverpool) finish outside the top four places for the first time since that season. With only four UEFA Champions League qualifying places available in the league, greater competition for qualification now exists, albeit from
4587-551: The BBC awarded the highlights package broadcast on Match of the Day . Luton Town , Notts County , and West Ham United were the three teams relegated from the old First Division at the end of the 1991–92 season, and did not take part in the inaugural Premier League season. They were replaced by Ipswich Town , Middlesbrough , and Blackburn Rovers, promoted from the old Second Division. The 22 First Division clubs resigned en masse from
4726-436: The English Football League (EFL), which was forthcoming in early June, and by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE), and an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on 13 July voted overwhelmingly to accept. Although BSH retain 51% of the shares, Wagner confirmed that Shelby were "responsible for the operations of the club moving forward" and that "nothing about the way the transaction is structured will prevent us from obtaining
4865-486: The Football League Second Division . The most successful period in their history was in the 1950s and early 1960s. They achieved their highest finishing position of sixth in the First Division in the 1955–56 season and reached the 1956 FA Cup final . Birmingham played in two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup finals, in 1960 , as the first English club side to reach a major European final, and again
5004-424: The Premier League . Motivated by the inspirational Christophe Dugarry , Birmingham's first top-flight season for 16 years finished in mid-table. Loan signing Mikael Forssell 's 17 league goals helped Birmingham to a top-half finish in 2003–04, but when he was injured, the 2004–05 team struggled for goals. In July 2005, chairman David Gold said it was time to "start talking about being as good as anyone outside
5143-644: The following year . They won the League Cup in 1963 and again in 2011 . Birmingham have played in the top tier of English football for around half of their history: the longest period spent outside the top division, between 1986 and 2002, included two brief spells in the third tier of English football, during which time they won the Football League Trophy twice. St Andrew's , renamed St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park in 2024 for sponsorship reasons, has been their home ground since 1906. They have
5282-457: The test match system; the following season promotion to the First Division was secured after a second-place finish and test match victory over Darwen . The club adopted the name Birmingham Football Club in 1905, and moved into their new home, St Andrew's Ground , the following year. Matters on the field failed to live up to their surroundings. Birmingham were relegated in 1908, obliged to apply for re-election two years later, and remained in
5421-407: The " Big Six ". In the 2009–10 season , Tottenham finished fourth and became the first new team to finish in the top four since Everton five years prior. Criticism of the gap between an elite group of "super clubs" and the majority of the Premier League has continued, nevertheless, due to their increasing ability to spend more than the other Premier League clubs. Manchester City won the title in
5560-575: The 1960 Fairs Cup final and 4–2 to A.S. Roma the following year. In the 1961 semi-final they beat Internazionale home and away; no other English club won a competitive game in the San Siro until Arsenal managed it in 2003. Gil Merrick 's side saved their best form for cup competitions. Though opponents in the 1963 League Cup final , local rivals Aston Villa , were pre-match favourites, Birmingham raised their game and won 3–1 on aggregate to lift their first major trophy. In 1965, after ten years in
5699-559: The 1990–1991 season, a proposal was tabled for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1991, by the game's top-flight clubs, established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League. The newly formed top division was to have commercial independence from the Football Association and the Football League, giving
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5838-495: The 2012–13 season, stating that the cost of implementing the EPPP was part of the reason for this. Brentford closed their academy at the end of the 2015–16 season, citing the EPPP as a reason for the closure. Bolton also downgraded their academy in 2015 in order to save money. They downgraded it again in 2020. Salford City scrapped their academy before the start of the 2020–2021 season. On 7 December 2020, Birmingham City announced they would be replacing their development squad with
5977-430: The 21.64% owned by Oriental Rainbow, as well as the whole of Birmingham City Stadium Ltd, to a then unnamed potential purchaser, definitive agreements to be reached within a two-month exclusivity period. The purchaser was named as Shelby Companies Ltd, a subsidiary of asset management company Knighthead Capital Management fronted by Tom Wagner, Knighthead's co-founder and co-CEO. The agreements were subject to approval by
6116-473: The 42-game season. Storer's successor, Bob Brocklebank , though unable to stave off relegation in 1950, brought in players who made a major contribution to the club's successes of the next decade. When Arthur Turner took over as manager in November 1954, he made them play closer to their potential, and a 5–1 win on the last day of the 1954–55 season confirmed them as champions. In their first season back in
6255-680: The Arsenal-Man United duopoly by winning the league in 2004–05 . The dominance of the so-called "Big Four" clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United – saw them finish at the top of the table for most of the decade, thereby guaranteeing qualification for the UEFA Champions League . Only three other clubs managed to qualify for the competition during this period: Newcastle United ( 2001–02 and 2002–03 ), Everton ( 2004–05 ), and Tottenham Hotspur ( 2009–10 ) – each occupying
6394-593: The Birmingham City Supporters' Trust's application for listing St Andrew's as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) – a building or other land whose main use "furthers the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community" and where it is realistic to believe it could do so in the future. – under the Localism Act 2011 was approved by Birmingham City Council. This requires any proposed sale to be notified to
6533-554: The Champions League, in the 2000–01 season . There were three Premier League teams in the Champions League semi-finals in 2006–07 , 2007–08 , and 2008–09 , a feat only ever achieved five times (along with Serie A in 2002–03 and La Liga in 1999–2000 ). Additionally, between the 1999–2000 and 2009–10 seasons, four Premier League sides reached the UEFA Cup or Europa League finals, with only Liverpool managing to win
6672-441: The EFL's Profitability and Sustainability Regulations, the stadium was sold for £22.8 million to Birmingham City Stadium Ltd, a new company wholly owned by the football club's parent, and would be leased back to the club, In December 2020, 21.64% of the club and 25% of Birmingham City Stadium were sold to Vong Pech's Oriental Rainbow, and in April 2021, the remaining 75% of the stadium was sold. A June 2022 attempt to purchase
6811-510: The End of the Road". I thought no more about it, but when the third goal went in at Hillsborough the Blues fans all started singing it. It was the proudest moment of my life. Small Heath F.C. became a limited company in 1888; its first share issue was to the value of £650. The board was made up of local businessmen and dignitaries until 1965, when the club was sold to Clifford Coombs. By the mid-1980s
6950-439: The FA Premier League licence to negotiate its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow English clubs to compete with teams across Europe. Although Dyke played a significant role in the creation of the Premier League, he and ITV (of which LWT was part) lost out in the bidding for broadcast rights: BSkyB won with a bid of £304 million over five years, with
7089-626: The FA were receptive to the idea. The FA did not have an amicable relationship with the Football League at the time and considered it a way to weaken the Football League 's position. The FA released a report in June 1991, Blueprint for the Future of Football , that supported the plan for the Premier League, with the FA as the ultimate authority that would oversee the breakaway league. At the close of
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#17327654739347228-619: The First Division, Birmingham achieved their highest league finish of sixth place. They also reached the FA Cup final , losing 3–1 to Manchester City in the game notable for City's goalkeeper Bert Trautmann playing the last 20 minutes with a broken bone in his neck. The following season the club lost in the FA Cup semi-final for the third time since the war, this time beaten 2–0 by Manchester United 's " Busby Babes ". Birmingham became
7367-414: The First Division, but a poor start to the 1981–82 season saw him replaced by Ron Saunders , who had just resigned from league champions Aston Villa. Saunders' team struggled to score goals and were relegated in 1984. They bounced back up, but the last home game of the 1984–85 promotion season, against Leeds United , was marred by rioting, culminating in the death of a boy when a wall collapsed on him. This
7506-411: The Football League did not accept the new deal. It has been described by some as a way of catering for only the elite. The new rules mean that a Category 1 academy can go to any other training ground to watch a player (giving 48 hours' notice) and effectively buy the player for a fixed fee starting from £3,000. Hereford United , Wycombe Wanderers and Yeovil Town folded their academies at the start of
7645-474: The Football League in 1992, and on 27 May that year, the FA Premier League was formed as a limited company , working out of an office at the Football Association's then headquarters in Lancaster Gate . The 22 inaugural members of the new Premier League were: This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions; the Premier League would operate with
7784-452: The Kumars' businesses into receivership ; in November 1992 BCCI's liquidator put up for sale their 84% holding in the football club. The club continued in administration for four months, until Sport Newspapers ' proprietor David Sullivan bought it for £700,000, installed the then 23-year-old Karren Brady as managing director and allowed Cooper money for signings. On the last day of
7923-611: The Kumars' businesses into receivership. The club continued in administration for four months until Sport Newspapers ' proprietor David Sullivan bought the Kumars' 84% holding for £700,000 from BCCI's liquidator in March 1993. Birmingham City plc , of which the football club was a wholly owned subsidiary, was floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 1997 with an issue of 15 million new shares, raising £7.5 million of new investment. It made
8062-534: The Main Stand and space for 22,000 under cover. By 1938 the official capacity was 68,000, and February 1939 saw the attendance record set at the fifth round FA Cup tie against Everton, variously recorded as 66,844 or 67,341. On the outbreak of the Second World War, the Chief Constable ordered the ground's closure because of the danger from air raids; it was the only ground to be thus closed, and
8201-426: The Premier League. In [The Premier League] you never really know what is going to happen, there is very little between the teams. – Luis Suarez There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system ), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for 38 games. Teams receive three points for
8340-559: The Second Division until after the First World War. Frank Womack 's captaincy and the creativity of Scottish international playmaker Johnny Crosbie contributed much to Birmingham winning their second Division Two title in 1920–21 . Womack went on to make 515 appearances, a club record for an outfielder , over a twenty-year career. 1920 also saw the debut of the 19-year-old Joe Bradford , who went on to score
8479-506: The St Andrew's ground, Ondré Nowakowski's Sleeping Iron Giant , has been repeatedly defaced with blue paint on its nose. Between 1994 and 1997, the club mascot took the form of a blue nose, though it is now a dog named Beau Brummie , a play on the name Beau Brummell and Brummie , the slang word for a person from Birmingham. A number of supporters' clubs are affiliated to the football club, both in England and abroad. An action group
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#17327654739348618-470: The actual shade used has varied. Shorts have been either blue or white, and socks usually blue, white or a combination. White, yellow, red and black, on their own or in combination, have been the most frequently used colours for the away kit. There were aberrations: the 1992 kit, sponsored by Triton Showers, was made of a blue material covered with multicoloured splashes which resembled a shower curtain. The home shirt has only once featured stripes: in 1999,
8757-656: The aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster ; between the fans of Liverpool and the fans of Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, Yorkshire on 15 April 1989, was published in January 1990. During the 1980s, major English clubs began to transform into business ventures, applying commercial principles to club administration to maximise revenue. Martin Edwards of Manchester United , Irving Scholar of Tottenham Hotspur , and David Dein of Arsenal were among
8896-401: The all-time points table, were over 300 points ahead of the next team, Tottenham Hotspur. They are also the only teams to maintain a winning average of over 50% throughout their entire Premier League tenures. The years following 2009 marked a shift from the "Big Four" with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City breaking into the top four places on a regular basis, turning the "Big Four" into
9035-420: The best players and command the largest fees. Category 1 academies will have high contact time with young players, require a minimum of 18 full-time staff and an operational budget of £2.5m. Academies will be reviewed every two years and re-categorised if necessary. Categorisation is the result of an independent audit. A fixed tariff for transfers of players under 18 – The proposed tariff is: This will replace
9174-452: The blue shirt had a front central panel in narrow blue and white stripes, a design similar to the Tesco supermarket carrier bag of the time. When the club changed its name from Small Heath to Birmingham in 1905 it adopted the city's coat of arms as its badge , although this was not always worn on the shirts. The 1970s "penguin" shirt carried the letters "BCFC" intertwined at the centre of
9313-412: The changes. The EPPP was accepted by the 72 member clubs of the Football League on 20 October 2011. The clubs voted 46 in favour and 22 against, with three no-shows and one abstention. The Premier League published the following list of principles upon which the EPPP was designed after its ratification by the members of the Football League : The plan aims to improve youth development by focusing on
9452-482: The chest. The Sports Argus newspaper ran a competition in 1972 to design a new badge for the club. The winning entry, a line-drawn globe and ball, with a ribbon carrying the club's name and date of foundation, in plain blue and white, was adopted by the club but not worn on playing shirts until 1976, after the design was granted by the College of Arms in 1975. An experiment made in the early 1990s with colouring in
9591-670: The club announced a four-year partnership with Nike as supplier of kits, upgraded during the 2023–24 season to include bespoke rather than off-the-shelf product. The 2024–25 home kit consists of a royal blue shirt with white trim and – with echoes of the Co-op Milk shirt of the 1980s – a white strip across the front carrying the logo of the club's principal partner, streetwear company Undefeated, white shorts and royal blue socks. Small Heath Alliance played their first home games on waste ground off Arthur Street, Bordesley Green . As interest grew, they moved to
9730-606: The club as a private company, and renamed the holding company Birmingham International Holdings (BIH). Trading in BIH shares was suspended in June 2011 after Yeung's arrest on charges of money-laundering. Publication of financial results was repeatedly delayed, which led the Football League to impose a transfer embargo, and offers for the club were entertained from 2012 onwards. After Yeung resigned his positions with both club and company in early 2014, share trading resumed, and following his conviction, efforts intensified to dispose of
9869-517: The club by a group fronted by former Watford owner Laurence Bassini , involving financier Keith Harris and with money loaned by David Sullivan, came to nothing. A consortium led by fashion industry businessman Paul Richardson and Argentine former footballer Maxi López announced in July that they were close to completing the purchase of a stake in the club, and later confirmed that they were providing operating funds, but pulled out in December citing
10008-594: The club gained considerable publicity from the arrival of American football player Tom Brady as minority owner. In early October, with the team in the play-off places, Eustace was sacked. In a move that echoed Rowett's replacement by Zola seven years prior, the board stressed the need for "a winning mentality and a culture of ambition" across the club, and a new appointment with "[responsibility] for creating an identity and clear 'no fear' playing style". After former England international Wayne Rooney 's two wins from 15 matches left Birmingham in 20th place, Tony Mowbray
10147-503: The club raised money by selling Bob Latchford to Everton for a British record fee of £350,000, but without his goals the team struggled. Sir Alf Ramsey briefly managed the club before Jim Smith took over in 1978. With relegation a certainty, the club sold Trevor Francis to Nottingham Forest , making him the first player transferred for a fee of £1 million; Francis had scored 133 goals in 329 appearances over his nine years at Birmingham. Smith took Birmingham straight back to
10286-594: The club was in financial trouble. Control passed from the Coombs family to former Walsall chairman Ken Wheldon, who cut costs, made redundancies, and sold off assets, including the club's training ground. Still unable to make the club pay, Wheldon sold it to the Kumar brothers, owners of a clothing chain. Debt was still increasing when matters came to a head; the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) put
10425-415: The club's de facto chief executive Panos Pavlakis, to gain re-election, followed the next day by their reinstatement. On 17 February, the board voluntarily appointed receivers from accountants Ernst & Young to take over management of the company. Their statement stressed that no winding-up petition had been issued and the company was not in liquidation. In June 2015, the receivers struck deals with
10564-456: The club, which had to be done piecemeal in order to retain BIH's share listing. Going into 2015, the Football League made public their concerns over Yeung's attempts to impose his choice of directors on the BIHL board despite his conviction disqualifying him from exerting influence over a club. Relationships became increasingly factional, as illustrated by the failure of three directors, including
10703-471: The clubs themselves chosen according to UEFA coefficients . For the 2023–24 season , the Premier League has 13 representatives in the Association: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion , Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The European Club Association
10842-518: The clubs' revenue by then came from television broadcast deals, with the biggest clubs each taking from around £150 million to nearly £200 million in the 2016–17 season from such deals. In Deloitte 's 2019 report, all the "Big Six" were in the top ten of the world's richest clubs. From the 2019–20 season , video assistant referees were used in the league. The 2019–20 season saw Liverpool win their first Premier League trophy, their first top-flight trophy in 30 years. Project Big Picture
10981-434: The competition in 2001 . Arsenal ( 2000 ), Middlesbrough ( 2006 ), and Fulham ( 2010 ) all lost their finals. Although the group's dominance was reduced to a degree after this period with the emergence of Manchester City and Tottenham, in terms of all-time Premier League points won, they remain clear by some margin. As of the end of the 2021–22 season – the 30th season of the Premier League – Liverpool, in fourth place in
11120-522: The cost of stadium upgrades as proposed by the Taylor Report. In 1990, the managing director of London Weekend Television (LWT), Greg Dyke , met with the representatives of the "big five" football clubs in England ( Manchester United , Liverpool , Tottenham Hotspur , Everton , and Arsenal ) over a dinner. The meeting was to pave the way for a breakaway from The Football League . Dyke believed that it would be more lucrative for LWT if only
11259-535: The council, and provides for a six-month moratorium on that sale to allow the Trust and other community groups to submit their own bid. In 2018, the club's owners agreed a three-year sponsorship deal under which the name became St Andrew's Trillion Trophy Stadium. The lower tiers of the Tilton and Kop stands were closed for asbestos -related repairs for approaching three years, reopening fully in November 2023. In 2024,
11398-581: The current system of compensation determined by an independent tribunal. Thus, a 14-year-old player who spends 6 years at the club (Category 3) will command an initial fee of £46,500 (£3,000 × 3 + £12,500 × 3). Further fixed fees are payable on the player making first team appearances in any professional senior competition: The old youth league system will be abolished and replaced by the Professional Development League . Clubs with high-category academies will compete against others of
11537-408: The distinction of having won the most successive titles, with four. Only six clubs have played in every season to date: Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton , Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur . Despite significant European success in the 1970s and early 1980s, the late 1980s marked a low point for English football. Stadiums were deteriorating, supporters endured poor facilities, hooliganism
11676-440: The egalitarian revenue structure in the Premier League helps to maintain a competitive league which is vital for its future success. The 2016–17 Deloitte Football Money League report showed the financial disparity between the "Big Six" and the rest of the division. All of the "Big Six" had revenues greater than €350 million, with Manchester United having the largest revenue in the league at €676.3 million. Leicester City
11815-412: The eight Champions League finals , with only the "Big Four" clubs reaching that stage. Liverpool ( 2005 ), Manchester United ( 2008 ), and Chelsea ( 2012 ) won the competition during this period, with Arsenal ( 2006 ), Liverpool ( 2007 ), Chelsea ( 2008 ), and Manchester United ( 2009 and 2011 ) all losing Champions League finals. Leeds United were the only non-"Big Four" side to reach the semi-finals of
11954-464: The final Champions League spot, with the exception of Newcastle in the 2002–03 season, who finished third. Following the 2003–04 season, Arsenal acquired the nickname " The Invincibles " as they became the first and, to date, only club to complete a Premier League campaign without losing a single game. In May 2008, Kevin Keegan stated that "Big Four" dominance threatened the division: "This league
12093-461: The first English club side to take part in European competition when they played their first group game in the inaugural Inter-Cities Fairs Cup competition on 15 May 1956; they went on to reach the semi-final, in which they drew 4–4 on aggregate with Barcelona but lost the replay 2–1. They were also the first English club side to reach a European final, losing 4–1 on aggregate to Barcelona in
12232-425: The first football club to become a limited company with a board of directors, under the name of Small Heath F.C. Ltd. From the 1889–90 season they played in the Football Alliance , which ran alongside the Football League . In 1892, Small Heath, along with the other Alliance teams, were invited to join the newly formed Football League Second Division . They finished as champions, but failed to win promotion via
12371-683: The first nine trophies, two League and FA Cup 'doubles' and a European treble, initially under a team of hardened veterans such as Bryan Robson , Steve Bruce , Paul Ince , Mark Hughes , and Eric Cantona , before Cantona, Bruce, and Roy Keane led a young, dynamic new team filled with the Class of 92 , a group of young players including David Beckham who came through the Manchester United Academy. Between 1993 and 1997, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United came close to challenging Manchester United's early dominance; Blackburn won
12510-559: The first time in their history. In April 1989 the Kumar brothers, owners of a clothing chain, bought the club. A rapid turnover of managers, the absence of promised investment, and a threatened mass refusal of players to renew contracts was relieved only by a victorious trip to Wembley in the Associate Members' Cup . Terry Cooper delivered promotion, but the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) put
12649-442: The flow of the game and consistency of decision-making. The on-field referee still makes the final decision, but VAR can assist the referee in the decision-making process. VAR can only be used for four types of decisions: goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents, and cases of mistaken identity. VAR officials review the video footage and communicate with the on-field referee via a headset. The VAR officials are located in
12788-484: The following: The plan proposes the modernisation of talent identification and recruitment including research in such areas as physiological parameters , relative age effects , psychological profiling , motivation, decision making, technical ability and attrition rates. The principal changes from the former academy system are: Abolition of the "90-minute" rule – Academies were only allowed to sign players aged under 18 if they resided within 90 minutes' travel time of
12927-402: The globe and ball was soon abandoned. The club rarely spends more than three seasons with the same kit supplier. The first sponsor to have its name on the shirt was Birmingham-based brewery Ansells in 1983. They withdrew in mid-1985, and the shirts went unsponsored until January 1987, when Co-op Milk paid a "five-figure sum" to have its name displayed until the end of the season. That was
13066-470: The implementation of an independent regulator, saying in May 2021, "I don't think that the independent regulator is the answer to the question. I would defend the Premier League's role as regulator of its clubs over the past 30 years." [The Premier League] is very tough and is different. If you compare this league to another league, it's like playing another sport. – Antonio Conte , on the competitiveness of
13205-432: The knee at selected "significant moments". They assured to "remain resolutely committed to eradicate racial prejudice". That season was notable for Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion breaking the traditional "Big Six" as they finished fourth and sixth, respectively, whilst "Big Six" teams Tottenham and Chelsea finished eighth and twelfth. Meanwhile, 2015–16 champions Leicester City were relegated, becoming
13344-409: The larger clubs in the country were featured on national television and wanted to establish whether the clubs would be interested in a larger share of television rights money. The five clubs agreed with the suggestion and decided to press ahead with it; however, the league would have no credibility without the backing of The Football Association , and so David Dein of Arsenal held talks to see whether
13483-418: The last minute of normal time, but the match went to a penalty shoot-out which Liverpool won. By October 2001, lack of progress had made Francis's position untenable; after a 6–0 League Cup defeat to Manchester City, he left by mutual consent. Bruce's return as manager shook up a stale team; he took them from mid-table to the play-offs, and beat Norwich City on penalties in the final to secure promotion to
13622-643: The leaders in this transformation. The commercial imperative led to the top clubs seeking to increase their power and revenue: the clubs in Division One threatened to break away from the Football League, and in doing so, they managed to increase their voting power and gain a more favourable financial arrangement, taking a 50% share of all television and sponsorship income in 1986. They demanded that television companies should pay more for their coverage of football matches, and revenue from television grew in importance. The Football League received £6.3 million for
13761-456: The league at the beginning of the season, Leicester became the first club outside the "Big Six" to win the Premier League since Blackburn Rovers in the 1994–95 season . Off the pitch, the "Big Six" wield significant financial power and influence, with these clubs arguing that they should be entitled to a greater share of revenue due to the greater stature of their clubs globally and the attractive football they aim to play. Objectors argue that
13900-439: The loan market, brought automatic promotion at the end of a season which had included calls for his head. In July 2007, Hong Kong-based businessman Carson Yeung bought 29.9% of shares in the club, making him the biggest single shareholder, with a view to taking full control in the future. Uncertain as to his future under possible new owners, Bruce left in mid-season. His successor, Scotland national team manager Alex McLeish ,
14039-423: The managership of Harry Redknapp . Redknapp lasted another month, his former assistant Steve Cotterill five months, leaving successor Garry Monk another – ultimately successful – relegation battle. Despite budgetary restrictions and a nine-point deduction for breaches of the League's Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) rules, the team finished 17th in 2018–19; however, Monk
14178-585: The matches between the teams, followed by away goals in those matches.) If two teams are still tied, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Premier League and the EFL Championship . The three lowest placed teams in the Premier League are relegated to the Championship, and the top two teams from the Championship promoted to the Premier League, with an additional team promoted after
14317-410: The opening; volunteers had to clear pitch and terraces before the match, a goalless draw against Middlesbrough , could go ahead. The ground is reputed to have been cursed by gypsies evicted from the site; although gypsies are known to have camped nearby, there is no contemporary evidence for their eviction by the club. The original capacity of St Andrew's was reported as 75,000, with 4,000 seats in
14456-534: The other end. They were finally relegated in 1939, the last full season before the Football League was abandoned for the duration of the Second World War. The name Birmingham City F.C. was adopted in 1943. Under Harry Storer , appointed manager in 1945, the club won the Football League South wartime league and reached the semi-final of the first post-war FA Cup . Two years later they won their third Second Division title, conceding only 24 goals in
14595-564: The previous major shareholders such that legal action against them would be dropped in return for their agreement not to obstruct any transfer of ownership to their preferred bidder, the British Virgin Islands -registered investment vehicle Trillion Trophy Asia (TTA), wholly owned by Chinese businessman Paul Suen Cho Hung, who in turn agreed that the company would not be sold on within two years. The process completed in October 2016, leaving TTA owning 50.64% of BIH's share capital,
14734-484: The proceeds of the sale of St Andrew's) and the casino group Las Vegas Sands . The feasibility of the plan depended on the government issuing a licence for a super casino, and Birmingham being chosen as the venue, but this did not happen. The club have planning permission to redevelop the Main Stand, but club and council continued to seek alternative sources of funding for the City of Birmingham Stadium project. In 2013,
14873-430: The reception of VAR on Twitter is largely negative, with fans expressing frustration and criticism of the technology's impact on the flow of the game and the inconsistency of decisions. The researchers also identified specific issues, such as handball and offside decisions, that fans are particularly critical of. The study concludes that VAR has not been well received by fans in the Premier League, and that efforts to improve
15012-438: The same standard in the top tier and so on. A number of clubs have made their applications for academy status public, including Fulham , Manchester City , Southampton , Stoke City , Sunderland , and West Ham United . The EPPP has been greeted with scepticism from parts of the English Football League . Some claim the Premier League has blackmailed the Football League by threatening to remove all youth development funding if
15151-432: The season, the team avoided relegation back to the third tier, but after a poor start to the 1993–94 season Cooper was replaced by Barry Fry . The change did not prevent relegation, but Fry's first full season brought promotion back to the second tier as champions, and victory over Carlisle United in the Football League Trophy via Paul Tait 's golden goal completed the " lower-league Double ". After one more year, Fry
15290-540: The second league-winning club to suffer relegation since 1992, after Blackburn Rovers in the 2011–12 season . In the 2023–24 season , Manchester City won the Premier League for the sixth time in seven years to become the first top-flight team to win four consecutive league titles in English football history. Meanwhile, non-Big Six club Aston Villa finished fourth and qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League . The Football Association Premier League Ltd (FAPL)
15429-664: The second tier, after which McLeish resigned to join Aston Villa. Birmingham narrowly failed to reach the knockout rounds of the Europa League and the play-off final. With the club in financial turmoil and under a transfer embargo, manager Chris Hughton left. Under Lee Clark , Birmingham twice retained their divisional status, albeit through Paul Caddis 's 93rd-minute goal in the last match of 2013–14 to avoid relegation on goal difference , but continued poor form saw him dismissed in October 2014. Gary Rowett stabilised
15568-447: The stadium was renamed St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park for sponsorship reasons, as "step one in [the owners'] plan to create a world-renowned 'Sports Quarter' in Birmingham." Birmingham fans consider their main rivals to be Aston Villa, their nearest neighbours geographically, with whom they contest the Second City derby . Lesser rivalries include fellow West Midlands clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion. According to
15707-537: The start of the 2007–08 season . The Premier League responded by announcing their intention to resist such a reduction. Ultimately, the 2007–08 season kicked off again with 20 teams. Video assistant referee (VAR), was introduced to the Premier League at the beginning of the 2019–20 season . It uses technology and officials to assist the referee in making decisions on the pitch. However, its use has been met with mixed receptions from fans and pundits, with some praising its accuracy whilst others criticise its impact on
15846-399: The team and led them to two tenth-place finishes before being controversially dismissed by new owners Trillion Trophy Asia in favour of the "pedigree" of Gianfranco Zola , who would aid the club's "strategic, long-term view" to take the club in a new direction. Two wins from 24 matches under Zola left Birmingham needing two wins from the last three games to stay up, which they achieved under
15985-408: The technology and increase transparency in decision-making are needed to address these concerns. Fifty-one clubs have played in the Premier League from its inception in 1992, up to and including the 2023–24 season. Titles won by club (%) Italics indicate former Premier League champions that are currently outside the Premier League. Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club
16124-463: The threat of ten clubs leaving to form a "super league", but they were eventually persuaded to stay, with the top clubs taking the lion's share of the deal. The negotiations also convinced the bigger clubs that, in order to receive enough votes, they needed to take the whole of the First Division with them instead of a smaller "super league". By the beginning of the 1990s, the big clubs again considered breaking away, especially now that they had to fund
16263-573: The top flight, they returned to the Second Division. Businessman Clifford Coombs took over as chairman in 1965, luring Stan Cullis out of retirement to manage the club. Cullis's team played attractive football which took them to the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1967 and of the FA Cup in 1968, but league football needed a different approach. Successor Freddie Goodwin produced a team playing skilful, aggressive football that won promotion as well as reaching an FA Cup semi-final. Two years later,
16402-440: The top three or four" with "the best squad of players for 25 years". Injuries, loss of form, and lack of transfer window investment saw them relegated in a season whose lowlight was a 7–0 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool. Jermaine Pennant and Emile Heskey left for record fees, many others were released, but Bruce's amended recruitment strategy, combining free-transfer experience with young "hungry" players and shrewd exploitation of
16541-419: The training facility. This has historically provided each club with a "catchment area". There were some exceptions to the rule to provide for players living in remote areas. Larger clubs were prevented from taking youth players away from home at a young age for training. A four-tier academy system – It is proposed that there will be four gradings of academies, with the highest rated academies being able to sign
16680-575: The turn of the 1990s, the downward trend was starting to reverse. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup , England reached the semi-finals; UEFA , European football's governing body, lifted the five-year ban on English clubs playing in European competitions in 1990, resulting in Manchester United lifting the Cup Winners' Cup in 1991 . The Taylor Report on stadium safety standards, which proposed expensive upgrades to create all-seater stadiums in
16819-452: The wings of the song "Keep right on to the end of the road". Player Alex Govan is credited with popularising the song, by singing it on the coach on the way to the quarter-final and when he revealed in an interview that it was his favourite. In the build-up to the 1956 FA Cup semi-final with Sunderland I was interviewed by the press and happened to let slip that my favourite song was Harry Lauder's old music hall number "Keep Right on to
16958-519: Was a dark blue shirt with a white sash and white shorts. Several variations on a blue theme were tried; the one that stuck was the royal blue shirt with a white "V", adopted during the First World War and retained until the late 1920s. Though the design changed, the royal blue remained. In 1971 they adopted the "penguin" strip – royal blue with a broad white central front panel – which lasted five years. Since then they have generally worn plain, nominally royal blue shirts, though
17097-501: Was accepted that the stadium had to be brought up to modern all-seated standards. After the last home game of the 1993–94 season, the Kop and Tilton Road terraces were demolished – fans took home a significant proportion as souvenirs – to be replaced at the start of the new season by a 7,000-seat Tilton Road Stand, continuing round the corner into the 9,500-seat Kop which opened two months later. The 8,000-seat Railway Stand followed in 1999; ten years later, this
17236-508: Was announced in October 2020 that described a plan to reunite the top Premier League clubs with the English Football League , proposed by leading Premier League clubs Manchester United and Liverpool . It has been criticised by the Premier League leadership and the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport . On 26 April 2021, play was stopped during a match between Leicester City and Crystal Palace to allow players Wesley Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyaté to break Ramadan fast . It
17375-404: Was appointed manager. His need for medical leave brought the interim appointment of Gary Rowett, whose 11 points from the last eight games was not enough to prevent relegation to League One after 29 years at a higher level. The Small Heath Alliance members decided among themselves that their colours would be blue; in the early days, they wore whatever blue shirt they had. The first uniform kit
17514-442: Was composed of 22 clubs for that season (reduced to 20 in the 1995–96 season ). The first Premier League goal was scored by Brian Deane of Sheffield United in a 2–1 win against Manchester United. Manchester United won the inaugural edition of the new league, ending a twenty-six year wait to be crowned champions of England. Bolstered by this breakthrough, United immediately became the competition's dominant team, winning seven of
17653-470: Was dismissed to make way for the return of Trevor Francis. Reinforced by players with top-level experience, including Manchester United captain Steve Bruce , Francis's team narrowly missed out on a play-off position in 1998, and three years of play-off semi-final defeats followed. They reached the 2001 League Cup final against Liverpool at Cardiff 's Millennium Stadium . Birmingham equalised in
17792-490: Was formed in 1991 to protest against chairman Samesh Kumar, the club blamed an internet petition for the collapse of the purchase of player Lee Bowyer in 2005, and antipathy towards the board provoked hostile chanting and a pitch invasion after the last match of the 2007–08 season , but when the club was in financial difficulties, supporters contributed to schemes which funded the purchase of players Brian Roberts in 1984 and Paul Peschisolido in 1992. A supporters' trust
17931-515: Was formed under the auspices of Supporters Direct in 2012. There have been several fanzines published by supporters. Made in Brum , first issued in 2000, was the only one regularly on sale in 2013. The Zulu began some years earlier and ran for at least 16 seasons. The hooligan firm associated with the club, the Zulu Warriors , were unusual in that they had multi-racial membership at
18070-579: Was founded as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992, following the decision of First Division (the top-tier league from 1888 until 1992) clubs to break away from the English Football League. However, teams may still be relegated to and promoted from the EFL Championship . The Premier League is a corporation managed by a chief executive , with member clubs acting as shareholders. The Premier League takes advantage of
18209-534: Was on the same day as the Bradford City stadium fire , and the events at St Andrew's formed part of the remit of Mr Justice Popplewell 's inquiry into safety at sports grounds. The club lacked stability both on and off the field. Saunders quit after FA Cup defeat to non-League team Altrincham , staff were laid off, the training ground was sold, and by 1989 Birmingham were in the Third Division for
18348-621: Was only re-opened after the matter was raised in Parliament. It was badly damaged during the Birmingham Blitz : the Railway End and the Kop as a result of bombing, while the Main Stand burnt down when a fireman mistook petrol for water. The replacement Main Stand used a propped cantilever roof design, which meant fewer pillars to block spectators' view of the pitch. Floodlights were installed in 1956, and officially switched on for
18487-547: Was renamed the Gil Merrick Stand, in honour of the club's appearance record-holder and former manager, but the Main Stand has still to be modernised. In 2021, the club website listed the stadium capacity as 29,409. In 2004 a proposal was put forward to build a "sports village" comprising a 55,000-capacity City of Birmingham Stadium , other sports and leisure facilities, and a super casino , to be jointly financed by Birmingham City Council , Birmingham City F.C. (via
18626-401: Was replaced by John Eustace . After two takeover attempts fell through, Shelby Companies Ltd, a subsidiary of US-based Knighthead Capital Management and fronted by that company's co-founder Tom Wagner, purchased a controlling stake in the club and full ownership of the stadium on 13 July 2023. Former Manchester City CEO Garry Cook was appointed to the corresponding role at Birmingham, and
18765-505: Was rife, and English clubs had been banned from European competition for five years following the Heysel Stadium disaster between the fans of Liverpool Football Club and the fans of Juventus in 1985. The Football League First Division , the top level of English football since 1888, was behind leagues such as Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga in attendance and revenues, and several top English players had moved abroad. By
18904-666: Was sacked in June after conflict with the board. He was succeeded by his assistant, Pep Clotet , initially as caretaker. In the 2019–20 season , the club once again avoided relegation despite a 14-match winless run at the end of the season and the threat of a further points deduction. Academy product Jude Bellingham was sold to Borussia Dortmund in the summer for a club-record deal reported to be worth up to £30 million, after which Aitor Karanka lasted eight months as head coach before being replaced by former Birmingham player Lee Bowyer . After 16 months and yet another relegation struggle, amid rumours of an imminent takeover, Bowyer
19043-424: Was the closest club to the "Big Six" in terms of revenue, recording a figure of €271.1 million for that season – helped by participation in the Champions League. The eighth-largest revenue generator, West Ham – who did not play in European competition – had revenues of €213.3 million, less than half of those of the club with the fifth-largest revenue, Liverpool (€424.2 million). A substantial part of
19182-476: Was the highest of any association football league at 14,508,981, and most stadium occupancies are near capacity. As of 2023 , the Premier League is ranked first in the UEFA coefficient rankings based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons, ahead of Spain's La Liga . The English top-flight has produced the second-highest number of European Cup / UEFA Champions League titles, with
19321-495: Was unable to stave off relegation, but achieved promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Yeung's company completed the takeover in 2009, and the team finished in ninth place, their highest for 51 years. In 2011, they combined a second League Cup , defeating favourites Arsenal 2–1 with goals from Nikola Žigić and Obafemi Martins and securing qualification for the Europa League , with relegation back to
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