The First XI (or, less commonly, First 11 ) are the eleven primary players in an organisation's leading team, particularly a football or cricket team. A player who is considered a core part of the starting line-up in a First XI team is often the most proficient in their particular position.
84-462: The name is a reference to the fact that they are the first eleven players selected to play for the team—many sports state that clubs must have squads of no fewer than x {\displaystyle x} number of players, and this number is often higher than 11. For example, in the Premier League , each club has to designate a squad of 25. This vocabulary -related article is
168-582: A stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This association football article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about cricket terminology is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 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
252-645: 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
336-498: 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
420-562: 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
504-697: A name for themselves at club level. Welsh players of note include Trevor Ford , Cliff Jones , John Charles , Ian Rush , Mark Hughes , Neville Southall , Ryan Giggs , Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale while in Wales Ivor Allchurch , Fred Keenor and Jack Kelsey are cherished. Dragon Park , the Wales National Football Development Centre, is located in Newport. As the Welsh domestic league system
588-429: 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
672-654: 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 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
756-506: 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
840-472: 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
924-456: 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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#17327877906021008-632: 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 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
1092-552: 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
1176-404: 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
1260-549: Is Wales' more popular game. The Football Association of Wales (FAW), was established in 1876 to oversee the Wales national team and govern the sport in Wales, later creating and running the Welsh football league system . Welsh professional club teams traditionally played in the same leagues as their English counterparts, structured into regional divisions. This often resulted in teams from north and south Wales not facing each other as
1344-476: 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
1428-399: 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
1512-599: Is not professional, most Welsh people support teams from England or Wales that compete in England. The most supported football club in Wales is Liverpool . The game that would become Association football was first codified in Britain in the mid-19th century, and by the 1860s and 1870s became established in industrial towns in the Midlands and north of England . The north Wales towns of Wrexham and Ruabon also adopted
1596-518: Is one of the most popular sports in Wales , along with rugby union . Wales has produced club teams of varying fortunes since the early birth of football during the Victorian period , and in 1876 a Wales national football team played their first international match. Football has always had a close rivalry with the country's de facto national sport rugby union , and it is much discussed as to which
1680-401: 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
1764-477: 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
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#17327877906021848-470: 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
1932-410: 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
2016-551: 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
2100-867: The Cup Winners' Cup in 1991 . The Taylor Report on stadium safety standards, which proposed expensive upgrades to create all-seater stadiums in 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
2184-589: The Football Association of Ireland formally declared an interest in co-hosting UEFA Euro 2020 . The two major trophies for Welsh club teams playing in England are the 1927 FA Cup for Cardiff City and the 2013 League Cup trophy for Swansea City . The Cymru Premier , formerly named the League of Wales and the Welsh Premier League, was founded in 1992 as Wales did not have a national league at that time. Teams relegated from
2268-586: The Football Association of Wales invited the six Welsh clubs playing in the English league system to rejoin the Welsh Cup for the 2011–12 season with Newport County, Wrexham and Merthyr Town accepting. The invitation was not offered for the 2012–13 season. There are also a number of English-based teams in the Welsh leagues, see List of association football clubs playing in the league of another country . The women's national football team has yet to qualify for
2352-668: The North Wales Coast East & West leagues' Premier Divisions and the North East Wales League 's Premier Division, and these even have feeder leagues of their own such as the former's First Divisions and the latter's Championship. In the south, the Tier 2 level league is the Cymru South — which has promotion from the two other Ardal Leagues - South East and South West. This covers the whole of
2436-456: The Welsh Cup , the most prestigious cup competition in Welsh football. Currently, the four biggest clubs in Wales are professional clubs in the English Football League between the second and fourth tiers. Those are Cardiff City , Newport County , Swansea City and Wrexham . Both Cardiff and Swansea have won domestic cup titles in England and have played in the top division. Until 2016
2520-561: The Welsh Cup . Welsh teams participating below level 4 of the English football league system are governed by the FAW for disciplinary and administrative matters, whereas Welsh teams at level 4 and above of the English football league system are administered by the English FA for the 2011–12 season onwards. From 1996 to 2011, the FAW only allowed teams in the Welsh league system to enter the Welsh Cup . Prior to 1996, Welsh teams playing in
2604-741: The transport links between the two regions were poor. In 1992 the Cymru Premier was formed to create a national league. Five Welsh clubs refused to join, but despite this the teams that come top of the Cymru Premier have a greater chance of playing in European competition , as the top three clubs are drawn into the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League . They also have the opportunity to compete in
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2688-407: 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
2772-552: The 1905–06 season, but the introduction of Swansea , Newport , Ton Pentre , Merthyr Tydfil , Aberdare and Riverside into the Southern Leagues saw an increase in popularity of the sport in Wales. This was cemented with vital wins in the league and then in 1915, Swansea's surprise win over the then reigning League Champions, Blackburn Rovers F.C. in the FA Cup . In May 2012 the FAW, Scottish Football Association and
2856-470: The 1970s and early 1980s, the late 1980s marked a low point for English football. Stadiums were deteriorating, supporters endured poor facilities, hooliganism 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 ,
2940-559: 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
3024-608: 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
3108-554: 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
3192-672: The Cymru Premier are either relegated to the Cymru North (Northern Wales) or the Cymru South (Southern Wales). Originally the Premier league had 18 teams, but from the 2010–11 season onwards there have been only 12, following a proposal by the clubs in the League. Northern Wales has a league at Tier 2 level—the Cymru North , which has a feeder league structure of its own with two regional leagues feeding it—the Ardal Leagues North East and North West (covering all of
3276-589: 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 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
3360-486: The English league system were invited to participate along with some English teams located near the Welsh border. As this rule excluded the biggest Welsh clubs from the Welsh Cup, the FAW launched the FAW Premier Cup in the 1997–98 season to include the top Welsh Premier League teams and the top Welsh teams in the English league system. The FAW Premier Cup was discontinued after the 2007–08 season. On 20 April 2011,
3444-439: 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
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3528-626: 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
3612-474: 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
3696-693: The Neath & District League ) and Garden Village in 1999 ( from the Carmarthenshire League ). Swansea City and Cardiff City presently play in the EFL Championship , while Wrexham competes in EFL League One and Newport County competes in EFL League Two . Merthyr Town play their football in feeder leagues. These five teams have all played in the English football league system since their founding, and all declined
3780-426: 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
3864-534: The South Wales Alliance. The West Wales FA area has its own Premier League since its creation before the 2020–21 season and until then that FA was the only one not to have set up a senior league in its area – this means that there are four local leagues (Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath & District) with all their champions potentially having to play-off for the one available promotion place. However, as few west Wales clubs can face
3948-477: The Wales national team rarely qualified for the major international tournaments, with its only appearance in the World Cup occurring in 1958 . However, they reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016 and the last 16 of UEFA Euro 2020 , as well as having qualified for the 2022 World Cup . This has led to some players from Wales not being seen at the biggest international tournaments, though many of them have made
4032-401: 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
4116-471: 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
4200-518: 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
4284-434: 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
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#17327877906024368-522: 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
4452-440: 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
4536-412: 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
4620-464: 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
4704-683: 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
4788-552: The first southern player was selected for the national team. The 1890s and early 1900s saw an increase in competitive association football in south Wales, but the Triple Crown success of the Wales rugby team in the 1893 Home Nations Championship heralded the start of the first "Golden era" of Welsh rugby, culminating in the famous Game of the Century , where a sell out crowd at Cardiff Arms Park watched Wales win against
4872-442: 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
4956-414: 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 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
5040-470: 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
5124-432: 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
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#17327877906025208-409: 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
5292-643: 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
5376-456: 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
5460-519: 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
5544-540: The north including Wrexham). Again, the champions or runners-up of these leagues can be promoted given suitable ground facilities. Below these third tier leagues are even more localised leagues: in Central Wales there are three leagues feeding into the Mid Wales League (covering Ceredigion and Powys, Montgomeryshire, and Mid Wales South areas respectively), while below League One North 1 and 2 there are
5628-465: The offer to move into the League of Wales, now known as the Cymru Premier , when it was founded in 1992. However, the Welsh teams Bangor City , Barry Town , Caernarfon Town , Colwyn Bay , Newtown and Rhyl did move into the Welsh league system from the English league system. Welsh teams participating in the English football league system can enter the English FA Cup competition, but not
5712-405: 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 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
5796-546: The previously undefeated Original All Blacks in 1905, all of which would contribute to rugby union becoming perceived as the primary sport in the area. The modern era of association football in Wales is agreed to have begun during the 1909–10 season when the first of six teams from the south joined the Southern Football League . Wrexham F.C. had already joined the Birmingham and District League during
5880-488: The prospect of the travelling implications of moving up to the Premier League, this four-way play-off idea is in theory rather than practice. The latest clubs to gain promotion from this region were Llansawel in 2006 ( from the Neath & District League ), West End in 2005 ( from the Swansea Senior League ), Ystradgynlais in 2004 ( from the Neath & District League ), Cwmamman United in 2002 ( from
5964-430: 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
6048-485: 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)
6132-686: The southern Wales geographical area, and it is not until the fourth tier of the pyramid that local leagues appear. Promotion to, and relegation from the Ardal Leagues is structured, as in the north, on three regional football associations (Gwent FA, South Wales FA, and West Wales FA). Each can send one promoted team into League One. In the Gwent FA area, there is one senior league, the Gwent County League , whose champions (or runners-up) are eligible, if they satisfy FAW criteria. (Below
6216-461: The sport in this era. Wrexham A.F.C. is Wales' oldest professional club and the third oldest in the world. This interest led to the formation of the Football Association of Wales (FAW) in 1876 by Welsh solicitor Llewelyn Kenrick and this was followed in 1877 by the creation of the Welsh Cup . In 1877 the FAW formed the first Wales national football team who played their first game that year, losing 4–0 away to Scotland . The Wrexham area
6300-537: 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
6384-497: 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. Football in Wales Association football ( Welsh : pêl-droed )
6468-527: 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
6552-614: The three divisions of the Gwent County, there are the Newport and District , East Gwent, Central Gwent and North Gwent leagues) The South Wales FA area has the South Wales Alliance League — whereby the champions could be promoted to Ardal Leagues subject to meeting criteria. Below these two leagues are local leagues in the towns and cities of South Wales, the champions of which may play off to be promoted into
6636-426: The title: Manchester United (13), Manchester City (8), Chelsea (5), Arsenal (3), Blackburn Rovers (1), Leicester City (1), and Liverpool (1). Manchester City hold 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
6720-561: 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 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
6804-563: 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
6888-442: 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
6972-464: Was the centre of football in Wales for the first twenty years, with the south of the country preferring to follow the emerging sport of rugby union . The first time an international game was held in the south was in 1894, hosted in Swansea, which was the 46th match the Wales team had played. More telling in the north / south divide that existed in the sport was that it was not until the 67th fixture that
7056-424: 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
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