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The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership for sponsorship reasons) comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. It was created in 1992 when the teams of the old First Division of The Football League withdrew to capitalise on their elite status and maximise their revenue. The Premier League comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association.
There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. At the end of each season, the three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Football League Championship, and the top two teams from the Championship together with the winner of a play-off involving the 3rd to 6th placed clubs are promoted in their place.
The first two teams of the Premiership qualify directly for the Champions League, while the third and fourth placed teams have to go through qualifying play-offs.
Since 1993, the Premier League has been sponsored. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. So far, all the sponsors have referred to the competition as the 'Premiership'. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:
| Club (* Played in every Premier League season) | First season in top division of English football | First season of current spell in top division of English football |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal* | 1904-05 | 1919-20 |
| Aston Villa* | 1888-89 | 1988-89 |
| Birmingham City | 1894-95 | 2002-03 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1888-89 | 2001-02 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1888-89 | 2001-02 |
| Charlton Athletic | 1936-37 | 2000-01 |
| Chelsea* | 1907-08 | 1989-90 |
| Crystal Palace | 1969-70 | 2004-05 |
| Everton* | 1888-89 | 1954-55 |
| Fulham | 1949-50 | 2001-02 |
| Liverpool* | 1894-95 | 1962-63 |
| Manchester City | 1899-1900 | 2002-03 |
| Manchester United* | 1892-93 | 1975-76 |
| Middlesbrough | 1902-03 | 1998-99 |
| Newcastle United | 1898-99 | 1993-94 |
| Norwich City | 1971-72 | 2004-05 |
| Portsmouth | 1927-28 | 2003-04 |
| Southampton* | 1966-67 | 1978-79 |
| Tottenham Hotspur* | 1909-10 | 1978-79 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1888-89 | 2004-05 |
Notes:
| Season | Winner | Total wins* | Remarks | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Manchester United | 1 (8) | Aston Villa | |
| 1993-94 | Manchester United | 2 (9) | Also won the FA Cup | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1994-95 | Blackburn Rovers | 1 (3) | Manchester United | |
| 1995-96 | Manchester United | 3 (10) | Also won the FA Cup | Newcastle United |
| 1996-97 | Manchester United | 4 (11) | Newcastle United | |
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | 1 (11) | Also won the FA Cup | Manchester United |
| 1998-99 | Manchester United | 5 (12) | Also won the FA Cup, UEFA Champions League |
Arsenal |
| 1999-2000 | Manchester United | 6 (13) | Arsenal | |
| 2000-01 | Manchester United | 7 (14) | Arsenal | |
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | 2 (12) | Also won the FA Cup | Liverpool |
| 2002-03 | Manchester United | 8 (15) | Arsenal | |
| 2003-04 | Arsenal | 3 (13) | Undefeated in League | Chelsea |
| * Premier League championships (total English football championships) Up to 1992, the winners of the First Division of The Football League were the English football champions. Liverpool hold the overall record with 18 championships. |
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| Season | Top scorer, club | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93* | Teddy Sheringham, Tottenham Hotspur | 22 |
| 1993-94* | Andy Cole, Newcastle United | 34 |
| 1994-95* | Alan Shearer, Blackburn Rovers | 34 |
| 1995-96 | Alan Shearer, Blackburn Rovers | 31 |
| 1996-97 | Alan Shearer, Newcastle United | 25 |
| 1997-98 | Chris Sutton, Blackburn Rovers Dion Dublin, Coventry City Michael Owen, Liverpool |
18 |
| 1998-99 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Leeds United Michael Owen, Liverpool Dwight Yorke, Manchester United |
18 |
| 1999-2000 | Kevin Phillips, Sunderland | 30 |
| 2000-01 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Chelsea | 23 |
| 2001-02 | Thierry Henry, Arsenal | 24 |
| 2002-03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy, Manchester United | 25 |
| 2003-04 | Thierry Henry, Arsenal | 30 |
| * For the first 3 seasons of the Premier League (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95) there were 22 clubs and therefore 42 games played by each club. For all seasons since there have been 20 clubs and therefore 38 games played. |
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Through the end of the 2003-04 season.
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Shearer | 243 |
| 2 | Andy Cole | 163 |
| 3 | Les Ferdinand | 149 |
| 4 | Robbie Fowler | 143 |
| 5 | Teddy Sheringham | 139 |
| 6 | Dwight Yorke | 120 |
| 7 | Michael Owen | 118 |
| 8 | Ian Wright | 113 |
| 9 | Thierry Henry | 112 |
| 10 | Dion Dublin | 111 |
The Premier League is one of the most cosmopolitan and widely watched national sporting leagues in the world. Over 260 foreign players compete in the league, and 101 stars from England's domestic leagues competed in the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. It is widely watched overseas, with matches being shown in over 150 countries and reaching over 450 million people worldwide. Premier League teams such as Manchester United and star players such as David Beckham and Michael Owen have become worldwide sporting icons. The Premier League is particularly popular in Scandinavia, with ferry operators offering "football ferries" to Norwegian football fans wishing to see their favourite teams in action.
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