Fever Pitch - Leicester the only exception - F##k the Premier League!

[Bar BS3]

So I've just watched the first couple of episodes of Fever Pitch - The rise of the Premier league. 

As I was only 11/12 when our nations format changed, I was fairly oblivious to the utter greed involved in its conception. 

Ironically, it was Liverpool, Everton, Man United, Spurs & Arsenal who were the "big 5" who championed the idea to shit on all the other league clubs. Everton

Man City & Chelsea were relative minnows back then and only managed to become contenders after vast investment from unlimited wealth. 

Blackburn, by standards back then, did the same - albeit via a local benefactor rather than foreign. Their £26million squad was seen as incredible spending power that others couldn't compete with - indeed, the got Shearer over Man Utd because United asked for more time to get the transfer fee together..! 

I know a Leicester had significant investment, but not by the standards of the others & are really the only exception to extreme wealth buying the title. 

It's an interesting watch, for those who've not seen it (I'm not sure how old it is) 

You only have to look at the clubs who were in that league at the start & those who have managed fleeting 1 or 2 season forays into it, to see that without vast money, it's pretty much a closed shop. Certainly to have a chance of challenging in it. 

[City1984]

Thanks for this bit heard about the programme so will check it out. 

 

Yes I do feel what LCFC achieved recently was a real genui e underdog story which is usually reserved for Roy if the rovers type things. 

[Portland Bill]

10 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

So I've just watched the first couple of episodes of Fever Pitch - The rise of the Premier league. 

As I was only 11/12 when our nations format changed, I was fairly oblivious to the utter greed involved in its conception. 

Ironically, it was Liverpool, Everton, Man United, Spurs & Arsenal who were the "big 5" who championed the idea to shit on all the other league clubs. Everton

Man City & Chelsea were relative minnows back then and only managed to become contenders after vast investment from unlimited wealth. 

Blackburn, by standards back then, did the same - albeit via a local benefactor rather than foreign. Their £26million squad was seen as incredible spending power that others couldn't compete with - indeed, the got Shearer over Man Utd because United asked for more time to get the transfer fee together..! 

I know a Leicester had significant investment, but not by the standards of the others & are really the only exception to extreme wealth buying the title. 

It's an interesting watch, for those who've not seen it (I'm not sure how old it is) 

You only have to look at the clubs who were in that league at the start & those who have managed fleeting 1 or 2 season forays into it, to see that without vast money, it's pretty much a closed shop. Certainly to have a chance of challenging in it. 

You do realise Leicester cheated ffp when they last got promotion to the premier league.

They are no saints!.

[BS4 on Tour...]

11 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

So I've just watched the first couple of episodes of Fever Pitch - The rise of the Premier league. 

As I was only 11/12 when our nations format changed, I was fairly oblivious to the utter greed involved in its conception. 

Ironically, it was Liverpool, Everton, Man United, Spurs & Arsenal who were the "big 5" who championed the idea to shit on all the other league clubs. Everton

Man City & Chelsea were relative minnows back then and only managed to become contenders after vast investment from unlimited wealth. 

Blackburn, by standards back then, did the same - albeit via a local benefactor rather than foreign. Their £26million squad was seen as incredible spending power that others couldn't compete with - indeed, the got Shearer over Man Utd because United asked for more time to get the transfer fee together..! 

I know a Leicester had significant investment, but not by the standards of the others & are really the only exception to extreme wealth buying the title. 

It's an interesting watch, for those who've not seen it (I'm not sure how old it is) 

You only have to look at the clubs who were in that league at the start & those who have managed fleeting 1 or 2 season forays into it, to see that without vast money, it's pretty much a closed shop. Certainly to have a chance of challenging in it. 

Interesting but can’t believe it’s taken you this long to realise that the football clubs at all levels who attract the biggest investment tend to do ok?! A great example is Rushden & Diamonds - bankrolled by Max Griggs (of Dr Martens fame) they progressed from the deepest depths to get promoted into the Football League - money talks in football - it’s not a new story - never has been ...

[BS4 on Tour...]

28 minutes ago, Portland Bill said:

You do realise Leicester cheated ffp when they last got promotion to the premier league.

They are no saints!.

Ooooh - and Nigel Pearson was the Foxes’ manager that season - what are you trying to say?!

[2015]

I've watched the documentary as well as ITV having one on the last Division 1 1991/92 season. 

Sky Sports are as much to blame as the clubs who wanted the 'new' League. Such arrogance. There was times in the 90s the Italian game on a Sunday which was on Channel 4 had more viewers than the Sky Prem game because people could not afford to pay to view a game on Sky.

[TBW]

Where is it available?

[Oh Louie louie]

Yep, joe jordan was the on the channel 4 italian football show on sundays.

Everybody seemed to watch that back in those days.

Id bet the viewing figures for that were gigantic.

Tractor pulling will rope, got more viewing figures daily on us tv, than the wc n 94!

[cidercity1987]

I thought this was a poor programme that would have been better placed on MUTV than mainstream TV. 

This article explains why

https://www.football365.com/news/fever-pitch-rise-premier-league-bbc-opinion

[Oh Louie louie]

Alien abductee, micheal knighton almost buying man united for peanuts.

Martin edwards dodged a bullet there.

Anyone recall that fruitcase posed as a millionaire, kept saying he was going to buy aldershot?

He went on wogan, and it came out in the papers, he had 4 pounds in a snoopy savers acount!

[CliftonCliff]

2 hours ago, cidercity1987 said:

I thought this was a poor programme that would have been better placed on MUTV than mainstream TV. 

This article explains why

https://www.football365.com/news/fever-pitch-rise-premier-league-bbc-opinion

Thank you. Well done for posting this. The article deserves to be more widely read.

[Kid in the Riot]

10 hours ago, Portland Bill said:

You do realise Leicester cheated ffp when they last got promotion to the premier league.

They are no saints!.

When they won the Premier League they had the 14th highest wage bill though. It was a miraculous achievement. 

4 hours ago, cidercity1987 said:

I thought this was a poor programme that would have been better placed on MUTV than mainstream TV. 

This article explains why

https://www.football365.com/news/fever-pitch-rise-premier-league-bbc-opinion

Some good points raised about the history of the PL, however it feels like Ian King only watched the first episode as there's plenty of non-United material, not least pretty much an entire episode on Wenger/Arsenal.

I thought it was an interesting show. I have a new found respect for United fans for resisting the Murdoch takeover. I'd forgotten about that, but it was a pivotal moment in English football at the time. 

Shame football supporters have completely lost their backbone now. Whilst the show against the Super League was decent, we are now in a position where there isn't so much as a whiff of protest at Newcastle at the Saudi takeover. On the contrary, an authoritarian, religious extremist, murderous regime is positively celebrated as taking over their club. 

The seduction of investment, eh.