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Why is English football (or soccer for the rest of the world) so popular?
Certainly, the teams in the Premier League feature some of the top players in
the world but one would be hard-pressed to argue the best players in the world
are English Premier League players. Outside of British Horse Racing, English
Soccer Betting is the biggest betting market in Europe and that's not only
because of locals backing their teams but people from all over the world betting
on the games.
The fact is that the best players in the world can be found in each and every
team in the Premier League - guaranteeing exciting leagues every single game.
The league also has a wealth of new talent - the organisation has so much money
it can afford to lure international players at almost any, almost embarrassing,
salaries.
In fact, the Premier League was a knee-jerk response to the recommendations
of the judge who investigated the Hillsborough stampede disaster in 1989 - the
centralisation of soccer administration and finance by the Premier League
allowed for commercial and financial independence for the league. This meant the
league was responsible to nobody and could secure the best deals it could find
and pick and choose sponsorship. With lots of cash in the bank, the Premier
League set about buying the best players in the world and building the best
stadia for the eager fans for whom 'Foetie' is as an essential symbol of British
culture as bangers and mash or the Queen.
That the Premier League has sold rights for viewing TV football games to
certain TV broadcasters means that footy in the UK may be argued as elitist but
football fans still turn out live games with red noses and anoraks if they can't
watch in front of the telly.
The fact that many of the so-called English players are foreigners adds to
the excitement. A nation often referred to as xenophobic, particularly when
football hooliganism rears its ugly head, hugs its own foreign players to its
bosom in what has been criticised as 'football colonialism'.
Last but not least, for some reason, English football has given rise to a
certain kind of British Hollywood star who appeals to a younger generation with
the cash and desire to buy the merchandise and products associated with the
beautiful game. Yes, I refer to the likes of David Beckham and Michael Owen.
The current 20 Premier Soccer League teams:
- Arsenal FC
- Aston Villa FC
- Birmingham City FC
- Blackburn Rovers FC
- Bolton Wanderers FC
- Chelsea FC
- Derby County
- Everton FC
- Fulham FC
- Liverpool FC
- Manchester City FC
- Manchester United FC
- Middlesbrough FC
- Newcastle United FC
- Portsmouth FC
- Reading FC
- Sunderland
- Tottenham Hotspur FC
- West Ham United FC
- Wigan Athletic FC
Check back here for all the latest English Premier League betting news and information.
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4 Feb 13:00
