by J Mock

Created on: September 22, 2009   Last Updated: September 21, 2010

The English Premiership is the highest tier of the English Football league. In 1992, the then members of the leading division within English football - Division One - reached a decision to form a new league.

The Premier League would be free from commercial restraints, as governed by the Football Association and the Football League, enabling a free reign in negotiating revenue from television rights and sponsorship for the combined member football clubs of the English Premiership.

The start of the 1992/93 season would see the inauguration of the English Premiership and over the years the league has increased in stature to become both the highest viewed and most lucrative league within world football.

The highest league in English football is currently titled as the 'Barclays Premier League,' under the terms of league sponsorship. Back in 1992, it was originally called the 'FA Premier League' before being re-named the 'FA Carling Premier League' up until the start of the 2004/05 season, whereby Barclays signed a sponsorship deal up until 2010.

The Premiership is comprised of 20 football clubs, and each team will play a total of 38 games over a season, being 19 home and 19 away games.

The team that finishes with the highest number of points during a season will claim the Premiership title. If two, or more, teams finish on the same number of points, the title will be awarded to the team with the greater 'goal difference.' This is calculated by subtracting the 'goals against' from the 'goals scored.'

The League Champions automatically qualify for the leading European Club Competition, the UEFA Champions League, as does the teams placed second and third. The team placed fourth can qualify for the Champions league, via a two-legged play-off. The team placed fifth automatically qualifies for the UEFA Europa League.

Depending on the winners of the two English domestic Cup competitions, the F.A Cup and the League Cup, the teams finishing sixth and seventh may also qualify for the Europa League, if the the domestic cups are won by a team that qualifies for European competiton via their final league position.

Overall, it is possible for a Premiership club to win four trophies over a season; the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League or Europa League, the F.A Cup and the League Cup. Two other trophies are available each season, but these are through one-off games.

Winning all of the 'big four' trophies in one season has remained elusive, although claiming three of the four has been achieved by both Manchester United and Liverpool FC.

The F.A Charity Shield is played between the winners of the Premier League and the F.A Cup. In the event that a club wins both the League title and the F.A Cup, then the game is played between the teams who were placed first and second during the previous season.

The 'European Supercup' is a one-off game played between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

The three teams that finish 18th, 19th and 20th in the Premier League are relegated to the next tier of the English Football League, the Championship. These three teams are replaced by three teams who gain qualification from the Championship, which is the second-tier of the English Football League system.

The aim of any football club is to play in the English 'top-flight' and claim the coveted Premier League title. Manchester United have claimed the title no less than 11 times, out of a possible 17, making them the most successful team since the start of the Premiership League. Only three other teams have claimed the title; Arsenal (3), Chelsea (2) and Blackburn Rovers.

Learn more about this author, J Mock.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.