There is no common agreement on what is a big club. If you could choose an ideal pl club roster, which teams would be In it? Sorry if something like this has been done before.
1. Arsenal 2. Man U 3. Liverpool 4. Tottenham 5. Everton 6. Aston Villa 7. Chelsea 8. Newcastle U 9. Leeds U 10. Southampton 11. Sheffield Wednesday 12. Nottingham Forest 13. Derby County 14. Norwich City 15. West Ham 16. Leicester City 17. Wolves 18. Sheffield U 19. Stoke City 20. Sunderland
In my ideal Prem, Sunderland would be in first place every year from now till the end of football. I'd also have us beating the Mags into second place by goal difference three years on the trot just for giggles.
Yes, it's very subjective. So based on their historic significance here's my suggestion. Corinthian-Casuals Clapham Rovers Dulwich Hamlet Cambridge University Royal Engineers The Wanderers Swifts Old Carthusians Blackburn Olympic Manningham Old Etonians Oxford University Queens Park Sheffield FC Darwen Accrington Morpeth Harriers West Auckland Royal Artillery Cray Wanderers
Weirdly I had this conversation the other day. I think people get a bit arsey about certain teams being in the Premier League because they're not teams they grew up watching, or they're 'unfashionable' so they tend to say they play bad football. Obviously what usually happens is they resent having to watch Watford vs Hull or something, because they never had their PL stickers as a kid. In no order: Man Utd Arsenal Chelsea Man City Spurs Liverpool Everton Leeds Leicester Sunderland Newcastle Aston Villa Nottingham Forest Blackburn Burnley Southampton Wolves Sheffield Wednesday West Ham One from Derby, Boro, Palace, Charlton. Norwich, West Brom, Stoke, Sheff Utd or Watford. Right now I'd just give the edge to Palace. I think they're probably the teams people associate with the PL, however unfairly it reflects on the likes of WBA or Stoke to not make it into the top 20 despite being there for the last decade. I also think your ideal PL has a novelty few teams that come in with zero expectations - Blackpool, Wigan, Bradford, Oldham, Swindon, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Swansea, Brighton, Bournemouth (any team beginning with B), Hull, Wimbledon etc. They're always fun.
The beauty of the English League pyramid system is that technically any senior-level side can make their way to the top table (as long as their ground is up to scratch- see Concord Rangers, Stevenage Borough etc). Therefore, the ideal prem should always consist of the 20 best teams in the country, no matter who that was at any given time.
I always had a feeling that decisions went against us when we were in the premier league in the latter years as we didn't fit their criteria. There was always big gaps of empty seats visible behind the goals despite the official attendances being over 40,000 and they didn't want this being shown on the global stage.
TBH , strange though it may seem Im not all that keen on Premiership. VAR/Fixtures altered for TV coverage, plastic fans, losing too many games..... Actually said to my mate the other week, I would probably forego my season ticket if we ever got back there (this is a long way off btw, 10 years minimum I reckon). Probably have snuffed it by then anyhow.
