‘The Best League in the World’… but is it still a privilege to be part of the party? IN DEPTH SPECIAL – Joshua Pamphlett

Contributor: Joshua Pamphlett
@j_pamphlett

As another season draws ever closer, the Premier League and its members’ superiority in one major claim has once again proven indisputable; we have the most heavily wedged wallets in Europe. The serious, and some may argue obscene, summer of spending that has unravelled has again portrayed the Premier League as the smug, elitist kind of party that we all (mostly, if you’re for the many) love to hate and has left many other bitter leagues (and sports for that matter) enviously looking in for an invite. But does this rank as the richest substantiate our claim as having the most competitive league in the world? And if so, why is it not all of its established guests are desperate to stay part of the Premier party?

As a Blackburn Rovers fan, I pose this question from a completely neutral (almost depressingly so) standpoint and was oddly influenced to ask it due to an unexpected insight into the thinking, in footballing terms, of one of my bitterest rivals…

On the night of the Manchester derby last April I, like many other honorary manc inhabitants I’m sure, was consumed by the ‘question of colour’ carnival that annually swoops the city. Despite being neither red or blue blooded (well, sky blue at least) I felt it was my duty to hit a packed pub on an otherwise average Thursday night in order to partake in the experience. On one of my many ventures to the bar to endure what turned out to be an abysmal and anti-climactic 0-0 draw, I noticed a distinctively dressed bloke being boisterous at the bar. Although I’m sure it wasn’t his intention, his exaggerated mancunian attire and Johnny Marr-esque modcut labelled him as an out of towner and if that wasn’t enough, his dulcet Lancastrian tones dragging every vowel confirmed it. As a fellow migrant to the city, and especially given the dreary state of the derby, I got chatting to this sharply dressed fellow and enjoyed some football talk and homely humour. All this before I realised he was a Burnley fan.

After bypassing his ridicules of another impending relegation for my beloved Blues, I asked him about his hopes and predictions for the rest of their season. Given at this stage Burnley were 15^th and all but safe after an impressive return to the top flight, I was surprised to hear him undoubtedly declare that he wished them to finish in the bottom three. His reasoning was simple; despite impressive results, particularly at home, the improved quality of opposition meant he felt Burnley had been forced to play rigid, unappealing football in order to grind out the points needed to survive and for a club like Burnley, playing in the Premier League, this was the best they could hope for. Slightly gobsmacked, I asked him to expand further, what about the financial privileges afforded to those with top league status? Surely this gave him reason to be optimistic? He argued, quite frankly, no. With the money involved in football now, he reasoned that he would rather spend the next five years bouncing between the top two leagues, effectively milking the promotion and parachute payments for all they are worth in the process, and see his club become an increasingly secure and stronger side to compete with the bigger boys in the process.

At first I was taken with this refreshingly logical approach to fandom, I mean what kind of ambition is mid-table mediocrity? Why shouldn’t we expect to be entertained if we’re still having to dig deep in our pockets? And if football continues to grow as a heavily funded brand, why shouldn’t the lower profile clubs find ways of gaining their fair share? After all, last year’s bottom club Sunderland stood to make close to £100 million, despite recording one of the lowest points tallies in Premier League history. Is that an incentive for ‘smaller’ teams to strive for survival? Maybe the drop isn’t all doom and gloom…

However the more I thought about this, the more dangerous and depressing a mentality it became. Now I’m by no means implying the majority of Burnley (or football fans for that matter) think this way, this is not a Burnley smear campaign. Well, not much of one. But the fact our finely clobbered claret and some others may share this view, gave plenty of food for thought.

Whilst there may be, just as many did at Ewood during the Allardyce era, some Burnley fans bemoaning the style of football that Dyche has chosen to play this season (in fairness, what else would you expect from a man who looks and sounds like an estranged son of Peggy Mitchell) as well as some voicing frustration at their apparently tight fisted transfer policy (signing a few Stoke reserves hardly promises to set the world alight), Burnley demonstrated an ability last year, as so many newly promoted teams have before, to have a relentless capacity to defy expectations.

Regardless of the gulf in budgets, squad depth or individual quality of players, year upon year newly promoted teams fire into the league with fearless displays, showing no team undue respect and earning plenty for themselves in return. It is this mentality of the ‘smaller’ or ‘scrappier’ sides that has earned our claim as the most competitive league in the world and their survival against all the odds proves as a testament to that claim.

To take top flight status for granted or even wish it away in seek of further fortune, whilst it may be reasonable, strikes as a dangerous outlook for lower profile clubs to have. The age of Premier League dominance and predictability died when Fergie’s tenure at United finally came to an end, with no team winning consecutive titles since his departure. With this end, brought a new era of opportunity for all contenders and with affluent TV rights giving each side a potential war chest to match their ambitions, things arguably seem on the up for all involved. I for one look forward every season, not to seeing the marquee signings or to stick a tenner on who’ll come top, but to see how spirited newcomers like Brighton and Hudderfield will take to the biggest stage. After all, a royal scalping of the ‘Big Six’ by one of the ‘minnows’ is what makes the Premier League so very special.

From watching the romance in recent years of Bournemouth’s rise to the top and the dizzy heights a close knit skulk of Foxes can reach with a bit of team spirit and momentum, the great underdog tales still exist and should give all clubs optimism for the future, regardless of their stature. And in so proving yet again, on this millionaires’ monopoly board that football is rapidly becoming, that the plucky Jack Russell can keep pace with the polished Rolls Royce, taking a few chunks out of its luxurious exterior along the way.