Southern Football Dominance Swing

[NewBlue]

Quite interesting. Oldham features in the debate.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/11607929/Why-are-there-fewer-Premier-League-teams-from-the-North-of-England.html

Edited May 15, 2015 by NewBlue

[Dave_Og]

I wrote maybe 20 years ago in some magazine or other that this would happen over time - it would be odd indeed if football didn't reflect the general shift of funds and influence to the south over many years.

 

The internationalisation of the premiership is a prime factor - there are precious few foreign billionaires who given the choice (which obviously they are) woudl not choose to have their UK base in London. Man City are a curious exception to the "rule" but on top of that it also applies to players and players' families who are more likely to be seduced by the bright lights of the capital than the vistas of the Cheshire plain and Manchester/Liverpool nightlife.

 

Sanchez at Arsenal is the latest example I can think of - Liverpool I think agreed terms with Barca but there was only one place that the player was interested in. And there is a snowball effect - players and families from whatever country won't be short of compatriots to help them settle in.

[Diego_Sideburns]

Looking at the map, when did The Midlands become part of 'The South'? Draw a second line under the Midlands' clubs and there is no story.

[Stevie_J]

Can't help thinking the journalist is looking for something that isnt there.

[jimsleftfoot]

Actually if you split England into the North and South forgetting the Midlands as he has done, Meriden (near Coventry) is the centre apparently. This means that Stoke, WBA, Villa, Norwich and Leicester are all Northern.

[Monty Burns]

I couldnt actually read that after looking at that map!

Apparantly hes currently writing 'why is there more coffee in this jar than that jar?' And putting forward many tenuous reasons why a 500ml jar of a big brand has more coffee than a 250ml jar of budget coffee.