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We started it!

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I am reading an interesting article in Sport Magazine which charts the start of the Premier League.

I hadn't realised / more likely forgotten that the breakaway from the Football League was led by Sir Philip Carter, Everton Chairman and Football League President. He complained about the big teams having to subsidise the lower leagues.

How ironic then, at a time when in many ways we seem to be the paupers of the Top Table, that it was us wot started it!

Jonathan Tasker, London Posted 23/09/2011 at 08:30:14

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Al Reddish
1 Posted 23/09/2011 at 13:50:33

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You are right. Big Phil was one of the orchestrators of the breakaway, but sadly didn't have the forsight to see just how big the Premier League would become leaving us as relegation candidates for a good 10 years of it's inception with little or no improvements made to Goodison Park, whilst perennial strugglers Man. Utd were one of those that immediatley embraced the change both on and off the pitch and look at the benefits they have since reaped.

Liam Reilly
2 Posted 23/09/2011 at 13:55:14

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And the irony is, having the foresight to see that the introduction of the Premier League could change the face of footbal and then inconcieveably sitting back to watch our competitors beaking new ground whilst we stand still.

One hell of a legacy to leave behind, Chairman Phil.

Brian Waring
3 Posted 23/09/2011 at 14:08:00

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Spot on Liam. I think the club were expecting sack-fulls of cash to just fall in our laps, without actually doing anything.

Gary Mortimer
4 Posted 23/09/2011 at 14:28:14

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To be honest, the biggest change came about with:

1) The introduction of the Champions League and the megabucks on offer for those who get in. To such an extent that it is considered better to finish 4th in League than to win a Cup.

2) The introduction of multiple substations. Gone are the days where players like Alan Harper would be worth their weight in sheckles. Now the manager can rely on a bench full of internationals rather than use tactical nouse to change a game.

Kevin Tully
5 Posted 23/09/2011 at 14:40:02

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And still on the board.

Don't say a word though- he's blue through and through.

I will give it to post no.20 before some eejit defends him.

John Ford
6 Posted 23/09/2011 at 15:44:41

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Gary dont forget the sky dosh which is sommat else to separate the haves from the have nots.

David Hallwood
7 Posted 23/09/2011 at 16:02:16

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This is the one thing that's forgotten about in all of the kenwright bashing, is that we've been mis-managed for a long time. Also factor in when the EPL started we were not strugglers but was coming back off a successful period, any advantage we had was thrown away

Aiden Doyle
8 Posted 23/09/2011 at 20:28:25

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Well, we weren?t exactly strugglers at the dawn of the premier league but we were already clearly in decline. In the five preceding seasons we?d finished 4th, 8th, 6th, 9th and 12th. Our form in the first five years of the EPL just followed a similar trajectory (13th, 17th, 15th, 6th and 15th) apart from that one season when Joe Royle was able to buck the trend.

I?ll admit that the Premier League has made it harder, if not impossible, to get back on track (as has the Champion?s League, of course) but it doesn?t seem to have been the source of our problems.

Ged Alexander
9 Posted 23/09/2011 at 22:46:29

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Philip Carter is the reason we began to decline. End of.

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