OCR Text |
Show THE REGENERATION OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL Benjamin K. Lusty, (Nadja Durbach) Department of History English football underwent a revolution during the 1990s. Everything about the game, except the game itself changed. The revolution of the 1990s began formally with the 1992 advent of the English Premier League (EPL), which replaced the old Football League operating since 1888. The EPL inaugurated a league of wealthy and elite English football clubs in order to maximize revenue. Previously football clubs had not been thought of as businesses, yet by 1995 nearly every club had transformed itself into a publicly traded, profit-seeking companies. The commercialization of the game had occurred at the end or a period of decline during which stadium collapses, dwindling attendances, and hooliganism had marred the reputation of the game so much that many wondered whether English football would survive. The commercialization of football, although controversial, has fundamentally redeveloped the game's infrastructure and has transformed football into a glamorous and highly valuable product. This paper traces the history of English football in order to demonstrate that the revolution of the 1990s is in harmony with the game's historical development, and that commercialization has brought about regeneration in football's popularity and image. Oept. of History {115} |