Football in England is arguably the most popular in the world and this is based on the large followership of the game in the country. Also, the popularity of the country’s elite club football league all over the world gives credence to this fact.
In England, there are many league categories but the elite and the most popular league in the country is known by the acronym EPL, meaning the English Premier League.
What Does EPL Mean?
Therefore, for those asking; What does EPL mean? You have your answer right there.
EPL is an acronym for the English Premier League and it is the highest stage of club football in England. Also, it is easily the most followed and most popular football league in the world.
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The EPL has millions of followers in Africa, Europe, South America, North America, and Asia. It is also one football league that is a major attraction to players of various nationalities.
The EPL is also very lucrative and continues to attract wealthy sponsors from all over the world. It can be recalled that Newcastle United and Chelsea Fc were recently acquired by new owners.
Brief History Of The EPL
The Premier League, also known as The Football Association Premier League Limited holds the highest position in what is known as the English football league system.
As pointed out earlier, the EPL is the highest stage of club football in England and has other lower leagues preceding it in an arranged order of relevance.
The EPL consists of twenty different clubs that compete to come out top as number 1 and league winner, and also compete for places in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and the Europa Conference Leagues.
There was once the traditional Big 4 in the EPL but it has been increased to the Big 6 as some of the average sides have become decent over the years.
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The League also uses a promotion and relegation structure similar to that of the English Football League (EFL).
The three most underperforming teams at the end of a season are demoted to the next lower club football league which is the Championship. This process of teams losing their place in the league after a very poor season is known as relegation.
The typical season lasts from August to May, and each team competes in a total of 38 matches (playing all 19 other teams both home and away).
The majority of the matches in a season of the EPL take place on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with a few taking place in the evenings during the week. There are also the Christmas fixtures where the games come in thick and fast while other leagues are on break.
The competition came into being on February 20, 1992, as the FA Premier League after clubs in the Football League First Division decided to break away from the Football League which was founded in 1888 so they could leverage the benefits of Sky’s lucrative television rights.
The EPL or Premier League has a potential television audience of 4.7 billion people, making it the most-watched sports league in the world.
The Premier League is broadcast in 212 territories, reaching 643 million homes and this number can only increase as the league continues to grow in popularity as well as in leaps and bounds all over the world.
Little wonder, almost every football fan in the world has a Premier League club that they support such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and the like.
Most Decorated Teams In The EPL
The most decorated EPL club is Manchester United also known as the Red Devils.
The Red Devils have won the EPL title a whopping 20 times followed by Liverpool with 19, Arsenal with 13, Everton with 9, and Manchester City with 8 amongst others.
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Manchester City also came out tops in the just concluded 2021/22 season of the EPL as they won the league title despite fierce competition from Liverpool.
The 2022/23 season is the next season of the EPL and the 31st season of the league competition. It will begin on August 5 with a Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
Meanwhile, the 31st installment of the Premer League which is the 2022/23 season will be interrupted by the commencement of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Therefore, the EPL will go on a break from November for Qatar 2022 and resume on Boxing Day.
Some Facts About The EPL
Club With the Most Number Of EPL Titles
Manchester United have won the highest number of EPL titles – 13.
Manager That Has Managed The Most Seasons And Games
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, a Frenchman, has managed the highest number of seasons in the EPL – 22 and also managed the highest number of games with 828 to his name.
Manager That Has Won The Mist Titles and Managerial Awards
Sir Alex Ferguson, former Manchester United manager has won the highest number of EPL titles, the highest number of Manager Of The Month awards, as well as most Manager of the season awards with 13, 27, and 11 respectively.
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Club With the Most Points In A Season
Manchester City with 100 in the 2017/18 season.
Clubs That Have Not Been Relegated Since The EPL Began
Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Player With the Most Number Of Goals In A Season
The record is still held by former Manchester United star Andrew Cole with 34 goals in 42 games in the 1993/94 season.
Unbeaten
Only one club has played an entire EPL season unbeaten and without a defeat and it is Arsenal in the 2003/04 season. The team was known as The Invincibles.
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Conclusion
We’ve thrown considerable light on the meaning of EPL in this article.
As noted earlier, EPL is an acronym that stands for the English Premier League and this league is a football league and the elite club football league in England.
It is easily the most popular football league in the world and has gargantuan followership from all over the world. Do well to leverage the information in this article in your quest to know what EPL means.
Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.