Is EPL Simply The Best

So which country is home to the most exciting football league in the world? I know my headline has betrayed the question already but for good reason. At the close of the 1991 season, a proposal for the establishment of a new league was tabled that would bring more money into the English game overall.

2012 premier league champions Not only has that objective being reached but top footballers’ salaries increased 1,500 per cent from the creation of the English Premier League (EPL) in 1992 to 2010. Let us not exclude the two prime South American leagues in Brazil and Argentina or indeed our own championships in Africa but surely the answer to football marketing success lies in Europe?

EPL Chief Executive Richard Scudamore believes that although Olympic success dominated the headlines for much of the summer, the Premier League will soon be at the front of people’s minds again. “It will have its critics, but it will have more people following it, there’ll be more debate in workplaces, and it’ll be football again,” he said.

Sure, the masterful Spaniards would have a very strong case, the Italians less so, and even though the Germans continue to close the gap, they still have some way to go.

If you want an objective and unbiased opinion please do not ask the fans because they will tell you there is no place like home whether it is the Turkish, Greek or French league. Forget about all the statistics because the fans do not care. You either win the league, FA Cup, grab a Champions League spot or avoid relegation. All the rest in between are irrelevant.

As to whether the 2012/13 could match the entertainment of the previous campaign when a record 1,066 goals were scored at an average of 2.8 goals a match, is not entirely out of the question. Even though I am not an Arsenal fan, (I do admire their style), there I sat at the Emirates courtesy a post London 2012 ”mission” looking forward to the Gunners first game of the season.

It would have been impossible not to enjoy the great ambience, the warm family atmosphere and remarkably, the genuine belief and optimism of the fans that the season would be a great one.

It is very likely that the same optimism would have breezed around all the premiership centres before kick off and win or lose, the fans would hold onto that fire of hope week in week out. There is every reason to believe that the new EPL campaign could be just as exciting and crazy as that of last season.

Speaking at the launch for the 2012/13 season Scudamore said: “Whether it’s quite as exciting as last season isn’t really the measure because that’s an awfully high bar through which to pass. All that matters is that clubs go out and create those contests again and things will happen. It was just fantastic”

Now that we have seen all the EPL teams open their season accounts, can we make any forecasts from the pretenders, the pace setters, the giant killers and the slow starters? Part 2 will look at how the fiercely competitive Top Four is now a wider battle to become the Top Six.