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The 1992-93 English Premier League, the first of the new structure, was won by Manchester United, who became champions of England for the first time in 26 years.
Alex Ferguson’s side, who were cruelly passed by Leeds in the run-in the season prior, eventually got their hand on the impressive new trophy courtesy of their 84-point total in the 42-game season. Unexpected challengers emerged in the form of Aston Villa and Norwich City, but while both pressed the Red Devils late into the season, their bids fizzled out, leaving United as clearly the best team in the division, commencing a dynasty that would last for two decades.
CHANGES
In the most sweeping pre-season changes in the history of English football, the revamped Premier League emerged out of the ashes of the old First Division, backed by a bumper broadcasting deal that ushered in a new era of expenditure and an inextricable relationship with Sky TV, with a new contract thought to be worth an (at the time) eye-watering £310 million.
A 22-team top flight was formed and the clubs not involved initially appeared to be kids peering through the glass into the candy store, dreaming of untold riches as their dilapidated stadiums crumbled. It is a gap in status and wealth that has, to this day, never been recovered.
The new sides wasted no time in flexing their new-found financial muscle, not least newly-promoted Blackburn Rovers, who joined Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough in squeezing into the elite courtesy of a play-off and with the wealthy Jack Walker bankrolling them, purchased Alan Shearer from Southampton for a fee of £3.6m. Elsewhere Dean Saunders moved from Liverpool to Aston Villa for over £2m, while Teddy Sheringham swapped the City Ground and Nottingham Forest for Tottenham, Spurs spending in the region of £2.5m for the forward.
But in a day before transfer windows, the most pivotal move came mid-season, as an innocent phone call from Alex Ferguson to Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson led to the capture of…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/season-reviews/when-eric-cantona-came-cheap-and-united-finally-did-it-the-1992-93-premier-league-season/66
Author : [email protected] (Martin Macdonald)
Publish date : 2024-07-19 10:00:00
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