Bigger than Leicester?

[Barrister]

There are only 20 teams competing, and each one of them has a shot at winning it every year.

Not an even shot, no.

I never said an even shot.  I said they had "a shot".  And it's not that 's unheard of - Ipswich Town did the same thing back in 1962.  It's just the kind of thing that happens every 50 years or so, apparently.

[Eddie Teach]

Has there ever been a bigger sporting shock than Leicester, narrowly avoiding relegation last year and being one of the favourites to go down this year, winning the premier league title at 5000-1 odds?

US beats USSR, mens ice hockey comes to mind.

That's one game, doesn't compare to a whole season's worth of games.

Which suggests Leicester was hugely underrated rather than outmatched.

[Archy]

What odds do I get for Dover athletic getting in premier league. The next 10 years?

[Admiral Yi]

How many matches in a Premier League season?

[crazy canuck]

Looks to be 36

[Sophie Scholl]

Richard III buried with dignity in Leicester.  Very next season, Leicester City wins.  Coincidence? 

[PDH]

How many matches in a Premier League season?

20 teams so 39 games.  Leicester won with 2 games left.

Whoops - history math!  38 games

[FunkMonk]

How many matches in a Premier League season?

Play home and away versus each team, so 19 times 2; 38.

[Richard Hakluyt]

It is a long season and the prize rarely goes to an outsider. I'm assuming that somehow the Leicester team somehow became greater than the sum of its parts. Apparently the entire team is valued at £30m (in terms of transfer fees, source : bloke on the BBC), teams like ManU and Chelsea have individual players more expensive than that.

[Gups]

There are only 20 teams competing, and each one of them has a shot at winning it every year.

Not an even shot, no.

I never said an even shot.  I said they had "a shot".  And it's not that 's unheard of - Ipswich Town did the same thing back in 1962.  It's just the kind of thing that happens every 50 years or so, apparently.

No, it was a much more level playing field financially in the 1960s and even up to the early 90s. There was no TV money, no sponsored shorts, hardly any merchandise, no billionaire foreign owners, very few foreign players and even a maximum wage until 1963.

In the 1960s, 8 different teams won the League with lots of other teams making it into the top 3.   

In the 2000s,  only Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal did and only three other teams broke into the top 3 in any of those seasons

[Josquius]

We should be careful not to imagine the 60s as pre war. Money did matter in the 60s and big teams did often buy up the best players.
But yeah. Nowhere near to the extent of today.

One particularly bizzare thing about this season that not many are pointing out is that Leicesters win coincided with Chelseas implosion

An interesting theory I've read is that due to english teams doing so badly in europe of late they've been unable to sign the top top players. Merely the top players.  This has levelled the playing field a little..

I'm excited for the future. With the new Premier league deal European money has really dropped in importance. I doubt we will get a turn around like Leicester again but I do think we are due for a bit more variety in title fights.

[Valmy]

Richard III buried with dignity in Leicester.  Very next season, Leicester City wins.  Coincidence? 

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of...Leicester?

[Josephus]

Wonder what the odds are for Leicester winning the Champions League next year

Not sure. But just read in Globe, Canadian newspaper, that it's unlikely bookies will ever give such long odds again.

[Josephus]

We should be careful not to imagine the 60s as pre war. Money did matter in the 60s and big teams did often buy up the best players.
But yeah. Nowhere near to the extent of today.

One particularly bizzare thing about this season that not many are pointing out is that Leicesters win coincided with Chelseas implosion

An interesting theory I've read is that due to english teams doing so badly in europe of late they've been unable to sign the top top players. Merely the top players.  This has levelled the playing field a little..

I'm excited for the future. With the new Premier league deal European money has really dropped in importance. I doubt we will get a turn around like Leicester again but I do think we are due for a bit more variety in title fights.

Doubt it. This was the "perfect storm" if you will.  Leicester won because coincidentally the big four all collapsed early in the season. Leicester's point total wouldn't have won them the league in previous years.

Leicester won't win next year, even with the same players.

[Josquius]

Leicester and the like won't be challenging at the top much.
But Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool and other big money established teams will.
The money of getting into Europe will become less significant in making up for doing worse in the league.