Why only 20 Premier League teams?

[LoveCurryPies]

Simple question....with 24 teams in all the other leagues, why are there only 24 in the PL?

Wouldn’t 24 make for a better chance of the smaller clubs staying in the league?

It would also increase the number of games. The only objectors to that must be those top teams that play in European tournaments.

[Chester Perry]

I take it you are either young or have managed to block the memory

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-Premi ... eams-to-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[duncandisorderly]

If the two European competitions were straight knockouts I'd welcome the change back to 24.

[Quickenthetempo]

If I remember rightly then Uefa/Fifa wanted the league down to 18 but the Fa/Premier league fought it off.

We wouldn't of got in the Prem if it was down to 18 I don't think.

[duncandisorderly]

Assuming the division of the money remained the same, reducing the league to 18 would likely involve the same half dozen teams being promoted/relegated each season, with the occasional exception. (i.e, take away two teams from the league but leave their slice of the pie and each team is suddenly £15m or so better off)

[Chester Perry]

If I remember rightly then Uefa/Fifa wanted the league down to 18 but the Fa/Premier league fought it off.

We wouldn't of got in the Prem if it was down to 18 I don't think.

Of the big 5 European leagues only Germany has 18 the rest have 20 - there has been regular posturing for all to go to 18 and I am sure it is part of Andrea Agnelli's vision for European football from 2024 onwards as part of his grand plans for the UEFA competitions - which has been a prominent feature of the Magic Money Tree Thread this year

[IanMcL]

It was the big teams, again, wanting a smaller Prem...even, 'no relegation', was discussed at one point.

Fortunately, the dozen outvote the 6 plus the likes of Everton.

[LoveCurryPies]

I take it you are either young or have managed to block the memory

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-Premi ... eams-to-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sadly, I'm not young and do have a bad memory, however the honest answer is I wasn't interested in football in 1994.

[ClaretTony]

Used to be 22 22 24 24 in the four divisions but they started reducing the numbers in the top division before the Premier League, then went back up to 22 before finally settling on 20.

[4:20]

Given the Champions/Europa League format and international breaks I think 20 teams is the sweet spot and hope it doesn't get reduced. There's a nice ring to it, it's big enough to fully seperate the relegation fighters, mid table consolidators, Europa League pushers, top 6 and champion contenders.

[DCWat]

Sadly, I'm not young and do have a bad memory, however the honest answer is I wasn't interested in football in 1994.

What age were you when you got into football LCP and what brought about a later interest?

[Steve1956]

Greed mate,nothing else just sheer greed!

[tiger76]

If the two European competitions were straight knockouts I'd welcome the change back to 24.

Not a hope in hell of the European competitions returning to a straight KO format,of course this would be the obvious solution to the number of games the big six have to play,we wouldn't want to tire the poor darlings out surely.

From BFC'S POV 24 would clearly benefit us at least in the short-term,as the risk of relegation would be drastically reduced,but i'd say 24 makes the league too unwieldy,it's amazing how the lower leagues cope with the extra 8 fixtures however.

[Claretforever]

Not a hope in hell of the European competitions returning to a straight KO format,of course this would be the obvious solution to the number of games the big six have to play,we wouldn't want to tire the poor darlings out surely.

From BFC'S POV 24 would clearly benefit us at least in the short-term,as the risk of relegation would be drastically reduced,but i'd say 24 makes the league too unwieldy,it's amazing how the lower leagues cope with the extra 8 fixtures however.

UEFA only introduce the league formats so that they could control TV revenue. Prior to that they only had control from the 1/4 finals onwards. Burnley, in old money, would have reached a decent position in the competition we entered last year.

[thelaughingclaret]

The size of the prem was reduced because somehow being paid more makes you more tired. A championship player or below can easily play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, but for a premier league player that’s just far, far too much and they get really tired, especially players at big clubs with dappy expensive haircuts. Feel so sorry for them, getting hundreds of thousands a week and be forced to sometimes work for 180 minuets in that week! How tiring it must be.

[scouseclaret]

If I remember rightly then Uefa/Fifa wanted the league down to 18 but the Fa/Premier league fought it off.

We wouldn't of got in the Prem if it was down to 18 I don't think.

My recollection is that the original plan was to reduce the Prem to 18 teams but when the clubs realised how much it would cost in revenue ( and TV revenue was much less then than now) the clubs pushed back.

[bfcjg]

According to some pundits there is only four the rest provide points for them.

[bfcmik]

The size of the prem was reduced because somehow being paid more makes you more tired. A championship player or below can easily play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, but for a premier league player that’s just far, far too much and they get really tired, especially players at big clubs with dappy expensive haircuts. Feel so sorry for them, getting hundreds of thousands a week and be forced to sometimes work for 180 minuets in that week! How tiring it must be.

Wouldn't it be great if they had time for training and physio too? And could just turn up at kick-off time ready to go?

[Dyched]

The size of the prem was reduced because somehow being paid more makes you more tired. A championship player or below can easily play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, but for a premier league player that’s just far, far too much and they get really tired, especially players at big clubs with dappy expensive haircuts. Feel so sorry for them, getting hundreds of thousands a week and be forced to sometimes work for 180 minuets in that week! How tiring it must be.

Get what you mean. Playing Carlisle and Bury within 4 days is as intense as playing Real Madrid and Man City

[LoveCurryPies]

What age were you when you got into football LCP and what brought about a later interest?

Mum had her leg amputated to remove a huge cancer. Wheelchair bound she needed assistance so I started going to the matches (I would be late 40’s) and was completely blown away by the atmosphere.

It was the match against Man Utd when we first got promoted. Trippier became her favourite player.

She died 4 years ago and to be honest, I’m not enjoying the matches quite as much.