"Since the Premiership began" bullshit bingo

[3 Colours Red]

And why is Manchester United written in all caps on that Today league table?

I'm pretty sure it's taken from a United Review.

[Sporting]

It is always time to reminisce about the half-time alphabet scores

Back in the 70s I was attending an FA Cup match at Anfield. At half time the bloke (they used to call them wags, didn't they?) who put up the scores decided to have a right old laugh and placed 0-5 under the appropriate letter in the Man Utd home match. Cue huge roar from the Kop. I don't remember the actual match but I know he was having us all on. Course, this was pre-internet days and not too many spectators carried pocket radios, so hilarity/bemusement/"Can that be right?" reactions all around.

[Jah Womble]

I'm pretty sure it's taken from a United Review.

They were down in eleventh. I think I'd be keeping that pretty quiet, personally.

[Satchmo Distel]

Wimbledon beat Liverpool at Anfield that year as well (you won't need me to remind you). Yet people persist in suggesting the following year's Cup Final was a seismic shock to compare with Sunderland beating Leeds.

Mind you, despite the oft spun line that "the big clubs" no longer care about the Cup, that's another thing that hasn't happened in the Premier League era. A proper good old-fashioned Cup Final upset. Except Wigan beating Man City I suppose and that one year when the final ended up Portsmouth-Cardiff, although the actual final didn't produce an upset.

"no longer care" was always an exaggeration. They care but not as much as they used to, but because they can rest players and still be far too good for any non-Top 16 side, that's enough.

The selections that devalue the Cup the most are the ones by teams in promotion and relegation zones for whom the financial calculus of league v cup makes them think a cup run would seriously damage them.

[Nocturnal Submission]

With absolutely no evidence to back it up, I've always thought that was a fallacious argument. I reckon that winning, even if against teams below them in the league structure, the chance of a glamour tie against a team some way above them, or even the possibility of going all the way, serves to improve morale and increases the likelihood of an escape from relegation. Unless you're very unlucky a cup run doesn't cause much in the way of fixture congestion, not these days anyway, or decimate your squad through injury.

[Patrick Thistle]

Shrewsbury beat Everton then played Chelsea live on TV in January 2003. Around those games they lost by stupid big margins in the league. After the drubbing by Chelsea they continued their league losing streak and got relegated out of the league, 8 points adrift of the second bottom team.

[Nocturnal Submission]

An examination of a larger sample would be interesting to see.

[Satchmo Distel]

It might be fallacious but I think many clubs act as if it were true.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Absolutely, and an experienced manager would almost certainly know better than me how best to manage his squad during a relegation fight. I'd like to see the evidence though.

[jwdd27]

In the olden days they had second, third replays, and also more postponements due to lack of undersoil heating/competent groundstaff, which meant a relegation threatened team could end up with multiple games in hand, knackering themselves out playing 2 or even 3 times a week (with roughly the same XI due to a smaller squad) right up to the end of the season.
As discussed, some managers still act as a cup run is a season-ending distraction.

[ad hoc]

A new entry for the bullshit bingo today with the Sheffield Star printing a list of "All the players that have scored in the Sheffield Derby during the Premier League era". Never mind that the vast majority of these games have taken place outside the premier league.

[seand]

A new entry for the bullshit bingo today with the Sheffield Star printing a list of "All the players that have scored in the Sheffield Derby during the Premier League era". Never mind that the vast majority of these games have taken place outside the premier league.

That is excellent! Coming next week, all Superbowl winners during the Premier League era

[Patrick Thistle]

Bournemouth's goal against Arsenal was the 1000th Premier League goal that Arsenal have conceded. They are the 8th club to let in 1000 Premier League goals.

I'd say name the other 7 but I don't know the answer. Everton and Spurs likely candidates I reckon.

[jwdd27]

Indeed, Everton and Spurs are neck and neck at the top, there's a Daily Mail article from December which I won't link to, which says that Spurs overtook Everton whe conceding 4 in the derby. I think Everton will have regained the crown since then.
Liverpool are the only other ever present in the list, above Arsenal but below occasional relegation fodder West Ham, Newcastle, Villa and Southampton.

[Bored Of Education]

Woah, people, we are very close to taking this bullshit seriously here.

[Patrick Thistle]

Stats are always serious, Bored. Regardless of context.

[Jah Womble]

Woah, people, we are very close to taking this bullshit seriously here.

'Things You Just Knew Would Happen', part 3,274.

[seand]

and just to put this Premiership era bullshit in context, Everton have conceded about 6,500 league goals... 1,000 in the PL is a small fraction

[tee rex]

TV guide for my local network (Prime NZ) has this preview of the weekend's broadcast:

"The Wolves will be hoping to topple Chelsea, as they head to London to face off against the eight-time Premier League Champions at Stamford Bridge."

I have no idea how they came up with 8.

[3 Colours Red]

Either they've got it mixed up with FA Cups or they're counting their two Division 2 championships as league titles.

[Patrick Thistle]

Gary Lineker actually made a joke about not existing when they did the obligatory MOTD bit about Premier League goals on Saturday.

[longeared]

https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/1120762347407183872

[Cesar Rodriguez]

I think there are much better and more valid originating points in football.

I agree with TAB that the backpass rule was the significant change of that era not the Premier league.

Stats always used to be talked of as "postwar" since the 5 year cessation of league football during WW2 provided a legitimate cutting off point. Bosman rule in the 90s, advent of European football in 50s, the 3pts for a win era, end of the minimum wage all are more legitimate markers than the Premier league formation in 1992.

[Cesar Rodriguez]

End of gate sharing for that matter too.

[Diable Rouge]

https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/1120762347407183872

Strangely enough, plenty of Fourth Division records available, but not for the English top-flight - was Crystal Palace v Derby a First Division game?