Leicester triumph glosses over Midlands' football demise
Hull City's play-off win keeps Foxes as the only side from English football's heartland in the top flight
Hull City emerged triumphant from the Championship play-off final on Saturday to secure a ticket to the Premier League and guarantee a share of the vast riches now on offer to the elite of the English game.
But their victory over Sheffield Wednesday was also symbolic of the changes English football has undergone in the Premier League era, changes that are easy to overlook after Leicester City's astonishing title triumph last season.
Wednesday's failure to make it into the top flight, combined with the relegation of Aston Villa and Norwich, means that next season, Leicester will not only defend the title, they will stand alone in representing the East Midlands - an area that was once the heartland of the English game.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Draw a line from The Wash up to Leeds and across to Manchester, then down along the M6 and M40 corridor, past Stoke City and West Brom to Watford, and across the top of north London, and there is a huge area steeped in footballing history with only one club in the Premier League.
It includes some of the oldest and most venerable clubs in the country: Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United.
Other big names - Derby County, Birmingham City, Sheffield United, Coventry, Norwich, Ipswich and even Reading (at a push) - fall within its boundaries
It has been that way for a while. In the 2010-11 season, there were no clubs east of Birmingham or south of Sunderland in the top flight, although Villa, Birmingham, Wolves and West Brom were there to represent the West Midlands.
Only one of that brigade now remains. At the end of the season, West Brom manager Tony Pulis spoke of his pride in managing the only team from the West Midlands to remain in the top flight. "Next season, there will only be one club carrying that Premier League flag," he said. "We've got something to be proud of."
By contrast, in the second tier there will be, depending on where you draw the boundary, at least ten teams from the West Midlands, the East Midlands and East Anglia.
Leicester's triumph may have delighted the football world: it "will never be forgotten and it has reinvigorated the region", as John Percy of the Daily Telegraph writes. But he adds: "Let's be brutally honest, covering the 'fortunes' of Midlands clubs in recent times has not always been a joyful experience."
He continues: "The football world has always seemed to revolve around London and the North West."
Leicester's title may have taken the trophy to a new home for a season at least, it cannot mask the fact that the region that spawned the football league is punching below its historical weight.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?
Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
By The Week UK Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after ‘extraordinary’ rant at players
feature After another year without a trophy, Spurs are now searching for a new manager
By The Week Staff Published
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Pros and cons of VAR in football
Pros and Cons String of mistakes has put new technology under the microscope
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published