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<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Photo by kigaliwire</div>
In 1992, when the Premier League was formed, the clubs began to take advantage of lucrative television rights and broke away from the Football League, which had existed since 1888.
When fans worldwide saw Brian Deane score the first Premier League goal in the 2-1 win by Sheffield United over Manchester United, little did any one predict that this league’s popularity would stretch as far as a small town in East Africa named Rweshera.
For example, Tumwine Bosco, a peasant who earned less than $1 a week, caused outrage in the village where he chased his wife from their marital home because she insisted that Manchester United played better football than Arsenal. After three days of dialogue. The Elders and Bosco agreed to take back his wife on one condition. That his wife apologize to him, acknowledge that Arsenal was better than Man United and, from then on, she must become a Gooner. True story.
There are plenty more stories like that.

But, first, some background.&nbsp;In Africa, it’s a Known fact that an average male aged between 16-25 knows at least the starting eleven of his favorite club in England. Research goes on to show that this same age category may not be able to identify players representing his national team.
A 2008 Target Group Index research study by Consumer Insight revealed that most Africans spend their free time watching television. About 77 per cent of Ethiopians watch TV in their free time, while in Uganda, it’s 60 per cent and 45 per cent in Tanzania. Kenya, Angola and Burundi tie at 45 per cent. This might be one of the causes for the unfamiliarity of their national team players because the local leagues are not shown on television.
The survey further revealed that 61 per cent of respondents said they visit pubs in their free time, and 75 per cent said they drink to socialize and relieve stress. Consumption, the study said, is more prevalent among people aged between 18 and 34 years who account for almost three quarters of the total population of drinkers.&nbsp;That is the age most passionate about soccer. And drinking where live matches are shown is for most, an ideal way of socializing.
Why the attraction to the Premier League and not La Liga? One big difference is the inconvenient start-times&nbsp;of the Spanish league fixtures, which means its league matches are screened at midnight when most fans are already drunk by then and are staggering home, if not asleep.
The popularity of the English Premiership thus rests on media promotion, and competitiveness of the top teams. And realizing the global marketing potential, teams resort to selling jerseys and other kit.
However, the impact of the Premier League in Africa has left many dead. Different countries have had their share of bizarre cases and here are some that caught my eye:
<ul>
<li>Just in March 2010, a fan stabbed Abubakar Baishe, 19, in the stomach. The two schoolmates were arguing over league standings during a Manchester United versus Liverpool match that was aired on television in Lamu, Kenya.</li>
<li>In Ogbo town Nigeria, a bus driver and Manchester United fan ran over fans celebrating Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Manchester United during the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. Four were killed and 10 seriously injured.</li>
<li>In Uganda, a Manchester United fan beat his wife senselessly in 2008 because she had washed his prized Man United jersey on the day of a crucial encounter.</li>
<li>Young Islamist masked militants raided a cinema Hall in Howl Wadaag district of Mogadishu where a Manchester United against Arsenal FA semi-final match was being screened in 2008. Abdullahi Madehey, an Arsenal fan, died from gunshot wounds during the attack.&nbsp;Arsenal is the most popular club in Somalia.</li>
<li>In the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final between Chelsea and Manchester United, seven fans died in Nigeria after clashes between rival supporters.</li>
<li>In 2009, Suleiman Omondi, 29, took a rope and hanged himself at the balcony of his house in a Nairobi estate after Arsenal’s 3-1 loss to Manchester United, according to the girlfriend and neighbors.&nbsp;Omondi could not even wait for the Champions League semi-final match on Tuesday night between the two teams to end before snuffing out his life as Arsenal’s defeat was inevitable after Man United’s two goals during the first eleven minutes of the game.&nbsp;Omondi allegedly expressed his disappointment at the way Arsenal had been outclassed in the semi-final clash.</li>
</ul>
In Africa, where I live (Uganda to be precise), a typical weekend for a soccer fan comprises of placing his bet for the day and heading to a “sports” bar.
Fans spend hours swilling copious amounts of alcohol, eating nyama choma (roast meat) and pork as they root for what most call “my team.” At the end of the match they slowly walk back home in groups as they analyze the match until the next fixture. The emotional ones stay behind to fight battles on behalf of “their teams”.
For some, Premier League football is the most important thing in their lives. For others, Premier League football is more important than their life.

Premier League Is More Important Than Life In Africa - World Soccer Talk

Premier League Is More Important Than Life In Africa

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<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Photo by Probek</div>
Three-quarters of the Premier League’s clubs will need to significantly reduce their spending on players’ wages if they are to qualify for European competitions after Uefa’s “financial fair play” rules are introduced. The European governing body’s executive committee is set to approve the regulations, which will require clubs to breakeven, and not make persistent losses, from 2012-13.
In 2008-09, the most recent year for which the Premier League’s 20 clubs’ accounts are published, 14 made substantial losses. One other, Blackburn Rovers, made a £3.6m profit but were subsidised with a £5m loan from the club’s owners, which will no longer be permitted. Most clubs in the Premier League are funded by owners, most spectacularly at Chelsea and Manchester City, where Roman Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour subsidised losses of £47m and £93m respectively. Owners will, according to the rules, be permitted to invest in clubs, via permanent shares rather than repayable loans, to build solid infrastructure such as training grounds or youth development facilities, but not overspending on wages or transfers.
Uefa has taken more than three years to develop the rules since the organisation’s president, Michel Platini, warned of the “danger to football” posed by debt, overspending and “rampant commercialism”. They will be phased in, with club owners allowed to subsidise €45m (£38m) losses over the three years from 2012-13, reducing to €30m intotal over the next three years.

The truth is, the economies of the other leagues are torn to shreds and bursting at the seams. The Germans’ foresight and willingness to act unprompted puts to shame the inclination of the other leagues to turn a blind eye, cross their fingers and hope. In fact, to describe the financial state of European football as a mess would be a gross understatement.
The model in the Bundesliga means that the clubs are debt-free and can pass on the benefits to the fans, who pay as little as £11 to go and see the mighty Bayern play. Season tickets are similarly much cheaper and to become a “member” at Schalke for example will set you back a mere £86. You can’t even accuse them of having such cheap prices to simply get bums on seats. According to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance in 2009, the German top division had an average of 8,000 more people per game than their English counterpart, while the Premier League suffered a loss in revenue over the same period. UEFA is all too aware of this. As of the start of the 2012 season, new rules will be in place which, the governing body hopes, will curtail this culture of “spending at will” within the current elite. Plans were announced in 2009 to give the continent some time to basically pull its finger out and get its finances in check. These clubs are a long, long way off meeting the criteria.
Serie A has plans to emulate an English idea. In May 2009, 19 of the 20 league sides voted in favour of separating from Serie B and forming a breakaway league, similar to the English Premier League. Italian sides came under fire after only Udinese reached the quarter-finals of a continental competition in their 2009 UEFA Cup campaign. The clubs argued that they were unable to compete with the wages in England and Spain. Lega Serie A went live on July 1st, 2010 and on the same day, Lega Calcio folded; leaving the top sides free to sign their own TV contracts and establish their new division. They’ll have to wait two years however, as the defunct Lega Calcio had already signed €1.7bn worth of deals with Sky Italia, Mediaset Premium and Dahlia TV. The Serie A clubs do have control of the income and what’s rather concerning is that it is up to them to decide how much of the money, if any, should filter down into the leagues below them.

Premier League Teams Should Adopt German Tactics to Beat New UEFA Rules - World Soccer Talk

Premier League Teams Should Adopt German Tactics to Beat New UEFA Rules

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Premier League Is More Important Than Life In Africa

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Premier League Teams Should Adopt German Tactics to Beat New UEFA Rules