The Premier League celebrated its 30th anniversary on Monday, marking three decades that has seen English club soccer transformed into the world's leading sports entertainment product.
In 1992, the top clubs broke with 104 years of tradition by splitting from the Football League and controversially creating a "super league" which would keep its own income, rather than sharing it with the clubs across all four divisions of the professional game.
The move only became a reality because it was backed by the governing Football Association — a decision that was viewed as a betrayal by many of the smaller teams — and by domestic television companies viewed with suspicion by sceptical fans.