Not far short of a quarter of England’s professional football clubs are to be found in the north-west. 21 clubs are squeezed into a region with just 7 million people. Eight of the twenty clubs in the Premier League are from the north-west. So 40 per cent of the top clubs are in a region with around 13.6 per cent of the English population. How does the north-west punch above its demographic and economic weight?
Not far short of a quarter of England’s professional football clubs are to be found in the north-west. 21 clubs are squeezed into a region with just 7 million people. Eight of the twenty clubs in the Premier League are from the north-west. So 40 per cent of the top clubs are in a region with around 13.6 per cent of the English population. How does the north-west punch above its demographic and economic weight?
History may have something to do with it. If we go back to the formation of the Football League in 1888, half of the twelve clubs were from the north-west, although only three of them are in the top flight now.
Benefactors have also played their part. Sheikh Mansour has spent about £1bn on players, wages and improving the stadium and playing facilities since buying Manchester City two years ago. Wigan and Blackpool have been bankrolled on a much smaller scale. Now Blackburn looks as if it is to be the latest club to get the midas touch with prospective owner Aysan Ali Syed likening buying the club to purchasing a Ferrari.
Perhaps one of the biggest factors is that many of the supporters come from outside the north-west, although they may have origins or links there. At least a third of Liverpool supporters travel more than 50 miles for games and the distances and numbers are probably even greater for Manchester United.
For all the passion to be found in Geordieland, the two geographical poles of football in England are to be found in the north-west and in London.