Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club

Wolverhampton Wanderers will ply their trade in the Premier League for a second season after a superb 2009/10 campaign. Many pudits predicted a swift return to the Championship, but under manager Mick McCarthy, Wolves proved the doubters wrong and ended up in 15th place. Wolves' first spell in the Premier League came in the 2003/04 season, after they won promotion via the play-offs. A disappointing season ended in relegation, as the Midlands side finished bottom of the table with 33 points. They won the Championship title in 2009 and have been in the top flight since. club heritage Initially formed as St Luke's FC in 1877, the club...

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Wigan Athletic Football Club

Wigan Athletic won promotion to England's top flight for the first time ever in 2005 and have stayed a Premier League club ever since. Remaining in the top half of the table for almost the entire 2005/06 campaign, the Latics finished 10th and reached the League Cup final for the first time in their history. Wigan's rise has been swift. Playing in the old Third Division when local millionaire Dave Whelan purchased the club in 1995, his Premier League ambitions were realised in just 10 years. Wigan found the 2006/07 season more taxing and were pulled into a relegation dogfight. However, they survived on the final day of the campaign after...

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West Ham United Football Club

West Ham United secured their place back in the Barclays Premiership after a two-year absence in 2005. The Hammers joined the Premier League in 1993 and consolidated in midtable under manager Billy Bonds. At the start of the following season, assistant Harry Redknapp stepped up to become the new manager after Bonds quit the post. Redknapp's first campaign saw the Hammers finish in 14th place, but he led them to three top-10 finishes including fifth place in 1999. Youth team coach Glenn Roeder became the new manager in 2001 and he had a successful first season leading the team to seventh. But things went badly wrong 12 months later, as...

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West Bromwich Albion-Club Profile

West Bromwich Albion returned to the Barclays Premier League after a strong 2009/10 campaign which saw them finish runners-up behind runaway title-winners Newcastle United in the Championship. Under the guidance of new head coach Roberto di Matteo, the Baggies finished comfortably 12 points clear of third-placed Nottingham Forest. Founded in 1878 the Midlands club became one of the original members of the Football League 10 years later. They spent most of their early history in England's top tier, winning the league title in 1920, the FA Cup on five occasions and League Cup once. Their Premier League debut came in 2002. They were relegated...

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Tottenham Hotspur Football Club

Tottenham Hotspur have been in the Premier League since its inception and have lit the competition up with their flamboyant style of play. With Jurgen Klinsmann and Ilie Dumitrescu, the team was built around goals, but points were harder to come by. Relegation was only narrowly avoided in 1998, but fans' relief was short lived as their next manager was a legend from fierce north London rivals Arsenal - George Graham. He led the team to a League Cup victory in his first season - Spurs' first trophy since the Premier League began. However, it wasn't until Martin Jol took over in 2004 and started building a team for the future - firmly...

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Sunderland Association Football Club

Sunderland have established themselves as a Barclays Premier League side after winning the Championship title in 2006/07. After their relegation in 2006, the club was taken over by Drumaville - a consortium of mainly Irish-based businessmen, headed up by former player Niall Quinn - which appointed Republic of Ireland legend and former Manchester United hero Roy Keane as manager, his first managerial post since hanging up his boots. The club have not looked back since as Keane guided them from the bottom of the Championship to title winners. Keane led them to a 15th Barclays Premier League place finish in 2007/08 but left the club midway...

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Stoke City-Club Profile

Stoke City secured a third season in the Barclays Premier League with an impressive 11th place finish at the end of 2009/10. Manager Tony Pulis again exceeded expectations by confirming the Potters' place in the top flight with a handful of matches to spare a year after they placed 12th. This is Pulis' second spell in charge at the club. He originally parted company with the Potters at the end of the 2004/05 season. Dutch manager Johan Boskamp stepped in but left at the end of the season after a mid-table finish. Boskamp's departure came as former-chairman Peter Coates was completing a takeover of the club and he reappointed Pulis who,...

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Newcastle United Football Club

Newcastle United fans have had a rollercoaster time since the inception of the Premier League. When Kevin Keegan took over the reins in 1992, the club was on the brink of relegation to the old Division Three. But under his management, they romped to the title and took their place in the FA Carling Premiership in time for the 1993/94 season. With a goal-hungry Andy Cole and veteran Peter Beardsley at the forefront of an attacking team, they were dubbed "The Entertainers". Attack was the first form of defence and it worked as the North East outfit finished third in their first season. They went even closer two years later. Leading Manchester...

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Manchester United Football Club

Manchester United are the most successful Premier League club having won the title 11 times. It all began in 1993 when manager Sir Alex Ferguson ended a 26-year wait to lift the Premier League crown. The signing of Eric Cantona for £1.2m from Leeds United proved a masterstroke as the Frenchman was instrumental in the title victory, along with the likes of Gary Pallister, Denis Irwin, Ryan Giggs and Paul Ince. United retained the trophy in the following campaign and romped to further titles in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003. More silverware was added to the Red Devils' burgeoning trophy cabinet with FA Cup success in 1994,...

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Manchester City Football Club

Manchester City have spent 13 years in the Premier League since its inception in 1992. In the 2002/03 season, they became one of only two English teams to have qualified for the UEFA Cup through the 'Fair Play ranking'. This meant that the plush new City of Manchester Stadium was treated to European football just weeks after opening for the start of the following campaign. Kevin Keegan and then Stuart Pearce, established the club in the Premier League, and under the latter, they finished in 14th place in the 2006/07 season. He was replaced by Sven-Goran Eriksson who guided the club to a ninth place finish in the 2007/08 campaign. City...

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Liverpool Football Club

Liverpool have maintained their status as a domestic and European force since the Premier League began in 1992, rarely finishing outside the top positions. The club have won seven major trophies since then, including the Champions League, Uefa Cup, two FA Cups and three League Cups. Indeed, 2001 saw the Reds claim an unprecedented League Cup, FA Cup and Uefa Cup treble. Under Rafa Benitez, Liverpool secured Champions League football in five of his six seasons at the helm. The Spaniard won the competition in 2005 and guided the club to an appearance in the final two years later where they were beaten 2-1 by AC Milan. After struggling...

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Fulham-Club Profile

Fulham have maintained their Premier League status ever since elevation to the top flight under Frenchman Jean Tigana in 2001. This represented a third promotion in just five seasons for the Cottagers and they have not looked back, establishing themselves in the Premier League. Tigana left the club in April 2003 and former Fulham star Chris Coleman took over to become the Premier League's youngest manager. He led them to ninth in his first season and kept the Whites clear of relegation during his tenure. Coleman was sacked as the 2006/07 season neared its end, with Lawrie Sanchez taking over the lowly outfit on a temporary basis. The...

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Everton-Club Profile

Everton have maintained their place in the Premier League since its inception in 1992. The Toffees claimed a famous 1-0 win over Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup final courtesy of a goal from Paul Rideout. Everton have often been overshadowed by their Merseyside rivals Liverpool but they have a glorious history of their own. A fourth place finish under manager David Moyes in the 2004/05 campaign, coupled with sixth and fifth place finishes respectively in the 2006/07 and 07/08 seasons, cemented the club's status in the upper echelons of English football. Another fifth-placed finish came in 2008/09 along with an FA Cup final appearance....

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Chelsea-Club Profile

Chelsea have regained the Premier League crown after finishing second to Manchester United in the last three seasons. Former manager Jose Mourinho, bankrolled by owner Roman Abramovich's millions, brought the first title to Stamford Bridge for 50 years when the Blues lifted the trophy in 2005. Chelsea became only the second team to win back-to-back Premier League titles when they clinched it a year later. Mourinho left the club by mutual consent in September 2007. Although Chelsea reached the FA Cup final in 1994, they hardly set the world alight in their early Premier League days. Ruud Gullit became manager in 1996 and steered the Blues...

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Bolton Wanderers-Club Profile

Bolton Wanderers have established themselves as a respected Premier League club since rejoining the top flight in 2001. The Trotters made their Premier League bow in 1995 but were relegated after just one season when they finished bottom. They returned to football's elite a year later after winning the Division One title, but went down again - this time on goal difference. Sam Allardyce guided Bolton back up in 2001 and the club has gone from strength to strength. Bolton qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history in 2005 after finishing sixth. After an eighth-place finish the year after, they came seventh in the 2006/07...

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Blackpool-Club Profile

Blackpool's play-off final victory over Cardiff City ensured they would be the 44th different club to play in the Premier League. The Seasiders clinched promotion by beating the Bluebirds 3-2 at Wembley where they twice came from behind. They levelled within minutes of both the Bluebirds' goals, first through Charlie Adam's superb free-kick and then via Gary Taylor-Fletcher's brave close-range header. Former Southampton striker Brett Ormerod hit the winner just before half-time and the Seasiders held on to become the first team to win promotion through all four divisions via the play-offs. It was a remarkable achievement for a club which...

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Blackburn Rovers-Club Profile

The birth of the Premier League also heralded Blackburn Rovers' return to the top flight for the first time in 26 years. They underlined their ambition by breaking the English transfer record to sign a 22-year-old Alan Shearer for £3.2m. Other expensive signings ensured they finished an impressive fourth. Owner Jack Walker continued to splash his cash and in their second season, his team were runners-up to arch North Western rivals Manchester United in 1993/94. The positions were reversed the following season as Rovers pipped United to the title on the last day of the season. The team have failed to reach those heights since then and in...

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Birmingham City-Club Profile

Birmingham City exploded onto the Barclaycard Premiership stage in 2002. Having suffered play-off heartbreak in the previous three seasons, they won the play-offs under former manager Steve Bruce and seemed determined to make up for lost time. In their first season, they finished a highly creditable 13th and did the double over arch rivals Aston Villa. Another mid-table finish in 2004/05 was followed by relegation a year later and a mass clear-out in an effort to reduce the wage bill. But Birmingham bounced straight back up in the 2006/07 season, clinching automatic promotion as Championship runners-up. They became the first senior...

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Aston Villa-Club Profile

Overview The inaugural 1992/93 Premier League season saw Aston Villa miss out on their first title in 12 years when they finished runners-up to Manchester United. Villa got their revenge over the champions by beating them in the League Cup Final the following season. Chairman Doug Ellis had been unimpressed by Villa's league form and replaced the flamboyant Ron Atkinson with Brian Little in 1993/94. The former Villa player led the club to a 3-0 win over Leeds United in the 1996 League Cup final. In 2000, Villa reached their first FA Cup final since 1957 but were defeated by Chelsea. Although Villa remained a hard side to beat, the loss...

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Arsenal - Club Profile

Overview Arsenal may have been off the pace in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93, but they made up for it by winning both the FA and League Cups. The Premier League crown eluded them until 1998 - two years into manager Arsene Wenger's tenure - when they did the league and FA Cup double. Under the Frenchman, the Gunners shook off their "boring" image and began to play some of the most attractive football in England. In eight of his 14 seasons at the club, Arsenal have finished first or second. And together with star players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, Wenger took Arsenal to another "double"...

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