History and Background

The 1992-93 premier league season was the first year of the premier league. It began on 15th August 1992 and the final day was on 11th May 1993. The league consisted of the 22 teams which finished the 1991-92 season and with a £305 million deal with Sky sports for television rights the Premier league was practically identical to the old First Division of the Football League. The majority of First division clubs, particularly long-established top clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United, were in favour of a breakaway from the Football League, although Football League president Bill Fox criticised the planned Premier League as an attempt by the Football Association to “hijack” the First Division. The structure of the new league was identical to that of the previous season’s First Division, comprising 22 teams, with each playing the other 21 twice for a total of 42 matches. Ipswich and Middlesbrough had been promoted from the old second division as champions and runners-up respectively, and Blackburn took the third promotion place after winning the 1991–92 Second Division playoff.

The Teams

The Season

Shortly before the season began, newly promoted Blackburn signed Southampton’s 21-year old England international striker Alan Shearer for a new British record fee variously reported to be upward of £3.3 million, Several other players moved for fees of £2 million or more,
including Arsenal’s David Roscastle, who joined Leeds, Dean Saunders, who moved from Liverpool to Aston Villa, and Teddy Sheringham, who left Nottingham Forest for Tottenham.

The structure of the new league was identical to that of the previous season’s First Division, comprising 22 teams, with each playing the other 21 twice for a total of 42 matches. Ipswich and Middleborough had been promoted from the old Second Division as champions and runners-up respectively, and Blackburn took the third promotion place after winning the 1991–92 Second Division playoff.

The first Premier League title went to Manchester United, the club’s first title for 26 years. Their title was achieved with a 10-point lead over runners-up Aston Villa. Norwich City led the table for much of the season, but their challenge faded in the final weeks of the season and were out of contention three games before the season was over after they lost 3–1 to Ipswich Town. Norwich did however finish in third place, achieving European qualification
with a goal difference of −4, this is the highest Premier League finish by a team with a negative goal difference. Blackburn, in the top division for the first time in almost 30 years, finished in fourth place. They briefly led the league early in the season, but suffered a shortage of goals after Alan Shearer, who had scored 16 times before the turn of the year, suffered a torn cruciate ligament, and missed the second half of the season. The title race was largely between the clubs who finished in the top four after early challenges from the likes of, Coventry, and QPR were not sustained.

Nottingham Forest’s league form had suffered through the sale of key players like Des Walker and Teddy Sheringham, and they were bottom of the Premier League for much of the 1992–93 season. Their relegation was confirmed in early May when they lost to Sheffield United. Next to go were newly promoted Middlesborough, who fell from mid-table at Christmas to go down in second from bottom place. Last to go down were Crystal Palace, who failed to win their final game of the season which would have instead consigned Oldham to the final relegation place – Oldham’s survival was secured with a 4–3 win over Southampton

Title holders Leeds finished 17th, which was the lowest finish from a defending league champion since Ipswich finished 17th in 1962-63 after having won the title in 1961-62, and the lowest any top tier champions have so far finished in the Premier League. Leeds failed to win an away game in the league.