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  • The Club

  • How the Premier League Became the Richest, Most Disruptive Business in Sport
  • By: Jonathan Clegg, Joshua Robinson
  • Narrated by: Rich Keeble
  • Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (34 ratings)

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The Club cover art

The Club

By: Jonathan Clegg, Joshua Robinson
Narrated by: Rich Keeble
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Publisher's Summary

The never-before-told inside story of how the Premier League became the wildest, richest, most popular entertainment business on the planet.  

How did English football - once known for its stale pies, bad bookkeeping and hooligans - become a commercial powerhouse and the world's premium popular entertainment?  

This was a business empire built in only 25 years on ambition, experimentation and gambler's luck. Led by a motley cast of executives, Russian oligarchs, Arab sheikhs, Asian titans, American tycoons, battle-hardened managers, ruthless agents and the Murdoch media, the Premier League has been carved up, rebranded and exported to a phenomenal 185 countries. 

The United Nations recognises only 193.  

But the extraordinary profit of bringing England's ageing industrial towns to a compulsive global attention has come at a cost. Today, as players are sold for hundreds of millions and clubs are valued in the billions, local fans are being priced out - and the clubs' local identities are fading. The Premier League has become the classic business fable for our globalised world.  

Drawing on dozens of exclusive and revelatory interviews from the boardrooms - including Liverpool's John W. Henry, Tottenham's Daniel Levy, Martin Edwards and David Gill at Manchester United, Arsène Wenger and Stan Kroenke at Arsenal, Manchester City's sporting director Txiki Begiristain, and executives at Chelsea, West Ham, Leicester City and Aston Villa - this is the definitive bust and boom account of how the Premier League product took over the world. 

©2018 Jonathan Clegg and Joshua Robinson (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

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Tremendous

Simply a tremendous read for anybody that is in love with the extreme and absurd world of english football.

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Just a great listen

Love the Premiere League, then this is the story behind it. If you love sport a must listen on the business of football

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  • Vik
  • 23-03-2020

Some great points

This book has some unique details regarding the Business side of Premier League. You would gain some of the ways the fans are exploited and what it takes for us to enjoy football at our homes. Decent book.

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Absolute must read for any sports fan

If you're into the English premier league then this book is an absolute must read and even if you aren't, but are a fan of sports, then this crazy world of English football will definitely keep you interested. It's wonderfully fascinating and I genuinely loved it. It gives you a behind the scenes view of how the English premier league became what it is today, from the day it was first conceived in the 1980's to the present day. The title practically says it all but it also gives you insight into some major events in the EPL's 26 years such as when Arsenal built their stadium and what it meant for the league through to the buyout of Man city and the wave of American owners such Liverpool's FSG. From the behind closed doors meetings which take place, to how a Russian oligarch bought Chelsea on impulse and how man city accidently bid for Leo Messi. Genuinely a must read for any EPL fan or any sports fan in general

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fascinating read

such a good listen. really enjoyed the storytelling on this one. I'd probably listen to it again sometime to catch all the bits I missed

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