The Premiership’s Foreigners: 1989 v 2009.

This information will surprise nobody who awoke from a 20 year coma last night and whose first move was to hit up the BBC web site (assuming, of course, that comas teach internet): the Premiership is more diverse than it was as the First Division in 1989*.

And yes, the change has been quite grand, but that, I don’t think, will surprise anyone either. Yet it still doesn’t make comparing the two side-by-side any less interesting.

* – It’s worth noting that, obviously, not all the current Prem teams were in the First Division in 1989 and thus likely had less resources to go a-scoutin’ for big time foreign talent. So account for that at the very least.

Below are the two maps side by side, but if you go to the Beeb site you can lay the two one on top of the other for a more stark comparison….if you’re into that sort of thing…while also comparing the foreigners of individual teams. (Go ahead…click Arsenal first. You know you want to.)

The BBC also chose to use standard gray across the board for the 89/90 season while each Premiership teams gets its own bright and poppy little color. Because back then, way back then, people were lacking in ideas and vision and things were too mired in tradition and everything was just so…eh.

Or maybe because the bright v blah coloring scheme makes individual teams that much easier to compare across the decades.

Now, if someone with ample time and no life whatsoever could do this across the board for Europe’s big leagues to compare the lot we’d be all set.

	Soccer Forums	Team/International Results

Category: English Premier League, World Football

Tags: BBC, English Premier League, First Division, Premiership, World Football

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