Premier League Kicks from Across the Premier League
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The competitive intensity of the Premier Stadiums were 96.5% full, a new record League has once again produced for the fourth season in a row, with our compelling football, achievements dedicated fans enjoying plenty of close, Welcome to celebrate and stories to enjoy. high-scoring matches. Chelsea are worthy champions. Highlights of the community work to our season 2016/17 highlights and inspiring stories Antonio Conte put on a coaching delivered by our clubs this season masterclass, best illustrated by his included Premier League Kicks from across the Premier League. From the fast-paced team being the first to win 30 matches celebrating its tenth anniversary and excitement on the pitch, to the thrill of matchday and in a 38 round Premier League season. the launch of Premier League Primary Eden Hazard and Diego Costa Stars – our most ambitious community the community work delivered with our clubs and entertained us with flowing football programme to date. partners; we are proud to say, ‘This is Premier League’. and superb goals, whilst N’Golo Kanté’s The interest in the Premier League tackling and work rate saw him quite means we can create structures that rightly rewarded as Player of the Season. enable our clubs to be ambitious on and Tottenham Hotspur played some off the pitch – inspiring and connecting fantastic football. Harry Kane deserves with fans and communities at home special praise for winning the Premier and away. League Golden Boot in consecutive seasons – an amazing achievement Richard Scudamore Go to premierleague.com/This-is-PL from ‘one of their own’. Executive Chairman, to read more and watch our exclusive videos Premier League This is This is This is This is exciting football for everyone a force for good Premier League The Football The Fans The Communities The Premier League Pages 02-09 Pages 10-17 Pages 18-25 Pages 26-33 01 Our unique style of competitive and compelling football inspires higher levels of performance on the pitch. This drives greater ambition in our next generation of players and coaches. The Football This is exciting football For sure, this is my greatest achievement. A top achievement for the coach, the players and the club. To win in England these days is not easy. To win this league is difficult, so we must be proud in our work. Antonio Conte Go to premierleague.com/This-is-PL to Head Coach, read more and watch our exclusive videos Chelsea FC It’s been a season of Fiercely quality and quantity. The Premier League has the best group of competitive managers in the world and the number of Another intense and entertaining season high-class players makes provided many memorable moments, it essential viewing. with tight and compelling matches bringing Rio Ferdinand suspense and excitement week after week. For the eighth season on the bounce, the trophy has changed hands. This really does show how fiercely competitive the Premier League is. Gary Neville After the first few rounds of matches were over, we almost wrote Chelsea off. How wrong were we? They then kicked into a higher gear and never took their foot off the pedal. Jamie Carragher To see the Sky Sports highlights video go to preml.ge/skyvideo 04 05 Goal of the season Emre Can won the Carling Goal of the Season with a stunning overhead kick. Go to preml.ge/ carlinggoals to watch the winners Scorpion kicks of the goal of the month award We saw wonder goals from both Olivier Giroud and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Sometimes you see 25,000th Premier a goal of a certain League goal type – but when you It was fitting that the see two like that in 25th season of the Premier a matter of a week League featured the or so, it’s incredible. 25,000th goal. Zlatan Gary Neville Ibrahimović scored Goals, the milestone. Golden Boot goals, Harry Kane’s 29 Premier League goals earned him the Golden Boot award for the second goals season in a row. With 1,064 goals netted in what became the second-highest goal scoring season in Premier League history, landmarks were reached and skills took centre stage. Meanwhile at the other end of the pitch... go to preml.ge/defenders to see Alan Shearer talk about his picks of this season’s standout defensive performers. 06 07 Performance pathway top, which is brilliant” – but the Liverpool- born youngster, who has been at the Everton were crowned champions of club since he was seven, has already the first Premier League 2 season – Rising faced challenges: and manager David Unsworth’s side “I was injured at the start of the season,” are already making inroads towards he explains. “So I just tried to learn as much the first team. The club’s proud tradition as I could off the pitch and take bits from of nurturing and developing talent every player around me. I would watch the and their commitment to the Premier first team really closely and look to develop stars League’s Elite Player Performance Plan that way. But coming back and winning is bearing fruit. Unsworth credits his the League has been brilliant, and the club’s expertise as key to this success: lads deserve it. We know we need to take “At Everton we have always had This season saw the introduction of what we’ve learnt this season and use managers that aren’t afraid to put a Premier League 2, replacing the U21 that experience to push us on.” young player in. Every manager that I’ve Unsworth is certainly not resting on his league and extending the age range ever known has pitched players in when laurels after the win, “You see them making they’re ready. Irrespective of their age.” to U23. This new structure is designed their debut and you’re very proud. It’s a Midfielder Joe Williams, 20, is highly great moment and it’s what the job is all to bring Academy players as close to thought of on Merseyside – Unsworth about. But at the same time, you are still the first team experience as possible. says that he’s, “in a rush to get to the thinking, ‘Who’s next?’.” Harnessing potential Having had a front row seat to AFC Bournemouth’s recent charge up the football league, Lead Youth Development Coach Graham Mills has just finished his first year as part of the Premier League’s Elite Coach Apprenticeship Scheme, which he’s full of praise for. “As a coach, you’re always looking to improve. On most courses, you focus on the tactical and technical detail and often the softer skills are neglected. Having the opportunity to Left: David Unsworth and Joe Williams. learn about that and to have a mentor Above: Eddie Howe. Above right: Graham Mills. to give you feedback is so important.” Graham mainly coaches players aged 12 to 16 – but says there is a clear 49 687 pathway to Eddie Howe’s first team. home-grown player minutes played “We want to develop our own players Premier League on average by and provide the platform for them debuts in 2016/17 home-grown to perform in the Premier League.” player debutants Graham explains part of Eddie’s key to success, “He knows the club inside out and he’s still developing young The quality’s been better, players, which is a huge credit to him the standard’s been and his support staff.” better. The results have been close and tight and it’s been a great season. David Unsworth Go to preml.ge/football to see our exclusive Everton U23 manager videos featuring Everton and Bournemouth 08 09 Committed and engaged fans are vital to our clubs and the competition. Whoever they are and wherever they are from, everyone is welcome. The Fans This is for everyone We have made an incredible amount of progress by working with our disabled fans to listen and understand the areas that need improvement. Andrew Parkinson Operations Director, Liverpool FC Our fans create an atmosphere that sets Full and us apart from other leagues and competitions. Their unwavering support vibrant means Premier League stadiums have achieved record occupancy levels, stadiums as people from all walks of life share the excitement. Below: Trevor and his son Sam. Right: Manchester City's Etihad stadium. In season 2016/17 stadiums were: Family entertainment Our season tickets are great 96.5% “Going to the game has always been value. With the world-class part of my life,” explains Manchester talent on show, the brilliant full City supporter Trevor, as his team football Pep has brought with finish the season securing third place. to us this season, seeing “Growing up near Manchester, our amazing Premier League parents didn’t take us to the games 43% teams each week and the – as they were so busy bringing us up, of fans under 35 so we were left to find our own way facilities on hand, it’s a great and a with football. So when my older brother way to entertain the family. went to a City match one weekend £31 with his mates and came back as a bring them to City. I think it’s really committed blue, we followed his lead. average ticket price good for them to experience the “As their younger brother, I was sense of belonging that you get from captured by tales and images of Bell, supporting a club like Manchester City. Lee and Summerbee. Right then my It probably won’t be long until my lifelong support of City began.