English for Language Learners · Level A2
The Beautiful Game
30 Questions & Fascinating Facts about English Football

What is the Premier League?
The Premier League is the top football league in England. It has 20 teams. They play from August to May every year. It started in 1992.

Which team has won the most Premier League titles?
Manchester United has won the most titles — 13 times. Their famous manager was Sir Alex Ferguson, who led them for 26 years.

How many teams play in the Premier League?
There are 20 teams. Each team plays 38 games every season — once at home and once away against every other team.

What happens to the team at the bottom of the table?
The 3 teams with the fewest points go down to the Championship. This is called relegation. It is a very sad moment for fans!

What is the "Golden Boot"?
The Golden Boot is a prize for the player who scores the most goals in one season. Famous winners include Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, and Mohamed Salah.

Which London clubs play in the Premier League?
There are many London clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United. London has the most clubs of any city.
7What is a "derby" match?
A derby is a game between two teams from the same city. For example, Manchester United vs Manchester City is the Manchester Derby. These games are very exciting!
8What is VAR?
VAR means Video Assistant Referee. A referee watches the game on a TV screen and can help the main referee make the correct decision. It started in England in 2019.
📖 Part 2 — The Old First Division: History
9What was the Football League First Division?
Before the Premier League, the top league was called the First Division. It started in 1888 — making it one of the oldest football leagues in the world.
10Which team won the First Division the most times?
Liverpool won the First Division 18 times. They were the strongest team in England in the 1970s and 1980s. Their ground is called Anfield.
11Why did the First Division change to the Premier League?
The top clubs wanted more money and more control. The Premier League allowed clubs to sell TV rights separately. It became much richer and more famous around the world.
12Who scored in the very first Premier League match in 1992?
Brian Deane of Sheffield United scored the first ever Premier League goal, just five minutes after the first game started on 15th August 1992.
13Which team was in the First Division but never won it?
Tottenham Hotspur won the First Division in 1951 and 1961, but never won the Premier League. Many fans call them "nearly men" — always close, never first!
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💡 Part 3 — Interesting Facts about English Football
14England invented football!
The rules of modern football were written in England in 1863, at a meeting in London. This is why England is called the "home of football."
15Why is football called "the beautiful game"?
This phrase was made famous by the Brazilian player Pelé. He used these words because football is simple, exciting, and wonderful for everyone to watch and play.
16The FA Cup is very old!
The FA Cup started in 1871 and is the oldest football cup competition in the world. Any English club — even very small ones — can enter and try to win it.
17Wembley Stadium is famous.
Wembley Stadium in London is England's national stadium. It has 90,000 seats — one of the biggest in the world. The FA Cup Final is played there every year.
18England has only won the World Cup once.
England won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, at Wembley Stadium. They beat West Germany 4–2 in the final. The captain was Bobby Moore.
19Alan Shearer — the greatest Premier League scorer.
Alan Shearer scored 260 Premier League goals — more than any other player. He played for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. He retired in 2006.
20Fans sing at every match.
English football fans are famous for their songs and chants. Every club has special songs. Singing together makes the stadium feel alive and exciting. This is called the "12th man."
21The Premier League is watched everywhere.
More than 3.2 billion people in 188 countries watch the Premier League on TV. It is the most-watched football league in the whole world.
22Transfers can cost hundreds of millions!
When a club buys a player from another club, this is called a transfer. Some transfers cost over £100 million. The player signs a contract and becomes part of the new team.
23Leicester City's amazing story.
In 2015–16, Leicester City won the Premier League title. Before the season, many people thought they would lose. It was one of the biggest surprises in sports history!
24The referee uses cards.
A yellow card is a warning. A red card means the player must leave the field immediately. If a player gets two yellow cards in one game, that also gives a red card.
25Anfield's famous song.
Before Liverpool's home games at Anfield, the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" is sung by all the fans together. It is a very emotional and powerful tradition.
26Manchester City — the richest club.
Manchester City is owned by investors from Abu Dhabi. They have spent billions of pounds buying great players, and have won many Premier League titles since 2012.
27What is "injury time"?
A football match is 90 minutes long. The referee adds extra minutes at the end for time lost during the game. This extra time is called injury time or stoppage time.
28Women's football is growing fast.
The Women's Super League is England's top women's football league. It is becoming very popular. In 2022, England's women's team won the European Championship!
29The "Big Six" clubs.
People often talk about the "Big Six" — six very famous and rich clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
30Football words to know!
Pitch = the grass field · Match = a game · Kit = the team uniform · Nil = zero (e.g. "2–nil") · Manager = the coach · Hat-trick = 3 goals by one player in one game.