Since the codification of the official rules of the game in the mid-19th century, football has been growing in popularity, hitting its peak in the 21st century, with over 3 billion fans worldwide. While the game's origins have been disputed, the creation of the sport as we know it today is largely agreed to be in England, where the rules of the game of football were codified in Cambridge in the 1850s.
Since then, the game's popularity has spread throughout the globe. However, the United Kingdom still remains one of the most passionate countries when it comes to the sport. In this article, we are taking a look at the most popular football leagues in the United Kingdom.
English Premier League
Naturally, we begin with the English Premier League, which is not only the most popular league in the country, but might just be the most popular national football league in the world. Officially founded in 1922, this year the Premier League is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Twenty of England's best football clubs compete for the Premier League title annually.
The English Premier League is one of the most popular events in the football world. It draws in huge crowds of fans and punters, especially when it comes to online sportsbooks and casinos. Many online casinos double as sportsbooks. The reason for this is that analysts have noticed that punters tend to also enjoy a good deal of gambling. Today, some of the most prominent online casinos are featured at Spinsify, which boasts a number of great slots as well as table and live games.
The EPL is also the stomping ground for some of the most recognizable teams in the world. Among them the ones who are known by football fans the world over are Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Scottish Professional Football League
Going a bit north, the next league we are looking at is the Scottish Professional Football League, or SPFL for short. Originally founded in 2013, the SPFL is one of the more recent football leagues in the United Kingdom. The number of teams that compete in the SPFL is more than double the EPL, with 42 clubs competing for the title. In 2022, the champions ended up being Celtic, earning their 8th SPFL title, and securing their rank as the most prominent champions of the league.
Like the EPL, the Scottish Professional Football League is hugely popular on most betting websites and land-based sportsbooks. It certainly is Scotland's most popular league, boasting four divisions, ranging from tiers 1 through 4.
Cymru Premier
The last league we are taking a look at today is the Cymru Premier, held annually in Wales. The league was founded in 1992, around the same time as the EPL. Though not nearly as popular as the EPL or the SPFL, Cymru Premier is hugely enjoyed by the Welsh.
Twelve of Wales' best clubs compete in the league and in the latest iteration of the Premier, the New Saints managed to win their 14th title. In doing so, they established themselves as one of Wales' best clubs, if not the best. Their 14th title means that now they have won half of all of the Cymru Premier titles.
