The Premier League is going to come back with a bang very soon. There is lots to play for with Champions League places up for grabs and a desperate scrap to keep out of the bottom three. What is guaranteed though is that Liverpool will win their first league title for 30 (yes, thirty) years.
It’s been an agonising time for Liverpool fans but, then again, it’s been a fairly lengthy spell for all of us. Here we look at just some of the things that have happened since the last time they held aloft the English crown.
The Premier League was born
That’s right, it’s almost easy to forget that when the Reds last won the league it wasn’t the Premier League. In fact, it wasn’t until 1992/93 that the first season took place and, to rub salt into the Scouse wounds, Manchester United were the inaugural champions. It’s been a regular thing for United too with the Red Devils dominating in the form of 13 titles – a haul that saw them eclipse Liverpool as the most decorated club in England. Painful times for Liverpool fans.
O.J Simpson went from start to suspect to sentenced
There was a time when the name O.J Simpson was related to a Heisman winning, number one draft pick who went on to be named a NFL MVP. That changed in 1994 when Simpson was charged for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her ‘lover’ Ron Goldman. The trial ran for the best part of a year with the former running back found not guilty.
It was far from the end of the Simpson drama though. In 1997, 15 months after the end of the legal trial, a civil case was brought against Simpson. He lost. Simpson was no longer a hero. He’s had several other legal indiscretions over the years, but it was 2007 that saw him return to the headlines in a big way. This time for armed robbery. A prison sentence of 33 years followed but he was released in October 2017 having served just under nine years.
A Brit won Wimbledon – twice
Wimbledon is one of England’s most famous sporting events yet when Liverpool lifted their last title it had been 54 years since the last Briton, Fred Perry, won the tournament. The mid-nineties saw the emergence of Tim Henman. He offered hope of ending the drought but ultimately failed with four semi-final appearances the best he could muster.
By 2005, a new man was on the scene. His name was Andy Murray. 2009 through to 2011 saw semi-final heartache again whilst 2012 saw him go one step closer with a final loss to Roger Federer. 12 months later, Murray was back and this time he beat Novak Djokovic. Fast forward to 2016 and the Scot made it two titles.
Tiger Woods roared onto the scene
In 1996 Tiger Woods announced himself to the world as he was named the PGA’s rookie of the year. By the turn of the century, backing Woods has become the best golf betting strategy with the youngster having won the Masters in 1997 and the PGA championship in 1999.
If by 2008 his total haul of majors stood at 14 and, although it took a while, in 2019 he scooped the Masters once again to bring his career tally to 15. If you want to dig deeper than just majors though then Woods’ professional wins actually stand at 148. That’s a whole lot of success during Liverpool’s drought.
England won a Rugby World Cup
That’s right, England’s rugby team beat Australia to clinch a dramatic World Cup win in 2003. Never before had England, nor any nation from the Northern hemisphere, won the illustrious trophy. They made light work of their group whilst knockout ties with Wales and France were navigated with relative ease.
The final, however, was not quite as comfortable. Taking on Australia in Sydney was never going to be an easy affair and England fell behind after just six minutes. Thankfully, England had Jonny Wilkinson on their side and his accurate penalties kept things interesting. Extra time was needed. Even that didn’t look likely to decide the game though but with 26 seconds remaining Wilkinson delivered a drop goal to win the tournament in the most dramatic of circumstances.
There you have it, just a handful of things that have happened since Liverpool were last champions of England. At least they are now finally going to bring that 30 year wait to an end. Well and if you don’t fancy your chances of getting much profit from betting on the Premier League winner, bet instead on the Kentucky Derby odds which are probably harder to predict: https://www.twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/odds