An intriguing trend has emerged involving several notable figures, including Sir Jim Ratcliffe, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner, all of whom have inadvertently referred to England’s top football division by its former name, the Premiership.
The league, officially known as the Premier League since its rebranding in 2007, had been called the Premiership for over a decade prior. Despite this significant time lapse, many prominent individuals continue to use the outdated term. For example, Ratcliffe has repeatedly referred to “the Premiership” in interviews following his acquisition of Manchester United earlier this year. Prime Minister Sunak mentioned Southampton’s return to the “Premiership” during a television interview in May, just before the recent general election. Likewise, Rebekah Vardy’s lawyer made a similar reference during the infamous ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial.
Notably, former manager Roy Hodgson, who has extensive experience in the top flight, still uses the term, as seen in a statement made earlier this year. In August 2023, Sheffield Wednesday displayed half-time scores under the title “The Premiership,” despite their absence from the league for 24 years.
This trend isn’t isolated to just a few people; references to the Premiership have appeared in various media forms, including a recent episode of the quiz show The Chase and a podcast hosted by Clinton Yates where the upcoming “Premiership” season was briefly discussed.
While calling it the Premiership may seem like a small error, it highlights a broader lingering confusion about the league’s name, which has persisted for nearly two decades. This is perhaps best illustrated by Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, who was born just after the rebranding and has never witnessed a match under the old name.
To understand this phenomenon better, one must look at the league’s history. The division started out as the FA Premier League in 1992 before sponsoring deals led to the use of the term “Premiership.” The branding changes throughout the years culminated in the decision to simplify the league’s identity in 2007, dropping the term in favor of the Premier League.
Richard Scudamore, former chief executive of the Premier League, commented on the confusion caused by previous naming conventions, explaining the need for a straightforward identity, which they achieved by adopting the Premier League name. Despite their efforts to educate media outlets and the public on the new branding, the persistence of the old name suggests a deeper-rooted connection to the past.
Ultimately, the continued use of the term “Premiership” reflects how branding can linger in public consciousness. Similar instances exist across various industries, where companies revert to old names long after a rebrand due to a fundamental attachment to their history.
While it may not matter significantly to most fans, the mix-up serves as a reminder of how strong associations with past names can remain over time, leaving many to nostalgically cling to old terminologies even as the sport progresses.