We were all gobsmacked when Leicester City started the season at 5000-1 to win the English Premier League, especially after just survived relegation the season before.
And that success was the club’s first in its 52-year history.
It seemed impossible to beat as the biggest sporting story of the year until the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first NBA title, coincidentally also after 52 years, and became the first in history to turn a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series into an awesome success.
The icing on the cake was club icon LeBron James being awarded the undisputed MVP by topping all categories in the finals – points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
But they say the best comes in threes.
And it did.
When Iceland bundled England out of Euro 2016, the sporting world was again gobsmacked.
How on earth can a tiny nation of 337,000 people beat a world power like England with a population of 58.2 million?
In terms of footballers, Iceland has 200,000 men and women as registered players, England a combined total of 8.2 million.
A mind boggling difference.
So there must be a valid reason why England keep falling apart at the business end of serious tournaments when the Premier League is one of the very best and very toughest in world football.
I pose the question, are there far too many foreign footballers denying potential Englishmen a berth in the EPL?
So the next question has to be how many foreigners played EPL in the recently completed 2015-2016 season?
Leicester City – 13.
Arsenal – 18.
Tottenham – 14.
Man City – 20.
Man United – 18.
Southampton – 16.
West Ham – 16.
Liverpool – 17.
Stoke City – 13.
Chelsea – 22.
Everton 13.
Swansea City – 12.
Watford- 18
West Brom – 9.
Crystal Palace – 12.
Bournemouth – 9.
Sunderland – 18.
Newcastle- 18.
Norwich City – 12.
Aston Villa – 15.
That’s 313 foreigners who were on EPL duty last season.
In history, 103 countries have provided footballers to England’s top League, just as staggering a number.
Interested to hear from football officionardos for your thoughts on the greatest sporting story of the year, and if the glut of foreign footballers are lowering the standard of England’s national team.
celtic bandaid
Guest
What’s the greatest success story of the year: Leicester City, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Iceland? I add one other Brad Arthurs patience
Mark Snyder
Guest
Leicester's story will always top a tournament victory, because it was sustained over a long season, and because of the lopsided finances in the PL. Should Leicester go on to repeat as Champions or become a regular top 6 side, their success will be viewed as a rapid rise rather that a one-season 'fairytale'. If Iceland go on to win the Euros, it would be a major feel-good story in its own right, different but not quite the same as Leicester beating mega-teams assembled at vast expense to ensure dominance. While Cleveland is a good story because of LeBron James and the city's championship drought, the Cavs achievement is nowhere near the magnitude of these others.
13th Man
Guest
Leicester by a long way. If Iceland win the whole thing then its on par with what Leicester has done...
Chris
Guest
The TV ratings on be in sports have been huge imagine if these games were on FTA . Surely a FTA network needs to start bidding for these huge tournaments the World Cup and euros etc.
Mark
Guest
The bookies who offered 5000/1 on Leicester and took bets of more than a few quid on the outcome probably lost. You're right that it is poor bookmaking on their part. Let's be honest, the people betting on Leicester were making speculative bets and didn't believe the result would actually happen. The bookie could probably offer 500/1 or 1000/0 and the same bets would come in. 5000/1 is outrageously high.
pacman
Guest
Fair call Mark. I didn't explain my take to Ben very well. But are you suggesting that the bookies lost when Leicester won the EPL? Poor bookmaking if they did. The first reaction of any bookie who takes big hits on a certain competitor is to shorten the odds on that competitor, and lengthen the odds on the others. The aim is to achieve a predetermined margin of profit, regardless of which competitor wins the event. Easier said than done, but not as difficult as it was before computerisation.
Mark
Guest
I should add, many bookies wouldn't have taken any bets on Leicester, even at 5000/1. They would have cleaned up on this season.
Bob Brown
Roar Guru
What about the Giants?
Midfielder
Guest
If Parra can go a month without a stuff up they could go close...
Mark
Guest
Ah, no. The system you describe is closer to the TAB, where odds fluctuate and the odds you get are what they are at the jump. With the bookies, while the odds fluctuate, you get what the odds were when you put the bet on. At the start of a season, bookies assess each team's chances of winning the EPL and set their odds accordingly. The aim is to set odds for each team high enough to encourage people to bet, but not so high that they will lose money overall if that team wins. The bookies' failure with Leicester was that they set the odds so high that they could hardly recoup the losses from paying out on Leicester from all the other bets they took on other teams.
Midfielder
Guest
Leicester but if Iceland keep going ...
Midfielder
Guest
love the link
pacman
Guest
"Leicester was a great story underpinned by the catastrophic failure of the bookies". Ben, the bookies do not determine who are favourites and who are outsiders, The punters lay their bets, and the bookies adjust the odds they offer to ensure that they make a profit regardless. It was the catastrophic failure of the punters (most of them) that resulted in 5000/1 being offered by the bookies on Leicester winning the EPL. Cheers pc.
AlanKC
Guest
Great link :)
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Great stuff Lordy, has to be Leicester. What they achieved over the course of a long season was incredible particularly up against Clubs with much greater talent and resources then them. Iceland are next followed by the Cavs. All great stories.
Dave
Guest
Leicester are 132 years old
jamesb
Guest
Leicester by a country mile. However, Icelands journey is still continuing. Maybe this article should have been written after Icelands Euro commitments are over and have a better assessment.
Arnold Krewanty
Guest
Always Leicester. Simply astounding considering the monied teams they were up against. Not Iceland - Greece won it a few years ago, and people are not still harping on about that. Iceland have won nothing yet.
Ben
Guest
Leicester was a great story underpinned by the catastrophic failure of the bookies. They were out spent 4 to 1 by their rivals but won over the long season regardless. Iceland is 'out populated' by England 166 to 1 but are playing in a knockout tournament, where you can jank wins but also be dropped with a bad result. Cleveland? That was a pretty amazing turnaround against the most winningest team in NBA history. I think the Leicester win is ahead - the achievement was fantastic and the bookies failure adds so much magic.
AZ_RBB
Guest
As said above, Leicester by a long way. Cleveland shouldn't even be on this list. West Indies winning the T20 might be worthy. Max Verstappen winning a grand Prix? Iceland story is still unfinished. Let's see where it goes!