The Premier League is the top tier of the English footballing pyramid and arguably is the most competitive league in the world.
Over the last decade or so, the all-important points table has usually been dominated by members of the traditional “top six” clubs including Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, although there have occasionally been less star-studded entries into that list: with a certain Leicester City team going on to win the league title only about four years ago.
Teams mostly on the other side of proceedings don’t usually get the chance to register a spot high up in the table, but a recently surfaced ranking of the most ethical sides in the Premier League has proven to be a massive contrast.
Conducted by FIFA’s Ethics and Regulations Watch Group: a body watching over the ethical side of the game campaigning for stronger ethics, the table has compared the 20 Premier League sides on 12 ethical parameters.
The ethical metrics include ownership, sponsors, employment practices, fan involvement, tax status, environment concerns and a few more.
While 11 of the categories awarded a score out of 10, the group also examined the environmental awareness credentials of every club: by rating each club out of 25.
Fulham have been adjudged as the most ethical side in the Premier League with 115 points to their name, a feat well acknowledged by some Fulham fans on Twitter: having finally been able to celebrate being top of the table amongst glorious company in the top tier.
Languishing at the bottom of the table were the Manchester City with only a meagre 20 points: which comes as no surprise considering the financial injections they have received ever since being purchased by the infamous but successful City Football Group, headed by Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
The traditional top six clubs closest to the top in these ethical standings are Liverpool at eighth place with 105 points, followed by Chelsea with 100 points: who are in turn followed by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in 12th, 14th and 17th places respectively.
It is debatable whether Shahid Khan and the rest of the Fulham ownership would be too thrilled by the West London outfit topping a table which does not really secure their Premier League status in the slightest: but it seems certain that the Craven Cottage faithful will definitely collect their fair share of positives.
It would not mean a whole lot if Scott Parker fails to keep Fulham floating in the first tier of English football, but fans would argue that winning is an infectious habit: and they would be willing to perceive this as quite a start.
