• The Club

  • How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
  • By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
  • Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
  • Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (503 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
The Club  By  cover art

The Club

By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This is a sports and business tale of how money, ambition, and 25 years of drama remade an ancient institution into a 21st-century entertainment empire.

No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.

Deeply researched and drawing on 100 exclusive interviews, including the key decision makers at every major English team, The Club is the definitive and wildly entertaining narrative of how the Premier League took over the world.

©2018 Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

More from the same

What listeners say about The Club

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    366
  • 4 Stars
    113
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    326
  • 4 Stars
    79
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    321
  • 4 Stars
    105
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A well-told story of the growth of the EPL

A funny and irreverent take of the explosive growth of the English Premier League over the last 30 years. Some people complain about the narrator, but I found him fine.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read/listen

Good book with lots of information (up to 2018) about the Premier League. If a English soccer enthusiast then it’s a must read. If getting into English soccer it can be hard to follow.

Would recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good content but a tad repetitive

Solid book overall. Some themes are revisited perhaps more times than necessary to get the point across, but the content is good. Well written and well narrated.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Narration, Very Interesting Timeline

The story about the growth of the league's business as well as the host of club owners' whose interactions varied in particular were quite fun to listen to. From tv broadcasting rights, to big stadium projects, to high profile club purchases the book covered nearly it all in the ever-changing landscape of English football.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome and fascinating book!

I love European football and learned more than I could have imagined from The Club. If you like Premier League football or enjoy Ted Lasso, read this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

PREMIER passion

Soccer is a sport that does not have many audio books focused on it. That is why I was so excited to find this.
I wanted to find out the story of why the world loves the EPL. This book tells that tale vividly.
The narration brings you right into the rooms where it all began and introduces you to the people that made it happen.
Most importantly it made me want to watch soccer but not just any soccer the EPL the worlds favorite pro sports league.
I recommend it to all fans old and new alike. I fall into the new category. I hope to listen to a lot more about this. You will too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Mistakes Billionaire Biographers for the Business

The authors submit to you that this book is about the business of the Premier League. However, it mistakes a listing of biographical details about billionaire owners and a myopic focus on their decisions as a proper accounting of the business they claim they will explain. Terribly dry, completely devoid of interest, and a failure at accomplishing its own stated goal.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is for diehard fans only

I was hoping this would help solidify my understanding of the EPL and what makes it tick. Instead, I learned about specific details dating back 20+ years. I am sure this is a great book for the diehard soccer fan. As for me, I will keep searching for a better understanding of the EPL.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Thrilling journey of the leagues short history

Completely hooked and pinned to every word. Felt like I was listening to a docudrama!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story for Any EPL Fan

Loved the content; really fascinating. Definitely a book I could return to just to take in content I missed but probably won’t just because it’s a marathon. Happy to have read it! My one critique was the reader. His cadence, or pacing, was awful. I listened on 1.5 speed and still he sounded like he was taking a long pause between every sentence or two. It was very irritating once I realized he was doing this. Just read the book dude.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!