ROMAN ABRAMOVICH’S 2003 takeover of Chelsea heralded an era of foreign investment in the Premier League. Since then, obscene wealth has poured in thick and fast from across the globe, completely transforming English football. 

Russian billionaires, Arab royalty and US businessmen seem to be the antithesis of English football’s working-class roots, but many fans have embraced them, enjoying their club’s new-found success. 

Although corporatisation is mainly associated with the “big” clubs, the past fifteen years have seen the majority of Premiership and Championship clubs give in to the temptation of external investment.