When does the Barclays Premier League start its season?

The Barclays Premier League will kick off its 2008/09 season on Saturday 16th August 2008. Barclays Premier League 2008-09 fixtures will be released on Monday 16th June 2008 when you'll be able to access them on premierleague.com.

How do you get tickets for Barclays Premier League matches?

All clubs have different ticketing policies, but ticket information can now be found via the Tickets section on this website or by visiting clubs' official websites.

How can I watch Barclays Premier League matches when I am abroad on holiday?

Over 200 countries show Barclays Premier League matches on television. Broadcast information on each individual country will soon be added to the TV section of the website.

How are television revenues distributed to Premier League clubs?

50 per cent of total money goes on an equal share basis to the 20 Premier League clubs, while relegated clubs also receive some of this money in the form of a parachute payment. 25 per cent of the money is paid as facility fees, which are determined by the number of appearances on television. 25 per cent is paid in merit payments, determined by the position that a club finished in the league.

How many foreign players are there in the Barclays Premier League?

There are currently over 337 foreign players registered and eligible to play in the Barclays Premier League. The total number of countries represented is 66.

How can a team qualify for Europe?

Standard Qualifying Routes

4 Champions League places
3 UEFA Cup places

The top two sides in the Premier League qualify automatically for the UEFA Champions League, going straight through to the group stage.

The teams that finish third and fourth qualify for the UEFA Champions League but must play in the 3rd qualifying round - the winners of these matches are then admitted to the group stage.

The fifth-placed team qualifies for the UEFA Cup, as do the FA Cup winners and the Carling Cup winners.

European places are also available for English teams in the Inter-Toto Cup and via the Fair Play League, where the highest placed team in the Fair Play League that has not qualified for Europe by other means, is entered into a UEFA draw. If a team is drawn out of the hat - they enter the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Cup.

Are referees professional?

Referees have been professional for a number of years now, in that they have been paid for the matches they referee. However, since the start of the 2001/2 season, referees also receive a retainer fee and are obliged to attend a number of training sessions organised by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). This does not mean that they work exclusively for PGMOL though, with most referees also working in other professions during the week.

Will referees be using technology to help them make their decisions in the near future?

Any decisions relating to the future use of technology would have to be agreed by FIFA. Goal-line technologies are being investigated, because whether the ball has crossed the line is a factual decision and not open to the discretion of the referee or his assistants. FIFA are not, however, looking at this sort of technology for decisions such as fouls etc as they believe this would spoil the flow of the game.

Does the Premier League do anything for charity?

Five percent of our domestic broadcast revenue, £20m last season, fund grass roots football initiatives. In November 2006, the Business in the Community PerCent standard revealed that the Premier League is one of the leading contributors to good causes in the United Kingdom contributing a total of £30,484,408 to good causes in the previous year. (The Percent Standard is a voluntary benchmark that seeks to promote a model of corporate behaviour that improves the impact business has on society.)

The Premier League runs an extensive range of community projects aimed at using the power of football to tackle social exclusion, raise educational standards and promote community involvement.

The Premier League and its partners will contribute around £50m to good causes over the course of the 2008/09 season.

The Premier League is committed to enabling all young people, regardless of sex, race, religion or disability to have access to a new generation of football facilities, and to using the popularity of football to improve educational and training standards for young people. We work closely with Government and other agencies so that we can play a major role in improving social inclusion and raising educational standards. Some of the organisations we are involved in include:

- The Football Foundation
- The Prince's Trust: Football
- Study Support Centres
- Kick it Out!
- Football Aid
- Football in the Community

How can I contact The Premier League?

You can contact The Premier League by either writing to us at 30 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8PL or emailing info@premierleague.com