ABSTRACT
Traditionally soccer success has been judged in terms of winning and losing but increasingly winning has become more important than the style in which the result has been achieved. This concentration on success is understandable in an overtly competitive environment and not surprisingly is shared by the majority of supporters, players, managers, and directors. This paper considers the various ways success can be measured and the weaknesses with many of the approaches which produce mechanistic statements about falling crowds, poor spectator conditions, high wages of professional soccer players and high transfer fees, linking these into a causative account, either independently or cumulatively, for footballing failure. Those involved wish to be associated with a successful club. Moreover they know which the successful clubs are – they are the ones with their names on the League title, the F.A. Cup and the European championships. This footballing Roll of Honour establishes the criteria by which those in the Football League live and by which their performances are judged, creating extra pressure on the players, managers and administrators of the clubs.
