It all kicks-off soon.
The Premier League resumes next weekend as the self-proclaimed ‘greatest league in the world’ returns to consume every inch of your life. Hurray!
England’s top competition has changed in every conceivable way since it began in 1992/93 and the TV adverts that promote each upcoming season are a clear indicator of this.
With this in mind, here are some vintage ’90s promos that we’ve managed to find in the YouTube archives along with a brief description of their retro content and style.
Season: 1992/93
The premise: Simple Minds meets a cheesy Gillette advert but with a Top Gun homoerotic subtext thrown in for good measure. Gordon Strachan is Maverick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEAIyH_gDSk
Here’s another advert for the same season that has Paul Ince invade some a young lads bedroom like he’s the boogeyman.
Season: 1995/96
The premise: A Queen track over a promo that resembles a Benetton advert. The multi-ethnic and truly global nature of the Premier League is really shoved down your throat here.
Les Ferdinand in a taxi, Ian Rush frolicking in some hay and Ian Walker surfing are all here. Just go with it.
Recoil in horror at the 0:30 mark though as as Richard ‘it was just banter’ Keys is portrayed as being adored in the very same way that an actual footballer would be. Shudder.
Season: 1997/98
The premise: The one piece of work where Sean Bean’s character isn’t killed off. Sky attempt to tap-in to the ‘modern but plastic’ fan ethos that developed around the league following Euro ’96.
Tackles, goals and drama are really pushed here. It’s still inspiring in a gruff sort of way, just like Sean Bean then.
Continuing on this theme, here’s a look at some of the adverts, links and promos that Sky also used during the era for  Super Sunday and Monday Night Football.
If anything screams the ’90s, it’s these.
1) The old school Monday Night Football intro
That music is guaranteed to bring you back.
2) Super Sunday
The soundtrack to many a Sunday afternoon that I spent in front of the TV.
3) Monday Night Football gets modern
Football is a game for every single person…unless you’re a Blur fan. If you happened to side with ‘Team Albarn’ as opposed to ‘Team Gallagher’ then you might be slightly pissed off with this promo.
4) Y2K sweeps Sky
Apparently some footballers in the ’90s were ghosts that could run through walls and jump off buildings. Huh?!?!
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
