Premier League cult sides ranked highlight George's journalism journey

George, a REUTERS sports journalist, has compiled a ranking of the best Premier League cult sides, a list that reflects his deep knowledge of English football after two years covering Liverpool and Everton for National World. The ranking, titled "Best Premier League Cult Teams (Ranked)", merges his reporting skill with a love for the league’s most entertaining clubs.

George’s multi‑platform experience

George currently writes for several websites, most notably GiveMeSport, where his articles reach a wide audience. During his two‑year stint at National World he reported on Liverpool and Everton every day, gaining commendable experience both in‑person and remotely.

He earned a 1st Class Sports Journalism MA from Liverpool John Moores University while simultaneously securing the coveted NCTJ Gold Standard qualification, a testament to his academic dedication.

His résumé also includes work for The Sporting News, SportBible and 90min, helping to forge a strong reputation across the sport‑media landscape. Beyond football, George has covered archery, badminton, cricket, MMA and boxing, demonstrating versatile multimedia expertise.

Celebrating the Premier League’s cult favourites

Among the ranked sides, Bryan Robson’s Middlesbrough stand out, featuring Juninho’s mesmerising play, Fabrizio Ravanelli’s debut hat‑trick against Liverpool and Emerson’s flair. The club reached two domestic finals before a three‑point deduction for cancelling a match with Blackburn led to relegation on the final day.

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Mark Hughes’ Blackburn Rovers, described as one of the division’s most awkward yet thrilling teams, boasted Tugay, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Ryan Nelsen and Christopher Samba. Roque Santa Cruz emerged as a cult hero in Hughes’ last campaign, supported by David Bentley, Benni McCarthy and Shefki Kuqi.

Paul Jewell’s newcomers briefly sat second in their debut top‑flight season and reached the 2006 League Cup final, while under Roberto Martínez Wigan stayed afloat thanks to Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia. Ben Watson’s stoppage‑time header secured a famous FA Cup win over Manchester City, making Wigan the first club to win the trophy and be relegated in the same season.

Roy Hodgson’s Fulham transformed from relegation candidates to European finalists within three years, with Bobby Zamora, Damien Duff and Brede Hangeland leading a Europa League run that ousted Shakhtar Donetsk and Wolfsburg. A 4‑1 victory over Juventus at Craven Cottage, sealed by Clint Dempsey’s chip, saw Fulham lose the final 2‑1 to Atlético Madrid after extra time.

Swansea City, the Premier League’s first Welsh club, introduced Brendan Rodgers’ possession game built around Joe Allen and Leon Britton, earning the nickname “Swansealona”. Michael Laudrup later oversaw Michu’s £2 million move from Rayo Vallecano; Michu scored 22 goals as Swansea thrashed Bradford City 5‑0 to claim the 2013 League Cup in the club’s centenary year.

The ranking invites fans to revisit these unforgettable teams, celebrating the players, tactics and moments that made them cult favourites despite never challenging for the title.