The year the Premier League hit its lowest scoring point
In short: In the 2006–07 season, English football entered a period of extreme defensive grit. It remains the lowest-scoring campaign in the league's history, characterized by a stark contrast between clinical champions and struggling newcomers, and a legal scandal that fundamentally altered the rules of player ownership.
The 2006–07 season was defined by a lack of offensive production, recording only 931 goals. The Premier League's record for fewest goals per game was set here, at 2.45. While Manchester United dominated the scoring charts with 83 goals, the league floor was significantly lower: Manchester City and Watford managed only 29 goals, and Sheffield United struggled to find the net with just 8. Amidst this defensive era, several historic anomalies occurred. A 83-yard free kick was converted into a goal by Tottenham Hotspur's Paul Robinson on 17 March 2007. This was the third goal by a goalkeeper in the league's history, but Robinson became the first to score for the winning team. The season also saw the league's 15,000th goal scored by Fulham's Moritz Volz on 30 December, an event that earned him the nickname "15,000 Volz" and a charitable donation from the league's sponsor.
The season concluded with a major controversy involving West Ham United and Carlos Tevez. Tevez scored the winning goal in a final-day match against Manchester United to secure West Ham's safety, only to be later found ineligible because he was owned by a third party rather than the club. This led to a legal battle where Sheffield United sought compensation for their relegation. Ultimately, the Premier League fined West Ham £5.5 million, and the clubs settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
The season also marked a rebranding milestone; on 12 February 2007, the league officially dropped "FA" from its name, transitioning to the Premier League while retaining the Barclays sponsorship.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2006–07 FA Premier League
- Also: Wikidata — 2006–07 FA Premier League · CC0
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