Brexit result threatens complexion of English club football

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? The single majority plebiscite that determined the UK's membership in the EU voted for the latter, a stunning result that was confirmed Friday morning.

In a decision that is certain to affect every area of British public life, the Brexit "Leave" campaign crossed the line as an indomitable force, ultimately winning 51.9 percent of the divisive vote. The "Remain" side had appeared the stronger lot, projected to emerge victorious in the buildup to the decision.

It's impossible when considering the consequences of the vote to not just consider the bearing on trade, immigration, employment, or finance, but also on the trivial; the impact on the former took hold immediately, with stock markets crashing, oil prices slumping, and the British pound plummeting to a 31-year low following the unprecedented referendum result.

The effect on the comparably trivial matters, however, remains to be seen. Like the impact of the UK's decision on ideas that appear domestically rooted, sport and politics are inextricably bonded in ways that the ripples are felt far beyond the borders they inhabit.

The Premier League has become one of its country's biggest brands and one of its biggest exports.

A revamped top flight kicked off in 1992 and the face of football in England and the rest of the United Kingdom shifted. The best players came to the Premier League and thrived, dwarfing continental powers while becoming the face of pluralism. A three-year, £8.3-billion global and domestic television deal eclipses what seems moderately reasonable as organised parties protest skyrocketing season ticket costs. The Premier League has been milking the cash cow.

Though there's still a fair bit of guesswork involved, Thursday's vote could threaten the face of one of England's most heralded products.

The freedom of movement principle permits footballers from the EU to play in the UK without the same work permit the majority of non-EU citizens require.

Players that have earned a certain number of caps for their national team under the Home Office's standards can play in the top flight, though others would face permit issues. This would mean players like Manchester United blockbuster buy Anthony Martial or Leicester City star N'Golo Kante, who hadn't played in the UK previously and transferred from another domestic league, could have had their moves blocked.

No wonder Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore and the top tier 20 clubs publicly opposed Brexit.

"It is important that if we want the best league in the world then we remain in the EU," football agent Jonathan Barnett told The Telegraph.

As a potential result, clubs will overspend for players on the heels of bidding wars, and young talent that was plucked from obscurity and refined in England may now go unnoticed.

The consequences of the "Leave" vote will also extend beyond the footballers on the pitch. Closing trade channels between the UK and the continent will have a bearing on global investment, where perceptions breed change.

Clubs that were once owned by crisps companies and local industries are now under the majority control of overseas investment that are, in part, aided by the UK's membership in the European Union.

Recent majority takeovers of Everton and Swansea City highlight a product that welcomes investment. Look no further than American business duo Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, who three weeks ago put £100 million into Swansea. They may have acted differently had they known the result of Thursday's vote.

The pinnacle of domestic football, the Premier League has very much become an inherently British brand that has thrived on the world stage courtesy of global interest and investment. Broadcast into 730 million homes in 185 countries, the English top flight has become the envy of continental giants.

In some way or form, this landscape will soon inevitably change.