Paine's pleasure

By John May BBC Sport Online

Terry Paine in his Southampton heyday

Terry Paine is a modern-day missionary who is preaching to a converted congregation.

The record-breaking former Southampton winger is proof that English Premiership is the widest spoken language in football.

Paine hosts Africa's biggest football show on M-Net Sports, where the appetite for English Premiership football is almost insatiable.

Although Paine is based in South Africa, the network beams English top-flight football throughout the continent.

"We go out to 42 countries, out as far as Saudi Arabia and the Middle East," says Paine who uses BBC Sport Online to keep his finger on the pulse of the Premiership.

Up in Uganda they're all Arsenal fanatics, although I don't know why

Terry Paine

"It's colossal. There's a massive viewership for the Premiership, it's the biggest following sports-wise in Africa."

The usual suspects are called to provide evidence in explaining English football's popularity across the globe.

Italy's Serie A and Spain's Primera Liga may boast more top world stars.

But Paine - who scored 160 goals in 713 league games for Saints - feels they lack the potent brew of pace, passion and commitment that give Africa an insatiable appetite for the Premiership.

"In South Africa, a lot of support comes from ex-pats, people who emigrated out here a generation or two ago and stick with their affiliations.

"All the big clubs have branches of their supporters clubs out here," says Paine who is president of the South African branch of the Southampton Supporters' Club.

Gary Bailey is Paine's partner in crime

"But elsewhere on the continent, people have always taken to English football.

"I do a sports show up in Uganda and they're all Arsenal fanatics up there, although I don't know why.

"The popularity of English football might also be helped by the number of African players playing in the Premiership.

"People like to follow the progress of the likes of Kanu at Arsenal, and Babayaro at Chelsea, to name just a couple."

The appetite for Premiership action means a busy schedule for Paine, and his co-host, former Manchester United goalkeeper Gary Bailey.

"We start on a Friday night, with a show that looks forward to the weekend's action, and then we go into the live games.

"Last weekend, for example, we had five live matches, plus the Manchester City versus Spurs match on Monday evening.

"Take into account we also had the Nationwide League games as well, and you can see there's a lot of English football on African television."

I still think Arsenal will take some beating

Terry Paine

There may be 6,000 miles and two seasons difference between an English winter and a South African summer, but the second half of the season is as eagerly anticipated in Africa as it is in England.

"It's been a fascinating season so far, and the second half should be even better.

"I'm glad it hasn't developed into the two-horse race that many people thought it would, with Chelsea firm contenders.

"They've obtained the consistency they have lacked in previous years.

"But I still think Arsenal will take some beating."