What Matty said is actually fairly true (apart from the soccer bit).
At the moment it's the top 4, then the next 3 or 4, then the rest.
Generally speaking, success = huge money = more success.
That's with a view across the whole season though, on any given matchday it's entirely possible for anyone to beat anyone. Happens a lot actually.
If we take a look at the FA Cup (a knockout style cup competition) we'll find that EVERY team in England gets to take part in this (non-league teams and everything). The teams from the bottom levels start their matches way before the teams in the top divisions but it's entirely possible that a team from 'way down there somewhere' can go on a brilliant run and possibly even win the whole thing.
Cardiff City made the final this year and only narrowly lost to Portsmouth. Cardiff aren't even in the Premier League, nor are they going to be next season.
I distinctly remember non-league Exeter (non-league is what could be referred to as the FIFTH division or lower) drawing against Man Utd and in the mancs own backyard too. Havant and Waterlooville gave Liverpool a scare in the latter stages of this seasons FA Cup too.
So if you look at it from that perspective, it's absolutely brilliant.
It's also fair to say that there's plenty of clubs with big money (Tottenham anyone?) but they just never seem to get their act together. Leeds is another enormous club, absolutely shocking financial decisions cost them bigtime - they went from playing in Europe to absolutely nowhere in record time.
It's all relative Mr Norwood

Pardon me, but I think you'll find that's a shovel. See you next Tuesday!