Longest fall and recovery

[RidgeRider]

My daughter asked me a question this morning that I don't know the answer to and it is this:

what team has fallen the farthest in the Premier League and how far did they fall (to which league)?

As a follow on, who has risen the farthest? after a large fall?

She wanted to know why Portsmouth wasn't in the league anymore so I explained and she then came up with this. She is 10.

[TonyGilroy]

It depends on the time scale.

Wigan were a non league team until 1978.

Currently in the Blue Square League are Grimsby and Luton who have both played in the top division albeit when it was Division 1 before the Premier League started football as we know it.

[vagrant]

Didn't Swansea come up from the bottom tier and go right back down again all in the space of about 9 years ???

[finnster01]

I know this doesn't exactly answer your daughter's question Mr Jack, but how Leeds United could go from reaching a semi-final in the Champions League in 2001 (against Valencia) to League One (Third Tier) in 2007 is to me about as rapid a downfall and horror story in all of English football!!

[LBNo11]

...Bradford City went from the Premiership to league 2 during the lifetime of the premiership.

I suppose you could say that during the life of the Premiership Fulham FC have gone from 91st in the equivalent of League 2 to the premiership..!

[SoCalJoe]

Relegation/Promotion is fascinating for yanks and the examples of the 'Lil Engine That Could' and 'How the Mighty Have Fallen' are interesting. In the the time I've been following the Premiership; Leeds, Charlton, Leicester, and Southhampton have all dropped multiple leagues. Conversely seeing the Blackpools and Burnleys punch above their weight is fun to see. While I know it would never happen, I'd love to see baseball adopt a relegation system. Seeing teams line their pockets w/no thought of their community and winning (i.e. Pirates, Royals, etc) should get the boot.

[mccscratch]

Relegation/Promotion is fascinating for yanks and the examples of the 'Lil Engine That Could' and 'How the Mighty Have Fallen' are interesting. In the the time I've been following the Premiership; Leeds, Charlton, Leicester, and Southhampton have all dropped multiple leagues. Conversely seeing the Blackpools and Burnleys punch above their weight is fun to see. While I know it would never happen, I'd love to see baseball adopt a relegation system. Seeing teams line their pockets w/no thought of their community and winning (i.e. Pirates, Royals, etc) should get the boot.

SoCal...ease up on my Royals...we are going to be a decent team next year...may even be in the race until August!!

[timmyg]

I know this doesn't exactly answer your daughter's question Mr Jack, but how Leeds United could go from reaching a semi-final in the Champions League in 2001 (against Valencia) to League One (Third Tier) in 2007 is to me about as rapid a downfall and horror story in all of English football!!

Adding to Leeds horror story is the fact that still no one knows who owns the club.

I would say Wimbledon FC considering how they don't exist any more...

[Lighthouse]

Our own mighty Whites dropped from the top to the third in consecutive seasons. Palace did the same.

We rose from the bottom league in 96-97 to reach the Prem in 2001-2002

Wimbledon were promoted from the lowest to the top in just 4 years and only 9 years after joining the league.

But it is such a good quesation that I shall delve into my books and have a look at the biggest rise after a fall.

[TonyGilroy]

Burnley were only one point away from being relegated out of the League but got back, briefly, to the Premier League.

50 years ago they were one of the biggest clubs in the League. Second probably to Wolves who also dropped to the 4th tier before coming back.

[Scrumpy]

 :airfix:

Sorry, just felt this thread could do with a rabbit and pancake.




Carry on.

[Rambling_Syd_Rumpo]

Leeds, I think, are the biggest club with the biggest drop,then you have Southampton,Derby County Nottingham Forest all once big clubs all fallen from grace.Man City dropped to division 3 and then came all the way back.It's a very scary thing dropping out of the league but it means there is ALWAYS something to play for :clap_hands:

[fulhamwannabe]

leeds!my my my.when i think that i was at the mestalla only a few years back to watch them play against valencia,in the semi finals of the champions league,and when you go back a few years,and they won the championship(i think)with a certain mister CANTONA,it's only a big shame to see them play in lower divisions now,,,,,,,,but the thing is,they still exist which is not that bad
but as for wimbledon,i really really really feel like crying for them!i actually used to love 'em when they had vinnie jones,barton,dean holdsworth,john hartson.....etc.poor DONS 

[The Doctor]

Hull are of course another team that had a meteoric (by today's standards anyway) rise - remember we played them in division 4 in 1996/97.

In terms of fall, a mate of mine went to see Charlton v Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.  In Division 3.  It wasn't that long ago that that was a Premiership game.

[HatterDon]

I believe that Northampton Town celebrated their elevation to the old 1st division by being relegated the next three seasons. Late 1950s Early 1960s?

If we're talking the Premier League, then the answer is Luton Town. Although The Hatters never played in the Prem, they -- along with everyone else in the old First Division the year before it started -- were named "Charter Members of the Premier League." They were relegated the spring before the Prem's first season, sank down into the 4th tier and had fought their way back into the top half of tier 2 before a series of deducted points relegated them into L2 and then into non-league.

By the way, I believe that Notts County might be the other 'Charter member" never to have actually played in the Prem.