Too big to go down

Skysports.com remembers ten clubs thought too grand for relegation

By Peter Fraser   Last updated: 24th October 2008  

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With Tottenham Hotspur languishing at the foot of the Premier League, and fears of relegation growing, skysports.com remembers previous clubs considered too big to go down.

Spurs were expected to mount a challenge on the UEFA Champions League places this season, but on current form a trip to Bloomfield Road looks more likely than visiting Camp Nou in 2009/10.

And as the nervous fidgeting of residents of North London begins to intensify, 10 other occasions when it was thought that a side's status would see them avoid sliding into their country's second tier of domestic football are relived.

Leeds United - 2004

In 2001, Leeds reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and were challenging at the top of the Premier League. Three years later the Elland Road squad fell into the Championship. That is why it is called 'the drop'.

Suffering financially, the three-time English title-winners narrowly avoided a date with relegation destiny in 2003, but Alan Smith and co could not escape that fate the following season as players that had worried Real Madrid and AC Milan jumped ship.

To make matters worse for the Yorkshire side, in Wile E. Coyote off-the-edge-of-a-cliff style, they pulled their parachute cord to steady their descent but discovered their Kevlar had been replaced by pots and pans and, after two terms and a play-off final appearance, Leeds limped into League One.

Middlesbrough - 1997

One of the most controversial entries as Boro were relegated after being deducted three points in 1996/97.

The men from The Riverside finished 12th in the previous campaign and were expected to prove feisty opponents after the big-money arrivals of Brazilian midfielder Emerson and Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli.

Cult hero Juninho also helped provide a Samba, attacking flair, and the club reached the finals of the FA Cup and League Cup. But it was not such a positive story in the league as Bryan Robson's side dropped after being punished by officials.

Robson refused to play a match against Blackburn at short notice because he had 16 players sidelined through injury or illness. A decision was made to deduct the value of a win from Boro, who would otherwise have survived at the expense of Coventry City.

Manchester United - 1974

Looking back 34 years, it now seems impossible to believe that last season's Premier League and Champions League winners ever suffered the indignity of relegation.

However, the Red Devils slipped into England's second echelon after finishing in 21st position in 1973/74.

Manager Tommy Docherty arrived to save the club from danger in 1972/73, but the Scot could not replicate that act in the following campaign with a side which had lost star trio Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law.

A number of reasons were offered for United's demise, with a frequently late bus driver suggested as one explanation, but the decisive factor was a goal from Law.

The forward joined rivals Manchester City on a free transfer in 1973 and netted in a 1-0 derby win at Old Trafford in the penultimate game to condemn his former employers.

Ipswich Town - 2002

If second season syndrome could be found in the dictionary you would likely discover a downbeat picture of ex-Ipswich boss George Burley sat in the Portman Road dugout.

In 1999/2000 the Tractor Boys earned play-off promotion and the following season they took the Premier League by storm.

Powered by the goals of Marcus Stewart, Burley's side battled Liverpool and Leeds for fourth spot all the way to the end of the season, before eventually settling for a fifth-placed finish and qualification for the Uefa Cup - earning their boss the Manager of the Year award.

However, European football, of which there were three rounds before a two-legged defeat to Inter Milan, took its toll and a 5-0 hammering at former top-of-the-table rivals Liverpool on the last fixture of 2001/02 meant relegation after two years.

Blackburn Rovers - 1999

Four years after lifting the Premier League title, Blackburn proved that no team is safe from relegation as they finished second-bottom and six points adrift.

The Ewood Park outfit were arguably the first nouveaux rich club in the Premier League as former chairman Jack Walker's deep pockets helped lift the English top-flight silverware in 1994/95. However, that seemed a distant memory in 1998/99.

With Roy Hodgson at the helm, Rovers began with high hopes after Uefa Cup football was secured the previous season.

But the European run lasted just one round following an aggregate defeat to Lyon, and Hodgson - whose era is remembered for a questionable £7.5million spent on Kevin Davies - was sacked in December.

Brian Kidd was Hodgson's replacement, but the ex-Manchester United assistant infamously, 'smelt a bit of fear' in the Rovers dressing room and he was unable to find the Glade to remove the aroma of dread as a goalless home draw with his former club in the last-but-one game of the season sent Rovers down.

Nottingham Forest - 1993

A season which had started so promisingly, with Forest beating Liverpool in the first Premier League game to be televised on Sky Sports, ended on a sour note for Brian Clough's men as they slipped into the second tier.

The sale of Teddy Sheringham to Tottenham early in the campaign proved to be disastrous, while a suitable replacement was never found for Des Walker following the England international's summer departure to Sampdoria.

While the top-flight pedigree of Robert Rosario and Carl Tiler is open to debate, any team boasting the combined talents of Roy Keane, Stuart Pearce and Nigel Clough should have had enough to keep their head above water.

However, with Brian Clough's powers, and health, on the wane, Trentside witnessed an alarming slump, from which there was to be no recovery.

Finishing rock-bottom was no way for a managerial legend to bring his distinguished career to a close but, ultimately, Clough was unable to bring the best out of his side.

Manchester City - 1996

The blue half of Manchester turned a shade of grey as City slipped out of the Premier League on the final day of the 1995/96 season.

A 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Maine Road was not enough to save Alan Ball's side as goal difference sent City down.

With the fat lady warming up her voice, Ball's men dramatically came from two goals down in the space of seven minutes against the Reds.

But City were their own worst enemies as, having restored parity, they wasted time and played for a draw after being given incorrect information about the fortunes of their relegation rivals. A win would have stuffed a sock in the mouth of the aforementioned over-weight female as she cleared her throat.

And, as with Leeds, the only way was not up. Ball continued to struggle and resigned after three games of the following season.

City - who won the 1970 Cup Winners' Cup - survived two campaigns in Division One, but further trauma was in store as they became the first side to have lifted a European trophy to fall into the third flight of English football.

West Ham United - 2003

West Ham sunk 11 places from their previous campaign to suffer relegation in the 2002/03 season after an 18th-placed Premier League finish.

Upton Park legend Harry Redknapp had left the club in 2001 and things were never quite the same for the Hammers as Glenn Roeder was appointed as successor.

Roeder was absent for part of the season as he underwent successful surgery on a brain tumour, and the current Norwich boss was replaced by interim manager, and former West Ham star, Sir Trevor Brooking.

But not even Sir Trev' could prevent the Hammers' bubble from bursting as a team containing the likes of David James, Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Frederic Kanoute and Paolo Di Canio ended the term short of a place outside the relegation zone.

Atletico Madrid - 2000

One of the greatest shocks in Spanish football saw Atletico plummet out of the Primera Liga at the end of 1999/00.

The Vicente Calderon was left in a state of shock as the campaign began badly and manager Claudio Ranieri was shown the exit, with Raddy Antic asked to save the day in his third spell in charge at the club in five years.

Antic, though, was not up to the task and, despite reaching the final of the Copa del Rey, Atletico fell into the Segunda Division.

The nine-time La Liga champions' demise becomes all the more surprising when it is remembered that former Leeds player Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored 24 goals in 34 outings in the season, he might have been better staying at Elland Road, while ex-Boro star Juninho was also at the club. Perhaps the Brazilian is a curse?

Leicester City - 2008

Finally, the most recent entry. After dropping out of the Premier League with Leeds in 2004, Leicester hit their lowest point four years later.

The Foxes slumped into the third tier of English football for the first time in their history as they were relegated from the Championship on a dramatic final day of the 2007/08 season.

Ian Holloway became the first Leicester manager to win his opening game in charge in more than 50 years but, having been appointed as the fourth permanent man in the Foxes hot-seat in nine months in November 2007, he was unable to address inherited problems.

Leicester's 32,500 Walkers Stadium, which the club moved into in 2002, looks a little out of place in League One.

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Comments (13)

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Craig Lowrie (Luton Town fan) says...

What about the Hatters? They finished tenth in the Championship 3 seasons ago and now they are staring the Blue Square prem in the face - very sad times!!!

Posted 11:05 12th November 2008

Nicky Sadler (Norwich City fan) says...

well as the old saying goes, thats football for you anything is possible, i have to admit though why are leicester in there, not many would consider them to be too big to go down

Posted 15:24 4th November 2008

Samuel Luckhurst (Manchester United fan) says...

As much as City fans revel in reminiscing over United legend Denis sending us down, other results meant that the final nail had already been knocked into the coffin before The King's nonchalant back heel at the Scoreboard End.

Posted 13:09 27th October 2008

Pete Grant (Manchester United fan) says...

Blackburn are not a big club, has anybody seen the size of the place, it's like being in an episode of last of the summer wine, don't take offense Blackburn fans it just makes you look better for actually winning the league albeit through Walkers millions, it gives some of the lower division clubs a bit of hope to one day make the grade, it just goes to show a club does not have to be big to win or lose but money well spent makes a huge difference on the overall outcome, Leeds wanted it all and at least they can say that they have come close to winning the CL even though it ultimately cost them dare, Blackburn won the Prem and then tasted the downside a few years later, now though they are wise and seem to be settling for premiership status which is not a bad thing.

Posted 03:01 27th October 2008

Ben Smith (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Blackburn are on the list because we won the league only 4 years earlier and finished 6th the season before (Having been 2nd at Christmas). We had the likes of Flowers, Hendry, Henchoz, Sherwood, Sutton, Mcateer, Jansen and Gallagher with Dunn and Duff breaking through..... That my friend is why we were too big to go down

Posted 15:01 26th October 2008

Carl Linley (Leeds United fan) says...

leeds will be back in the premiership without a doubt the city is too big, how long it will take though is unknown. the club is making money now and is stable so with a bit of luck we could be there in a few years this season goes well. just look at what hull have done, and they came uo through the play offs

Posted 21:44 25th October 2008

Phil Saul (Leicester City fan) says...

I think the majority of the Country may well have thought leicester were too big to get relegated from the second tier last season Davros. Especially considering we had never been outside the top two tiers in our history and were one of the richest clubs in the Championship.

Posted 18:50 25th October 2008

Sonia Duncan (Ipswich Town fan) says...

It seems contradictory to put Ipswich in the top 10 of 'Premier debuts' for one season and then have them feature in the top 10 'Too big to go down' for the very next season.

Posted 17:39 25th October 2008

D G (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

To Davros - Leeds fan - go back 10 or 15 years and those clubs were big. including forest! and perhaps norwich anybody? Blackburn are the only side to win the Premier League and be relegated. it was harsh but the way we went about winning was unsustainable in the long run. its the same at leeds. it was unsustainable. and now you find yourselves in league one. its been 4 years since your drop from the premier league, but i think it will be at least another 5 until your back up. a lot of it is how the club is run, and leeds has shown everybody a really bad way of running a club. it seems someone has given the club a kick up the backside and your finally stable, and a decent club within your league. but its a big differnce from the premier league and leeds fans need to get over what they were and accept what they are, just as rovers fans know we wont win the league again for a long while.

Posted 16:46 25th October 2008

Michael Cane (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I believe it's about time every supporter in every country realised, that no club is too big to go down!! Tottenham are in a serious position that has to be accepted by everyone at the club, as well as the fans, we are bottom and the football we are playing is not attractive, fluid or menacing to any team. We are on a downward spiral will lead to relegation, we are having possession but possessing does not ensure 3 points, we need to attack and bombard the opposition with shot after shot, we have quality players, but maybe they are lightweight but we have to work hard with what we have! we have now got to step up to the plate and grab me victories otherwise we will have realised that the premiership badges have to come off the sacred shirt and be replaced with championship ones

Posted 11:12 25th October 2008

John Pilkington (West Ham United fan) says...

The 02/03 West Ham relegation still hurts...It was Joe Cole's and Carrick's finest display of their career by a mile. Imagine that team stay together with Glen Johnson and one or two signigns/especially defenders/

Posted 21:47 24th October 2008

Davros Malloy (Leeds United fan) says...

Why the hell are Leicester, Ipswich, Blackburn and Middlesbrough on this list? I dont think anyone would ever consider them too big to go down.

Posted 18:17 24th October 2008

Andrew Bridge (Manchester United fan) says...

Newcastle 2009 anyone??? If Fulham go this year, look for a Leicester-esque freefall with probably an administration or two thrown in. Just a thought.

Posted 16:45 24th October 2008
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