Promotion & Relegation, and All That Quiz

Answer: Rochdale

From the day they joined the Football League, Rochdale were relegated just twice; in 1958-59 when they finished last in Division Three, and 1973-74 when they again finished last in Division Three. Arsenal is the only club, from their formation through to 1992, that were relegated fewer times than Rochdale. Arsenal were relegated once, when they finished last in Division One, at the end of the 1912-13 season. Arsenal joined the Football League in 1893, when they were elected to Division Two.

Scunthorpe United did not join the Football League until 1950, when they joined Division 3 (North). They were the champions in 1958-59, the last season of the regional leagues, and played in Division Two from 1958 to 1964.

Bury have also been outside the bottom rung. They enjoyed two periods in the First Division from the 1890s to the 1920s (the first was 1895-1912, and the second was 1924-1929). They won the FA Cup in 1900 and 1903 (when they did not concede a goal in any game). The 6-0 scoreline v. Derby Country in 1903 was still the record score in an FA Cup Final some 90 years later, when the Football League "lost" its top tier upon the formation of FA Premier League (1992-93 season).

Hartlepool United joined Division Three (North) in 1921, the same year as Rochdale, but The Pool won promotion twice, in 1967-68 when they were 3rd in Division Four, and in 1990-91, when they again finished 3rd in Division Four.

Answer: Notts County

During those 104 years from 1888 to 1992, Notts County had played in 5 different divisions of the Football League: Divisions One to Four, plus Division Three (South). Their best finish was 3rd in Division One way back in 1890-91, and again in 1900-01. They were relegated from Division One to Division Two in 1893, 1913, 1920 and 1926. They were relegated from Division Two to Division Three (South) twice, in 1930 and 1935. In 1958 they were relegated from Division Two to Division Three, which was followed by relegation from Division Three to Division Four, twice, in 1959 and 1964. Their next demotion was a "double drop", relegation in two consecutive seasons: Division One to Division Two in 1984, and Division Two to Division Three in 1985, to bring up their 11th relegation. On the other hand, they were promoted 12 times during those years!

Manchester City were not a foundation member of the Football League (they joined Division Two in 1892). Burnley were relegated "only" eight times during those 104 years; ditto Wolves.

Answer: 6

The six teams are Coventry City, Grimsby Town, Mansfield Town, Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town, and Walsall. These teams played in both of the geographical third divisions to retain the balance between north and south teams, as two teams were relegated each season from Division Two (one team was promoted from each regional third division).

Answer: Northampton Town

Northampton Town were not only the first to climb from Division Four to Division One, they were also the first team to be relegated all the way down! In 1960-61 they finished 3rd in Division Four, were Division Three champions two seasons later (62-63), and then finished runners-up in Division Two in 1963-64. They played / lasted just one season in Division One, finishing bottom in 1965-66, and dropped down again at the end of the next season when they finished last in Division Two. They survived for two seasons in Division Three, but were back in Division Four when they were relegated from Division Three at the end of the 1968-69 season. In other words, they finished the 1960s where they were at the start of the decade!

Coventry City were the second team to climb from Division Four to Division One -- 2nd in Division Four 1958-59, won the Third Division title in 1963-64, and then won the Division Two title in 1966-67. As was the case with Northampton Town, their promotion to Division One saw them make their debut appearance in the top tier of English Football. However, unlike Northampton Town, Coventry City survived in Division One for more than one season. In fact they were still there 24 years later, to become a foundation member of the FA Premier League.

Luton Town and Carlisle United were the next two teams to climb the ladder from Division Four up to Division One, when they were 2nd and 3rd respectively in Division Two for the 1973-74 season. Carlisle lasted one season, like Northampton Town. Unlike the other three teams, Luton Town had previously seen Division One football. They finished bottom in Division One in 1959-60, fell all the way down to Division Four, and then climbed all the way back again. Northampton Town were the first to go all the way up, and then back down again; whereas Luton Town were the first to ride the same roller-coaster, in the opposite direction!

Answer: 1

Manchester City were crowned League Champions in 1936-37, for the first time since their admission to the Football League in 1892, as a member of Division Two. As the defending title-holders they finished the 1937-38 season equal last on 36 pts with West Bromwich Albion (who had an inferior goal average) and were relegated to Division Two. To add insult to their demotion, Manchester City scored more goals than any other team in Division One and they scored more goals than they conceded (their For-Against was 80-77). Arsenal were Champions in 1937-38 with 52 pts, just 16 pts more than the two relegated teams. Those 16 pts, under the then 2 pts for a win system, equate to 8 wins.

This differential of just 8 wins between Championship and relegation was the smallest margin top-to-bottom during those 104 years. This differential is even more remarkable when you consider that, pre-World War 1, there were fewer than 22 teams in Division One, viz. 12 teams from 1888 to 1892, 16 teams 1892-1898, 18 teams 1898-1905, 20 teams 1905-1914, and 22 teams from 1919. The only other instance of 16 pts (being 8 wins) separating the Champions and relegation was in 1901-02, when Sunderland were Champions with 44 pts, and Small Heath (now Birmingham City) were relegated with 30 pts, along with Manchester City (!) on 28 pts. The Football League adopted 3 pts for a win in the 1981-82 season.

Answer: 5

1905-06 Liverpool
1931-32 Everton
1950-51 Tottenham Hotspur
1961-62 Ipswich Town
1977-78 Nottingham Forest

All five teams, apart from Forest, were promoted as Division Two Champions (Forest had finished third). Ipswich Town were the only team to be crowned League Champions in their first-ever season at the top. Their manager was Sir Alf Ramsey, who went on to World Cup glory as England's Manager, when England won the World Cup in 1966 beating West Germany 4-2 aet at Wembley.

Answer: 2

Bristol City 1980-81-82 were the first team to achieve this honour (3rd last, 2nd last, 2nd last). A few years later, Wolverhampton Wanderers emulated this feat, in style: 1985-86-87 (last, last, 2nd last).

Answer: Wolverhampton Wanderers

In 1988, Wolverhampton Wanderers became the first team to win 4 titles (since equalled), and in 1989 they became the first team to win 5 titles (unique):
Division 1 : 1953-54, 1957-58, 1958-59
Division 2 : 1931-32, 1976-77
Division 3N: 1923-24
Division 3 : 1988-89
Division 4 : 1987-88
Burnley became the second team to win 4 titles, when they lifted the Division Four title in the last year of its existence (it became the Third Division in the following season, upon the formation of the FA Premier League; it was renamed League One in 2004):
Division 1 : 1920-21, 1959-60
Division 2 : 1897-98, 1972-73
Division 3 : 1981-82
Division 4 : 1991-92
Four years later, Preston North End became the third team to win "four" Football League titles:
Division 1 : 1888-89, 1889-90
Division 2 : 1903-04, 1912-13, 1950-51
Division 3 : 1970-71
Division 4 : 1995-96, being the new post-1992 Third Division (aka as "tier four of English Football"; renamed League Two in 2004).

Answer: 1973-74

When the Football League created Division Four in 1958, out of the geographical Div 3(S) and Div 3(N), four teams were promoted / relegated between Divisions Three and Four; and promotion / relegation between Divisions One/Two and Two/Three was kept at two teams. In 1973-74 it became three-up and three-down between these three divisions.

o 1981-82 was the season in which 2 pts for a win became 3 pts for a win.
o 1958-59 was the inaugural season for Divisions Three and Four, replacing the geographical Division Three (South) and Division Three (North), which had been in existence since 1920 and 1921 respectively.
o 1925-26 was the first season in which the new offside rule operated, viz. two defenders instead of three between the player and the defending team's goal line (aka "being level with the second last defender").

Answer: 7

The 7 clubs were:

Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Everton
Liverpool
Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur

Blackburn Rovers, a foundation member, were in the Premiership when Southampton were relegated, but spent 2 seasons downstairs in the Football League (seasons 1999-00 and 2000-01).