This is the 2nd part of the article focusing on former Premier League clubs. Since the Premier League was formed in 1992 there has been 44 competitive teams to date, some teams have failed to return to the top flight, whilst others have made flying visits or for the even more unfortunate, further relegation down the football league pyramid sealed their fate. However, this article is to remember those teams that made up the Premier League of yesteryear and see whether their club is set for a return to the big league or nowhere near it.
Leeds United
Leeds United were certainly one of the bigger boys to make up the Premier League in the past, the West Yorkshire club won the (old) Division One title in 1991-1992 season, the season before the league names and structures changed in England. It wasn’t until the late Nineties that United enjoyed their best Premier League spell under David O’Leary who guided his Leeds side into the ‘Top 4’ for three consecutive seasons – the club qualifying for European competitions. They reached the Semi-Final of the UEFA Cup in 1999-’00 losing to Galatasaray and a season later United reached the Semi-Final of the Champions League but were defeated by Valencia. With star players like Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer this Leeds team was considered one of the best in England at the time, however the high transfer fees and player wages were to be the downfall of the club, but also set a precedent or a warning for other clubs in the future.
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Failure to qualify for the Champions League in the 2001-2002 season saw a financial problem within the club after chairman Peter Ridsdale had taken out large loans to fund the transfers and wages of players like Robbie Fowler, Seth Johnson and Rio Ferdinand. United’s plight worsened rather rapidly with the sale of Rio to Manchester United causing David O’Leary to be sacked after falling out with Ridsdale. Eventually more star players were sold to repay loans and the club was able to survive relegation by finishing 15th, but a season later with a squad largely full of loan players, Leeds United were relegated after 14 years in the top division.
Since then Leeds have failed to return to the Premier League and further disappointment was in store for the fans. The club finished 5th in their second season in the Championship but were beaten in the Play-Off final by Watford. However, the following season would rub salt in the wounds as the club suffered its first relegation to the 3rd tier of English football in their history and were also in Administration due to financial difficulties. After failing in the play-offs in their first two League One seasons, United were able to achieve promotion in the 2009-10 season by finishing 2nd and their first season back in the Championship sees them currently in 5th position with a great chance of promotion under manager Simon Grayson.
Continue to the NEXT PAGE for Forest and another sleeping giant…
Nottingham Forest
Perhaps the biggest club currently outside of the Premier League given their list of honours, but Forest were relegated in the inaugural season in 1992-93 which saw the end of legendary manager Brian Clough’s career as manager after 18 years, and Forest’s 16 years in the top flight. However, under Frank Clark, Forest were able to bounce back to the Premier League after one season and finished in a credible 3rd place during the 1994-1995 season. Their team boasted a number of quality players like Stuart Pearce, Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Stan Collymore and Bryan Roy to name a few. Despite getting to the UEFA Cup Quarter-Finals the following season, Forest’s league form declined and they finished in 9th place. The following season Forest were relegated from the Premier League – finishing bottom – but were able to bounce back at the first time of asking under manager Dave Bassett, with controversial Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk scoring 34 goals. However, Bassett was sacked half-way into their Premier League return season and Forest finished bottom of the pile once again and were relegated out of the top flight in 1998-99.
Since then Forest have failed to make it back to the big league with a few mid-table finishes in the Championship, although in 2002/03 season under Paul Hart, Forest finished 6th but failed to qualify to the Play-Off final. Two seasons later saw Forest relegated once again, becoming the first ever former European Cup winners to drop into the third tier of domestic league football. Forest spent three seasons in League One before achieving promotion back to the Championship; they finished in a credible 3rd place last season and currently sit in 6th place.
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Southampton
The Saints were one of the founding clubs since the Premier League started and enjoyed an impressive 27 years in the top flight before they were relegated in the 2004-05 season. Despite a number of poor finishes during their Premier League history, they will be mostly remembered for star player Matthew Le Tissier who decided to stick with his boyhood club despite interest from bigger clubs. It was Le Tissier’s goals that were able to keep the Saints up in their first few seasons but they finished in 10th place under the management of the late Alan Ball in 1994-95. Later Glenn Hoddle also finished in 10th place with the Saints but their best season came under the management of Gordon Strachan in 2002-03, with the club finishing in 8th place whilst also finishing runners-up in the FA Cup. The club was relegated two seasons later and since then have suffered further relegation into League One, including a deduction of points for entering administration. The Saints are now 5th in League One with a great chance of promotion.
Sleeping Giants
Whilst the football league has a number of former Premier League clubs, there are also a number of clubs who’ve never experienced the glamorous top flight experience in the last few decades, despite having the big stadium and crowd support with a rich history, certainly another article for another day.
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