Poll: Which British side has suffered the worst fall from grace?
Published:
A draw with Bolton and other results going against them saw Blackpool relegated to the third tier of English football over the Easter weekend.
The Tangerines were enjoying the Premier League high life just four years ago but are now back in the doldrums of League One for the first time since 2006.
The Seasiders’ demise hasn’t come as a huge surprise, but having had a taste of the top flight, where does this fall from grace rank compared to some other high profile collapses?
Read on for our top five and have your say below.
Blackpool – relegated to League One 2015
Blackpool were the surprise package when earning a place at the top table in 2010 but with the charismatic Ian Holloway in charge and an opening 4-0 triumph over Wigan many hoped the Tangerines would be a long-term fixture in the Premier League.
A 6-0 thumping at the hands of Arsenal brought them back down to earth but victories over the likes of Newcastle, Liverpool (twice) and Tottenham gave fans some lifelong memories.
An agonizing defeat to Manchester United sealed their fate on the last day after just one season and while a playoff final appearance hinted at a return to the Promised Land shortly after it’s been downhill ever since.
Portsmouth – From FA Cup winners to fourth-tier flounders
In 2008 Pompey were flying high. A second consecutive top 10 Premier League finish was accompanied by a shock FA Cup win (only the second in the club’s history) and Harry Redknapp was worshipped like a god at Fratton Park.
Fast forward six years and the financial fallout of achieving such success has seen Portsmouth freefall down the leagues to their current position in League Two.
With a playoff push now highly unlikely Pompey fans will face the indignation for another term at least.
Leeds United – From Champions League semi-finalists to League One obscurity to Championship mid-table mediocrity
Winners of the last ever pre-Premier League title, Leeds were a competitive force for some 14 years in the top flight, with a host of top four finishes and a European run that saw them go all the way to the semi-finals of the Champions league in 2001, to show for their efforts.
The wheels started to come off in 2004, however, with Elland Road club relegated to the second tier. Again the financial impact of their previous success weighed heavy and a subsequent three-year stay in the third tier followed.
Now back in the Championship, the Whites still remain some way of a serious push for a Premier League return.
Newcastle United – relegated to Championship 2009
The high expectations of the Toon Army give Newcastle the air of a club slightly bigger in stature than perhaps they actually are but the Magpies were safely deemed in the category of clubs “too big to go down” before their shock relegation.
A total of 16 consecutive top flight seasons, including five top four finishes, meant the St James’ Park outfit were a part of the Premier League furniture before they slipped through the trap door in 2009.
There stay in the second tier was short-lived, returning to the top flight as champions after just one year, but still it was a bitter pill for their die-hard fans to swallow.
Glasgow Rangers – Booted out of the SPL and forced to start over again
With 54 top flight titles, 33 Scottish Cup wins, 27 Scottish league Cup triumphs and a European Cup Winners Cup trophy in the cabinet Rangers need little introduction as one half of the power couple north of the border.
Dire finances however led to the club being kicked out of the SPL in 2012 and forced to start all over again under new ownership.
Successive promotions, including an unbeaten season in League One, meant Rangers were within touching distance of a return to the top flight but a 23-point gap between them a league leaders Hearts means an agonising play-off campaign awaits anxious Gers fans.
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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