Fuck off Boris
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Bayern and PSG would have something to say about that
The Premier League would become unquestioned top dog, with all the biggest clubs battling it out. Liverpool, Everton, Leeds, Villa, Forest, Newcastle, Sheffield United, Wolves, QPR, Stoke, Derby and Carlisle. Just like 1974/75 again.
Actually Bayern Munich won the European Cup in 1975, so I have defeated my own argument. Hang on a minute while I look up the 1976/77 First Division table.
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Let’s not talk about season 1976/77.
The first time I became aware of Tottenham Hotspur finishing bottom of the First Division in 1976/77 was when somebody brought a 15 year old set of Top Trumps football cards into primary school.
I knew Manchester United had been relegated in 1974 but it felt quite surreal to learn that Spurs had been relegated in the past.
1976/77 was the season my father started taking me to White Hart Lane. Experience like that steels you for a lifetime of sporting disappointment.
It’s character building.
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Thanks be to god we have the Lions when the soccer , GGA & 6 Nations are selling their souls
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We scrapped back up in 3rd in 1977/78 on goal difference ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion. Looked comfortable most of the season before a late season collapse, wining just 3 of the last 10 or something like that. There were two back to back 3-3 draws at Mansfield and Millwall which was the start of the rot. Needed a point last day at the Dell and hung on for a 0-0 draw.
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How do I unlock this new superleague on FIFA lads?
Relegation is great for the soul of any soccer club . Sorts chaff from the wheat in support base and trips to smaller hostile venues gives the support base a bit of purpose .
The majority of the Footix / McFootitx fans here wouldn’t have experienced that . The hunger of Glasgow Rangers today beating their softer city rivals today in the Scottish Cup surely evidence ?
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There have been some great cathartic relegations over the years. Relegation has been good for Aston Villa. Leeds are a great team to get a bounce after a period in the second tier, they always seem to do well when they come up. Newcastle’s period in the second tier in the early 90s ended up revitalising them. Manchester United in the 1970s. Liverpool won the league in 1964 after promotion in 1962. Manchester City needed to get relegated to the third tier before getting two promotions in a row to get back to the Premier League.
Leeds and Villa have been two of the three most exciting clubs to follow in English football over the past few years.
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Lot of the now older Spurs fans who would have travelled to the away games rate that 1977/78 season as one of their favourite ever seasons. Travelling to the likes of Hull, Mansfield, Oldham, Cardiff and Bristol, where they normally wouldn’t be going. Millwall, Orient and Charlton Athletic for the London derbies.
We came back up strong as well. The early 1980’s under Keith Burkinshaw was a great era. It all went pear shaped really once Burkinshaw departed after the UEFA Cup Final win in 1984.
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Leicester must be seething
One of the great soccer victories on the UK mainland this century - the Hibernian FC win in the 2016 Scottish. Cup was driven by relegation .
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Leicester are in the FA Cup final.
Leicester did finish in the Top 6 last season, so if there were 6 places up for grabs from England, Leicester should have been one of the 6. Woolwich finished 8th. This is nearly as bad as the stunt Woolwich pulled to get promoted in 1919 on the back of a 6th place finish in Division 2.
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