SA Footy

I know it's 4 months out, but I find the relegation battle as intriguing as the battle for top spot & associated spots for the Champions League & UEFA etc etc.

So with that in mind let's have a look at season's past, and see what points the relegated were on.

1992-1993
Crystal Palace 49 (relegated by 2 goals)
Middlesbrough 44
Nottingham Forest 40

1993-1994
Sheffield United 42 (relegated by 1 point)
Oldham Athletic 40
Swindon Town 30

1994-1995 (went from 22 teams to 20 teams. Extra team relegated. Only 2 promoted for 95/96)
Crystal Palace 45 (relegated by 3 points)
Norwich City 43
Leicester City 29
Ipswich Town 27

1995-1996
Manchester City 38 (relegated by 7 goals)
Queens Park Rangers 33
Bolton Wanderers 29

1996-1997
Sunderland 40 (by 1 point)
Middlesbrough 39 (docked 3 points by the FA for failing to fulfil a fixture)
Nottingham Forest 34

1997-1998
Bolton Wanderers 40 (relegated by 5 goals)
Barnsley 35
Crystal Palace 32

1998-1999
Charlton Athletic 36 (relegated by 5 points)
Blackburn Rovers 35
Nottingham Forest 30

1999-2000
Wimbledon 33 (relegated by 3 points)
Sheffield Wednesday 31
Watford 24

2000-2001
Manchester City 34 (relegated by 8 points)
Coventry City 34
Bradford City 26

2001-2002
Ipswich Town 36 (relegated by 4 points)
Derby County 30
Leicester City 28

2002-2003
West Ham United 42 (relegated by 2 points)
West Bromwich Albion 26
Sunderland 19

2003-2004
Leicester City 33 (relegated by 6 points)
Leeds United 33
Wolverhampton Wanderers 33

2004-2005
Crystal Palace 33 (relegated by 1 point)
Norwich City 33
Southampton 32

2005-2006
Birmingham City 34 (relegated by 4 points)
West Bromwich Albion 30
Sunderland 15

2006-2007
Sheffield United 38 (relegated by 1 goal)
Charlton Athletic 34
Watford 28

2007-2008
Reading 36 (relegated by 3 goals)
Birmingham City 35
Derby County 11

So from 95- 96 the highest points total for a relegated team was 42, and a couple of 40's in there. Hence they use the 40 point theory. If you get 40 and over you're usually safe.

So game on !!

Here's the table as it stands.
Man Utd 53
Liverpool 51
Chelsea 48
Aston Villa 48
Arsenal 43
Everton 37
Wigan 33
West Ham 33
Fulham 29
Man City 28
Hull City 28
Bolton 27
Sunderland 27
Tottenham 24
Newcastle 24
Portsmouth 24
Stoke City 24
Blackburn 23
M'brough 22
WBA 22

This is going to be a tight year. HIGHLIGHTED teams are at this stage considered SAFE !!

Geez Palace been a bit stiff

As a life long Palace supporter you get used to the ups and downs. You tend not to think of a long stay in the higher divisions as this has been our fate even before the advent of the Premier league. Anyway I don't think this will be the year that we go up again unless Warnock can get the boys going again and end our run of four losses. Come on Eagles!!!!!!

C'mon the Rovers, COME ON Sammy Allerdyce!

So where are they now ? Of the clubs relegated since the formation of the EPL, the teams NOT currently in the EPL are;

Crystal Palace - The Championship
Nottingham Forest - The Championship
Sheffield United - The Championship
Oldham Athletic - League 1
Swindon Town - League 1
Norwich City - The Championship
Leicester City - League 1
Ipswich Town - The Championship
Queens Park Rangers - The Championship
Barnsley - The Championship
Charlton Athletic - The Championship
Wimbledon - Folded - Reformed as MK Dons - League 1
Sheffield Wednesday - The Championship
Watford - The Championship
Derby County - The Championship
Leeds United - League 1
Wolverhampton - The Championship
Southampton - The Championship
Birmingham - The Championship
Charlton Athletic - The Championship
Reading - The Championship

SJABC wrote:So where are they now ? Of the clubs relegated since the formation of the EPL, the teams NOT currently in the EPL are;

Crystal Palace - The Championship
Nottingham Forest - The Championship
Sheffield United - The Championship
Oldham Athletic - League 1
Swindon Town - League 1
Norwich City - The Championship
Leicester City - League 1
Ipswich Town - The Championship
Queens Park Rangers - The Championship
Barnsley - The Championship
Charlton Athletic - The Championship
Wimbledon - Folded - Reformed as MK Dons - League 1
Sheffield Wednesday - The Championship
Watford - The Championship
Derby County - The Championship
Leeds United - League 1
Wolverhampton - The Championship
Southampton - The Championship
Birmingham - The Championship
Charlton Athletic - The Championship
Reading - The Championship

Not for long - the one season nightmare will be over very soon!

loved the year Leeds went down....was one of the best years!!!

my tips this season are

18 Newcastle United
19 Middlesbrough
20 West Brom Albion.

Bulldog wrote:loved the year Leeds went down....was one of the best years!!!

my tips this season are

18 Newcastle United
19 Middlesbrough
20 West Brom Albion.

That would have been one of the worst years

I love the relegation battles. I usually pick a team that i want to stay up and support them. For Example a couple of seasons ago Norwich were on a roll with Dean Ashton scoring plenty of goals. They went down by a point on the last day. Last season i wanted Fulham to stay up. McBride hit a purple patch and almost single handedly saved them from the drop.

Fulham's escape has been amazing. They survived on the last day last season and this season have played pretty well. They won't get themselves into that trouble again. Good move by Schwarzer to join them too but they have lost Jimmy Bullard.

I also like to get behind a relegation battler.. this year it's West Brom again who I hope can do what they did a few years back when they were saved on the last day. I know a Baggies fan though, who is also a North fan, so I will always hope they stay in the EPL.

RoosterMarty wrote:Fulham's escape has been amazing. They survived on the last day last season and this season have played pretty well. They won't get themselves into that trouble again. Good move by Schwarzer to join them too but they have lost Jimmy Bullard.

I also like to get behind a relegation battler.. this year it's West Brom again who I hope can do what they did a few years back when they were saved on the last day. I know a Baggies fan though, who is also a North fan, so I will always hope they stay in the EPL.

They were the least likely to stay up on that day too. Norwich and Crystal Palace were 1 or 2 points above Brom, but both lost and West Brom won to stay up.

Pidge wrote:Last season i wanted Fulham to stay up. McBride hit a purple patch and almost single handedly saved them from the drop.

Not as amazing an escape as 1966. As at February 26, Fulham had 15 points from 29 matches. They won 9 of the last 13 to stay up. The days of Johnny Haynes, Les Barrett and Steve Earle (the striker, not the country singer!).

Pidge wrote:

Bulldog wrote:loved the year Leeds went down....was one of the best years!!!

my tips this season are

18 Newcastle United
19 Middlesbrough
20 West Brom Albion.

That would have been one of the worst years

I love the relegation battles. I usually pick a team that i want to stay up and support them. For Example a couple of seasons ago Norwich were on a roll with Dean Ashton scoring plenty of goals. They went down by a point on the last day. Last season i wanted Fulham to stay up. McBride hit a purple patch and almost single handedly saved them from the drop.

*Ahem* Danny Murphy?

gadj1976 wrote:C'mon the Rovers, COME ON Sammy Allerdyce!

This post will be edited by the mods for foul and abusive language

RoosterMarty wrote:Fulham's escape has been amazing. They survived on the last day last season and this season have played pretty well. They won't get themselves into that trouble again. Good move by Schwarzer to join them too but they have lost Jimmy Bullard.

I also like to get behind a relegation battler.. this year it's West Brom again who I hope can do what they did a few years back when they were saved on the last day. I know a Baggies fan though, who is also a North fan, so I will always hope they stay in the EPL.

Unlike the FA Cup

johntheclaret wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:C'mon the Rovers, COME ON Sammy Allerdyce!

This post will be edited by the mods for foul and abusive language

Hehehe, don't worry I've been bagging Allerdyce for years and now I have to support the mongrel!

johntheclaret wrote:

RoosterMarty wrote:Fulham's escape has been amazing. They survived on the last day last season and this season have played pretty well. They won't get themselves into that trouble again. Good move by Schwarzer to join them too but they have lost Jimmy Bullard.

I also like to get behind a relegation battler.. this year it's West Brom again who I hope can do what they did a few years back when they were saved on the last day. I know a Baggies fan though, who is also a North fan, so I will always hope they stay in the EPL.

Unlike the FA Cup

I just hope Cardiff can somehow knock off Arsenal.

A Cardiff vs Burnley FA Cup match would be great.

RoosterMarty wrote:

johntheclaret wrote:

RoosterMarty wrote:Fulham's escape has been amazing. They survived on the last day last season and this season have played pretty well. They won't get themselves into that trouble again. Good move by Schwarzer to join them too but they have lost Jimmy Bullard.

I also like to get behind a relegation battler.. this year it's West Brom again who I hope can do what they did a few years back when they were saved on the last day. I know a Baggies fan though, who is also a North fan, so I will always hope they stay in the EPL.

Unlike the FA Cup

I just hope Cardiff can somehow knock off Arsenal.

A Cardiff vs Burnley FA Cup match would be great.

I think Cardiff would knock off the Clarets. I am hoping for an Arsenal v Clarets game, only because I fancy another long week end in the capital and I haven't been to the Emirats, and 30% gate money of a 60,000 crowd would be a nice little earner for us.

I have also noticed that in the Championship, the relegation battle is pretty tight. Some former great teams from the top flight look to be going down. Southampton, Charlton etc.

Pidge wrote:I have also noticed that in the Championship, the relegation battle is pretty tight. Some former great teams from the top flight look to be going down. Southampton, Charlton etc.

Don't forget Norwich, top flight and League Cup winners in the 80's and Watford's flirt with fanatasy.

League 2 is also very tight at the top too.