Yo yo club
Encyclopedia
A yo-yo club is a sporting side that is regularly promoted and relegated
. The phrase is most typically used in association football in the United Kingdom, especially in reference to promotion to and relegation from the Premier League.
The name is derived from the toy yo-yo
which goes up and down a string. In Germany the equivalent term is Fahrstuhlmannschaft and in Spain equipo ascensor, both literally meaning "lift team" or "elevator team". In the Netherlands the term is heen-en-weer club (to-and-fro club).
In England
the phrase has been used to describe, among others, Birmingham City, Leicester City
, Crystal Palace
, Manchester City
, Middlesbrough
, Sunderland
and West Bromwich Albion
.
West Brom have been the archetypical yo-yo club throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century, during which time they have been promoted four times and relegated three times. This is seen by many to be a direct result of the policies espoused by the club's chairman Jeremy Peace
, who has refused to allow the club to spend beyond its means and has insisted on sound financial management. This has tended to leave the club at a disadvantage in the Premier League, when other similarly-sized clubs have tended to spend beyond their means, but strongly placed in Second Division
(The Championship) due to the parachute payments received on relegation from the Premier League.
have been promoted and relegated to and from the top division more times than any other English club, with 12 promotions and 12 relegations.
Birmingham's longest period in one division has been 18 years in the First Division
, from 1921 to 1939. Their next longest was 10 years, also in the First Division, between 1955 and 1965.
Elected to Division Two
in 1892, Birmingham were promoted to Division One in 1894 and relegated in 1896. Their next promotion came in 1901, and was followed immediately by relegation in 1902 and a third promotion in 1903. This time they lasted five years in the First Division, before relegation in 1908.
The following seventy years (which included breaks for the two world war
s) were comparatively stable, with only three relegations and four promotions. After their seventh relegation, in 1979, they were promoted at the first attempt; the same happened in 1984 and 1985, but after their ninth relegation, in 1986, they spent 18 years out of the top flight.
During these 18 seasons Birmingham had two separate spells in the Third Division
: from 1989 to 1992 (three seasons), and from 1994 to 1995 (one season).
They were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in 2002. Their first spell in this league lasted four years, but in the four years from 2006 to 2009 they were relegated twice and promoted twice.
In 2011 they were relegated again, and this was the eighth time since 1979 that this had happened to Birmingham. Six of these relegations were between the top two divisions, and two were between the second and third.
have had only one brief spell in the top flight of English football, from 1979 to 1983, but in the 53 years since 1958 they have been relegated nine times and promoted ten times.
Founder members of the Football League Third Division
in 1920, they remained at that level (Third Division South from 1921) for 31 seasons (38 years, including the break for World War II
). Since 1958, the longest period they have spent in any one division has been seven years in the Third, from 1965 to 1972.
After winning promotion to the Second Division for the first time in 1958, they suffered consecutive relegations in 1962 and 1963 to reach the Fourth Division
for the first time. (The Fourth Division was created in 1958.) Sixteen years later (in 1979) they reached the other extreme when they won promotion to the First Division
for the first time, but 17 years after that (1996) they were back in the Fourth (now known as the Third Division).
In the six years from 2001 to 2006 Brighton experienced three promotions and two relegations, leaving them in the Third Division (now known as Football League One
), and in 2011 they were promoted to The Championship
for the first time.
were considered to be a yo-yo club during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, with three relegations and three promotions between divisions One and Two between 1975 and 1989. During this period they spent eight years in the Second Division and six in the First.
had three separate spells in the Premier League between 1994 and 2004. The second lasted six years (1996 to 2002), but the other two only one year each (1994-5 and 2003-4). After each of the first two relegations they returned to the Premier League after only one season, but by 2011 they had been out of the top flight for seven seasons. In 2008 they were relegated to League One (the old Third Division
) for the first time, but they were promoted back to the Championship at the first attempt, making a total of four promotions and three relegations in 15 years.
have spent in the Football League, only 25 have been outside the top flight. But in the 18 years from 1983 to 2001, they were relegated from the top flight four times; and they even spent one season in the third tier
.
Founder members of the Football League Second Division
in 1892, City gained promotion to the First Division for the first time in 1899. They spent 63 of the following 73 seasons in the First Division (the top tier), despite suffering relegation six times - of their six spells in the Second Division over this period, the longest was three years, from 1963 to 1966. But they were relegated twice in the 1980s, and two years after another relegation in 1996 they dropped into the Third Division
(then known as the Second Division) for the first time in their history - their only season at that level, to date, being 1998-9.
City have now been back in the Premier League since 2002, and since their take-over by Abu Dhabi United Group
in 2008 they are far more likely in future to be challenging for places in the UEFA Champions League
than worrying about yo-yoing.
changed divisions ten times in the sixteen years from 1982 to 1998.
Following relegation in 1954 they had been out of the First Division
for twenty years, and had dropped into the Third Division
for the first time in their history (1966-7).
After regaining their First Division place in 1974 they were relegated again in 1982, and in 1986 they dropped into the Third Division again. This time they almost went out of business, but they quickly recovered and two successive promotions took them back into the First Division by 1988. They lasted only one season, and spent three more years in the Second Division before winning promotion to the newly-created Premier League in 1992.
They stayed there for only one season, but regained their Premier League place two years later as First Division champions. Two years later, despite investing over ten million pounds in transfer fees for famous international players, a three-point penalty for failing to fulfil a fixture cost Boro their Premier League status. This time they regained it at the first attempt, and they held on to it for eleven years, but 2011-12 will be their third consecutive year in the Championship
following relegation in 2009.
are a yo-yo club. In 1972, the club finally reached the pinnacle of the league structure, with their first promotion to the top tier. Since then, the club has spent 21 seasons in the top league and 15 in the second tier. In the 2009/10 season they played in League One after being relegated from the second tier but immediately bounced back to win the League One title.
, Sheffield Wednesday
was one of England's most successful clubs; they won their fourth Football League title in 1930, and they won the F.A. Cup for the third time in 1935. But they were relegated to the Second Division
in 1937, and after promotion in 1950 they experienced three more relegations in the next eight years: in 1951, 1955, and 1958. Each time they
won promotion at the first attempt, and it was their manager Eric Taylor
who referred to this period as "the yo-yo years".
After their fourth promotion in nine years, in 1959, Wednesday remained in the First Division
until 1970 (and came close to winning their fourth F.A. Cup in 1966, when they lost a memorable final to Everton
). But in 1975 they dropped into the Third Division
for the first time, and in 2010 they began their third spell at this level. Since 1970 they have had two periods in the top flight - totalling 14 seasons - but they have never yet repeated the frequent ups and downs of the 1950s.
have established themselves as a yo-yo club during the last 20 or so years. They were relegated to the Second Division in 1985 and in 1987 reached the lowest ebb in their history by slipping into the Third Division. They were promoted at the first attempt and by 1990-91 had reached the First Division again, only to lose their status after just one season. They reached the Premiership as Division One champions in 1996 but were relegated a year later. Sunderland returned to the Premiership in 1999 and finished seventh in both of the following two seasons, but by 2003 an increasing difficulty in finding the net had caught up with them and they were relegated from the top flight. They won the newly-named Championship title in 2005 but dreadful Premiership form throughout the 2005-06 season condemned them to yet another relegation. In 2006-07, they were able to win the Championship title to be promoted to the Premier League. This was their 12th movement in 23 years, but since 2007 the Black Cats have managed to stay in the top flight.
have been regular movers between the league's four divisions. In the four seasons leading up to 1982, they won three promotions to climb from the Fourth Division to the first. They were league runners-up in their first season as a First Division club, and were F.A Cup losing finalists a year later. But they were back in the Second Division come 1988-89, and slipped into the third tier of the league (by then the new Football League Division Two) at the end of the 1995-96 season. They were promoted back to Division One two years later after winning the Division Two title, and a Division One playoff triumph the following year earned them promotion to the Premiership. But Watford were unable to adjust to the pace of Premiership football and were relegated at the end of their first top flight season in more than a decade. They won the Championship playoff in 2005-06, but last place in the Premiership the following season ensured their 11th movement in 25 seasons.
have provided a classic example of the yo-yo. Between 2002 and 2010 they were promoted to the Premier League four times and relegated back to Division One (known since 2004 as The Championship)
three times, and 2011 was the first year since 1999 that they were not involved in either a promotion or a relegation battle, in most cases right up to the last match of the season.
Albion were promoted in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010; they were relegated in 2003, 2006 and 2009. In 2005 they achieved what has become known as "The Great Escape", when they became the only club ever to avoid relegation from the Premier League after being in bottom place at Christmas. In 2007 they reached the final of the Football League Championship play-offs
, losing 1-0 to Derby County
.
In 2000 Albion had been in real danger of relegation to Division Two
right up to the last day of the season, and in 2001 they reached the Division One play-offs
, losing in the semi-finals to Bolton Wanderers
.
Albion had also spent two years in the Third Division
between 1991 and 1993, after being relegated from the top tier in 1986.
and 1. FC Nuremberg have been promoted or relegated 15 times between the first-tier Bundesliga
and the second-tier 2. Bundesliga
. VfL Bochum
, Karlsruher SC
and MSV Duisburg
with 11 moves each are also considered to be yo-yo clubs in German club football, as well as Hansa Rostock (16 moves) and Union Berlin (12) if the league system in the former East Germany is included in the statistics.
have been promoted or relegated nine times since finishing bottom in 1979. They were promoted back to the top flight in 1982, but were relegated again in 1985. The club reappeared in the top division in 1989-90, by which time the league had switched to winter. They were relegated again in 1990-91, promoted back in 1994-95, relegated in 1996-97, promoted in 1997-98. In 1999 they finished third from bottom, but avoided another relegation by winning a play-off. However, they were relegated again in 2006-07.
are known as a yo-yo club due to the regular frequency of the club's relegation and promotion to and from the League of Ireland Premier Division and League of Ireland First Division. Drogheda United swapped Divisions every season between 1993/94 and 2000/01.
are known as the Heen-en-weer club (The to-and-fro club): they won promotion from the Eerste Divisie
to the Eredivisie
in 1959, were relegated in 1960, were promoted in 1961, were relegated in 1964, were promoted in 1967, were relegated in 1969, were promoted in 1970, were relegated in 1972, were promoted in 1977, were relegated in 1979, were promoted in 1983, were relegated in 1985, were promoted in 1987, were relegated in 1998, were promoted in 2003 and were relegated in 2004. In 2008 FC Volendam promoted once again, only to finish last and be therefore relegated the following year. For the 2009-10 season, the club is playing in the Eerste Divisie.
in 1994 (known as Petrochemia Płock at the time), but were relegated after one season. Promoted again in 1997, they again were relegated after one season. Their next promotion came (after shortening their name to Petro Płock) in 2000, and this time they managed to avoid relegation after one season. However, the next season (known now as Orlen Płock) they were again relegated. In 2002, reverting to the original name Wisła Płock, they were promoted to First League, and finally enjoyed relative stability, even reaching the Polish Cup
final in 2003 and winning it in 2006. However, relegation was again in order in 2007, and they haven't returned to First League since. In spite of this "yo-yoing," Wisła have avoided the fate of other relegated clubs in Poland, such as bankruptcy (e.g. Szczakowianka Jaworzno
) or further relegation to lower divisions (e.g. Raków Częstochowa
).
relegated from first level in 1964, 1967, 1972, 1991, 1994 and 1996. Karşıyaka also played in third level between 1973–1980 and 2001-2003. Also Sakaryaspor
has an interesting statistic. They promoted in 1981, relegated in 1986. But they promoted again after 1986/87 season. However they could only stay in first level for 3 seasons and relegated again in 1990. They came back to first level for a single season : 1998/99. They were back again in 1st level in 2004/05, but relegated same season. They won 2005/06 play-offs and promoted to 1st level again, just to relegate after one season. They almost repeated same thing when they reached play-offs in 2007/08 but this time they lost and finally "stayed" in 2nd level for a 2nd season in row. Finally Samsunspor
relegated from first level in 1975, 1979, 1983, 1990, 1992 and 2006 and promoted to first level in 1969, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1993 and 2011. Samsunspor currently plays in the Süper Lig, who is first level of Turkish League.
Adanaspor
is one of the most yo-yoed teams. They promoted to first league in 1971, relegated in 1984, promoted again in 1988, relegated again in 1991, promoted in 1998, relegated in 2001 and promoted to first league last in 2002. They suffered from financial difficulties between 2003–2006 and relegated to Third League, who is Fourth level of Turkish League in 2006 after three successive relegations. They also didn't any match at third level in 2005-2006 season. But they recovered to Bank Asya First League in 2008 after two successive promotions.
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
. The phrase is most typically used in association football in the United Kingdom, especially in reference to promotion to and relegation from the Premier League.
The name is derived from the toy yo-yo
Yo-yo
The yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...
which goes up and down a string. In Germany the equivalent term is Fahrstuhlmannschaft and in Spain equipo ascensor, both literally meaning "lift team" or "elevator team". In the Netherlands the term is heen-en-weer club (to-and-fro club).
In England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
the phrase has been used to describe, among others, Birmingham City, Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
.
West Brom have been the archetypical yo-yo club throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century, during which time they have been promoted four times and relegated three times. This is seen by many to be a direct result of the policies espoused by the club's chairman Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Roland Peace . Since June 2002 he has been the chairman of West Bromwich Albion F.C., a professional football club in the West Midlands, England.-Biography:...
, who has refused to allow the club to spend beyond its means and has insisted on sound financial management. This has tended to leave the club at a disadvantage in the Premier League, when other similarly-sized clubs have tended to spend beyond their means, but strongly placed in Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
(The Championship) due to the parachute payments received on relegation from the Premier League.
Birmingham City
Birmingham CityBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
have been promoted and relegated to and from the top division more times than any other English club, with 12 promotions and 12 relegations.
Birmingham's longest period in one division has been 18 years in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, from 1921 to 1939. Their next longest was 10 years, also in the First Division, between 1955 and 1965.
Elected to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 1892, Birmingham were promoted to Division One in 1894 and relegated in 1896. Their next promotion came in 1901, and was followed immediately by relegation in 1902 and a third promotion in 1903. This time they lasted five years in the First Division, before relegation in 1908.
The following seventy years (which included breaks for the two world war
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s) were comparatively stable, with only three relegations and four promotions. After their seventh relegation, in 1979, they were promoted at the first attempt; the same happened in 1984 and 1985, but after their ninth relegation, in 1986, they spent 18 years out of the top flight.
During these 18 seasons Birmingham had two separate spells in the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
: from 1989 to 1992 (three seasons), and from 1994 to 1995 (one season).
They were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in 2002. Their first spell in this league lasted four years, but in the four years from 2006 to 2009 they were relegated twice and promoted twice.
In 2011 they were relegated again, and this was the eighth time since 1979 that this had happened to Birmingham. Six of these relegations were between the top two divisions, and two were between the second and third.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
have had only one brief spell in the top flight of English football, from 1979 to 1983, but in the 53 years since 1958 they have been relegated nine times and promoted ten times.
Founder members of the Football League Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
in 1920, they remained at that level (Third Division South from 1921) for 31 seasons (38 years, including the break for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
). Since 1958, the longest period they have spent in any one division has been seven years in the Third, from 1965 to 1972.
After winning promotion to the Second Division for the first time in 1958, they suffered consecutive relegations in 1962 and 1963 to reach the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
for the first time. (The Fourth Division was created in 1958.) Sixteen years later (in 1979) they reached the other extreme when they won promotion to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
for the first time, but 17 years after that (1996) they were back in the Fourth (now known as the Third Division).
In the six years from 2001 to 2006 Brighton experienced three promotions and two relegations, leaving them in the Third Division (now known as Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
), and in 2011 they were promoted to The Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
for the first time.
Chelsea
ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
were considered to be a yo-yo club during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, with three relegations and three promotions between divisions One and Two between 1975 and 1989. During this period they spent eight years in the Second Division and six in the First.
Leicester City
Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
had three separate spells in the Premier League between 1994 and 2004. The second lasted six years (1996 to 2002), but the other two only one year each (1994-5 and 2003-4). After each of the first two relegations they returned to the Premier League after only one season, but by 2011 they had been out of the top flight for seven seasons. In 2008 they were relegated to League One (the old Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
) for the first time, but they were promoted back to the Championship at the first attempt, making a total of four promotions and three relegations in 15 years.
Manchester City
Of the 107 seasons that Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
have spent in the Football League, only 25 have been outside the top flight. But in the 18 years from 1983 to 2001, they were relegated from the top flight four times; and they even spent one season in the third tier
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
.
Founder members of the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 1892, City gained promotion to the First Division for the first time in 1899. They spent 63 of the following 73 seasons in the First Division (the top tier), despite suffering relegation six times - of their six spells in the Second Division over this period, the longest was three years, from 1963 to 1966. But they were relegated twice in the 1980s, and two years after another relegation in 1996 they dropped into the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
(then known as the Second Division) for the first time in their history - their only season at that level, to date, being 1998-9.
City have now been back in the Premier League since 2002, and since their take-over by Abu Dhabi United Group
Abu Dhabi United Group
The Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment is a United Arab Emirates private equity company owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family and Minister of Presidential Affairs for the UAE...
in 2008 they are far more likely in future to be challenging for places in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
than worrying about yo-yoing.
Middlesbrough
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
changed divisions ten times in the sixteen years from 1982 to 1998.
Following relegation in 1954 they had been out of the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
for twenty years, and had dropped into the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
for the first time in their history (1966-7).
After regaining their First Division place in 1974 they were relegated again in 1982, and in 1986 they dropped into the Third Division again. This time they almost went out of business, but they quickly recovered and two successive promotions took them back into the First Division by 1988. They lasted only one season, and spent three more years in the Second Division before winning promotion to the newly-created Premier League in 1992.
They stayed there for only one season, but regained their Premier League place two years later as First Division champions. Two years later, despite investing over ten million pounds in transfer fees for famous international players, a three-point penalty for failing to fulfil a fixture cost Boro their Premier League status. This time they regained it at the first attempt, and they held on to it for eleven years, but 2011-12 will be their third consecutive year in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
following relegation in 2009.
Norwich City
Norwich CityNorwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
are a yo-yo club. In 1972, the club finally reached the pinnacle of the league structure, with their first promotion to the top tier. Since then, the club has spent 21 seasons in the top league and 15 in the second tier. In the 2009/10 season they played in League One after being relegated from the second tier but immediately bounced back to win the League One title.
Sheffield Wednesday
Prior to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
was one of England's most successful clubs; they won their fourth Football League title in 1930, and they won the F.A. Cup for the third time in 1935. But they were relegated to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 1937, and after promotion in 1950 they experienced three more relegations in the next eight years: in 1951, 1955, and 1958. Each time they
won promotion at the first attempt, and it was their manager Eric Taylor
Eric Taylor
Eric Taylor may refer to:* Eric Taylor , American singer and songwriter* Eric Taylor , football player in the Canadian Football League* Eric Taylor , Hollywood screenwriter...
who referred to this period as "the yo-yo years".
After their fourth promotion in nine years, in 1959, Wednesday remained in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
until 1970 (and came close to winning their fourth F.A. Cup in 1966, when they lost a memorable final to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
). But in 1975 they dropped into the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
for the first time, and in 2010 they began their third spell at this level. Since 1970 they have had two periods in the top flight - totalling 14 seasons - but they have never yet repeated the frequent ups and downs of the 1950s.
Sunderland
SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
have established themselves as a yo-yo club during the last 20 or so years. They were relegated to the Second Division in 1985 and in 1987 reached the lowest ebb in their history by slipping into the Third Division. They were promoted at the first attempt and by 1990-91 had reached the First Division again, only to lose their status after just one season. They reached the Premiership as Division One champions in 1996 but were relegated a year later. Sunderland returned to the Premiership in 1999 and finished seventh in both of the following two seasons, but by 2003 an increasing difficulty in finding the net had caught up with them and they were relegated from the top flight. They won the newly-named Championship title in 2005 but dreadful Premiership form throughout the 2005-06 season condemned them to yet another relegation. In 2006-07, they were able to win the Championship title to be promoted to the Premier League. This was their 12th movement in 23 years, but since 2007 the Black Cats have managed to stay in the top flight.
Watford
In the last 30 years, WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
have been regular movers between the league's four divisions. In the four seasons leading up to 1982, they won three promotions to climb from the Fourth Division to the first. They were league runners-up in their first season as a First Division club, and were F.A Cup losing finalists a year later. But they were back in the Second Division come 1988-89, and slipped into the third tier of the league (by then the new Football League Division Two) at the end of the 1995-96 season. They were promoted back to Division One two years later after winning the Division Two title, and a Division One playoff triumph the following year earned them promotion to the Premiership. But Watford were unable to adjust to the pace of Premiership football and were relegated at the end of their first top flight season in more than a decade. They won the Championship playoff in 2005-06, but last place in the Premiership the following season ensured their 11th movement in 25 seasons.
West Bromwich Albion
Since 2002, West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
have provided a classic example of the yo-yo. Between 2002 and 2010 they were promoted to the Premier League four times and relegated back to Division One (known since 2004 as The Championship)
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
three times, and 2011 was the first year since 1999 that they were not involved in either a promotion or a relegation battle, in most cases right up to the last match of the season.
Albion were promoted in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010; they were relegated in 2003, 2006 and 2009. In 2005 they achieved what has become known as "The Great Escape", when they became the only club ever to avoid relegation from the Premier League after being in bottom place at Christmas. In 2007 they reached the final of the Football League Championship play-offs
Football League Championship play-offs
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
, losing 1-0 to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
.
In 2000 Albion had been in real danger of relegation to Division Two
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
right up to the last day of the season, and in 2001 they reached the Division One play-offs
Football League Championship play-offs
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
, losing in the semi-finals to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
.
Albion had also spent two years in the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
between 1991 and 1993, after being relegated from the top tier in 1986.
West Ham United
West Ham United have been another yo-yo club since 1977/78 when they were Relegated to Div 2. In 1980/81 they got promoted to Div 1 only to go back down in 1988/89. They were promoted again in 1990/91 but only for one season as they were relegated at the end of the 1991/92 season. They achieved an instant return to the top flight by finishing second in the Barclays League Division One 1992/93. They were once again relegated in 2003/03 but achieved promotion via the Play Offs in 2004/05. They were almost relegated in 2006/07 but stayed up after winning seven of their last nine games of the season, cumulating in a 1-0 win against Manchester United in the final day of the season to ensure survival. However they were once again relegated to the second tier in 2011 after finishing bottom of the 2010/2011 Premier League under Avram Grant.Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves were one of the most famous yo-yo clubs during the 1980s. They began the decade on a high by winning the League Cup in 1980, only to suffer relegation to the Second Division and narrowly avoid bankruptcy two years later. They regained their First Division status at the first attempt, only to endure successive relegations over the next few seasons and slip into the Fourth Division for the first time in 1986. Fourth Division championship glory came two years later and the following year Wolves were Third Division champions and promoted to the Second Division. During the 1980s, Wolves had moved divisions seven times in eight seasons. They have spent all but one of their 17 subsequent seasons in the league's second tier (Second Division, Division One and now the Championship), having been in the Premiership during the 2003-04 season. Wolves won the Football League Championship title in 2009, and are now assured of their safety in the Premier League for next season.Overall Total
Total number of relegations and promotions between the top two tiers of English football as of the beginning of the 2011-12 season. This does not include promotions and relegations between other tiers of English football.| No. | Team | Promotions | Relegations | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
12 | 12 | 24 |
| 2 | Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
11 | 11 | 22 |
| 3 | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
11 | 10 | 21 |
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
9 | 9 | 18 |
| Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
9 | 9 | 18 | |
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
9 | 9 | 18 | |
| 7 | Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
9 | 8 | 17 |
| 8 | Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
8 | 8 | 16 |
| 9 | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
7 | 8 | 15 |
| 10 | Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
7 | 7 | 14 |
Germany
In German, yo-yo clubs are referred to as Fahrstuhlmannschaften (lit. lift teams or elevator teams). Arminia BielefeldArminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
and 1. FC Nuremberg have been promoted or relegated 15 times between the first-tier Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
and the second-tier 2. Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
. VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
, Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
and MSV Duisburg
MSV Duisburg
MSV Duisburg is a German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed "the Zebras" for their traditional striped jerseys, the club was one of the original members of the Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963.-Early years:...
with 11 moves each are also considered to be yo-yo clubs in German club football, as well as Hansa Rostock (16 moves) and Union Berlin (12) if the league system in the former East Germany is included in the statistics.
Ghana
Bofoakwa TanoBofoakwa Tano
Bofoakwa Tano is an Ghanaian association football club based in Sunyani. The club is a member of the First Division and play at Coronation Park. They are a classic example of a yo-yo club, having been promoted or relegated ten times since 1967.-History:...
have been promoted or relegated nine times since finishing bottom in 1979. They were promoted back to the top flight in 1982, but were relegated again in 1985. The club reappeared in the top division in 1989-90, by which time the league had switched to winter. They were relegated again in 1990-91, promoted back in 1994-95, relegated in 1996-97, promoted in 1997-98. In 1999 they finished third from bottom, but avoided another relegation by winning a play-off. However, they were relegated again in 2006-07.
Ireland
Irish club Finn HarpsFinn Harps F.C.
Finn Harps Football Club are a professional Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club's colours are blue...
are known as a yo-yo club due to the regular frequency of the club's relegation and promotion to and from the League of Ireland Premier Division and League of Ireland First Division. Drogheda United swapped Divisions every season between 1993/94 and 2000/01.
Netherlands
Dutch football club FC VolendamFC Volendam
Football Club Volendam is a Dutch football club based in Volendam, North Holland, Edam-Volendam. Founded on June 1, 1977, as a result of a split up with RKSV . It currently plays in the Eerste Divisie, holding home games at Kras Stadion, with a 6,260-seat capacity.-History:Football Club Volendam...
are known as the Heen-en-weer club (The to-and-fro club): they won promotion from the Eerste Divisie
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
to the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
in 1959, were relegated in 1960, were promoted in 1961, were relegated in 1964, were promoted in 1967, were relegated in 1969, were promoted in 1970, were relegated in 1972, were promoted in 1977, were relegated in 1979, were promoted in 1983, were relegated in 1985, were promoted in 1987, were relegated in 1998, were promoted in 2003 and were relegated in 2004. In 2008 FC Volendam promoted once again, only to finish last and be therefore relegated the following year. For the 2009-10 season, the club is playing in the Eerste Divisie.
Norway
Starting in 1979 and ending in 1987, SK Brann were promoted in every odd-numbered year and relegated in every even-numbered year. This is the world record for consecutive relegations-promotions. They have stayed in the top division since the final promotion of this sequence.Poland
The Polish club Wisła Płock is often referred to as a yo-yo club (wańka-wstańka in Polish). They were promoted to the Polish First LeaguePolish First League
I Liga is the second level of the Polish association football league, below the Ekstraklasa and above the II Liga. Run by the Polish Football Association since its inception in 1948, all teams from 2002 onwards must have professional status and a licence, issued by the Association...
in 1994 (known as Petrochemia Płock at the time), but were relegated after one season. Promoted again in 1997, they again were relegated after one season. Their next promotion came (after shortening their name to Petro Płock) in 2000, and this time they managed to avoid relegation after one season. However, the next season (known now as Orlen Płock) they were again relegated. In 2002, reverting to the original name Wisła Płock, they were promoted to First League, and finally enjoyed relative stability, even reaching the Polish Cup
Polish Cup
The Polish Cup in football or officially Remes Puchar Polski, is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa title...
final in 2003 and winning it in 2006. However, relegation was again in order in 2007, and they haven't returned to First League since. In spite of this "yo-yoing," Wisła have avoided the fate of other relegated clubs in Poland, such as bankruptcy (e.g. Szczakowianka Jaworzno
Szczakowianka Jaworzno
Garbarnia Szczakowianka Jaworzno is a Polish football club based in Jaworzno, Poland. The club is currently playing in the Polish 3rd league- Current squad :- 2003/2004 season :...
) or further relegation to lower divisions (e.g. Raków Częstochowa
Raków Czestochowa
Raków Częstochowa is a Polish football club based in Częstochowa, in the south.- Current squad :-See also:*Football in Poland*List of football teams*Champions' Cup/League*UEFA Cup-External links: *...
).
Turkey
Karşıyaka SKKarsiyaka SK
Karşıyaka Spor Kulübü , commonly referred to as Karşıyaka is a sports based in İzmir. They are currently playing in the Turkish 1.League football...
relegated from first level in 1964, 1967, 1972, 1991, 1994 and 1996. Karşıyaka also played in third level between 1973–1980 and 2001-2003. Also Sakaryaspor
Sakaryaspor
Sakaryaspor is a Turkish football club, formed in 1965 after the merger Yıldırımspor, Idmanyurdu, Güneşspor and Ada Gençlik....
has an interesting statistic. They promoted in 1981, relegated in 1986. But they promoted again after 1986/87 season. However they could only stay in first level for 3 seasons and relegated again in 1990. They came back to first level for a single season : 1998/99. They were back again in 1st level in 2004/05, but relegated same season. They won 2005/06 play-offs and promoted to 1st level again, just to relegate after one season. They almost repeated same thing when they reached play-offs in 2007/08 but this time they lost and finally "stayed" in 2nd level for a 2nd season in row. Finally Samsunspor
Samsunspor
Samsunspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Samsun. The club was formed through a merger of five clubs: 19 Mayıs, Akınspor, Fener Gençlik, Samsunspor, and Samsunspor Galatasaray. The club colours are red and white, and they play their home matches at Samsun 19 Mayıs...
relegated from first level in 1975, 1979, 1983, 1990, 1992 and 2006 and promoted to first level in 1969, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1993 and 2011. Samsunspor currently plays in the Süper Lig, who is first level of Turkish League.
Adanaspor
Adanaspor
Adanaspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Adana. Formed in 1954, Adanaspor are nicknamed Toros Kaplanları . The club colours are orange and white, and the club play their home matches at Adana 5 Ocak Stadı....
is one of the most yo-yoed teams. They promoted to first league in 1971, relegated in 1984, promoted again in 1988, relegated again in 1991, promoted in 1998, relegated in 2001 and promoted to first league last in 2002. They suffered from financial difficulties between 2003–2006 and relegated to Third League, who is Fourth level of Turkish League in 2006 after three successive relegations. They also didn't any match at third level in 2005-2006 season. But they recovered to Bank Asya First League in 2008 after two successive promotions.