Bobby McMahon is the lead analyst for FOX Soccer Report, airing nightly at 10:00 p.m. ET on FOX Soccer Channel.
It was a good question, the sort of query that often comes from a relatively new follower of football in Europe.
"Why do they bother?"
The "they" in this instance referred to the Premier League sides that don't carry the financial clout of the perennial winners and contenders.
Without deep pockets, the majority of Premier League clubs are behind the eight-ball every season. Top-flight survival is often job one. What's more, avoiding relegation is not the slam-dunk that it might seem. In 20 seasons of the Premier League, only seven teams have been ever-presents. (Holiday season quiz - name the seven teams? Answer at the end of the article.)
One reason why "they bother" is the same reason any other over-matched athlete or team does. They believe that, on any given day, there is always a chance that the underdog will triumph. Greater commitment, a tactical tweak, a few decisions, or breaks going "right" and we can get surprises.
The other answer goes beyond the final score. These teams "bother" because they mean something to their community. People care about their teams. Despite what we are told about the game being all about winning trophies, it isn't. Often it is about experiencing the ups and downs.
Unfortunately for some, the downs can be excruciating - painful to the point that the existence of their teams has been brought into question.
Even among the teams currently in the Premier League, there are four clubs who have looked into the abyss within the last generation.
| Consecutive Seasons in Premier League | 1 |
|---|---|
| Highest Finish | N/A |
| Lowest Finish | N/A |
| Average Finish | N/A |
Before this season, Swansea's last sojourn at the top-level of English football was in the `80s under Liverpool legend John Toshack . Back then, the Welsh club defined "shooting star". Three promotions followed by a dramatic start had them leading the league. But it was followed by a rapid decline, and within a decade, Swansea were back where they started.
Along the way, the club avoided extinction by the slimmest of margins, with local business interests having to step in to save the club from liquidation. Turbulent times followed, with boardroom drama attracting as much attention as Swansea's slumping performances on the field.
The Swansea City Supporters' Trust played a major role in revitalizing and stabilizing the club early in the new century. Even today, after the club's reached the pinnacle of the Premier League, the Trust continues to play a significant role.
Nonetheless, Swansea came within one point of being relegated to the Football Conference on the last day of the 2003 season.
| Consecutive Seasons in Premier League | 3 |
|---|---|
| Highest Finish | 15 |
| Lowest Finish | 17 |
| Average Finish | 16 |
A little over 50 years ago, Wolves were not only regarded as one of England's great sides, but some suggested that they were perhaps the best in Europe. That claim was one of the motivations for creating the European Cup.
By the mid-`80s, three successive relegations had taken Wolves to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in their history. Things were such a mess that two sides of Molineux Stadium had been condemned and closed to fans.
By the summer of `86, an official receiver had been appointed, and the club was only saved when the local council threw the club a lifeline.
| Consecutive Seasons in Premier League | 11 |
|---|---|
| Highest Finish | 7 |
| Lowest Finish | 17 |
| Average Finish | 12 |
The purchase of the club in 1990 by businessman and lifelong supporter Jack Hayward was pivotal to a change in the club's fortune. While yhe last 20 years have had a few bumps along the way, the planned redevelopment of both Molineux and the training ground is testament to a more positive and stable outlook for Wolves.
Fulham are now in their 11th season as a Premier League side, but in 1996, they finished 17th in the old English Fourth Division. Shortly after, Mohamed Al-Fayed bought the team, kicking off a remarkable run that saw the club eventually achieve promotion to the Premier League for the 2001/02 season. Since, Fulham has qualified for European football three times, making the Europa League final two years ago.
Wigan's history is unique. This is a team that somehow has survived seven seasons in Premier League but wasn't even in the Football League four decades ago. Before the pyramid was introduced to English football in 1981, teams finishing in the bottom four of the fourth tier had to apply to be re-elected to the Football League.
| Consecutive Seasons in Premier League | 7 |
|---|---|
| Highest Finish | 10 |
| Lowest Finish | 17 |
| Average Finish | 14 |
In 1978, Southport lost the vote to Wigan, who were awarded their place. Initial progress flattered to deceive, and by the mid-`90s, the club was back in the fourth division, finishing fourth from bottom. Ironically, it was a position that some years before would have forced the club to apply for reelection!
This low-point coincided with Dave Whelan buying the club. A decade later Wigan was in the Premier League and, against the odds, has managed to avoid the drop.
*Your trivia answer: The seven teams that have never been relegated from the Premier League are - Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
