There’s an interesting article today on one of the football stats groups I subscribe to listing the ten current Premier League or EFL teams who have spent the longest time away from the English second tier (the EFL clubs who have never played at that level were obviously excluded).

The list is as follows:

1915 - Arsenal
1947 - Newport County
1951 - Chesterfield
1954 - Everton
1961 - Lincoln City
1962 - Liverpool
1967 - Northampton Town
1975 - Manchester United
1978 - Mansfield Town
1978 - Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal finished fifth in the Second Division in 1914/15, but were controversially promoted to an expanded First Division when the Football League resumed in 1919 following the end of the First World War. They’ve been in the top flight ever since.

Newport County were champions of the Third Division (South) in 1938/39, but got to play just three games in the Second Division before the outbreak of World War II. When football resumed in 1946/47, County finished rock bottom of the Second Division and were relegated in what was their only full season at that level. They were replaced by Cardiff City, who were the new Third Division (South) Champions.

In 1977/78, Mansfield Town drew both of their games against Tottenham Hotspur. The teams drew 3-3 at Field Mill and 1-1 at White Hart Lane. Spurs were promoted at the end of the season and Mansfield were relegated. Neither club has played in the second tier since.

The name on the list that surprised me was Northampton Town. For some reason, I thought they’d played in the Second Division for a couple of seasons during my fifty years as a football fan, but apparently that’s cobblers (boom boom!).