Topic: Which will be the 50th Premier League club?

[Linudden]

I discovered today that there have been 49 clubs playing in England's top flight since Sky Sports decided to start the history of football in 1992... so my question to you all is, which will be the 50th and will we see the milestone of 60 being reached during this century?

These are the Championship clubs this season yet to participate in the Premier League:

Brentford
Bristol City
Millwall
Preston
Rotherham

These League One clubs have never participated in the Premier League:

Accrington
AFC Wimbledon* (de jure a new club)
Bristol Rovers
Burton
Doncaster
Fleetwood
Gillingham
Luton
Oxford
Peterborough
Plymouth
Rochdale
Scunthorpe
Shrewsbury
Southend
Walsall
Wycombe

These teams are surely the leading candidates. While I'm doubtful it'll happen this season, personally I would fancy Bristol City or Preston to be that club one day. Preston seems to have performed well these last few seasons considering they're fighting against teams with massive parachute payments, whereas Bristol as a city is a large enough market to eventually get a team to at least pay a visit to the top flight. Brentford or Millwall are not impossible, I'm not ruling it out, but in my opinion less likely than a city or town's #1 squad to take a step up.

As for League One, they don't strike me in general as "sleeping giants" in the manner that Brighton, Swansea or Cardiff were while on that level except for Plymouth. That's the club there I fancy to advance sooner or later if ran right. No clubs nearby in sight and a good stadium capacity. Luton and Oxford have population numbers, but not stadium capacity or the "London factor" that Brentford benefits from.

As for 60 clubs during the 21st century, I seriously doubt it. Most viable clubs have had at least one trip up by now. So for club #50 I'm ultimately going with Bristol City.

What are your thoughts?

[dudleyred]

When I read the title I thought this would be easy! Didn’t consider once you’ve been up your in the club!

Preston seems a fair shout to be honest. They seem to always fall at the last though! Maybe a newer club with money will charge through the leagues? Salford perhaps or Fylde ? Both got huge backing so have a chance

[CHOPPER]

Millwall

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

Southend are going to be moving to a new stadium in the not too distant future. Could probably go for or against them but if none of the others were promoted in the next five years they probably aren't the worst shout to make it.

Salford perhaps or Fylde ? Both got huge backing so have a chance

They have huge backing for the level that they are at, but I don't think that would be the case in the Championship.

[sms1986]

Preston have been in the playoffs a few times and were relegated from the Championship a few seasons ago, I would love to see them in the Premier League. I think they'll be up in the top flight eventually.

[El Lobo]

Brentford I think out of those

[vagabond]

Anyone able to name all 49 without looking it up?

[Crosby Nick]

Brentford I think out of those

Maybe. Bristol City have a rich owner but I know a few fans who moan (probably quite relieved actually) that he runs a tight ship and is a bit of a mingebag. Brentford getting a new stadium in the next couple of years. Preston maybe.

Can’t see it being any of them for a couple of ears though.

[Crosby Nick]

Anyone able to name all 49 without looking it up?

It’s always Swindon that you forget about.

The other 48 go without saying.

[Iska]

Probably Brentford if it’s to be in the next couple of years, or Bristol City, they acquitted themselves well in the league cup last year.  Of ones not mentioned, MK Dons will surely get there eventually.

PS none of these are inherently smaller than Bournemouth.

[FiSh77]

Anyone able to name all 49 without looking it up?

liverpool
everton
man united
man city
bolton
wigan
blackburn
burnley
blackpool
leeds
newcastle
sunderland
middlesbrough
nottingham forest
derby
leicester
wolves
birmingham
west brom
aston villa
swindon
barnsley
sheffield wed
sheffield united
huddersfield
bradford
arsenal
spurs
chelsea
west ham
palace
wimbledon
qpr
fulham
charlton
southampton
portsmouth
norwich
ipswich
oldham
brighton
bournemouth
cardiff
swansea
stoke
reading
hull

2 more i think?

were luton in the the premier league? didn't go there the day after kenny resigned cos they still banned away fans but have been since, certain it was a 0-0 while souness was manager but not sure if it was before or after sky invented footie

[drmick]

liverpool
everton
man united
man city
bolton
wigan
blackburn
burnley
blackpool
leeds
newcastle
sunderland
middlesbrough
nottingham forest
derby
leicester
wolves
birmingham
west brom
aston villa
swindon
barnsley
sheffield wed
sheffield united
huddersfield
bradford
arsenal
spurs
chelsea
west ham
palace
wimbledon
qpr
fulham
charlton
southampton
portsmouth
norwich
ipswich
oldham
brighton
bournemouth
cardiff
swansea
stoke
reading
hull

2 more i think?

were luton in the the premier league? didn't go there the day after kenny resigned cos they still banned away fans but have been since, certain it was a 0-0 while souness was manager but not sure if it was before or after sky invented footie

But did you just pull them out of memory or did you browse the league tables?

[Son of Spion]

I'd like to see Bristol City come up out of those. Definitely not Millwall. Ever!

I was down in Bristol last year and loved the place and the people. Met a hotel owner there who, ironically, was a Liverpool fan who comes up here regularly to see us. He was telling me how City have a rich owner now who is looking to build them up again. I do have vague memories of when we've played them in the top flight in the 70s.

[FiSh77]

memory, been to most of them apart from swindon and the one's who've only ever been up during the last few years since i fucked going the match off like bournemouth, huddersfield etc

unfortunately i missed about 4 games of souness' reign and not many more during the first 10 years or so of the prem, coventry's one i forgot, grim place so easily forgotten

watford probably cos i've never been there in the prem, was there for the cup game in 86

[Crosby Nick]

I'd like to see Bristol City come up out of those. Definitely not Millwall. Ever!

I was down in Bristol last year and loved the place and the people. Met a hotel owner there who, ironically, was a Liverpool fan who comes up here regularly to see us. He was telling me how City have a rich owner now who is looking to build them up again. I do have vague memories of when we've played them in the top flight in the 70s.

Steve Lansdowne his name is. Owns the rugby team there too and I think is a bit of a self made millionaire (maybe billionaire?). But he’s pretty frugal with it so they won’t just buy their way up.

[Nessy76]

Anyone able to name all 49 without looking it up?

Almost.

Liverpool
Everton
Arsenal
Manchester United
Manchester City
Sheffield United
Sheffield Wednesday
Tottenham Hotspur
Blackburn Rovers
Leeds United
Newcastle United
Leicester City
Swansea City
Cardiff City
Hull City
West Ham United
Crystal Palace
Bolton
Burnley
Sunderland
Middlesbrough
Wigan Athletic
Reading
Swindon Town
Wimbledon
Oldham Athletic
Nottingham Forest
Fulham
Norwich City
Coventry City
Bradford
West Brom
Chelsea
Southampton
Portsmouth
Bournemouth
Watford
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Derby County
Blackpool
Huddersfield
Aston Villa
Birmingham City

Got as far as that before sneaking a look at Fish's list to find I'd missed out.

Stoke City
Barnsley
QPR
Charlton Athletic
Ipswich
Brighton

Which makes sense as they were all very forgettable sides. With the exception of Stoke, who I just want to forget.

[BlackandWhitePaul]

Fleetwood, led by that little knacka Joey Barton.   

[Brain Potter]

Pre premier league in my memory 1970s onwards I’ve seen Bristol City, Millwall, Carlisle, Oxford, Luton in the top division.
In the same time I remember Man Utd, Spurs, City,  and Chelsea in the 2nd tier.

[BlackandWhitePaul]

Pre premier league in my memory 1970s onwards I’ve seen Bristol City, Millwall, Carlisle, Oxford, Luton in the top division.
In the same time I remember Man Utd, Spurs, City,  and Chelsea in the 2nd tier.

. . . . . and Sunderland in the 3rd   

[Outer Mongolian Red]

Salford City.

[Son of Spion]

Steve Lansdowne his name is. Owns the rugby team there too and I think is a bit of a self made millionaire (maybe billionaire?). But he’s pretty frugal with it so they won’t just buy their way up.

I just looked him up. Forbes says he's worth $2.5 billion. I was reading how he thought sport in Bristol was something of a joke, so he decided to do something about it.

[Statto Red]

2 more i think?

were luton in the the premier league? didn't go there the day after kenny resigned cos they still banned away fans but have been since, certain it was a 0-0 while souness was manager but not sure if it was before or after sky invented footie

Coventry & Watford are the ones you left out

Brentford are the most likely at the moment, Brentford's current ground is unique in the EFL/Premier League, in having 4 pubs in each corner of the ground.

[rodderzzz]

on the other end of the spectrum, we've had a few premier league era clubs who've dropped down to league 2, but has any of the 49 ever dropped to non league?

[Lush is the best medicine...]

on the other end of the spectrum, we've had a few premier league era clubs who've dropped down to league 2, but has any of the 49 ever dropped to non league?

portsmouth nearly did a few years from memory, Luton I think were the last former top flight club from the last 30 years to go out of the football league

[IanZG]

Probably Brentford if it’s to be in the next couple of years, or Bristol City, they acquitted themselves well in the league cup last year.  Of ones not mentioned, MK Dons will surely get there eventually.

PS none of these are inherently smaller than Bournemouth.

Think MK Dons have been in the PL due to them "being" Wimbledon. Wonder how long it will take the new Wimbledon to get to the PL, they spent 5 years in L2, this is their 3rd L1 season and they seem to be off to a decent start. Think the likes of Brentford and Bristol will get there before them, though.

[KillieRed]

I`m so old it seems like yesterday Millwall were in the top league.

[Crosby Nick]

I`m so old it seems like yesterday Millwall were in the top league.

Got taken to see us play them on my birthday. Probably would have been about 10. Man, I’m old!

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Definitely Brentford out of those. They'll go up within the next few years I think.

Got as far as that before sneaking a look at Fish's list to find I'd missed out.

Stoke City
Barnsley
QPR
Charlton Athletic
Ipswich
Brighton

Which makes sense as they were all very forgettable sides. With the exception of Stoke, who I just want to forget.

Ipswich finished 5th at the turn of the century, that wasn't forgettable! 

[mike777]

Lansdown has mainly been spending his money so far on improving (dramatically) the ground with Bristol City but also on Bristol rugby club.  I think his first love is rugby but he has been putting serious money into the operation.  I'd have to make Bristol City the most likely ahead of Brentford.  Millwall have been overperforming under Neil Harris though.  They can't be totally discounted either.

[riismeister]

on the other end of the spectrum, we've had a few premier league era clubs who've dropped down to league 2, but has any of the 49 ever dropped to non league?

I think Bradford City's the team that have finished the lowest after having played in the Premier League. Finished 18th in League Two twice in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Portsmouth managed to be relegated thrice in four seasons between 2009-10 and 2012-13. They played their first League Two game less than 3 years and 2 months after playing their last Premier League game.



To answer the OP; I'd go with Brentford.

[jackh]

Anyone able to name all 49 without looking it up?

https://www.sporcle.com/games/rorybenson/49-premier-league-clubs

I got 48, although the alphabetical order results help.

Somehow, it was Brighton who I forgot - the last match I attended and the next one I'm going to 

[Alf]

I'd like Preston from that list, never been to Deepdale and the Bill Shankly connection. Went past Accrington on the way back from Burnley a couple of years ago and wouldn't mind them at some stage.

[Nessy76]

I'd like Preston from that list, never been to Deepdale and the Bill Shankly connection. Went past Accrington on the way back from Burnley a couple of years ago and wouldn't mind them at some stage.

Yes, would be great to see Preston. Never been to a match there, but I did visit the football museum when they had that, before it moved to Manchester.

[jamieredders]

Think your forgetting Blackpool with Charlie Adam in his prime

[Ratboy3G]

Almost.

Liverpool
Everton
Arsenal
Manchester United
Manchester City
Sheffield United
Sheffield Wednesday
Tottenham Hotspur
Blackburn Rovers
Leeds United
Newcastle United
Leicester City
Swansea City
Cardiff City
Hull City
West Ham United
Crystal Palace
Bolton
Burnley
Sunderland
Middlesbrough
Wigan Athletic
Reading
Swindon Town
Wimbledon
Oldham Athletic
Nottingham Forest
Fulham
Norwich City
Coventry City
Bradford
West Brom
Chelsea
Southampton
Portsmouth
Bournemouth
Watford
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Derby County
Blackpool
Huddersfield
Aston Villa
Birmingham City

Got as far as that before sneaking a look at Fish's list to find I'd missed out.

Stoke City
Barnsley
QPR
Charlton Athletic
Ipswich
Brighton

Which makes sense as they were all very forgettable sides. With the exception of Stoke, who I just want to forget.

Notts County?

[Nessy76]

Notts County?

Just missed out, relegated from Division One just as the Premier League was coming into being and so far have not returned.

[Iska]

Which other clubs just missed out?  Oxford and Luton were kicking about in the top division for a good few years in the 80s.

On the other hand, out of the 43 league sides who haven’t made it to the epl yet, there there must be plenty who’ve never had top division football at all.

[Nessy76]

Which other clubs just missed out?  Oxford and Luton were kicking about in the top division for a good few years in the 80s.

On the other hand, out of the 43 league sides who haven’t made it to the epl yet, there there must be plenty who’ve never had top division football at all.

Luton Town and West Ham were the other two clubs relegated from the old First Division in 1992.
Derby, Leicester and Cambridge made the Div 2 play-offs, along with Blackburn.

Here's the current Championship clubs, with the last year they competed in the top flight. I'll do a round up of the other two divisions when I get the chance.

Aston Villa 2016
Birmingham City 2018
Blackburn Rovers 2012
Bolton Wanderers 2012
Brentford 1947
Bristol City 1980
Derby County 2008
Hull City 2017
Ipswich Town 2002
Leeds United 2004
Middlesbrough 2009
Millwall 1990
Norwich City 2016
Nottingham Forest 1999
Preston North End 1961
Queens Park Rangers 2015
Reading 2013
Rotherham United
Sheffield United 2007
Sheffield Wednesday 2000
Stoke City 2018
Swansea City 2018
West Bromwich Albion 2018
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wigan Athletic 2013

Rotherham are the only Championship club never to have competed in the top flight.

Brentford, Bristol City, Millwall and Preston have not played in the Premier League in its current form.