Sports · Football · 11 hrs ago
Back-to-back relegations have become more frequent in English football
A back-to-back relegation happens when a club drops from the Premier League and then falls again from the Championship.
It was rare in the league’s first 20 seasons, when Swindon Town was the only case, under unusual circumstances.
Since Wolves’ relegation in 2012, the article counts four cases in 14 seasons, including consecutive examples involving Luton and Leicester.
The clubs’ struggles had different causes, but turmoil and poor decisions contributed to the declines of Wolves, Sunderland and Leicester.
Former midfielder Jobi McAnuff says Luton and Leicester mismanaged their squads, but does not think the cases show a continuing trend.
Leicester are now 11th in League One, while the club is up for sale; Luton are developing a new stadium due to open for the 2028-29 season.
Burnley supporters may see similarities with past cases, but the account does not say Burnley have been relegated twice.
Successive relegations from the Premier League have occurred more often in recent seasons, according to a BBC review.
The BBC says it happened just once in the Premier League’s first 20 seasons, involving Swindon Town under unusual circumstances.
It says the pattern has occurred four times in 14 seasons since Wolves’ relegation in 2011-12, though it also gives a count of three times in nine seasons after Sunderland went down.
Luton and Leicester suffered back-to-back relegations in successive recent seasons.
Former player and EFL pundit Jobi McAnuff said he did not expect the pattern to continue, citing mismanagement of playing squads at both clubs.
- Who
- Premier League clubs, including Wolves, Sunderland, Luton and Leicester, and former player Jobi McAnuff.
- What
- The story examines whether relegations in successive seasons have become more common.
- When
- The BBC article was published on 29 October 2026; it discusses events from 1994-95 onward.
- Where
- English football’s divisions.
- Why
- The BBC cites club turmoil and poor management as factors in some clubs’ relegations. McAnuff said mismanagement of playing squads contributed at Luton and Leicester.
The BBC report's evidence of a more frequent pattern
Jobi McAnuff
Trend
The BBC report's evidence of a more frequent pattern
The BBC says successive relegations have happened four times in 14 seasons since Wolves’ 2011-12 relegation, and notes recent cases involving Luton and Leicester.
Jobi McAnuff
McAnuff said he did not see the cases as a trend that would continue.
Causes and outlook
The BBC report's evidence of a more frequent pattern
The article links several clubs’ declines to turmoil and poor decisions.
Jobi McAnuff
McAnuff attributed Luton’s and Leicester’s double relegations to mismanagement of their playing squads.
Swindon Town finished fourth bottom of the second tier but were relegated as the divisions were rebalanced to reduce the Premier League to 20 teams.
Wolves were relegated from the Premier League, and the BBC describes them as the first team to suffer a double drop from it.
Sunderland went down, after which the BBC says there were three double drops in nine seasons.
Luton and Leicester suffered back-to-back relegations in successive seasons.
- Premier League's first 20 seasons
- One double drop, involving Swindon Town
- Wolves
- Relegated in 2011-12
- Since Wolves' relegation
- Four double drops in 14 seasons, according to the BBC
- Sunderland
- Won 13 of 84 league matches during its double-drop descent
- Luton stadium
- Planned capacity of 25,000; due for completion for the start of 2028-29
3 sources
What people are saying
Despite the fact we've seen Luton and Leicester suffer back-to-back relegations in recent years, I don't see it as a trend that will continue
For both of those clubs, in my opinion, it was a case of mismanagement of the playing squad.