It’s almost taken as read that teams that get relegated from the Premier League will do very well in the Championship the following season.
That pattern could continue in 2023/24 according to the bookmakers, with Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton installed as the early favourites to secure an immediate promotion from the second tier following their respective demotions.
The parachute payments from the Premier League will help, but to satisfy financial sustainability rules in the Championship the trio will need to make significant savings – Leicester in particular, with their extraordinary wage bill that is the highest ever for a relegated team, will have to make considerable cutbacks.
That trio will be looking to seasons past and how relegated teams have fared in the Championship – financially, it is essential that they get promotion back to the Premier League as soon as possible.
So how many return at the first time of asking? How many have taken two or more seasons before promotion? And how many are still waiting for their return to English football’s promised land?
Clubs Relegated in 2017/18
| Teams | Seasons in Championship |
|---|---|
| Swansea City | 5+ |
| Stoke City | 5+ |
| West Brom | 2 |
In the first season of our review, it’s noteworthy that none of the three relegated teams would return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
To make matters worse, two of them – Swansea City and Stoke City – are, at the time of writing, still waiting for a promotion to the Premier League to this day….a timeframe in which they have seen their revenues tumble.
As for West Brom, they would have to wait two seasons for another crack at the big time….a sojourn that would last just a solitary season.
Average Premier League absence – unknown, Swansea and Stoke have remained in the Championship.
Clubs Relegated in 2018/19
| Teams | Seasons in Championship |
|---|---|
| Cardiff City | 4+ |
| Stoke City | 4+ |
| Fulham | 1 |
The 2018/19 edition of Fulham are the first team on our list to enjoy immediate promotion back to the Premier League – albeit for just one season.
As for Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town, the wait goes on for a top-flight return – meaning that four of the six relegated clubs we have examined so far are still to secure promotion back to the Premier League – a whopping 66%.
Average Premier League absence – unknown, only Fulham have gained promotion.
Clubs Relegated in 2019/20
| Teams | Seasons in Championship |
|---|---|
| Bournemouth | 2 |
| Watford | 1 |
| Norwich City | 1 |
Now that makes for better reading for those praying their relegated club can make an instant return to the Premier League.
Watford and Norwich City would only have to face a single season in the Championship before bouncing back, while Bournemouth’s hiatus would last for two seasons.
Average Premier League absence – 1.33 seasons.
Clubs Relegated in 2020/21
| Teams | Seasons in Championship |
|---|---|
| Fulham | 1 |
| West Brom | 2+ |
| Sheffield United | 2 |
Further evidence that the parachute payments system hands an advantage to relegated clubs over those already in the Championship was added in 2020/21.
Fulham were away from the top-flight for just one season, while Sheffield United booked their return in 2022/23.
As for West Brom fans, well, they await a promotion of their own, but the Baggies are perennially there or thereabouts at the business end of the Championship season.
Average Premier League absence – 1.5 seasons (West Brom are still seeking their return, however).
Clubs Relegated in 2021/22
| Teams | Seasons in Championship |
|---|---|
| Burnley | 1 |
| Watford | 1+ |
| Norwich City | 1+ |
Of the three teams relegated from the Premier League in 2021/22, only Burnley booked an instant return.
In truth, Watford and Norwich City got nowhere near a promotion push, finishing eleventh and thirteenth respectively.
Average Premier League absence – we shall have to wait and see, with only Burnley returning to the Premier League.
Try, Try and Try Again
So, if we look at a decade’s worth of promotions and relegations, what is the average length of time it takes for a demoted side to return to the Premier League?
Three clubs – West Brom, Watford and Norwich – have been omitted from the list following their most recent relegations as they are still within the five-season window.
But the numbers make for rather grim reading for fans of recently-relegated Premier League clubs, as in 63% of cases it takes two or more seasons to finally return to the Holy Grail.
And then there’s the cautionary tale that it takes more than a third of relegated sides five or more years to get promoted again – some are still waiting for their moment in the sun years later.