Every bottom 3 Premier League club at Christmas since 1992/93

As the Christmas fixtures come thick and fast, the clubs at the bottom end of the table need to start seriously thinking about the threat of relegation. Yes, there have been a few great escapes over the years, but more often than not, if you’re bottom at Christmas, you’re going down.

Football FanCast is here to take a look at every club at the bottom of the Premier League at Christmas since December 1992. Just four clubs can claim to be bottom at Christmas and live to tell the tale…

1992/93

With the original Premier League format being made up of 22 teams, each of the clubs that went down had over 40 points. Sheffield United and Wimbledon escaped, but Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest would end up going down along with Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace – the latter of whom went down on goal difference despite a haul of 49 points.

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Every club top of the Premier League at Christmas in history

Football FanCast breaks down every club top at Christmas in Premier League history.

1993/94

Swindon Town‘s only season in the Premier League ended in heartbreak as they were sent back down immediately, while Chelsea and Southampton both made it out of the relegation zone, with Oldham Athletic and Sheffield United taking their places. Where would Chelsea be now if they went down in 1994? Unfortunately, it’s safe to say the Robins never recovered themselves.

1994/95

As the league looked to switch to a 20-team format, four teams went down in the 1994/95 season. A late surge from Aston Villa saw them narrowly avoid relegation, with Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Norwich City and Crystal Palace the unlucky sides to get relegated.

Palace again seemed to be hard done by amid the changes to the league, with the Eagles finishing fourth-bottom despite having the joint-second-best defence in the bottom half. In fact, only 7 of the other 21 clubs conceded more often than Alan Smith’s side, but their lack of goals did for them in the end.

1995/96

There may now only be 20 teams in the league, but three teams still had to go down. Wimbledon and Coventry City managed to battle their way out of the bottom three, as QPR and pre-state-funded Manchester City went down. Along with Southampton, Coventry escaped by the skin of their teeth, having amassed the same points tally as their fellow Sky Blues, but with a kinder goal difference. Bolton would stay dead last.

1996/97

Blackburn Rovers were the only club in the bottom three on Christmas Day 1996 to stay in the Premier League. Nottingham Forest remained rock-bottom with Middlesbrough and Sunderland rounding off the bottom three come May, heading down to Division One in the process.

Middlesbrough may have stayed up but for their infamous points deduction, which was ultimately the difference between staying up and going down.

To Rovers’ credit, they recovered to finish 13th, albeit by a margin of two points above the drop.

1997/98

It would have been a huge shock if either Tottenham or Everton ended up going down – less so for Barnsley. Despite their poor seasons, both ‘big’ clubs managed to stay up, eventually being replaced by Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers. It wasn’t all bad for Barnsley as they didn’t finish last, that dubious honour belonged to Crystal Palace.

Everton still took it to the final day as they scraped a draw with Coventry City to stay afloat at the Trotters’ expense.

1998/99

Blackburn Rovers had been Premier League champions in 1994/95, but in 1998/99 they went down. Five years is a long time in football. Nottingham Forest once again remained rock bottom after being in the same position at Christmas.

Southampton escaped and were replaced by Charlton Athletic – the Saints’ survival helped by a commendable haul of 28 points post-Christmas.

1999/00

Six points at Christmas is dire, by anyone’s standards. Sheffield Wednesday would go on to get an impressive 25 points after the big day, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the league. They were joined by Watford and Wimbledon.

Derby managed to escape the drop relatively comfortably as it was Bradford City made to sweat for their Premier League lives come the final day.

2000/01

Middlesbrough were lucky enough to escape the relegation zone before the season ended, as it was Manchester City who suffered relegation. Boro would nearly triple their pre-Christmas tally to stay in the top flight, while City couldn’t even repeat their halfway total of 18 as they went down with Coventry and Bradford, neither of whom have been seen in the Premier League since.

2001/02

The same bottom three that were there at Christmas ended up going down, although the order was a little different. Ipswich made a valiant effort, making it from 20th to 18th, but they weren’t good enough in the end. Leicester City finished bottom, with Derby County just two points above them at the end of the campaign.

Yet another campaign when the bottom club at Christmas couldn’t make it out…

2002/03

Before the days of Europa Conference League glory, West Ham were something of a yo-yo club. They may have been bottom at Christmas, but they so very nearly made it out in time, finishing 18th and two points below Bolton Wanderers, who made it out of the relegation zone. West Ham were joined by Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion despite ending up with a huge 42 points (for a relegated side).

2003/04

Leeds United had gone from one of the biggest clubs in the country to relegation in 2003/04. Their financial troubles were too large for them to overcome. At least they didn’t finish bottom. Wolves did so by virtue of goals scored – they had the same amount of points and goal difference as Leeds United.

Leicester City ended up going down instead of Portsmouth, who recovered to 13th above the likes of Spurs and Man City, which wasn’t such a big deal in those days.

2004/05

While Jose Mourninho’s Chelsea side had romped to the Premier League title, things weren’t so rosy for the three clubs at the other end of the table. Despite being bottom at Christmas, West Brom performed THE great escape finishing just one point above the relegation zone, becoming the first club to be bottom at Christmas and secure survival.

In their place, Southampton went down in 20th, along with Norwich City and Crystal Palace on a final day which started with no teams certain of their fate.

2005/06

With just five points at Christmas, Sunderland had very little chance of leaving the foot of the table, never mind escaping relegation. That’s exactly what happened, and the Black Cats went down in 20th with just 15 points – a then-Premier League low.

West Brom and Birmingham City were the other clubs to go down, with Portsmouth pulling off another escape job having edged four points ahead of the 18th-placed Blues.

2006/07

Not for the first time, and definitely not for the last, West Ham United were lucky to remain in the league. Watford were unable to make any real impact and were relegated in 20th after being in the same position at Christmas. Charlton and Sheffield United also went down as the Blades cried foul over a certain Carlos Tevez.

Indeed, the Hammers stayed up in 15th thanks to a final-day victory at Old Trafford, as Wigan defeated Sheffield United to stay in the league on goal difference.

2007/08

This is the season of Derby County’s record low points tally. The most remarkable thing is, looking at this list, they weren’t even the worst team the Premier League had seen at Christmas. However, they only got four more points from here. They were joined by Birmingham City and Reading, with Wigan and Sunderland recovering in the new year to finish 14th and 15th respectively.

In fact, it was Fulham who were that season’s escape artists, having been outside the drop zone on goal difference at Christmas themselves.

2008/09

It’s weird to think that even in 2008, Manchester City were genuinely (briefly) threatened by relegation. They would eventually escape, with West Brom, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle United going down come the end of the season.

The hiring of the legendary Alan Shearer wasn’t enough to save his beloved Toon, while Blackburn ended up seven clear of the drop despite not being as fortunate to have been bought out by Abu Dhabi businessmen mid-season (City finished 10th).

2009/10

Portsmouth are another club that would end up finishing bottom having been in the same position at Christmas. Financial difficulties have meant Pompey are yet to return to the big time, though their woes of administration – which saw them docked nine points in March 2010. Hull City and Burnley were the other two teams to go down as Bolton and West Ham beat the drop relatively comfortably.

2010/11

After a torrid season, West Ham United were unable to make it off the foot of the table next time around, finishing the season in 20th – the same position they were in at Christmas. They were joined by a gallant Blackpool side, and a much less gallant Birmingham City, who nevertheless made it into Europe the following campaign.

Wigan were making a name for themselves as survival experts and so once more this term, with a final-day win at Stoke City proving pivotal. Wolves were also in danger of going down but other results just about went in their favour.

2011/12

Unfortunately for Blackburn Rovers, they ended up going down after being bottom at Christmas, but they didn’t finish last. Wolverhampton Wanderers were the unlucky club to come 20th in the Premier League, with Blackburn in 19th and Bolton in 18th.

Bolton took it to the final day as Wigan staged a superb run of results to save themselves, while QPR’s defeat at Manchester City proved immaterial after the Trotters failed to beat Stoke. It seemed the Christmas curse was well and truly alive and kicking.