10 Longest Absences From The Premier League

Though their rivals Norwich City have been regularly able to return to the Premier League over the course of the last two decades, Ipswich held the record for the most successive seasons spent in the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League in 2002, competing in the division for seventeen years without being promoted or relegated until they finally fell to League One the year before the last.

The relegation of the Tractor Boys was something of a shock given that they had defied all expectations to finish 5th in the 2000-01 campaign, qualifying for the UEFA Cup, which they notably won in 1981, in the process.

Manager Craig Burley had put together a cohesive unit, but they fell victims to ‘second season syndrome’ and were bottom of the table at Christmas with just a single win to their name. A run of form saw them rise to the 12th, before they ultimately finished in 18th.

The perils of administration plagued the club thereafter and a youth academy that had produced a plethora of promising English players seemed to dry up, with Darren Bent the only notable name to buck the trend.

Having finished their inaugural League One campaign in mid-table, Ipswich are now a long way from their glory days, with fans having to take solace in Norwich’s repeated relegations rather than any of their own successes.