10 Longest Absences From The Premier League

Wimbledon were a mainstay of English football during the late '80s and early '90s. Christened the ‘Crazy Gang’, their style was widely derided as basic and overtly physical, though it saw them achieve three promotions and an FA Cup win in six years. They started the Premier League era as one of the division’s stronger sides, finishing 6th in 1994, but rapidly dropped down as they struggled to replace their ageing side, and were relegated in 2000.

Wimbledon disappeared entirely shortly after their relegation, as the club was relocated to the town of Milton Keynes and renamed the MK Dons. Though commonplace in American sports, the relocation of teams is considered sacrilege within English football and a phoenix club, AFC Wimbledon, were formed to assume the club’s legacy.

Beginning life in non-league football, they rose up the ranks to reach the Football League in 2011, earning promotion from League Two to League One in 2016 and remaining there since, squaring off against the team that once bore their identity in three of their last four campaigns.

Having never finished above 15th, narrowly avoiding relegation in the two most recent seasons, the chances of AFC Wimbledon returning to the Football League’s lowest level are far superior to them making the step up to the Championship and being within touching distance of the Premier League once more.