Tin pot clubs in League Two

[Robshep]

Rochdale haven't finished top of any table, ever. This may be deliberate, in order not to have to buy unbudgeted trophy polish...

The last two occasions we won a league world wars started the following years so we are playing safe.

 

[Vanni]

It's preseason chaps and I'm always I'm bored around this time of the year so please bear with me.

Last night I was thinking about those L1 and L2 clubs that have played in the top flight at least once throughout the years but as this is the L2 forum I'm going to stick with L2 for now. Without googling anything (because that wouldn't be fun) I could only come up with Swindon, Oldham, Carlisle and Bradford. I know some clubs were very close at one point to reaching the promised land e.g. Tranmere and B.Rovers, but I freely admit that I don't have a clue about a number of others (have Walsall ever been higher than the 3rd div? And what about Northampton?)

Anybody else made it all the way besides the aforementioned 4 clubs?

 

[Fedora Dale]

It's preseason chaps and I'm always I'm bored around this time of the year so please bear with me.

Last night I was thinking about those L1 and L2 clubs that have played in the top flight at least once throughout the years but as this is the L2 forum I'm going to stick with L2 for now. Without googling anything (because that wouldn't be fun) I could only come up with Swindon, Oldham, Carlisle and Bradford. I know some clubs were very close at one point to reaching the promised land e.g. Tranmere and B.Rovers, but I freely admit that I don't have a clue about a number of others (have Walsall ever been higher than the 3rd div? And what about Northampton?)

Anybody else made it all the way besides the aforementioned 4 clubs?

Northampton had a season in Div 1 in the mid-Sixties.

I think only Dale, Vale and Walsall (and Plymouth in L1) have maintained membership of the FL for the last hundred years without being in the top division (top two divisions in the case of Dale!). Southend lost this distinction at the end of last season.

Edit - and Crewe

 

[Myblueheaven04]

It's preseason chaps and I'm always I'm bored around this time of the year so please bear with me.

Last night I was thinking about those L1 and L2 clubs that have played in the top flight at least once throughout the years but as this is the L2 forum I'm going to stick with L2 for now. Without googling anything (because that wouldn't be fun) I could only come up with Swindon, Oldham, Carlisle and Bradford. I know some clubs were very close at one point to reaching the promised land e.g. Tranmere and B.Rovers, but I freely admit that I don't have a clue about a number of others (have Walsall ever been higher than the 3rd div? And what about Northampton?)

Anybody else made it all the way besides the aforementioned 4 clubs?

The four of us have spent the following seasons in the top flight ( correct if wrong )

Oldham 12
Bradford 11
Swindon 1
Carlisle 1
Orient 1

 

[shoddycollins]

Hartlepool have never been to Wembley.

Reached two playoff finals (the standard way for tinpotters like us to get to play at Wembley) but the first time was while Wembley was under construction and played in Cardiff, and last season... much to their fans' annoyance I presume, the Conference final was played at Ashton Gate.

 

[shoddycollins]

The four of us have spent the following seasons in the top flight ( correct if wrong )

Oldham 12
Bradford 11
Swindon 2
Carlisle 1

and Northampton's 1

We have the distinction of having played at every level within the FL yet having never played ManU in the league (who were in Division 2 the year we were in Division 1)

 

[Chris FGR]

Carlisle replaced the other Utd in the Premier League and were top after 3 games apparently.

So for a week they were officially the best team in the country.

They’ve basically gone from being the best team in England to regularly playing tinpotters down here.

 

[GEORGE]

It's preseason chaps and I'm always I'm bored around this time of the year so please bear with me.

Last night I was thinking about those L1 and L2 clubs that have played in the top flight at least once throughout the years but as this is the L2 forum I'm going to stick with L2 for now. Without googling anything (because that wouldn't be fun) I could only come up with Swindon, Oldham, Carlisle and Bradford. I know some clubs were very close at one point to reaching the promised land e.g. Tranmere and B.Rovers, but I freely admit that I don't have a clue about a number of others (have Walsall ever been higher than the 3rd div? And what about Northampton?)

Anybody else made it all the way besides the aforementioned 4 clubs?

I remember Northampton in the top division. I believe Theo Foley was the manager at the time. Leyton Orient also were up there . When they went up with Liverpool in 1962. I remember watching them at Eastville that season and also remember there colours were Blue shirts as well.

 

[Myblueheaven04]

and Northampton's 1

We have the distinction of having played at every level within the FL yet having never played ManU in the league (who were in Division 2 the year we were in Division 1)

Apologies to cobblers fans

 

[Casey]

Crawley have never played at Wembley either...or been in a play off final anywhere. We have played at Ashton Gate though cos we aint tinpot...oh no.

Casey

 

[Chris FGR]

Northampton went from Division 4 to the 1st Division and all the way back down again in 9 years. Must be a record.

 

[kieran_vale]

Northampton had a season in Div 1 in the mid-Sixties.

I think only Dale, Vale and Walsall (and Plymouth in L1) have maintained membership of the FL for the last hundred years without being in the top division (top two divisions in the case of Dale!). Southend lost this distinction at the end of last season.

Edit - and Crewe

Yep we’ve never been in the top flight. Depending whether you class it as a hundred years is whether you include the brief spell in the 1960s where we were expelled from the league for illegal payments though they soon corrected that mistake.

 

[Agombar stool]

The four of us have spent the following seasons in the top flight ( correct if wrong )

Oldham 12
Bradford 11
Swindon 2
Carlisle 1

We should be 1 and not 2 FYI

 

[Myblueheaven04]

We should be 1 and not 2 FYI

Apologies

 

[chipmunx]

Hartlepool have never been to Wembley.

Reached two playoff finals (the standard way for tinpotters like us to get to play at Wembley) but the first time was while Wembley was under construction and played in Cardiff, and last season... much to their fans' annoyance I presume, the Conference final was played at Ashton Gate.

we were the 1st team to win at both the old and new Wembley apparently... 1990 at the old and 2010 at the newly refurbished one - both in the FA Trophy.

 

[shoddycollins]

Yep we’ve never been in the top flight. Depending whether you class it as a hundred years is whether you include the brief spell in the 1960s where we were expelled from the league for illegal payments though they soon corrected that mistake.

What changed their mi... ohhhhhh.

 

[Bottega Don]

Leyton Orient played in the top flight in 1962/63.

I know this because they beat us to promotion in the 61/62 season, the closest we've ever came to getting into the top flight.

 

[EricSabin]

Northampton went from Division 4 to the 1st Division and all the way back down again in 9 years. Must be a record.

Yep, relegated on the last day away at Blackpool.

If only we’d stayed up, we’d probably be one of the big 6 now. Instead, we were back in division 4 by 1970.

 

[JaredSUFC]

we were the 1st team to win at both the old and new Wembley apparently... 1990 at the old and 2010 at the newly refurbished one - both in the FA Trophy.

What about Chelsea who won the last FA Cup final at the old Wembley in 2000 and the first at the new Wembley in 2007?

 

[shoddycollins]

What about Chelsea who won the last FA Cup final at the old Wembley in 2000 and the first at the new Wembley in 2007?

Oddly, they beat Morecambe by one day as the Conference play off final was won by them against Exeter the day after the FA cup final

 

[AdamStag]

View attachment 14939

Tbh, we were celebrating getting out of that godforsaken dump of the conference, if that picture follows around for all of history so be it, long as we’re not non fucking league

 

[AdamStag]

Any side with 4 stands is tinpot, you’re doing it wrong

 

[EricSabin]

Tbh, we were celebrating getting out of that godforsaken dump of the conference, if that picture follows around for all of history so be it, long as we’re not non fucking league

Yeah tbf from that picture it looks like raucous celebrations

 

[AdamStag]

Yeah tbf from that picture it looks like raucous celebrations

Well there’s needed to be some common sense, basically have a reception either at the town hall or at the club and then go to the opposite.

You’ve never been non league, the idea of being in it once you’ve experienced it would send shivers down your spine, imagine games the standard and quality of the papa john’s tournament thing all season.

 

[F!RTHY]

Any side with 4 stands is tinpot, you’re doing it wrong

What if you have 5?

 

[AdamStag]

What if you have 5?

You’re amazing!

 

[Trapdoor]

We have 3.5. Dangerously close to 4. Fortunately our maximum ground capacity is a reassuringly tinpot 8679. Saved!

 

[Robshep]

Tbh, we were celebrating getting out of that godforsaken dump of the conference, if that picture follows around for all of history so be it, long as we’re not non fucking league

We didn't have a bus tour. Everybody, including the players, just went on a massive drinking frenzy.

 

[valefan16]

Yep we’ve never been in the top flight. Depending whether you class it as a hundred years is whether you include the brief spell in the 1960s where we were expelled from the league for illegal payments though they soon corrected that mistake.

We got expelled but immediately re elected so never actually went into non league, although it was harsh as we reported the illegal payment as soon as we noticed our error which probably saved us (and dare say the sweet talking that chairman used to do to each other to cover each other’s backs in the case of a bad season!)

 

[F!RTHY]

The four of us have spent the following seasons in the top flight ( correct if wrong )

Oldham 12
Bradford 11
Swindon 1
Carlisle 1
Orient 1

Our record (seasons):

Top flight: 12
Champ: 29
L1: 41
L2: 25

Depressing that this is our 8th season in L2 since 2007.