we are the only one...am I right?

[DrillingCobbler]

I've just spent a foo minutes thinking about how 'average' we've been throughout my time as a Cobblers fan. Im 52.

So I looked at the league1 and league2 teams and I reckon we are the only football club that has spent the last 50 years in the bottom 2 divisions. We've nearly got out of it the right way (once when we lost the play off final to Grimsby) and we've nearly got out of it several times the wrong way (to many too mention) but am I missing another team that has somehow stayed in a comfort zone of pure mediocre for the last half a century?

I hope Im right here because it feels comfortable. Comfortable that we've always been a bottom half football league club and one that all of us can proudly say that we've stuck through thick and thin!

[Tabasco Kid]

You should widen the spectrum to include ex league teams in the national league. That would be more realistic.

[TPFKA Marvo]

I've just spent a foo minutes thinking about how 'average' we've been throughout my time as a Cobblers fan. Im 52.

So I looked at the league1 and league2 teams and I reckon we are the only football club that has spent the last 50 years in the bottom 2 divisions. We've nearly got out of it the right way (once when we lost the play off final to Grimsby) and we've nearly got out of it several times the wrong way (to many too mention) but am I missing another team that has somehow stayed in a comfort zone of pure mediocre for the last half a century?

I hope Im right here because it feels comfortable. Comfortable that we've always been a bottom half football league club and one that all of us can proudly say that we've stuck through thick and thin!

Yes.

[Bingers]

You should widen the spectrum to include ex league teams in the national league. That would be more realistic.

Why? The Drilling criteria was bottom two divisions, none of your non-league nonsense like Wrexham, Oxford, Luton, Wycombe, Sc***horpe or Forest Green. Over present in the Football League is where it is at.

[Shoemender]

I've just spent a foo minutes thinking about how 'average' we've been throughout my time as a Cobblers fan. Im 52.

So I looked at the league1 and league2 teams and I reckon we are the only football club that has spent the last 50 years in the bottom 2 divisions. We've nearly got out of it the right way (once when we lost the play off final to Grimsby) and we've nearly got out of it several times the wrong way (to many too mention) but am I missing another team that has somehow stayed in a comfort zone of pure mediocre for the last half a century?

I hope Im right here because it feels comfortable. Comfortable that we've always been a bottom half football league club and one that all of us can proudly say that we've stuck through thick and thin!

It's actually even more comfortable than that. Nearly 60.🫤

[Worthless Recluse]

It's actually even more comfortable than that. Nearly 60.🫤

I wonder how far ahead of the next club we are and who that is?

[Shoemender]

I wonder how far ahead of the next club we are and who that is?

From what I can make out, I think it's Port Vale who've been in the bottom 2 divisions for 33 years.

[Shoemender]

Ignore that last post.   They were in the second tier about 20 years ago. Whoever it is it's less than 30. Could be Gillingham

[DavCobb]

It is actually more comforting to look down than up. The amount of teams who are non-league or don't exist anymore since the 70's when I started is pretty staggering. That's without the league teams who have also been down there at some stage.
We can now be firmly labelled as 'lower league mediocrity'.

[Worthless Recluse]

Ignore that last post.   They were in the second tier about 20 years ago. Whoever it is it's less than 30. Could be Gillingham

We're comfortably the most boring and nonaspirational of the established league clubs then 

[Shoemender]

We're comfortably the most boring and nonaspirational of the established league clubs then 

A bit like everyone on here then

[GrangeParkCobbler]

Many of the current teams in League 2 have had recent spells in or not long been up from non-league.

Anyway, stats for the others.....

Gillingham came down from the Championship in 2005 and have now had 20 years in L1/L2
Shrewsbury came down from the Championship in 1989 but had a year in the Conference in 2003, so its 35 out of the last 36 for them.
Exeter City have never been higher than L1 level but had five years in the Conference between 2003 and 2008, otherwise they've been in the bottom two divisions every season since 1920.
Leyton Orient again, two seasons in the National League 2017-2019 otherwise its 31 out of the last 33 seasons for them.
Bristol Rovers, one season in the Conference, 2014 otherwise 31 of the last 32 in the bottom two tiers.
Port Vale relegated from the second tier in 2000, so 25 years consecutively in L1/L2 now, the same season as Swindon Town.
Walsall 21 years consecutively and counting. Bradford City also 21 years and counting...both were relegated the same season.
Carlisle were relegated from the second tier in 1986 but have had one year in the Conference, 38 of 39 seasons for them.
Mansfield relegated from the second tier in 1978 but spent five seasons in the Conference..... 42 out of 47.


So its us with 58 years since 1967, then Port Vale and Swindon with 25, Walsall and Bradford 21 apiece and Gillingham with 20. Accrington Stanley 19 years since promotion to the league in 2006, Morecambe 18 since 2007.

[Shoemender]

Many of the current teams in League 2 have had recent spells in or not long been up from non-league.

Anyway, stats for the others.....

Gillingham came down from the Championship in 2005 and have now had 20 years in L1/L2
Shrewsbury came down from the Championship in 1989 but had a year in the Conference in 2003, so its 35 out of the last 36 for them.
Exeter City have never been higher than L1 level but had five years in the Conference between 2003 and 2008, otherwise they've been in the bottom two divisions every season since 1920.
Leyton Orient again, two seasons in the National League 2017-2019 otherwise its 31 out of the last 33 seasons for them.
Bristol Rovers, one season in the Conference, 2014 otherwise 31 of the last 32 in the bottom two tiers.
Port Vale relegated from the second tier in 2000, so 25 years consecutively in L1/L2 now.
Walsall 21 years consecutively and counting. Bradford City also 21 years and counting...both were relegated the same season.
Carlisle were relegated from the second tier in 1986 but have had one year in the Conference, 38 of 39 seasons for them.
Mansfield relegated from the second tier in 1978 but spent five seasons in the Conference..... 42 out of 47.

So its us with 58 years since 1967, then Port Vale with 25, Walsall and Bradford 21 apiece and Gillingham with 20. Accrington Stanley 19 years since promotion to the league in 2006, Morecambe 18 since 2007.

Swindon haven't been out of the bottom 2 divisions since 2000.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

Swindon haven't been out of the bottom 2 divisions since 2000.

Quite correct....for some reason I thought they had a stint in non-league so didn't even look at them!! They came down the same season as Port Vale.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

We took the mantle from Rochdale, who had played every season since 1921 in the bottom two tiers until relegation to the National League in 2023. They won their first promotion in 2010 having played in the lowest league tier for almost 90 years.
Similarly Hartlepool United joined the league the same season (1921) and plied their trade in the bottom two tiers until 2017 when they suffered the first of their now two relegations from the Football League.

[macca1959]

I think Rochdale were in the original division 3 in 1958 & got promoted out of the old fourth in 1968

[Shoemender]

We took the mantle from Rochdale, who had played every season since 1921 in the bottom two tiers until relegation to the National League in 2023. They won their first promotion in 2010 having played in the lowest league tier for almost 90 years.
Similarly Hartlepool United joined the league the same season (1921) and plied their trade in the bottom two tiers until 2017 when they suffered the first of their now two relegations from the Football League.

That's some going from the pair of them. We've still got some way to go to match them, although I'd rather get to the Championship, if only for a season, before I die.  

[Tabasco Kid]

I cant be bothered to check, but Torquay must be up there prior to non league status.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

I think Rochdale were in the original division 3 in 1958 & got promoted out of the old fourth in 1968

Damn, right again..... five seasons in division 3 before going back to the fourth where they stayed until 2010

[GrangeParkCobbler]

I cant be bothered to check, but Torquay must be up there prior to non league status.

Good shout...into the League in 1927, bottom two leagues until 2007 when they were relegated to non-league the first time, back up in 2009 then back down in 2014.