When was the last time Tottenham played in the Championship?
worldsoccertalk.com · 3 weeks ago
Tottenham are one of the most historic clubs in England’s top flight. However, that does not mean they are unfamiliar with the second division, now known as the Championship. In recent years, discussions in England have frequently centered around the so-called Big Six, the group of clubs considered the Premier League elite. That list includes Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham. The Spurs, however, put that status at risk during the 2025-26 season after drifting dangerously close to a potential relegation to the Championship. Tottenham have spent 48 consecutive seasons in England’s top division. Their last relegation came during the 1976-77 season, when they finished 22nd in the Football League First Division and were sent down to the Football League Second Division. That nightmare did not last long, though. The following season, they finished third in the standings and secured an immediate return to the top flight of English soccer. Since earning promotion in 1978, the Spurs have never been relegated again, a streak that covers the entire history of the Premier League, which was founded in 1992. The closest they came to relegation was in 2024-25, when they prioritized the UEFA Europa League — a tournament they ultimately won by defeating Manchester United in the final — and finished 17th in the Premier League standings. Phillip Beal (left) of Tottenham Hotspur in action during a 1976 Division One match against Liverpool. How many times have Tottenham been relegated? Tottenham’s first participation in an English league competition came during the 1896-97 season in the Southern Football League. They remained there for more than a decade before joining the Football League Second Division in 1908 and reaching the First Division one year later. From that point on, the Spurs suffered four relegations in total. The first came in 1915, just before league competitions were suspended because of World War I until 1920. After returning to England’s top flight, they were relegated again in 1928, then once more in 1935 and, for the last time, in 1977. The longest period Tottenham spent in the second division came after their third relegation in 1935. At that time, the London club needed 15 years to return to the First Division, a span that also included the interruption caused by World War II between 1939 and 1946. The English clubs with the longest active stay in the top flight Tottenham’s importance in English soccer is reflected in the ranking of clubs with the longest uninterrupted runs in the first division. The Spurs currently rank fifth on that list with 48 consecutive seasons since 1978. Arsenal tops the ranking with 106 straight seasons since 1919, followed by Everton with 72 since 1954, Liverpool with 64 since 1962, and Manchester United with 51 since 1975.
