Biggest teams marooned in lower leagues

What’s a big team? Budget, fan base...?

you could potentially put Malaga in there given the plays they had a few years ago, but not sure they’re “big”.
 
Mass72 said:
Wouldnt say Blackburn are a big club as such. I get what you mean though, they have won the premier league after all, but really before and after that they havent been a big club
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Blackburn were a founder of English League, won 6 FA cups and 3 league titles. Might be nothing now, but they were one of the big guns early on.

Similarly it could be argued Queens Park were a big club. 10 Scottish Cup wins (only bettered by us and the scum), and 2 FA cup finals (ironically losing both to Blackburn!).
 
bobally said:
Blackburn were a founder of English League, won 6 FA cups and 3 league titles. Might be nothing now, but they were one of the big guns early on.

Similarly it could be argued Queens Park were a big club. 10 Scottish Cup wins (only bettered by us and the scum), and 2 FA cup finals (ironically losing both to Blackburn!).
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Could also use that criteria for a historic club like Preston North End.
 
A few clubs floating about England that were in the top division at one time or the other.notts county at one point were in the top league and are now out of the football league
 
Teuchterblue said:
I think Nottingham Forrest are now at their natural level. It was a brief foray under Clough that they massively over-achieved
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Danger Zone said:
Nottingham Forest. Former league and European champions.
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Preston North End, Bolton and Blackpool pre-1970 were still classed as big teams, have gotten nowhere near their former glories since.

When Forest were relegated to the third tier (English League One) in 2005, they were first and only European Cup winners' to be relegated to their Nations third tier, where they stayed for three seasons.
 
Torpedo Moscow here in Russia.

Been through several mergers and re-incarnations and just missed out on promotion back to top flight due to the curtailed covid season
 
WinkieWATP said:
Not a big club though, more a small club that punched above its weight for a good few years.
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Won FA Cup 4 times, losing finalists 3 times and beaten semi finalists 7 times....founder members of the Football League....twice third in league.....

Not really minnows.
 
Chris01 said:
The Artmedia Bratislava story is fascinating. I’ll always hold them in high regard after pumping Celtic 5-0.


“The club has since returned to the second tier of Slovakian football, but the road is long.
17 name changes, multiple stadiums, different leagues, promotions, championships, relegations and lord knows what else, the only thing that has stayed the same is the black and white stripes. Their historical stadium was flattened to make room for a Hilton Hotel, and the club now plies its trade at a ‘stadium’ that holds 1,500 people and has fewer facilities than Welshpool Town“
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17 name changes?

Trigger’s broom springs to mind.
 
Chris01 said:
The Artmedia Bratislava story is fascinating. I’ll always hold them in high regard after pumping Celtic 5-0.


“The club has since returned to the second tier of Slovakian football, but the road is long.
17 name changes, multiple stadiums, different leagues, promotions, championships, relegations and lord knows what else, the only thing that has stayed the same is the black and white stripes. Their historical stadium was flattened to make room for a Hilton Hotel, and the club now plies its trade at a ‘stadium’ that holds 1,500 people and has fewer facilities than Welshpool Town“
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Sorry, but the stench from the away-end toilets was appalling, so good riddance.
Then again, maybe we caused it!
 
immortal7 said:
Dynamo Dresden are a big club but haven't really done it in a unified Germany. I was in the away end when they beat RB Leipzig in the cup, was pwopah nawtee.
Dynamo Berlin were the Stasi club and won upteen in a row, they are in the amateur leagues now, as are Lokomotive Leipzig, who lost the Liga 3 playoff this year.
1FC Magdeburg won the ECWC and are also in Liga 3.
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Dynamo Dresden were also a Stasi club, and were the original Stasi club before they got moved to Berlin and had to start again. They just weren't as politically powerful compared to their counterparts in Berlin.
 
1. FC Nürnberg, avoided relegation this year to the third division after scoring a 96th minute away goal, have the second most German Championships after Bayern.
 
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Morpheus said:
I had this one as well. A stunning top.
One of my all time favourites outside of Rangers
s-l400.jpg
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Had that exact shirt when I was younger.
 
soapybubble said:
How are we gauging big? Are we saying fan base, trophies or a mix of both?
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I would say clubs who had a good run in their top league for a good few years along with decent at the very least cup runs, this is why I wouldn't class Blackburn as a big club gone small, they had a good season with a couple if decent.
 
Mass72 said:
Wouldnt say Blackburn are a big club as such. I get what you mean though, they have won the premier league after all, but really before and after that they havent been a big club
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That's bollocks to be fair.

Won the league 3 times, FA Cup 6 times. Had a 90s renaissance, but were a big club prior to the 60s
 
Chester (City) always a small third fourth division club ,but were football league cup semi finalists in 74/75 .Only beaten by Aston villa after a 2-2 first leg at sealand road and a 3-2 loss at VIlla park.That was after beating Newcastle United and Leeds United (League campions)on the way ,to later being Made bankrupt by thieving Scouse gangsters and being forced to start at step 7 of the English pyramid system and currently mid table in conference north.Their story from 74/75 to where they are now is is quite an interesting read
 
dcbear said:
That's an amazing fall. European Cup Quarterfinal in 1961, relegated in 1962, haven't been in the top division since and have been as low as level 6.
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Dundee were in the European Cup semi final 1963, suppose thats not as big a drop compared to the Swedes.
Think of all the "big" city clubs in Scotland their fanbase has dropped the most. Seen someone recently on twitter talking about that semi v ac Milan, and there were 38,000 at Dens.
 
iaatpies said:
FC Magdeburg won the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in the 73/74 season - the only East German team to win a European trophy.

Currently in 3.Liga.

Kaiserslautern are on my list of teams to see as it's a short train journey from Mannheim.
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Wear comfy shoes for the walk up to the ground.
 
Earl of Leven said:
Sunderland
Kaiserslautern (now Bundesliga 3 incredibly)
1860 Munich
CSA Steaua București- the original one, now marooned in Romanian League 3
F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892 - 7 times Italian champions now in Serie C

Any others?
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When everything is in bold font - nothing stands out.
 
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