Fastest Ascent for club in FA?

December 7, 2008 12:26 AM

Which club holds the record the fastest ascent from bottom division to the top of the Football League?

The premier league site on Hull City has the following quote: "Their ascent from the bottom division of the football league to the top in just five seasons is the third fastest ever."

Who had the fastest ascent?

posted by brownbat to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Best answer: Wimbledon did it in 4 years. Promoted in 83, 84, and 86 (and then topped the table in September 86, so literally were at the top of div1).
posted by saintsguy at 1:25 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

And tied with Wimbledon are Swansea City, who were playing in the lowest division of the Football League in 1977-78, and were in League One for the 1981-82 season.
posted by muhonnin at 1:46 AM on December 7, 2008

In the interests of trivia, has any club done it the other way around? Fastest descent from high to low? (Not including clubs that ceased to exist, etc.)
posted by wackybrit at 4:04 AM on December 7, 2008

Swansea* followed their feat by doing the only decent thing in the circumstances and going straight back down again.

*(pronounced "Filthy Jacks")
posted by fullerine at 4:06 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

There is a totally great web site that has charts for all English teams that show what division they've been in since their formation. Of course I can't find it right now.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 6:17 AM on December 7, 2008

A good resource for questions like this is the Guardian's column The Knowledge.
posted by proj at 7:38 AM on December 7, 2008

Has any club done it the other way around? Fastest decent from high to low?

After being promoted to League Division 1 in 1982/1983, Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated in each of the next three seasons. Never a dull moment for Wolves fans in those days. . . .
posted by muhonnin at 11:24 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]