The 6 Smallest English Premier League Teams Ever
From a small club winning the Premier League, to the 274th most populated district competing against the heavyweights of the EPL. Let's take a look at the six smallest English Premier League clubs ever.
6. Swindon Town FC
Swindon Town FC have had their struggles recently but they'll always have a season in the English Premier League to their name, not that it was one to remember though. During their 1993/94 Premier League season, Swindon would get hammered by Newcastle United 7-1, went 15 games without winning including a run of seven straight losses, and would concede a record 100 goals. After only five wins all season, the club was relegated and haven't been back to the Premier League since.
The town of Swindon has a population of about 186,000 and sits 71 miles (114 km) from London. Despite their recent struggles, the townsfolk still get out there and support their team despite being one of the most stressful teams in England to support.
Swindon Town FC have had their struggles of recent.
Source: Photo by EclecticArkie
5. Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn were founded in 1875 and have spent most of their history in the top two divisions. Their first year in the Premier League in 1992/93 saw them finish and incredible fourth, the first time they were in the top flight since the mid-1960s. A few years later they would stun the league by becoming the smallest club to ever win the Premier League in 1994/95, and would remain in the league until relegation in 2012.
The Lancashire town of 120,000 have a strong rivalry with Burnley who contest in the East Lancashire derby. About a quarter of the entire population of Blackburn turn up to Ewood Park on game day, with a capacity of over 31,000.
Blackburn shocked all by winning the Premier League in 1994/95.
Source: Photo by EclecticArkie
4. Wigan Athletic
A town in Greater Manchester, Wigan has a population of 103,000. Wigan Athletic joined the Football League in 1978 and after a rapid ascension through the divisions, earned promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 2005/06, sparking huge celebrations in the town.
Wigan's time in the Premier League lasted eight season and was a huge achievement for what many consider a 'rugby town'. They also beat Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final in one of the biggest upsets in cup history.
Wigan made a rapid ascension to the EPL throughout the early 2000s.
Source: Photo by EclecticArkie
...I'll be back tomorrow with part two!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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It is incredible how many professional football clubs our small island can sustain. Especially up in the North of England it feels like every 1 horse town has a team in the football league!
Mate absolutely astonishes me. I remember playing Football Manager back in the day as a 13 year old and couldn't fathom how small towns could put themselves on the world stage. In Australia we have nothing like that. I compared populations to see if that could be why but England only has just over double the population of Australia. I suppose it's a cultural thing similar to college and high school football in America.
I think it’s participation numbers and the fact that particularly in those working class Northern towns the football club was at the heart of the community.
I guess in Australia you have all those AFL teams out of Melbourne compared to the rest of country.
Yep, AFL would be similar. I suppose Melbourne has a very strong Victorian architecture and culturally is more similar to Britain than Sydney.
I sincerely miss seeing Wigan and Blackburn in the Premier League. Hugo Rodallega made me like Wigan to a small extent and Yakubu Aiyegbeni with Benny McCarthy made me like Blackburn Rovers.
Hugo Rodallega was huge. My favourite from Wigan was Jimmy Bullard, Pascal Chimbonda, Henri Camara and Jason Roberts. Wigan were one of the teams I used to manage in Football Manager and I took them from League One up to the Premier League.
I remember watching their first ever game in the PL against my favourite team Chelsea and somehow felt like I contributed to Wigan's promotion .... 😂
Chelsea were lucky to win that one. I was emotionally invested in Wigan for a while.
🤣🤣😂😂🤣😂 contributing to their promotion part got me hahahaha. I didn't really follow Jimmy Bullard until he joined Hull City.
I lost track of him there, I was watching him a bit at Fulham. Fun fact, he was almost part of the German team at the 06 World Cup and was part of the England squad for 2010 World Cup but never featured.
Wow. Almost and never featuring... Real bummer. I know him for his hair hahahahaha
I remember that final between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup 2012/2013 season, Ben Watson's goal in the last minute of the match
Man ... thank you. Just had to go and watch that again. Gives me goosebumps every time. I wish we had more magical FA Cup moments like that. We need that to keep the cup alive.
Oh, Wigan Athletic. The home of the mighty Al-Habsi. Not many clubs manage to win a local club from City AND get relegated in the same season.
Al-Habsi was strong! I remember his height was one of his strengths
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It's unbelievable Wigan athletic and Blackburn rovers are among the smallest team in EPl .This is my first hearing Swindon Town fc. I hope to see something new when you post the other part.
It's sad to see wigan athletic and blackburn rovers fall from grace to grass.