Second season syndrome
Encyclopedia
Second season syndrome is the now-common phrase that is used to describe a downturn in fortunes for a football
club two seasons after its promotion to the Premier League of English football
- particularly if the first season after promotion had brought a strong finish. The syndrome actually predates the Premiership, and could be seen in the cases of Swansea City (1981–1983) and Millwall
(1988–1990) in the old First Division
. Second season syndrome has also been used to describe other sports where a successful first season has taken place, followed by a poor second season as well as individual sportspersons. In the US
, this event (more commonly applied to athletes than teams) is known as a sophomore slump
.
1996-97
2000-01
2001-02
2003-04
2006-07
2007-08
2009–10
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club two seasons after its promotion to the Premier League of English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
- particularly if the first season after promotion had brought a strong finish. The syndrome actually predates the Premiership, and could be seen in the cases of Swansea City (1981–1983) and Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
(1988–1990) in the old First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. Second season syndrome has also been used to describe other sports where a successful first season has taken place, followed by a poor second season as well as individual sportspersons. In the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, this event (more commonly applied to athletes than teams) is known as a sophomore slump
Sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort...
.
Examples
Since the creation of the Premier League in 1992, the following seasons have seen the following clubs suffer from "second season syndrome".1996-971996-97 in English footballThe 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
- MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
were promoted to the Premier League as Division OneFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
champions in 1995, and started the following season in fine form, occupying fourth place in late October and looking like serious contenders for a European place. Despite a dismal run of mid-season form which saw them lose 10 out of 11 games, they still finished 12th in the final table - comfortably clear of the relegation zone. That summer, manager Bryan RobsonBryan RobsonBryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
paid some of the highest transfer fees of that era for high profile foreign stars included Fabrizio RavanelliFabrizio RavanelliFabrizio Ravanelli is a former international Italian football player, who won five titles with Juventus, including a Serie A championship in 1995 and a Champions League title in 1996....
and EmersonEmerson Moisés CostaEmerson Moisés Costa , simply Emerson, is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.As well as in his country, he played professionally in Portugal, England, Spain and Scotland...
. The new signings performed well, but Middlesbrough were relegated the following season in 19th place.
2000-012000-01 in English footballThe 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
- In 19991999 in football (soccer)The following are the football events of the year 1999 throughout the world.-Events:*Manchester United won the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and Premiership to cap off an unprecedented European Treble, the first English side to do so.*Copa Libertadores 1999: Won by Palmeiras after defeating...
, Bradford CityBradford City A.F.C.Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
returned to the top flight after an absence of 77 years, after coming second to Sunderland. The Bantams stayed up the following season, with a then Premier League record low of 36 points. A 1-0 victory on the final day of the season over LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
with a David WetherallDavid WetherallDavid Wetherall is an English former footballer who played as a central defender, finishing his playing career with Bradford City at the end of the 2007–08 season. Born in Sheffield, he supported Sheffield Wednesday as a child, and started his playing career there...
goal ensured City and not WimbledonWimbledon F.C.Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
stayed up. However just days after the season finished, manager Paul JewellPaul JewellPaul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
sensationally left the club and was succeeded by his assistant Chris HutchingsChris HutchingsChristopher "Chris" Hutchings is an English former footballer and former manager of Walsall. He played for a number of clubs including Chelsea and played more than 100 games for Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town...
. Hutchings struggled and was sacked after just one win from 12 league games. He was replaced by Jim JefferiesJim JefferiesJames "Jim" Jefferies is a Scottish football former player and manager. Jefferies played for Heart of Midlothian for almost his whole playing career and enjoyed a successful first managerial spell with the club, winning the 1998 Scottish Cup...
but City remained in the bottom three for the rest of the season. Relegation was confirmed several games before the end of the season with a 2-1 defeat at EvertonEverton F.C.Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, with both Benito CarboneBenito CarboneBenito known as Benny Carbone is a retired Italian professional footballer and former manager of Serie B club Varese. He played as a forward, winger or midfielder...
and Robbie BlakeRobbie BlakeRobert James "Robbie" Blake is an English footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers in the Barclays Premier League...
missing penalties. The club has since run into financial trouble, been in administration twice, and had a further two relegations.
2001-022001-02 in English footballThe 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
- Ipswich TownIpswich Town F.C.Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
gained promotion to the Premier League in 2000 as Division One playoff winners, and in their first season back at the highest level, they finished fifth to gain UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
qualification. But they won just one of their opening 17 Premier League fixtures the following season, leaving them bottom of the table in early December. A run of seven wins from eight games looked to have saved them as they stood 12th at the end of January, but another setback pushed them back into the drop zone and defeat to LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on the final day of the season confirmed their relegation.
2003-042003-04 in English footballThe 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
- Manchester CityManchester City F.C.Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
reached the Premier League as Division One champions in 2002, and finished ninth the following year - their highest finish for a decade. But the following season they finished 16th and having only secured top-flight survival in the penultimate game.
2006-072006-07 in English footballThe 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
- West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
were promoted to the Premier League as Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
playoff winners in 2005. The following year they finished ninth in the Premier League and reached the FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final, where only a late equaliser and a penalty shoot-out triumph by LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
prevented them from winning their first major trophy since 1980. But a dismal start to the following season saw Alan PardewAlan PardewAlan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
sacked in December, and as late as March they were 10 points adrift of safety. But a dramatic upturn in fortunes, engineered by a core group of players including ArgentineArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
striker Carlos TévezCarlos TévezCarlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
, saw them beat the drop and finish 15th. - Wigan AthleticWigan Athletic F.C.Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
reached the top division of English football for the first time ever in 2005, and were many people's favourites for an immediate return to the Championship. But they were in the top six for much of the first half of the season, occupying second place in late October, and finished 10th in the final table. They also reached their first ever major domestic cup final, reaching the Carling CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final but losing 4-0 to Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. The following season brought a major struggle, and Wigan only managed to stay up on goal difference with a surprise away win over Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, who were relegated instead.
2007-082007-08 in English footballThe 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
- ReadingReading F.C.Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
were promoted as Champions from the Championship in 2006 and enjoyed a very successful first season in the Premier League, where the team finished 8th, narrowly missing out on qualification for the UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
by one position. Reading's second season however was different in that the team struggled to get out of the lower half of the Premier League table. After a 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Sunderland, manager Steve CoppellSteve CoppellStephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
admitted that Reading were suffering from second season syndrome. This was confirmed following their relegation on the final day of the season.
2009–102009–10 in English footballThe 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
- Hull CityHull City A.F.C.Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
were promoted in the play-offs in 2009 and set the division alight early on, with shock wins away at Arsenal among other games, and were 3rd placed. The second half of that season already saw the way things may go and in the end they had just 35 points but were able to stay up with that total. The following season things did not go so well, they fired their manager Phil Brown, and ended the season second from bottom. Thus, alongside Millwall and Reading, Hull are one of three clubs to complete only two seasons in a row in the top flight overall.
2010-11
- Birmingham City F.C.Birmingham City F.C.Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
were promoted in 2009 after grabbing a second place finish in The Championship. In The 2009-10 season Birmingham managed a 9th Placed finish with 50 points and a 15 game unbeaten run along the way. However the following season saw Birmingham relegated to The Championship after losing 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day, despite winning the Carling Cup in February.