Hi,
Apologies if this has been done elsewhere but I heard that by beating Chelsea this meant that we had won a league match against every team that we ever played in a league match. I thought I would work through this to see if it was true (as far as I could tell). I think it is and furthermore we have never been in that situation before. In my eyes we have played 109 different teams along the way (I have counted Wimbledon and MK Dons as different clubs)
Details
We were founder members of the third division in 1920/21. This league was made up mainly of the teams from the previous Southern League. The exceptions were that Cardiff City were placed in Division 2 due to their previous FA Cup performances. And to even it up Grimsby Town were relegated from Division 2 to Division 3 (this was to stitch up our quest to beat every team we had ever played for years). We lost our first match against Southend, we did beat them in our third league game but by then we had failed to beat Merthyr Town. At the end of our first season we had failed to beat nine teams ( Merthyr Town, Grimsby Town, Luton Town, Swansea Town, Crystal Palace, Exeter City, Southampton, Swindon Town & Watford)
1921/22 - This was the first season of Third Division South so at that point we would have needed a further restructure or for us and Grimsby to get promoted in order for us to play each other. Southampton got promoted that year and we would not play them again for many years either. There were six teams in third division south that we had not registered a vistory against by the end of that season (including Merthyr Town and a new team to us Aberdare Athletic)
1922/23 - 1924/25. By this time we had achieved victories against the teams still in Third Division South including new teams to us over this period Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (which I regard as the same team as Bournemouth etc ) and Bristol City. We still had not beaten Palace, Southampton who had been promoted (and of course Grimsby)
19th September 1925 - We beat Palace for the first time.
We stay in Third Division South until 1957-58. This included Thames AFC who had a two-season stay in the league - luckily we beat them in the second season. We finally beat Southampton for the first time on 27th March 1954 meaning that Grimsby Town were the only club that we had played but had not beaten. We got promoted to Division 2 (which of course included northern clubs) for the 1958-59 season. Co-incidentally the 1958-59 season saw the lower leagues restructured to division 3 and 4 so we would have been playing more teams that were new to us anyway.
1958-59. We did manage to beat Grimsby on the 10th September but by then we had failed to beat Liverpool and Middlesbrough. At the end of the season we had still failed to beat these two but also Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City. Sheffield Wednesday got promoted and we wouldn't play them again until the 1970's
1959/60 - 1961/62 We continued in Division 2 for these three seasons which saw our first victories against both Liverpool and Leeds Utd. When relegated at the end of the 61/62 season we had failed to beat Bury, Newcastle Utd & Preston North End from Division 2 along with Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Hull who had been promoted or relegated in the meantime
1962/63 - 1963/64 We got relegated from division 3 after just one season and naturally landed in division 4. These two seasons saw us play nineteen teams that were new to us and at the of that we were still to beat (Chester, Workington, Stockport County, Chesterfield, Southport, Bradford City, Bury, Newcastle, Preston, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough and Wrexham)
1964/65 - A promotion season leaving us with nine teams that we had played but not beaten
1965/66 - 1971/72 At the end of this spell in Division 3 we were still to register victories against Bolton Wanderers, Chester City, Newcastle, Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday)
1972/73 League Division 2. We play and fail to beat Blackpool and Burnley for the first time but we do beat Preston. We get relegated that season
1973-74 - 1976/77 League Division 3. We play and beat Hereford and Cambridge for the first time. And we register our first vistories against Chester City and Sheffield Wednesday. The list of played but not beaten sides at the end of 1976/77 reads Blackpool, Burnley, Bolton, Newcastle
1977/78 - Division 2 again. A golden year - we meet Spurs for the first time and beat them in the second game against them. We also get our first wins against Blackpool, Bolton and Burnley. Only Newcastle left on the list of sides played but not beaten at the end of the season
1978/79 We beat Newcastle for the first time on the 30th December but sadly by then we have played Leicester and West Ham for the first time without victory. We do get a victory against Leicester on the third of February so just West Ham on the list now. This season sees us promoted to the top division for the first time
1979-80 Division 1 - Six new clubs for us to face including many traditional big names but not including Chelsea - they went down when we went up - we will encounter them for the first time in division 2. West Ham were not with us this season in the top league. At the end of the season the list now also included Arsenal, Everton, Man Utd & West Brom
1980-81 - 1982/83. We beat most teams during our time in the top division and when we get relegated the only team that we have played but not yet beaten is West Brom
1983/84 - Division 2. We encounter Chelsea for the first time but don't beat them. We will also meet them in 1988/89 in Division 2 and again fail to record a league win. The wait for Chris Hughton starts to allow us the chance to rectify this
1984-85 We play and beat Wimbledon for the first time
20th September 1986. We finally beat West Brom for the first time. Just Chelsea on the list now
1987-88 We play and beat Wigan Athletic for the first time
1988-89 As mentioned, Chelsea join us for a year in the second tier of English football but unfortunately we cannot record a win.
1989/90 -> Last Saturday. For most of this time the only side that we haven't beaten is just Chelsea. New clubs played and beaten (not always at the first attempt) during this period are Barnet, Wycombe Wanderers, Scarborough, Macclesfield, Cheltenham, Kidderminster Harriers, Rushden & Diamonds, Yeovil Town, MkDons, Dagenham & Redbridge, Burton Albion
We have now (for the first time) beaten every side that we have encountered in the league at least once
Apologies if this has been done elsewhere but I heard that by beating Chelsea this meant that we had won a league match against every team that we ever played in a league match. I thought I would work through this to see if it was true (as far as I could tell). I think it is and furthermore we have never been in that situation before. In my eyes we have played 109 different teams along the way (I have counted Wimbledon and MK Dons as different clubs)
Details
We were founder members of the third division in 1920/21. This league was made up mainly of the teams from the previous Southern League. The exceptions were that Cardiff City were placed in Division 2 due to their previous FA Cup performances. And to even it up Grimsby Town were relegated from Division 2 to Division 3 (this was to stitch up our quest to beat every team we had ever played for years). We lost our first match against Southend, we did beat them in our third league game but by then we had failed to beat Merthyr Town. At the end of our first season we had failed to beat nine teams ( Merthyr Town, Grimsby Town, Luton Town, Swansea Town, Crystal Palace, Exeter City, Southampton, Swindon Town & Watford)
1921/22 - This was the first season of Third Division South so at that point we would have needed a further restructure or for us and Grimsby to get promoted in order for us to play each other. Southampton got promoted that year and we would not play them again for many years either. There were six teams in third division south that we had not registered a vistory against by the end of that season (including Merthyr Town and a new team to us Aberdare Athletic)
1922/23 - 1924/25. By this time we had achieved victories against the teams still in Third Division South including new teams to us over this period Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (which I regard as the same team as Bournemouth etc ) and Bristol City. We still had not beaten Palace, Southampton who had been promoted (and of course Grimsby)
19th September 1925 - We beat Palace for the first time.
We stay in Third Division South until 1957-58. This included Thames AFC who had a two-season stay in the league - luckily we beat them in the second season. We finally beat Southampton for the first time on 27th March 1954 meaning that Grimsby Town were the only club that we had played but had not beaten. We got promoted to Division 2 (which of course included northern clubs) for the 1958-59 season. Co-incidentally the 1958-59 season saw the lower leagues restructured to division 3 and 4 so we would have been playing more teams that were new to us anyway.
1958-59. We did manage to beat Grimsby on the 10th September but by then we had failed to beat Liverpool and Middlesbrough. At the end of the season we had still failed to beat these two but also Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City. Sheffield Wednesday got promoted and we wouldn't play them again until the 1970's
1959/60 - 1961/62 We continued in Division 2 for these three seasons which saw our first victories against both Liverpool and Leeds Utd. When relegated at the end of the 61/62 season we had failed to beat Bury, Newcastle Utd & Preston North End from Division 2 along with Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Hull who had been promoted or relegated in the meantime
1962/63 - 1963/64 We got relegated from division 3 after just one season and naturally landed in division 4. These two seasons saw us play nineteen teams that were new to us and at the of that we were still to beat (Chester, Workington, Stockport County, Chesterfield, Southport, Bradford City, Bury, Newcastle, Preston, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough and Wrexham)
1964/65 - A promotion season leaving us with nine teams that we had played but not beaten
1965/66 - 1971/72 At the end of this spell in Division 3 we were still to register victories against Bolton Wanderers, Chester City, Newcastle, Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday)
1972/73 League Division 2. We play and fail to beat Blackpool and Burnley for the first time but we do beat Preston. We get relegated that season
1973-74 - 1976/77 League Division 3. We play and beat Hereford and Cambridge for the first time. And we register our first vistories against Chester City and Sheffield Wednesday. The list of played but not beaten sides at the end of 1976/77 reads Blackpool, Burnley, Bolton, Newcastle
1977/78 - Division 2 again. A golden year - we meet Spurs for the first time and beat them in the second game against them. We also get our first wins against Blackpool, Bolton and Burnley. Only Newcastle left on the list of sides played but not beaten at the end of the season
1978/79 We beat Newcastle for the first time on the 30th December but sadly by then we have played Leicester and West Ham for the first time without victory. We do get a victory against Leicester on the third of February so just West Ham on the list now. This season sees us promoted to the top division for the first time
1979-80 Division 1 - Six new clubs for us to face including many traditional big names but not including Chelsea - they went down when we went up - we will encounter them for the first time in division 2. West Ham were not with us this season in the top league. At the end of the season the list now also included Arsenal, Everton, Man Utd & West Brom
1980-81 - 1982/83. We beat most teams during our time in the top division and when we get relegated the only team that we have played but not yet beaten is West Brom
1983/84 - Division 2. We encounter Chelsea for the first time but don't beat them. We will also meet them in 1988/89 in Division 2 and again fail to record a league win. The wait for Chris Hughton starts to allow us the chance to rectify this
1984-85 We play and beat Wimbledon for the first time
20th September 1986. We finally beat West Brom for the first time. Just Chelsea on the list now
1987-88 We play and beat Wigan Athletic for the first time
1988-89 As mentioned, Chelsea join us for a year in the second tier of English football but unfortunately we cannot record a win.
1989/90 -> Last Saturday. For most of this time the only side that we haven't beaten is just Chelsea. New clubs played and beaten (not always at the first attempt) during this period are Barnet, Wycombe Wanderers, Scarborough, Macclesfield, Cheltenham, Kidderminster Harriers, Rushden & Diamonds, Yeovil Town, MkDons, Dagenham & Redbridge, Burton Albion
We have now (for the first time) beaten every side that we have encountered in the league at least once
