Football Trivia Question: Help needed.

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Sergey Gotsmanov

New member

May 11, 2011

17

South London

• Dec 28, 2013

• #1

Season's greetings Albion fans..

A friend and I were recently discussing dramatic ways to win the league and we were wondering;

has a team ever won a division having never been top of the table during the whole season until after the very last round of games?


Does anyone know of a situation where this has happened?

Any input greatly received.

 

Goldstone Rapper

Rediffusion PlayerofYear

Jan 19, 2009

14,865

BN3 7DE

• Dec 28, 2013

• #2

I'm struggling to think of an example.

Sheffield Wednesday could have achieved this in 1992 but results went against them in the final two games of the season.

I thought 1967/68 in Scotland might have been an example. Rangers had been unbeaten all season until the final day when they lost and surrendered the title. As it was, Celtic had led at one point early on in the season and had led from March onwards.

Perhaps the best one I can think of is Arsenal winning the Division One title on goal average in 1953. They only led from April 15th onwards and won it on goal average.

 

Pavilionaire

Well-known member

Jul 7, 2003

30,566

• Dec 28, 2013

• #3

I can't think of a football example but in 2012 the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers on the last day of the season to pip them to the American League West division title. It was the first time Oakland had been in sole possession of the top spot. No big deal, until you consider the season is 162 games long.

 

The aloof gatekeeper

Active member

Oct 11, 2011

256

• Dec 30, 2013

• #4

I don't know about other Leagues, OP, but it's never happened in the English top flight.

Coming closest to achieving the feat were Portsmouth in 49-50, and Derby County in 74-75. Both teams topped the table for the first time after game 39 of 42. Honourable mentions go to Liverpool in 1900-01 topping the table after the first and last games only, and Burnley in 59-60 after the second and last games only.

Incidentally, only one team has won the League after being top all season; that was Tottenham Hotspur in the 60-61 season.

 

kevo

Well-known member

Mar 8, 2008

9,094

• Dec 30, 2013

• #5

I think there was a season in Scotland in the 80s or 90s where Hearts were leading throughout the season, but Celtic gradually gained on them, winning something like their last ten games. They finally pipped them to the Championship on the last day of the season.

Edit: just checked - it was the 85-86 season, but doesn't 'count' as Celtic were leading the table earlier in the season. I do remember at one point that Hearts had a seemingly unassailable lead, but Celtic caught up and finished ahead of them on goal difference on the final day.

 

Last edited: Dec 30, 2013

D Block blue

Active member

Feb 23, 2009

534

West Sussex la la la

• Dec 30, 2013

• #6

Not sure, didn't Reading do some thing like that 2011-2012 season. think they were top for last few games after an amazing run.

 

S

Sergey Gotsmanov

New member

May 11, 2011

17

South London

• Jan 3, 2014

• Thread starter
• #7

Thanks for the interesting replies.

The baseball one is incredible, Pavilionaire. 162 games!? Do they ever get to see their families? Also I wonder if the fixtures are arranged so they can play games in a close geographical proximity while they're on the road? Anyways thanks again chaps and I shall continue my search for an example of this.. It must have happened somewhere at some point, albeit it probably in the Transylvanian 5th division or something similar.

 

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Danny-Boy

Banned

Apr 21, 2009

5,579

The Coast

• Jan 3, 2014

• #8

The aloof gatekeeper said:

I don't know about other Leagues, OP, but it's never happened in the English top flight.

Coming closest to achieving the feat were Portsmouth in 49-50, and Derby County in 74-75. Both teams topped the table for the first time after game 39 of 42. Honourable mentions go to Liverpool in 1900-01 topping the table after the first and last games only, and Burnley in 59-60 after the second and last games only.

Incidentally, only one team has won the League after being top all season; that was Tottenham Hotspur in the 60-61 season.

Click to expand...

How do you state that a team heads the league after one game? Surely a lot of the time it's academic until about four or five games.