How League One Became The Graveyard For Former Premier League Sides

The Premier League is the pinnacle of English football. The promised lands and dizzy heights that every club in the EFL aspires to compete in. However, it’s a long road for teams -needing to perform at the highest level and battle to gain promotion from England’s professional leagues - some needing to overcome quick and successive promotions like Bournemouth and Ipswich Town or ending a long hiatus similar to Nottingham Forest.

Nevertheless, the feeling and achievement of promotion can be ecstasy for clubs, with the potential to achieve domestic and continental success. But sometimes teams can fall faster than they rise, with clubs falling into a dark stigma and facing back-to-back relegations.

Teams that struggle in the Premier League often compete in the Championship in the modern day – teams either falling into a yo-yo promotional process or falling deeper down the division and even down to the third tier of English football.

Here is a look at the teams that have dropped down twice since their relegation from the Premier League and now operate in League One.

Bolton Wanderers:

A 28,000-seater stadium, with old renowned players such as Kevin Davies, Jay-Jay Okocha, Jussi Jaaskelainen, and Fernando Hierro once representing them. It is safe to say that Bolton Wanderers are not a League One-sided club by trade. The Wanderers were a founding member of the Football League in 1888, being relegated in 1978 – Bolton faced a difficult path of three relegations and a tricky route back to the summit of English football. However, following promotions in 1992-93 and 1994-95, the Whites achieved Premier League status once again.

Bolton went on to win the First Division title in 1996-97 but could not remain in the division for more than one season. The Lancashire club returned to the top flight under the stewardship of Sam Allardyce in 2001 after a playoff final victory. Bolton would become a maintain-stay in the division, operating in the Premier League for 11 consecutive seasons – the Whites reaching the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup on two occasions.

𝑺𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆 🔥#OnThisDay in 2002, @OfficialBWFC signed the one and only @IAmOkocha 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/TkCBOK6fcI
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 18, 2020

Their Premier League status was revoked in 2011 - a second relegation being suffered five years later as Bolton fell to League One in 2016. 2016-17 provided a year of positivity as the club gained promotion. That positivity wouldn’t last long as the burden of financial difficulties began to hover over the city of Bolton, the Wanderers entering administration and back to the third tier in 2019 before a further relegation to League Two in 2020. The road back to stability would begin under the reign of Ian Evatt in 2021, finishing second behind the league champions Cambridge United.

In the modern day, Bolton are placed 8th in the League One table, with the Lancashire club currently being managed by Steven Schumacher with ambitions to be promoted back to the second tier. With two games remaining in the season, the Whites sit six points behind the playoff spots, and after losing four straight games – their playoff hopes look to have diminished.

Wigan Athletic:

Wigan Athletic were once an established club in the top flight, being promoted out of the Championship in the 2004-05 season, losing in the 2006 League Cup final before defeating Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final alongside being relegation from the top tier. One of the 200s top entertainers, Roberto Martinez’s Wigan squad compiled with the Premier League’s finest ‘Barclays’ such as Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia.

2688. Hugo RODALLEGA

Forward - 25.07.85 - COL (43/8)

Prem Debut:
28/01/2009 (WIGAN ATHLETIC vs. Liverpool, D 1-1 - sub 77 mins)

Prem Clubs:
Wigan Athletic (09-12), Fulham (12-14)

Prem Apps: 154
Prem Goals: 29 pic.twitter.com/vggjrvfmBc
— Premier League Players (@premlgeplayers) May 19, 2024

The Colombian, Rodallega was known for his cornrows and highlight reel screamers. Joining the club in the 2008-09 season, Rodallega remains Wigan’s all-time goal-scorer in the Premier League with 24 goals. The Colombian was also the man to keep the Northern side in the top flight for another season in 2011, scoring late against Stoke City to gain all three points for Wigan and extend their Premier League stay. On the other hand, N’Zogbia was a tricky and wizard-like winger – providing plenty of memorable moments for Wigan fans. Joining the club for a reported £6m from Newcastle, N’Zogbia announced himself to Latics fans perfectly, scoring from inside of his own half as Wigan defeated Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. The Frenchman became a cult hero in the north, scoring 15 goals in 83 games – 2010/11 being his best Premier League campaign as he returned nine goals and seven assists.

Martinez’s side were one of entertainers and underdogs, winning the FA Cup against a stronger Manchester City side, Ben Watson, Callum Mcmanaman, and Shaun Maloney playing a part in the historic squad. The Latics also even operated in European football while in the Championship. However, after the heights of winning the FA Cup and competing in Europe, Wigan’s fall would be deep and dark. Further pain was suffered in 2015, the club being relegated from the Championship, before bouncing back as League One champions in the 2015/16 season and facing a familiar fate in 2017/18, with another relegation. The club’s woes deepened on 1 July 2020, following a first month of ownership change – Wigan were placed into administration and handed a point deduction, sending them back down to the third tier. Yo-yoing between the Championship and League One had become a regular procedure for Wigan, once again it was a near relegation for the Latics in 2021, then being promoted as League One champions in 2021/22 but with a further two points deducted they were relegated from the Championship in their first year back in the second tier, and began the 2023/24 League One season for Wigan began with minus eight points.

Wigan were the prime suffers of a poor owner and struggling to match other club's financial powers – the pandemic also playing a detrimental role. While their FA Cup victory was one of a fairytale, the opportunity to play in Europe as a team in the second division seemed to harm the club and further their build-up of financial problems. In the modern day, similar to Bolton Wanderers, Wigan are a team on the mend, attempting to rebuild in England’s third tier – the Latics sat 15th in the League One table.

Reading:

The situation of Reading is slightly different to their fellow follow giants in the third tier - the Royals sit 7th in the League One table and have mostly operated in the Championship, within their absence from the Premier League, with top talents such as Michael Olise wearing the blue and white hoops of Reading in that time. However, in 2025, Reading are on the brink of self-destruction, being threatened with being suspended from the EFL, losing their stadium, and possibly even their club if they are unable to move on and find a new owner.

At just 19 years old, Reading's Michael Olise looks like he could be the next big thing to come from the Championship..

What a talent 🤩🤩🤩

📹 @Super6 pic.twitter.com/u34KaUYBmD
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) January 18, 2021

Reading competed in the Premier League for the first time in 2006/07, achieving a record points total in the Championship, with 106 points, 99 goals scored, and only two defeats. The Royals would defy expectations, finishing in 8th place before being relegated in their second campaign. But in most recent times, the Royals were promoted back to the peak of English football in the 2011/12 Championship playoffs. However, after failing to win any of their first 11 matches, Brian McDermott and Nigel Adkins were unable to save Reading from relegation. That would be it for Reading and the Premier League, the Royals attempted to make an instant comeback to the big time in 2013, making the big team capture of Wayne Bridge but it did not work out for Reading. The club failed to make a dent on the Championship table for the first four years back in England’s most competitive league.

Nevertheless, 2017 was the beginning of the end for Reading - Chinese investors Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li acquired the club before the club began to receive points deduction under their Chinese ownership – in 2021 being deducted six points due to breaching the EFL’s profitability and sustainability rules, having another six points taken away in 2023, with the club being relegated down to League One due to this deduction. Not only that but Reading were once again charged in 2023, this time failing to pay their players on time and in full, receiving another points deduction for their first season in League One. Yongge’s reign at the club has been one of constant turmoil – during their time in England’s third tier, Reading have been placed under an embargo, faced further points deductions, withdrew their women’s team from the Women’s Championship in 2024, and failed to find a buyer on multiple occasions. Reading are a large club and a city club with a passionate fanbase, but until the club can find a new owner, it is hard to see in blue and white hoops.

Is It The Club’s Fault, Or Is It Purely Down To Ownership?

There are plenty of reasons for relegation, player effort, quality, injuries, and managers can all play their part. However, when teams suffer successive relegations and struggle to make their way back – there is often an overriding reason. While teams such as Southampton and Burnley were able to bounce straight back to the Premier League last season, teams like Bolton, Wigan, Reading, Blackpool, and Barnsley have all fallen and become stuck in League One, due to several errors, but the incompetence and financial difficulties faced by owners is the main factor that gave the teams a disadvantage to compete.