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Promotion for a football fan is amongst the sweetest feelings. The tumultuous emotional rollercoaster that follows is an experience of a lifetime. Each memory becomes special. For example- the Aston Villa faithful at Holte End have adopted the song 'Sweet Caroline' which proved lucky during their promotion last season.
Yet, what follows promotion is often dire results-wise. Teams inevitably lose more than they win. They go from favourites to underdogs and every goal is an event. Some teams are of course better than the others. In the last ten years, there have been 21 different teams who have enjoyed promotion from the Championship. Some promoted clubs hold cult-status. Ipswich Town in 2000/01 comes to mind right away. In the more recent past, other clubs have also made a name for themselves in the Premier League with their doggedness and sometimes fairytale football.
This year, Sheffield United are having many fans dream ut the season is not yet over and we shall see how they measure up against other promoted sides this decade. As we approach the end of the decade let us look at the best-promoted sides in the Premier League in the last ten seasons. Do note: this list has been made keeping league positions in regard.
Honourable mentions should be made to some spirited promoted sides who do not make the list- Bournemouth in 2015/16 who finished 16th but made headlines for their uncompromising exciting style of play and could not sustain their rise. There is also the case of Burnley who were famously hard to beat but had no goals in them.
#4 West Ham United, 10th (2012-13)
West Ham United crawled back to Premier League via the playoffs in 2011-12. Not much was expected from the East London side. Sam Allardyce, in his first role since the Blackburn Rovers sacking, established a team that was very difficult to beat.
West Ham made a lot of signings over the summer but none for huge sums of money. When one looks back, the side was nothing special and the league was very topsy-turvy. Allardyce's performance won plaudits but he came under fire for the style of play. His organised side was unremarkable in every way. Except they never went too long without a result. They never lost more than two on the bounce. Allardyce's principles divide many to this day, but his effectiveness has never been questioned. The scoreline was often decided by one goal and the goals were spread out across the team.
The most important players of this squad were Kevin Nolan, Andy Caroll and Mark Noble. James Collins, Winston Reid, Joey O'Brien and James Tomkins all played effectively at the back. West Ham continued much the same way the following season and finished 13th. Allardyce and West Ham split and both have moved on.
What was remarkable about West Ham is that this was a side which had experienced a torrid recent past. They had been relegated twice in the last decade and struggled for any consistency. Things have looked brighter since for the Hammers, having moved into a new stadium and acquiring a better squad.
Allardyce has since managed Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton. West Ham has played in Europe twice this decade. Both attempts were sadly forgettable.
Also check out: EPL table EPL fixtures UCL schedule
#3 Newcastle United 10th (2017-18)
Newcastle United banished the demons of their second relegation in a decade in style. They did struggle for large parts of the seasons but Rafael Benitez's coaching skills shone through. Backed in the summer following a convincing season in the Championship, Newcastle United picked up some impressive wins against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. They went on many winless streaks but the belief never wavered.
There were no standout goal-scorers but Ayoze Perez and Matt Ritchie proved to be key men, constantly haranguing the opposition with their pace and direct running. Newcastle had been expected to stay up comfortably and they did in the end. For the first time in many years, the fan unrest and the protests against owner Mike Ashley seemed to have subsided.
Injuries and form meant Benitez used three different goalkeepers, a highly unusual situation. Dwight Gayle, Joselu and Jacob Murphy were used largely off the bench. Despite the stop-start season, Newcastle always looked as if they were in control. Partially due to the poor form of opponents. That is unimportant as all teams play the same season, conditions and rules.
The end of the season called for reinvestment. As it is now known, Newcastle had a similar season last time around and are once again lower-mid table. Record books never lie and finishing eight points clear of Swansea City in 18th was still an impressive feat. The pressure of the goldfish bowl situation at Newcastle, combined with sky-high expectations make it difficult to hit higher targets. Especially in the absence of greater investment.
#2 Birmingham City, 9th, (2009-10)
For the first team, we go back exactly ten years for one of the most interesting seasons in recent history. Carlo Ancelotti had just joined Chelsea and the title race went down to the wire. Chelsea won the league by a single point ahead of the hat-trick champions Manchester United.
Another fantastic season was on at the other end of the table. Birmingham City won only twice until the second week of October. Then they went on an unbelievable run. The Alex MacLeish side was not beaten till January. In the process, they won five in a row and drew at Anfield. After this, they once more had a patchy season and rallied to finish 9th on 50 points. They were distant from Everton at 61 points. Yet, there was no question on whether they deserved the top-half finish. Birmingham City's side was built on counter-attack and long-passes. They were not prolific but retained an element of surprise about them which caught many off-guard. The squad though not most talented rode on the momentum of belief to create the best season for the Blues fans in years.
Notable players included Joe Hart, on-loan, Lee Bowyer and Cameron Jerome. Unfortunately the fairy-tale lasted only one season. The club finished 18th the next season and was relegated to the Championship, where it has been since. Birmigham City did win the League Cup on the way down though in 2010/11. This was enough to tempt rivals Aston Villa to sign manager Alex MacLeish. Birmingham City has lost its way since and has struggled into obscurity.
#1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 7th, (2018-19)
This is a side and a season still fresh in memory. Wolverhampton Wanderers achieved promotion the previous season with a record tally and they put forward a record return performance as well. Finishing 7th and entering the Europa League qualifiers, Wolves were phenomenal. They were fairly consistent throughout the season and Nuno Espírito Santo was praised for his poise and guile as a manager.
Ruben Neves made headlines despite having an on and off season according to close observers. Wolves secured important points against the Top 6 and mid-table opposition and ensured they never entered a relegation race. Joao Moutinho, Willy Boly and Diogo Jota provided solid performances through the season and the defensive organisation of the side was fantastic. Wolves were obviously bolstered by the major Chinese investment but it still takes brilliant strategy to transition from Championship to Europe in under two seasons.
It is not as if their success has been purely down to money either. Conor Coady and Matt Doherty continue to be ever-presents in their side. Morgan White-Gibbs was given plenty of time off the bench to impress as well. Spanish Right Back Jonny was an astute loan signing before being made permanent. Rui Patricio added experience in goal and was signed on a free before 12 million was paid to Sporting Lisbon in compensation for breach of contract.
Wolves finished on 57 points, 7 more than the Birmingham City side who went 12 unbeaten in 2009-2010. The entire league was largely inconsistent bar Liverpool and Manchester City and Wolves were amongst the best run units throughout the season. This season started shakily for the side but they are already looking far better and are currently 5th on the table.
