Who Was The Worst Premier League Football Team In History?
For many fans, players and managers proudly wearing a football team’s kit, reaching the top flight of the football league is a monumental achievement to be proud of. For Derby County in 2007, however, it was a curse.
Whilst Derby County’s ignominy predates the now-infamous term “Suffering from Success”, the Rams proved that success at the wrong time could bring more suffering than expected failure.
When manager Billy Davies was brought to Pride Park in 2006 following a surprisingly successful stint at Preston North End, where he led the Lilywhites to a playoff final, his expectations for his first season were relatively modest.
Instead, he won a remarkable playoff final against West Bromwich Albion, which opened Pandora’s Box and caused Mr Davies and his team an endless stream of issues.
A dispute over player bonuses and concerns over a takeover at the club left the club woefully unprepared to compete, arguably having a weaker squad coming into their first season in the Premier League than the one they had during the playoff finals.
Whilst drawing their first game against Portsmouth, results turned so quickly that one bookmaker paid out any bets that they would be relegated on 1st September, at least six months before it was confirmed.
They won just one game all season against Newcastle United, which, alongside a total of eight draws, gave them a grand total of 11 points, by far the worst score in the history of the Premier League, one that has never been close to matched.
Billy Davies left by mutual consent after criticising the club in November 2007, replaced by survival specialist Paul Jewell. Mr Jewell promptly lost in an FA Cup game to Billy Davies’ old club, Preston North End, then 22nd in the Championship.
What made this far worse was the ill-fated decision to spend far too late on trying to escape relegation, which created a damaging financial situation that meant when they were relegated in last place, they have spent the subsequent 18 years struggling to stay competitive in the lower leagues.