The phenomenon of clubs suffering back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One is occurring more frequently, according to a BBC Sport analysis. In the first 20 Premier League seasons it happened only once, to Swindon Town under special circumstances. Since Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2011-12, it has occurred four times in 14 seasons, including Sunderland (2016-18), Luton Town (2023-25) and Leicester City (2023-25). Burnley, currently in the Championship relegation zone, could become the third team in three years to complete the double drop.
Historical cases show turmoil on and off the pitch contributed to the declines. Wolves burned through four managers and made poor transfers, Sunderland won just 13 of 84 league matches across the two seasons, and Leicester's relegation was sealed by a six-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules. Former EFL player and pundit Jobi McAnuff attributes the recent double drops to mismanagement of playing squads, noting that Luton and Leicester failed to adjust after relegation and retained players unsuited for a Championship battle.
Burnley's situation highlights the financial complexities. After a leveraged buyout by ALK Capital in 2020, the club carried £142m in loans in the 2024-25 accounts, the highest debt in the Championship. Despite £71.7m revenue and £48m in parachute payments, they set a record for the longest run without a home win (378 days). In contrast, Lincoln City, who beat Burnley 4-1, operate on £7.81m revenue and £5.5m solidarity funding, illustrating that financial advantage does not guarantee on-pitch success.
The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has proposed replacing parachute payments with merit-based payments to reduce the financial gap between relegated clubs and the rest of the Championship. IFR chair David Kogan said this would make the Championship "a much more competitive league." However, McAnuff believes even with reduced parachute payments, the financial advantage for relegated clubs will remain significant, as they are historically more than four times more likely to gain promotion.
The trend suggests that clubs relegated from the Premier League must be prepared for life in the Championship to avoid a rapid slide to the third tier. Whether Burnley can arrest their decline remains to be seen, but the double drop is no longer an anomaly.
