Boro vs. the rest (last 50 years)

[Rofesleg]

I realised that this is the 50th season I have been following the Boro. I had some time on my hands so put together a list of how many seasons in that time we have finished above every other team.
From 73/74 - 22/23 (I have used current standings for this season).
If a team isn't on the list we have finished above them every season.
Not sure if it actually means much but I found it interesting.

A couple of things to note.
* We've never finished above Liverpool.
* Norwich are our peers.

Team	No. seasons	%		Team	No. seasons	%
Liverpool	0	0%		Birmingham City	36	72%
Manchester United	1	2%		Wimbledon	37	74%
Arsenal	2	4%		Swansea City	37	74%
Aston Villa	7	14%		Bournemouth	39	78%
Everton	7	14%		Charlton Athletic	39	78%
Tottenham Hotspur	7	14%		Luton Town	39	78%
Chelsea	10	20%		Bolton Wanderers	40	80%
West Ham United	13	26%		Cardiff City	40	80%
Newcastle United	15	30%		Hull City	40	80%
Manchester City	16	32%		Portsmouth	40	80%
Southampton	16	32%		Millwall	41	82%
Leeds United	19	38%		Oldham Athletic	41	82%
Leicester City	22	44%		Reading	41	82%
Nottingham Forest	24	48%		Barnsley	42	84%
Norwich City	25	50%		Huddersfield Town	43	86%
Blackburn Rovers	27	54%		Wigan Athletic	43	86%
Crystal Palace	28	56%		Notts County	44	88%
Queens Park Rangers	28	56%		Oxford United	45	90%
Ipswich Town	29	58%		Shrewsbury Town	45	90%
Stoke City	29	58%		Brentford	46	92%
West Bromwich Albion	29	58%		Carlisle United	46	92%
Coventry City	31	62%		Grimsby Town	46	92%
Sunderland	31	62%		Blackpool	47	94%
Derby County	32	64%		Bradford City	48	96%
Fulham	33	66%		Bristol City	48	96%
Brighton & Hove Albion	34	68%		Plymouth Argyle	48	96%
Sheffield Wednesday	34	68%		Swindon Town	48	96%
Watford	34	68%		Cambridge United	49	98%
Wolverhampton Wanderers	34	68%		Port Vale	49	98%
Burnley	35	70%		Preston North End	49	98%
Sheffield United	35	70%		Tranmere Rovers	49	98%

 

[Norman_Conquest]

Surprised to see West Ham and Southampton at 26% & 32%.

 

[feedthebear]

I suspect that to have been. on average, the joint 15th most successful team (lower Premier League) over the past 50 years, means that we've punched above our weight, given the size of the town that the club represents, its fan base catchment area etc

 

[Ironops]

Very interesting and lovely to see that over the past 50 years we have been a better team than Sunderland most of the time

 

[Rofesleg]

I was surprised how low Bristol City are.

 

[norfolkngood]

Very interesting and lovely to see that over the past 50 years we have been a better team than Sunderland most of the time

I am absolutely amazed that it took until the 4th post before this fact was pointed out.

 

[Colgates_shaving_foam]

Really good this.

Will be good to pull this out when the next 'big club' debate occurs and somebody compares us to Swindon Town or Sunderland or something.

 

[NorthumberlandBoro]

I was surprised how low Bristol City are.

Hardly ever in the top flight.
Bristol massively underachieves as a large city.

 

[Rofesleg]

Hardly ever in the top flight.
Bristol massively underachieves as a large city.

You're right of course, it must be because they were in the first division with us for a few yrs during my early football days so they stuck in my head as contemporaries.
Also seems that a lot of the time we are in the Championship they have also been there as one of the better teams. See also Preston.

 

[GazBoro]

Very interesting and lovely to see that over the past 50 years we have been a better team than Sunderland most of the time

Maybe that's why the generation of thin-skinned post millennium mackems are now adamant that we're not their rivals, or that its a derby?

Spending most of the last 50 years below the mighty Boro, as well as losing to us on the pitch far more times than they've beaten us in that 50 years, will hurt their sensitivities. Much easier to pretend we don't matter rather than to take the banter on the chin (which their older generation of fans who went to Tees-Wear derbies throughout the 70's, 80's, and 90's were more than capable of living with!).

 

[BoroPhil]

any idea what our closest position to Liverpool was?

Had a look at recent history and we were 2 places and 3 points behind them in 98/99 (same again in 04/05)

 

[Rofesleg]

any idea what our closest position to Liverpool was?

Had a look at recent history and we were 2 places and 3 points behind them in 98/99 (same again in 04/05)

I think you're right, they are the closest we got.

 

[Rofesleg]

Hardly ever in the top flight.
Bristol massively underachieves as a large city.

You're right of course, it must be because they were in the first division with us for a few yrs during my early football days so they stuck in my head as contemporaries.
Also seems that a lot of the time we are in the Championship they have also been there as one of the better teams. See also Preston.

I'm doing another list. This time showing the number of seasons we have been in the same division as each other team (last 50 yrs).
Bristol City have been with us at least 20 times. But only finished above us twice.