Despite their first league win of the calendar year at Molineux on Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur are in real danger of being relegated this season. They remain in the bottom three, one place and two points below a resurgent West Ham. Spurs boast one of the best stadiums in world football and a turnover that sits comfortably in the top six of English football. They are, however, perilously close to getting relegated from the Premier League for the first time. There’s an argument that they would be the biggest club ever to suffer this fate. We look at the other candidates.
Relegation from the Premier League is usually framed as a footballing failure. But occasionally, it becomes something more, a shock to the entire sport. If Tottenham Hotspur were to drop into the Championship, it wouldn’t just be another relegation. It would raise a serious question: would Spurs be the biggest club ever to go down? One thing is for sure: football betting sites would’ve been offering long odds on this outcome at the start of the season.
To answer the original question, it’s worth revisiting some of the most high-profile relegations in Premier League history.
Newcastle United (2009 & 2016)
Newcastle’s relegations in 2009 and 2016 were seismic moments. A club with a massive fanbase, rich history, and the 52,000-capacity St James’ Park, they were widely seen as “too big to go down.” The 2009 drop, in particular, shocked English football, with big names and significant financial backing failing to prevent the fall.
Yet Newcastle’s revenue and consistent European ambitions at the time arguably didn’t quite match the commercial scale Spurs operate at today.
Aston Villa (2016)
Villa’s relegation in 2016 ended a 28-year stay in the top flight. As one of England’s most historic clubs and a former European Cup winner, their fall was dramatic, but also long-telegraphed after years of decline.
Financially and structurally, Aston Villa had already slipped behind the Premier League elite before going down. Spurs, by contrast, remain commercially powerful and recently competitive at the highest level.
Leeds United (2004 & 2023)
Leeds’ 2004 relegation is often cited as the cautionary tale of modern football. A Champions League semi-finalist just three years earlier, their financial collapse led to a catastrophic drop.
Their 2023 relegation, while significant, lacked the same shock factor. Still, Leeds are a giant in terms of fanbase and history, but again, Spurs’ recent consistency in the Premier League era arguably elevates their standing.
Nottingham Forest (1993, 1997 & 1999)
Forest’s relegations in the 1990s came after their golden era under Brian Clough. As back-to-back European champions in 1979 and 1980, their pedigree is unquestionable.
However, by the time they dropped out of the Premier League, their dominance had already faded. Spurs, in contrast, would be falling from a position of modern relevance rather than historical decline.
Sunderland (1997, 2003, 2006 & 2017)
Sunderland’s repeated relegations highlight a different kind of “big club” narrative, one built on loyal support and a large stadium rather than sustained success.
While their falls were notable, they never quite carried the same combination of financial power, global reach, and recent top-level performance that Spurs currently possess.
So, Would Spurs Be the Biggest?
This is where the argument sharpens.
Tottenham Hotspur have spent much of the last decade as a Premier League mainstay in the top six, reached a Champions League final in 2019, and play in one of the most advanced stadiums in the world. Their commercial revenue, global fanbase, and brand strength are firmly among England’s elite.
Unlike many clubs on this list, Spurs would not be going down after years of decline or financial mismanagement; they would be dropping from a position of relative strength.
That’s what makes the possibility so striking.
Final Verdict
Relegation is always contextual. Historically, clubs like Leeds United and Aston Villa may rival Spurs in stature. But in the modern era, measured by revenue, infrastructure, and recent competitiveness, Tottenham’s fall would arguably be unprecedented.
If it happens, it wouldn’t just be one of the biggest relegations ever.
It might be the biggest.