KEEGAN; WAR TIME LEAGUE; TOP CLUBS?

On this day, Kevin Keegan was making one of his trademarks; a sensational "return" to Newcastle United. In 1992 he was appointed manager and given the task of avoiding his new club's relegation to the third tier of the Football League. The Magpies were in a spot of bother and management flew Keegan into St James' after he had spent the past few years on golf courses in Spain, but the risk seemed to work! 

By the turn of 1992, fallen giants Newcastle Utd were struggling at the foot of the Second Division, millions of pounds in debt and facing relegation to the third tier for the first time ever. However, the club's future was secured in a takeover deal by millionaire John Hall, who sacked Ossie Ardiles, as manager in early February and appointed former England striker Keegan as manager of the club where he had ended his playing career eight years earlier. Keegan kept Newcastle up and the club's new owners made money available to build a team capable of winning promotion in the 1992–93 season.

Those with a positive disposition, such as the Newcastle committee!, would have found February 3rd in 1940, a challenge, when a record was set for the most number of football postponements in Britain, as the War Time League was hit with bad weather, with ONE fixture out of 56 beating the cold. That fixture happened to be in the south-west of the country (understandably....a part of Britain that is "eased" by North Atlantic Drift; a warm ocean current drifting from the Tropics that bring;s warm south westerly winds to Western Europe). It was at Bristol City, who played Plymouth but they would have wished for a postponement as they were battered 10-3!! AND some more stuff.....

Top ten clubs by number of seasons in top flight*

Rank	Club	No. seasons
1	Everton	121
2	Aston Villa	110
3	Liverpool	109
4	Arsenal	107
5	Manchester United	99
6	Manchester City	95
7	Newcastle United	92
8	Chelsea	89
9	Tottenham Hotspur	89
10	Sunderland	87

* Division 1 and Premier League, as of the 2023/24 season

Top ten clubs by number of ongoing, successive seasons in top flight*

Rank	Club	First Season	No. seasons
1	Arsenal	1919/20	98**
2	Everton	1954/55	70
3	Liverpool	1962/63	62
4	Manchester United	1975/76	49
5	Tottenham Hotspur	1978/79	46
6	Chelsea	1988/89	36
7	Manchester City	2002/03	22
8	West Ham United	2012/13	12
9	Crystal Palace	2013/14	11
10	Brighton & Hove Albion	2017/18	7
	Newcastle United

* Division 1 and Premier League, as of the 2023/24 season

** 6 seasons lost due to the 2nd World War, and 1 season abandoned, total 7 seasons lost.

Clubs by number of successive seasons (ever) in top flight*

Rank	Club	First Season	Season relegated	No. seasons
1	Arsenal	1919/20		98**
2	Everton	1954/55		70
3	Liverpool	1962/63		62
4	Sunderland	1890/91	1957/58	57
5	Manchester United	1975/76		49
6	Tottenham Hotspur	1978/79		46
7	Aston Villa	1888/89	1935/36	43
	Blackburn Rovers
9	Sheffield United	1893/94	1933/34	36
	Chelsea	1988/89		36
11	Coventry City	1967/68	2000/01	33
12	Newcastle United	1898/99	1933/34	31
13	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1932/33	1964/65	27
	Southampton	1978/79	2004/05	27
15	Huddersfield Town	1920/21	1951/52	25
	Portsmouth	1927/28	1958/59	25
17	Blackpool	1937/38	1966/67	23
	West Bromwich Albion	1949/50	1972/73	23
	Burnley	1947/48	1970/71	23
20	Bolton Wanderers	1935/36	1963/64	22
	Manchester City	2002/03		22
22	Derby County	1926/27	1952/53	20

* Division 1 and Premier League, as of the 2023/24 season

** 6 seasons lost due to the 2nd World War, and 1 season abandoned, total 7 seasons lost.