With Italy recently failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, it means that by their next potential appearance (2030), it would have been 16 years since they last participated. That is a surprisingly long drought. With the EFL season rounding off this weekend, it got us thinking. What are the longest promotion droughts in the EFL?
We will cover the five longest currently active promotion droughts in the EFL. Let’s see who they are…
Reading currently have the fifth-longest promotion drought in the EFL. Their last promotion came at the end of the 2011/12 Championship season – 14 years ago. The Royals clinched the title in the penultimate week following a 2-2 draw at home against Crystal Palace. They succumbed to relegation the following season, finishing 19th, 11 points adrift of safety.
The following 10-year spell in the Championship was largely underwhelming, with only one top-six finish recorded. That came in the 2016/17 season, where they finished third. Unfortunately, they were agonisingly denied in the play-off final on penalties against David Wagner’s Huddersfield Town.
The early 2020s brought numerous financial issues under the former controversial owner Dai Yongge. This led to numerous points deductions, 18 in total across three seasons from 2021 to 2024. These deductions resulted in relegation to League One at the end of the 2022/23 season. They would have survived if they hadn’t had a points deduction that season, having finished five points adrift after having six points deducted. They almost clinched a place in the play-offs last season, as they finished 3 points behind in seventh.
It is a different story this season, however, as they are set for yet another campaign in the third tier of English Football.
Swansea City come into this list with the fourth-longest promotion drought. They last achieved promotion at the conclusion of the 2010/11 season – 15 years ago. This came as they won the playoffs after finishing third that season. The Swans came through the semi-finals against Nottingham Forest, drawing 0-0 in the first leg at the City Ground. They went on to win the second leg 3-1 at home in South Wales.
They would then meet Reading in the final. Swansea would go on to go into half-time 3-0 up, before Reading threatened to make a remarkable comeback. Scott Sinclair would complete his hat-trick in the 80th minute to go 4-2 ahead.
This would seal the match and, therefore, promotion to the Premier League for the first time. In the process, they would become the first Welsh team to be promoted to the Premier League
The figure of 15 years is a bit of a skewed figure, though, as The Jacks enjoyed seven straight seasons in the top flight. They also managed to win the League Cup in the 2012/13 season, beating surprise finalists Bradford City 5-0 in the final to claim their first major trophy. It was the club’s centenary season, so it was quite fitting.
They would finish that season ninth, and the League Cup victory would also ensure that the club competed in the Europa League the following season. In the Europa League, they finished second in their group, advancing to the last 32, where they would meet Napoli. The first leg at home would finish 0-0, but unfortunately, they would lose 3-1 in the return leg in Italy.
Swansea would then finish 12th in the 2013/14 campaign, followed by finishes of 8th, 12th again, and 15th in the following seasons. Their seven-year stay was brought to an end mathematically on the final day of the 2017/18 season, following a defeat against fellow relegated Stoke City. In reality, even if Swansea had won, there would have had to be a massive goal difference swing to survive.
Since relegation, things have been mostly underwhelming at the Swansea.com Stadium, with Swansea now finishing their eighth straight season in the second tier. with a ninth season to follow next season.
Only in two of the eight seasons have The Swans finished in the top six. The last play-off campaign they were in was in the 2020/21 season. Here they would beat surprise contenders Barnsley 2-1 across two legs, before losing 2-0 in the final to Brentford. The season prior, they would finish sixth, where they would lose to Brentford 3-2 across two legs in the semi-finals.
Since their last playoff campaign, it has been mid-table mediocrity in South Wales, with finishes of 15th, 10th, 14th, and 11th again all being recorded. They will end the season mid-table yet again, as Vitor Matos starts to prepare his squad for another season of Championship football. Next season, they will aim to end their long stay in the Championship.
Stoke City enter this list with the third-longest promotion drought in the EFL, having last achieved promotion to the Premier League at the conclusion of the 2007/08 season – 18 years ago. They achieved promotion on the final day with a 0-0 draw at home against Leicester City, with a point enough to seal it.
Just like Swansea, Stoke’s drought of 18 years is a bit of a skewed figure. This is as The Potters enjoyed a decade-long spell in the Premier League after promotion, mostly under the management of Tony Pulis, followed by Mark Hughes. During this time, they cemented their spot as an established Premier League side until their relegation.
Their first two seasons were comfortable mid-table finishes, as they recorded finishes of 12th and 11th. In the 2010/11 season, they reached the FA Cup final. Unfortunately, they were edged out 1-0 by Manchester City. The Potters finished 13th that season, but thanks to that FA Cup run, they got to experience a season in the Europa League in the following season. They made a good account of themselves in the Europa League too, finishing second in their group, behind Besiktas, before losing 2-0 on aggregate against Valencia.
Finishes of 14th and 13th saw out the rest of Tony Pulis’ reign at the club, as Mark Hughes took over in May 2013. Under his tenure, they recorded their highest Premier League position of ninth in three consecutive seasons between 2013 and 2016. The 2016/17 season saw them finish in the familiar position of 13th. They were relegated alongside the previously-mentioned Swansea City at the end of the 2017/18 season.
Since relegation, it has been nothing short of underwhelming for The Potters. After initially splashing out £50million in the summer of 2018 as they tried to bounce straight back to the top flight, they finished 16th. It hasn’t got much better since, with every season being mid-table mediocrity. Their highest recorded finish since relegation is 14th. On current trends and fan morale, it seems that they won’t be finishing higher than that anytime soon.
Walsall are next in this list, with their last promotion coming at the end of the 2006/07 campaign. They were promoted straight back to League One after being relegated the previous campaign, where they finished last.
After achieving promotion as champions, the Saddlers went on to endure 12 seasons in the third tier. Most of their seasons resulted in mid-table finishes, with narrow survivals coming in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 campaigns.
A push for promotion to the Championship for the first time since 2004 came in the 2015/16 season, where they agonisingly missed out by a point, finishing behind Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion, who were both promoted. Further misery was inflicted in the play-offs, as they lost 6-1 across two legs to Barnsley. The Tykes went on to be promoted. Another three seasons of League One football followed, and The Saddlers were relegated at the conclusion of the 2018/19 campaign, finishing three points adrift.
Since relegation in 2019, Walsall have spent seven straight seasons in League Two. All of them bar one resulted in a mid-table finish. That outlier came last season, where they spent an astonishing 39 out of 46 gameweeks in the automatic promotion spots. However, a run of 13 games without a win in March and April crashed that promotion race for the Midlands side.
As a result, they missed out on an automatic promotion spot on the final day. They managed to reach the play-off final, however, beating Chesterfield 4-1 across two legs. However, it wasn’t to be in the final, as they narrowly lost 1-0 to AFC Wimbledon. That summed up a miserable few months for a side that had looked nailed-on for promotion.
This season looked promising and looked to put right last season’s heartbreak. However, a run of two wins in 14 ended a chance at promotion, with another mid-table finish being served up. Could next season be the one?
And finally, the final team on this list and the club with the current longest promotion drought within the EFL is Colchester United. Their last promotion came 20 years ago at the conclusion of the 2005/06 season, where they finished second. For context, Billy Sharp was the joint top goalscorer that season.
In their first season in the second tier, the U’s impressed. There were points in the season when they were even in and around the playoff positions. The season eventually concluded with a 10th-place finish, which remains their highest-ever league finish. Unfortunately, the following season was a big struggle after selling their midfield and defensive assets. They dropped into the relegation zone in December, and they would never emerge from it. At the conclusion of the season, they finished bottom, having only accumulated seven wins and 38 points.
Colchester’s first four seasons back in the third tier resulted in top-half finishes, with them all comong between 8th and 12th. However, they were almost relegated in the 2012/13 season, finishing 20th and three points clear.
Survival was only confirmed on the final day after a 2-0 win against Carlisle United. Finishes of 16th and 19th followed, before what seemed like an inevitable relegation was confirmed at the end of the 2015/16 season. A 23rd-place finish, 10 points adrift, meant that a first season in League Two for 18 years was on the horizon.
Life back in the fourth tier began with the U’s being a side that consistently battled for a spot in the playoffs, with finishes of eighth (twice) and thirteenth being recorded. In both of the seasons that they finished eighth, they finished just one point behind the final playoff spot. It was in the 2019/20 season, which was brought to an early end due to COVID-19, that they clinched a playoff spot. They finished sixth, which set up a tie against Exeter City.
However, it wasn’t to be, as they were edged out 3-2 on aggregate. The next four seasons were extremely underwhelming, with relegation battles being fought as the club fought to save its EFL status. In the two most recent seasons, the club has had comfortable mid-table finishes. Now the next step is to climb the pyramid yet again, just like 20 years ago.
