League Tenures since Auto Promotion from Conference

[hector]

Since 1987 when Scarborough were the first team automatically promoted from the Conference the promoted teams have had the following length tenures as a league club.

1987 - 1999 Scarborough
1988 - 2011 Lincoln City
1989 - 1992 Maidstone United
1990 - 2010 Darlington
1991 - 2001 Barnet
1992 - Colchester United
1993 - Wycombe Wanderers
1994 - No promotion
1995 - No promotion
1996 - No promotion
1997 - 2012 Macclesfield Town
1998 - 2002 Halifax Town
1999 - Cheltenham Town
2000 - 2005 Kidderminster Harriers
2001 - 2006 Rushden & Diamonds
2002 - 2007 Boston United
2003 - Yeovil Town
2003 - Doncaster Rovers
2004 - 2009 Chester City
2004 - Shrewsbury Town
2005 - 2013 Barnet
2005 - Carlisle United
2006 - Accrington Stanley
2006 - 2012 Hereford United
2007 - Dagenham & Redbridge
2007 - Morecambe
2008 - 2013 Aldershot Town
2008 - Exeter City
2009 - Burton Albion
2009 - 2014 Torquay United
2010 - Stevenage
2010 - Oxford United
2011 - Crawley Town
2011 - AFC Wimbledon
2012 - Fleetwood Town
2012 - York City
2013 - Mansfield Town
2013 - Newport County


Maidstone 3 years, Halifax 4 years would be the only tenures shorter than ours.
5 years we would share with Kidderminster, Rushden, Boston, Chester and Aldershot. Embarrassing.

What happened to teams who went down?

1987 - Lincoln (came straight back up, arguably stronger but eventually down again)
1988 - Newport County (folded)
1989 - Darlington (came back up, arguably stronger but eventually down again and folded)
1990 - Colchester United (came back up stronger)
1991 - no relegation
1992 - Maidstone United/Aldershot both folded
1993 - Halifax Town (came back up, went down again, folded)
1994 - no relegation
1995 - no relegation
1996 - no relegation
1997 - Hereford United (came back up, arguably stronger but went down again)
1998 - Doncaster Rovers (came back up - much stronger)
1999 - Scarborough (folded)
2000 - Chester City (came back up, went back down, folded)
2001 - Barnet (came back up, went back down)
2002 - Halifax Town (folded)
2003 - Exeter City (came back up, arguably stronger)
2003 - Shrewsbury Town (came back up stronger)
2004 - Carlisle United (came back stronger)
2004 - York City (eventually came back)
2005 - Kidderminster Harriers & Cambridge United (still stuck down there)
2006 - Oxford United (came back, eventually) Rushden (folded)
2007 - Boston (got relegated about three divisions) Torquay (came back up, we thought, much stronger but about to go again)
2008 - Mansfield (eventually come back up) Wrexham (still floundering)
2009 - Chester (folded) Luton (taken 5 years for a big club to get back)
2010 - Grimsby (still there) Darlington (folded)
2011 - Lincoln (struggling) Stockport (went down again and now part-time)
2012 - Hereford & Macclesfield (both have struggled)
2013 - Barnet, Aldershot (went into administration)

Most of those clubs were going through some sort of turmoil when they were relegated, such as us in 2007. Or they had struggled for a few years beforehand.

What is going to be our 2nd relegation seems just so unnecessary. I know money is short but we are not in the sort of mess Exeter were in 2003 or Aldershot were last season.

I'm hopeful we can be competitive but the sheer determination and 'new era' feel about Conference life in 2007, will likely be missing for a second stint in 2014.

[kevgull]

Our turmoil has been self inflicted at the highest level.

This woeful tale of Torquay United's 2013/14 season was master minded in the Boardroom and then played out on the pitch!