The three most surprising former Premier League teams

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Since its inception way back in 1992 a grand total of 47 clubs have played in the Premier League and a few of the participants may surprise you.

With the Premier League having been established over 20 years ago it is no surprise that multiple teams have dined at the top table of English football at one stage or another.

There have been only six clubs who have contested every season of the league and there are some that have appeared for just one. Regardless, there are some teams you expect to feature in the history books more than others and the following three examples certainly fall into the latter category.

Barnsley

Having spent the last few years hovering between the second and third tiers, it is surprising to say the least that Barnsley actually did spend a year in the Premier League.

After gaining promotion behind champions Bolton, the Tykes’ one and only campaign in the 1997/98 season was a disappointing one as they were relegated.

Despite registering 10 victories over the course of their tenure they were unable to avoid the drop, ending up finishing in 19th. They are currently enjoying their first season back in the Championship where they find themselves in third place as they continue to dream of a return to the top flight.

Oldham Athletic

Believe it or not, the Latics were actually one of the founding members of the Premier League having been playing in the First Division when the new structure was formulated.

They had a memorable year in 1992/93 as they famously stayed up on the final day, completing the first of many great escapes from relegation that the league would experience.

However the good times would not last as they were relegated the following season, finishing in 21st. Currently they are competing in League One where they lie in 18th after six games, far away from the glorious heights that they once reached.

Swindon Town

After a seven-goal thriller at Wembley saw them defeat Leicester City to win the play-off final, Swindon joined the ranks of the elite by gaining promotion to the Premier League. It would prove to be their one and only experience at that level to date, as they won just five games and conceded 100 goals en-route to finishing bottom of the table.

Recently they have been going back and forth between two leagues and they currently sit in 12th position in League One. Similarly to Oldham, it will be interesting to see whether or not they are able to ever get back to the position they once found themselves in.