Leeds United set an unwanted record this season as they topped the list of teams with the most points to not gain promotion to the Premier League automatically.
The Whites ended the 2023/24 campaign on 90 points, but finished third in the Championship table behind Leicester City (97) and Ipswich Town (96).
Daniel Farke’s side missed out on a return to the English top flight altogether on Saturday after they lost 1-0 to fourth-placed Southampton in the Play-Off final at Wembley.
Read – Why the Play-Offs might be the best thing in football
It was a devastating end to an otherwise excellent season for Leeds, but they are not the only club to suffer such a fate.
Sunderland also finished third with 90 points in 1997/98 before losing to the fourth-best team in the First Division in the Play-Off final. A thrilling decider ended in heartbreak as Charlton Athletic, whose 88 points is the joint fourth-highest tally not to win automatic promotion, won in a penalty shootout.
Although it was painful in the moment, the Black Cats were arguably better off not going up. They dominated the second tier the following season and made a splash in their first year back in the Premier League, almost qualifying for Europe.
Coincidentally, the Addicks finished that season with 88 points, the joint-third most points for
More recently, Brighton finished on the same number of points as Middlesbrough (89), but their inferior goal difference saw them finish agonisingly outside the top two. A shock defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the Play-Off semi-finals denied them a shot at promotion, but they went up the following season as Championship runners-up. They’ve avoided relegation ever since.
Fulham finished third with 88 points in 2017/18 after a phenomenal final few months of the campaign. Fortunately for Slavisa Jokanovic’s side, they defeated Aston Villa in the Play-Off final to end their four-year absence from the Premier League.
Similar to Brighton, Portsmouth finished third behind West Ham United on 88 points while Newcastle took the title in 1993. Leicester City knocked them out of the Play-Offs, but it was Swindon Town, who finished 12 points behind Pompey, that made their way to the promised land.
The most points without automatic promotion to the Premier League:
=1. Leeds United – 90pts (2023/24)
=1. Sunderland – 90pts (1997/98)
3. Brighton – 89pts (2015/16)
=4. Fulham – 88pts (2017/18)
=4. Charlton – 88pts (1997/98)
=4. Portsmouth – 88pts (1992/93)
Read – Farke hurting as Leeds miss out on Premier League promotion
Read More – Five of the greatest Championship play-off moments
See Also – Our FA Cup 2023/24 awards as Man Utd triumph
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