Burnley Double Drop Reality: Why Back-to-Back Relegations Are Rising

Burnley face becoming third double drop in three years as back-to-back relegations rise

Burnley are marooned in the Championship relegation zone and could become the third team in three years to suffer back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One. Head coach Nicky Hayen was sacked after a 4-1 defeat at Lincoln City, with Diego Lopez and Fabio Celestini appointed as chief football officer and new boss respectively.

At stake: Burnley could drop from Premier League to League One in consecutive seasons, joining Luton and Leicester as recent double-drop clubs.
Recent double drops: Wolves (2011-12), Sunderland (2016-18), Luton (2023-25), Leicester (2023-25).
Burnley's debt: £142m in loans in 2024-25 accounts after ALK Capital's 2020 leveraged buyout.
Home woes: Set a new English league record for longest run without a home win; 378 days since last home victory before hosting Portsmouth on Saturday.
Financial gap: Burnley's 2024-25 revenue £71.7m vs Lincoln's £7.81m; £48m parachute payments vs £5.5m solidarity funding.

What was said

"Despite the fact we've seen Luton and Leicester suffer back-to-back relegations in recent years, I don't see it as a trend that will continue. For both of those clubs, in my opinion, it was a case of mismanagement of the playing squad. From Luton's perspective, there were a few players there who maybe felt an entitlement to stay in the Premier League. They didn't readjust to being back at the Championship, where most of their players had actually been previously. And for Leicester City, they kept hold of too many that didn't really want to be there and then obviously weren't equipped to deal with a relegation battle."
— Jobi McAnuff, former Watford and Reading midfielder and EFL pundit, speaking to BBC Sport

"The amount of money paid in parachute payments will reduce and the amount of money going into the Championship will vastly increase. The delta between parachute payment clubs and non-parachute payment clubs is going to significantly reduce, which makes the Championship a much more competitive league."
— David Kogan, Independent Football Regulator chair

"If you look at the numbers of teams that go back up or finish in the top places, there's a huge correlation between those clubs and the ones that are parachute payment clubs. Even with a reduction in parachute payments, I still feel that advantage will prove to be massively significant for those teams."
— Jobi McAnuff on the financial advantage of parachute payments

McAnuff points to squad mismanagement rather than a structural trend, while Kogan believes closing the parachute payment gap will make the Championship more competitive. The contrasting views highlight the tension between financial and football decisions.

The numbers

1,450 Burnley supporters made the trip to Lincoln City last weekend.
4-1 defeat by Lincoln City, a team in non-league football 10 years ago, sealed Nicky Hayen's fate.
£142m in loans in Burnley's 2024-25 accounts, the highest debt level in the Championship.
378 days since Burnley's last home win before hosting Portsmouth on Saturday.
£71.7m Burnley's total revenue for 2024-25; £48m received in parachute payments.
£7.81m Lincoln's total revenue; about £5.5m expected in solidarity funding.
13 league matches won by Sunderland in their double drop season out of 84 (the only club to finish bottom of both divisions).
6-point deduction for Leicester for breaching profit and sustainability regulations.
23rd Leicester's final Championship position, five points from safety.
13th Russell Martin's Leicester side currently sit in League One, with the club up for sale.
25,000 capacity of Luton's new stadium at Power Court, due for completion for the start of 2028-29.
Four times the double drop has happened in 14 seasons since Wolves in 2011-12.
Three times in nine seasons since Sunderland in 2016-18.
Four clubs received parachute payments in 2024-25 and were almost 27 points better off, filling the top three places (with Luton relegated).
More than four times more likely to be promoted if a parachute payment club, according to the IFR report.

Why Burnley's double drop is a warning to every promoted club

Burnley's plight is a case study in how financial advantage can be squandered. After a leveraged buyout by Alan Pace's ALK Capital in 2020, the Clarets carried £142m in loans in the 2024-25 accounts – the year they went up – the highest debt in the Championship. That debt, combined with poor recruitment, has left them marooned.

On the pitch, the warning signs were there. Burnley set a new English league record for the longest run without a home win. When they host Portsmouth on Saturday, it will be 378 days since their last home victory. Being humbled 4-1 by Lincoln City, a well-run club with far fewer resources but savvy ownership, will not be lost on supporters.

The contrast with Luton is instructive. While Luton may have got their recruitment wrong, they were much more responsibly run. Their progress off the pitch remains progressive rather than regressive, with work advancing on a new 25,000-capacity stadium at Power Court due for completion for the start of 2028-29. They went down on goal difference to Hull City in 2024-25, with the Tigers then promoted to the Premier League the following season.

Leicester's relegation to League One was a direct result of poor boardroom decisions, with a six-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability regulations ultimately sealing their fate. They finished 23rd in the Championship, five points from safety. Russell Martin's side now sit 13th in League One, with the club up for sale. Sunderland took four years to return to the Championship after their double drop, winning just 13 of 84 league matches.

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has proposed a new financial deal between the Premier League and the EFL to reduce the distortive impact of parachute payments. Merit payments, mirroring the Premier League's model, would replace the current equal distribution. IFR chair David Kogan said the amount paid in parachute payments will reduce and the amount going into the Championship will vastly increase, making the league more competitive. But McAnuff warns that even with a reduction, the advantage for parachute payment clubs will remain massively significant. The IFR report found parachute payment clubs were more than four times more likely to be promoted. In 2024-25, four clubs were in receipt and they were almost 27 points better off, filling the top three places (with Luton relegated).

Burnley may yet escape the double drop, but the trend is clear: the double drop has generally become far more common. And that should concern any club that gets relegated and is not prepared for life in the Championship.

Talking points

Burnley's £142m debt and record home-win drought show the double drop is about mismanagement, not just parachute payments.
Luton's responsible ownership and new stadium prove relegation need not be a catastrophe if the club is run properly.
Closing the parachute payment gap may make the Championship more competitive, but will it actually reduce double drops?
Sunderland's four-year recovery and Leicester's P&S deduction show the consequences can be long-lasting and self-inflicted.

What happens next

Burnley host Portsmouth on Saturday, aiming to end a 378-day wait for a home win. A victory would offer hope of avoiding the double drop, but defeat would deepen the crisis and increase the pressure on new boss Fabio Celestini. The IFR's proposed financial reforms will also be closely watched, with a decision on merit payments expected to shape the Championship's future competitiveness.

Frequently asked questions

Which teams have suffered a double drop from the Premier League?

Wolves (2011-12), Sunderland (2016-18), Luton Town (2023-25) and Leicester City (2023-25) have suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One. Swindon Town also went down in 1994-95 due to division rebalancing.

Why was Nicky Hayen sacked by Burnley?

Hayen was sacked after Burnley's 4-1 defeat by Lincoln City, a team who were in non-league football 10 years ago. Diego Lopez was appointed chief football officer and Fabio Celestini installed as new boss.

How long has Burnley gone without a home win?

When Burnley host Portsmouth on Saturday, it will be 378 days since their last home victory, a new English league record for the longest run without a home win.