Local Sport

Chiefs best of the rest

12/12/07 - 0 comments

Exeter Chiefs produced a superb display to move into second place of National Division One, beating rivals Doncaster 26-8 and leaping into realistically the highest league position they could hope for.

With the top-flight teams deciding that only one club should be relegated each year, there is now only one spot in Division One for a club to move up – as champions – a spot usually filled by the team that was relegated in the previous season. The team relegated from the top tier last season was Northampton, who sit top of Division One having won every game and emphasising the difference in class. With a one-up one-down system in place the top clubs have pretty much removed the chance of any smaller clubs making it to the big-time like Wimbledon's Crazy Gang did when they gatecrashed football's top flight in the 80's and 90's.

Having said that, Wimbledon Football Club were eventually relegated not only from the top-flight, but went down two further divisions and moved to Milton Keynes. Proof that success can be quite a burden.