The season review of the French league 1975/76 in the current WSC makes the rather startling point that in the intervening 31 seasons only PSG has never been out of the top flight.

In the Bundesliga, of the 18 teams playing in the 1975/76 sesason, only Bayern and Hamburg have never left the top flight.

Before the end of the '80s, Stuttgart were re-promoted (after relegation in 74/75) and Leverkusen had joined the 1. Bundesliga. Neither have been relegated since. Wolfsburg came much later, but have yet to experience relegation.

By my reckoning, of the English sides in the 1975/76 season, Liverpool, Man Utd, Everton and Arsenal have been ever present since.

I have a feeling that in Italy, it might be only Roma and Inter, seeing as Milan and Juve got themselves forced-relegated.

And in other countries?

Inter and Roma are correct for Italy.

The respective big three in Holland (Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV) and Portugal (Benfica, Porto and Sporting) would qualify, though I wonder if any other clubs would AZ? Boavista?).

In Spain, Athletic Bilbao, Barca, and Real Madrid have never been out of the top division since it was founded in the late 20s, and I am pretty sure that everyone else has been down since 75-76.

Given how small the list is, it is interesting that PSG are in danger this season (and that Athletic were struggling until fairly recently).

Roda are the only other Dutch team not have gone down in that period - Sparta were relegated from the first time when Frank Rijkaard had his one season as their coach.

In Belgium, it's just Anderlecht, Bruges and Standard.

Rangers Celtic and Aberdeen. I think Aberdeen finished bottom one year, but weren't relegated.

RSSSF's list of clubs that have never been relegated.

It appears that FC Utrecht should be added to Mr Shadrak's list of Dutch clubs.

Paris St-Germain are about to get relegated, it would appear. Le Guen's career has sailed merrily down the U-bend since he left Lyon.

Don't jinx it; there are still eight matches left and tehy have been in equally bad shape before and survived.

And if they beat Lens in the Coupe de la Ligue final this weekend, they will be in the UEFA Cup even if they go down. Interestingly enough, Lens are the team immediately above PSG in the table, two points on the safe side of the drop.

I believe since that season in Argentina that it's only River, Boca and Independiente, but I may be wrong because I can't be bothered looking it up right now.

'Season In Brief' in the next issue of WSC will tell you something about who's been relegated since 1991-92, I hope (although Mr. Editor hasn't got back to me since I sent the final draft in).

Reading presumably are the only club to have played in Englands top Division and never been relegated...

and Wigan?

Aberdeen have indeed never been relegated, however we did start in the lower of the two leagues at the time. We have come close in the last few years - league reconstruction saving us as already mentioned and also beating Dunfermline (D1 runners up that season) in a playoff to stay up.

glad I added that caveat of 'presumably'....

but yeah forgot about Wigan...sorry Moitie etc (or whatever your new name is)

Sochaux and Toulouse win to make PSGs position still more precarious.

PSG have a very important match on Tuesday night at home to VTT's boys from Strasbourg (who are currently in 16th, a point ahead of Lens). If they manage to lose that, they will be in serious difficulty.

The bottom of the table at the moment (Three to go down, Sochaux and Toulouse having played one match more than the others):

Sochaux 38
Monaco 37
Strasbourg 35
Lens 34
Toulouse 34
PSG 32
Metz 17