Ben's rise mirrors League Two's sleeping giants as past glories linger

While Ben has built a career covering football, WWE and UFC since graduating in 2017, the clubs he now writes about once ruled the top tiers of English football but now languish in EFL League Two. Their contrasting fortunes highlight how past success can become a distant memory.

Ben's football journalism journey

Ben earned a Sports Journalism degree from the University of Central Lancashire in 2017 and immediately entered the media world. From 2018 to 2020 he worked for GiveMeSport, producing stories that spanned football, WWE and UFC.

In December 2020 he joined, initially as a freelancer before becoming a full‑time member of the team. He now produces, edits and publishes content for other writers, while also serving as a press officer for Preston North End matches at Deepdale. "Give" is a word he often repeats when urging colleagues to deliver breaking news.

League Two's promotion and relegation landscape

The EFL League Two structure offers four promotion places to League One and only two relegation slots, making ascent theoretically easier than in the higher divisions. Recent seasons have seen clubs arriving from the National League perform strongly, while former top‑flight sides now fight for survival.

Sleeping giants of the fourth tier

Grimsby Town spent twelve seasons in the top flight before World War II, finishing fifth in 1934‑35 behind Arsenal, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester City. They are two‑time Second Division champions, the last title coming in 1934, and once attracted a record 31,651 fans to Blundell Park. Today the stadium holds just over 9,000, and the Mariners have not risen above the fourth tier since 2004; between 1998 and 2003 they competed in what is now the Championship under manager David Artell.

Bristol City, from the largest English city never to host a Premier League side, were once a top‑flight club, while rivals Bristol Rovers entered the Football League in 1920 and spent only one season outside it in 2014‑15. Rovers have oscillated between the second and third tiers, recording a peak home attendance of over 38,472 in 1960, and now enjoy backing from Kuwaiti owner Hussain AlSaeed.

Tranmere Rovers, dwarfed by Merseyside giants Liverpool and Everton, threatened Premier League promotion in the 1990s under John King, reaching the First Division play‑off semi‑finals three consecutive times. Their second‑tier spell ended in 2001, and they have since floated between League One and League Two, with a brief National League stint. Prenton Park seats nearly 17,000, and memorable cup runs include the 2000 League Cup final and the 2001 FA Cup semi‑final. Although not a classic sleeping giant, their recent Championship experience makes Rotherham United’s presence in League Two a surprise.

Ben’s varied media background mirrors the eclectic histories of these clubs, showing how former greatness can still shape present narratives. The End of the season will reveal whether any of these sleeping giants awaken and climb back up the pyramid.