AMID all the hullabaloo about Newcastle United’s takeover by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, there was an underlying feeling the club’s fans were entitled to celebrate the transaction because they had waited so long for success. It is true that Newcastle have gone 52 years without any form of silverware, but they are not alone in being an underachieving club. Certainly, nobody should be using the phrase, “they deserve this because they want it so much”, a throwaway rolled-out by TV “talent” shows full of weeping wannabes and hyberbole.
For example, in the current Premier League, there are four clubs (Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Watford) who have never won a single major trophy. Burnley have waited the longest, 61 years since they won the league title. Then there’s West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have gone 41 without a trophy on their boardroom table.
In Germany, exactly half of the 18-team Bundesliga have never won a trophy, while poor old Hertha Berlin have gone 90 years without a sniff of silverware. It was 1931 when they were last champions of Germany. Among the owners of barren trophy cabinets are RB Leipzig, who despite being in contention for honours, have yet to break their duck.
Only four clubs from Italy’s Serie A have never won a cup, but there’s a lot who have been waiting for what must seem like an eternity. Udinese (91 years), Genoa (84), Venezia (80) and Atalanta (58) are all among the most patient of clubs.
Nine clubs from La Liga are potless, while Athletic Bilbao have waited the longest among the past winners, some 37 years. Interestingly, seven teams have lifted trophies in the past three seasons from Spain, highlighting their strength in European competition.
France, despite the dominance of Paris Saint-Germain, has only five Ligue 1 teams who have never won a bean. Eleven clubs have won something since 2001. Of those that can look back on past glory, Reims have been waiting longest – 30 years.
The top 10 most patient clubs
| Last trophy | Years | |
| Udinese | 1930 | 91 |
| Hertha Berlin | 1931 | 90 |
| Genoa | 1937 | 84 |
| Venezia | 1941 | 80 |
| Burnley | 1960 | 61 |
| Atalanta | 1963 | 58 |
| Newcastle Utd | 1969 | 52 |
| Cagliari | 1970 | 51 |
| Bologna | 1974 | 47 |
| Southampton | 1976 | 45 |
Returning to the Premier League, there are three clubs that are most often spoken about when it comes to a lack of tangible success: Newcastle, Tottenham and Everton. The following list provides a chronology of when all three clubs won their major trophies.
| Newcastle | Tottenham | Everton |
| 1892 | 1882 | 1878 |
| 1891 (13) | ||
| 1901 (19) | ||
| 1905 (13) | ||
| 1906 (15) | ||
| 1907 (2) | ||
| 1909 (2) | ||
| 1910 (1) | ||
| 1915 (9) | ||
| 1921 (20) | ||
| 1924 (14) | ||
| 1927 (3) | ||
| 1928 (13) | ||
| 1932 (5) | 1932 (4) | |
| 1933 (1) | ||
| 1939 (6) | ||
| 1951 (19) | 1951 (30) | |
| 1952 (1) | ||
| 1955 (3) | ||
| 1961 (10) | ||
| 1961 (10) | ||
| 1962 (1) | ||
| 1963 (1) | 1963 (14) | |
| 1966 (3) | ||
| 1967 (4) | ||
| 1969 (14) | ||
| 1970 (4) | ||
| 1971 (4) | ||
| 1972 (1) | ||
| 1973 (1) | ||
| 1981 (8) | ||
| 1982 (1) | ||
| 1984 (2) | 1984 (14) | |
| 1985 (1) | ||
| 1985 (1) | ||
| 1987 (2) | ||
| 1991 (7) | ||
| 1995 (8) | ||
| 1999 (8) | ||
| 2008 (9) | ||
| 2021 (52) | 2021 (13) | 2021 (26) |
GAME OF THE PEOPLE 