Yes and yes but the fact remains promotion saved them big time.
Fair play though as since then, they seem to be a properly run club and have become established in the Premier league.
I don't begrudge their success and would much rather see them up there than Blackburn.
Worth remembering one of the key cogs of that side was their captain.
Someone with a wealth of experience in the championship whose posistion was altered to make the most of his abilities in the later years of his career.
They bought him for about 100 grand.
He then played pretty much every game the following season in the Premier League.
I wonder where you could have purchased such a key player?
All this despite the selling clubs chairman at the time saying his legs had gone and a manager who was paranoid about having strong characters in his dressing room.
This about arguably that clubs only modern era legend and they ended up bringing him back.
Any ideas?