PALACE RESCUE ACT.. THEN SAM BOWS OUT

AFTER 26 years in management, Sam Allardyce’s last was his most dramatic.

In just 12 months he managed to squeeze in saving two clubs from relegation either side of landing his dream job only to lose it despite a 100 per cent winning record.

No wonder, after such a turbulent and traumatic period, he had “no ambition” to stay in football.

He had maintained his record of never being relegated from the Premier League by keeping Sunderland up in May 2016.

The moment he had been waiting all his career for came in July when he became England manager a decade after being overlooked for the role. His reign started with a 1-0 win over Slovakia thanks to Adam Lallana’s last-minute winner. But his whole world came crashing down 67 days after his appointment when Allardyce (below) departed amid a newspaper probe into football corruption. But when the threat of relegation loomed over Palace last season there was only one man to turn to. Allardyce’s magic eventually worked again, Palace staying up after a stunning run that included wins at Chelsea and Liverpool and over Arsenal. But rather than stay to build on his latest rescue act he stunned Palace by quitting aged 62, his “rehabilitation” complete.

BOURNEMOUTH, Stoke and Swansea are the only clubs to have remained in the Premier League since their first promotion, having played 3, 9 and 6 seasons respectively.