“The Great Escape”

Definition

When a club that looked certain to be relegated somehow claws its way to safety, usually on the last day of the season. Nobody calls it a good year. They just call it survival.

Origin

Lifted from the 1963 movie about imprisoned Allied soldiers and Nazi Germany, and pinned forever to West Bromwich Albion. They sat bottom of the Premier League at Christmas in 2004, eight points from safety, then stayed up on the final afternoon. First club ever to manage it.

Used in a sentence

“They were cut adrift in March and now they’re a point clear with two games left. Proper West Brom stuff, this.”