The fairytale rise of 5 lesser-known clubs in Europe

#4 Northampton Town

Northampton Town crest

Northampton Town, unlike some of the other teams on this list, still play in the relatively lower English Football League One (third tier of English football). The Cobblers as they are affectionately known, have had a history generally limited to the lower divisions of the pyramid.

Their highest ever finish was in 1963 when they finished runners-up in the Second Division (now the EFL Championship) and spent just one season in the top-flight in their entire history. But the story we are going to talk about is just three seasons old. Northampton Town were up and down between League One and Two and were plateauing in the fourth tier.

Their stadium -- the Sixfields Stadium -- drew decent numbers but the club were facing tremendous financial difficulties. After having a ground-share agreement for a season with Coventry City, Northampton went back to the league in mediocre form.

Chris Wilder was appointed to the Cobblers hotseat in 2014. In the same year, the Customs and Revenues Department of the United Kingdom began to press charges over unpaid taxes and issued a wind-up notice.

The club was bankrupt and the players and management were not being paid wages. There seemed to be no hope for the club and fans were outraged at the state their club was in. The only respite they got and in true fairytale style was the performances on the pitch.

With no money, no wages and a wind-up order all bearing on the side, Northampton Town went up to League One in style under Chris Wilder winning the League Two Championship with games to spare.

The massive audacity that the managers and players showed to demonstrate football and football clubs were more than just money means that this is a remarkable tale of achievement.