basement battler

noun

noun

Etymology A metaphor, likening the lower part of the sports table to the basement of a house.

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Idiomatic A team in or around the relegation zone.

The Cottagers had previously gone eight games without a win and had slipped into the relegation zone over Christmas, with boss Hughes criticised by fans after their 3-1 home defeat by fellow basement battlers West Ham on Boxing Day.2010 December 28, Marc Vesty, “Stoke 0 - 2 Fulham”, in BBC:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.