ONLY once in the ten seasons since Hull have Swansea City failed to improve on the previous year's league finish.
There were many who thought Swansea might struggle to continue that pattern this season, but Michael Laudrup's team have exceeded expectations.
The only question heading into the final game of this campaign is not whether Swansea can better last spring's 11th-place finish, but where in the top half they will end up.
Once the curtain comes down on this spectacular year, the challenge for Laudrup and Co will be to try to surpass the achievements of his maiden Swansea campaign next term.
That will not be easy, to say the least.
This season, after all, will surely go down as the finest since this club started out 101 years ago.
The only possible rival is 1981-82, when Swansea spent nine months competing at the top end of the First Division.
For a long time John Toshack's team looked like they might actually win the title, only to fall away in the closing stages of the race.
Even after losing five of their last six games that season, Swansea ended up in a lofty sixth.
They will not get quite that high even if they beat Fulham this weekend — the best Laudrup's men can hope for is eighth.
But then this Swansea side have also managed a to bring home a major trophy.
And for the one man who was part of the club's two golden eras, 2012-13 is the season which goes down as the best.
"The Premier League is a world away from the old First Division," says player-turned-coach Alan Curtis.
"In terms of statistics, Tosh's team were never out of the top six and ended up sixth.
"There were big clubs in those days — your Arsenals, Liverpools and Manchester Uniteds.
"But they never seemed that far away, whereas now the financial muscle and the power of the top clubs is huge.
"It's really almost an unfair contest when you are taking on these clubs.
"Look at the teams above us now and, if we can finish eighth, we will have won our league.
"Even some of the ones below us, like Newcastle, Sunderland and Aston Villa, are massive clubs.
"Statistically sixth was better, but it's different when you balance the whole thing — and that's without even adding in the fact that we have won a trophy as well."
Laudrup suggested over the weekend that Swansea's budget was the lowest in the Premier League this season.
There may be one or two clubs who would quibble with that statement — Wigan, for example — but the point is that Swansea punched well above their weight in a division where cheque books are not thin.
"The competition is huge in the league," Curtis adds.
"Realistically, we can only win two competitions — the Capital One Cup and the FA Cup.
"We have managed to win one of them this season and we'll finish up in the top half of the table even though there are clubs below us who have spent an awful lot of money.
"All things considered, you'd have to say this is our best season ever."
And it is one which few anticipated.
Swansea did not go back to square one, but there was much rebuilding work to do when Brendan Rodgers left for Liverpool last May and various stalwarts of last season's team followed him through the Liberty's exit door.
Laudrup's primary task when he was given the Swansea job last June was merely to ensure the club stayed in the top flight for a third straight year. He had to rebuild the Swansea team, for Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Steven Caulker all left holes to fill.
When another regular of the last campaign, Neil Taylor, suffered a season-wrecking injury in Laudrup's third league game, his task became even harder.
So for Swansea to be heading into Sunday's game wondering only whether they will finish eighth of ninth is a remarkable feat.
"We always felt we had a good squad of players who would be good enough, but Brendan leaving was a major, major blow," adds Curtis, Laudrup's first-team coach.
"Thankfully, we have recovered from that — and that's a testament to everyone at the club.
"People have worked hard to keep things going as normal, and the supporters have also been fantastic.
"For a club like us, it's important that we all pull together, and the supporters have been fantastic.
"The connection between them and the players is vital."
Swansea's fans will be called upon to play a part once more next season, when Laudrup's players will have to contend with the Europa League as well as domestic competition.
The sole occasion since Hull when Swansea have failed to improve their league position was 2007, when Roberto Martinez could not quite drag the club into the League One play-offs having taken the reins from Kenny Jackett.
No-one will be able to criticise Laudrup should Swansea drop back a little again in 2013-14, for further improvement is an almighty ask.
Once more next season, consolidation will be key for a club who, no-one should forget, are preparing for only their fifth ever campaign in the top flight.
But that will not stop Laudrup's men on trying to progress.
"Every year at every club, you want to improve," Curtis says.
"The bar is set unbelievably high after this season — we will have to win another cup and finish maybe sixth or seventh.
"What we have to do first of all is to get to 40 points as quickly as possible again and then we will see where we are after that.
"But we do feel that with a couple of good additions, we can do even better next season."
