We'd have so much less

[boo radley]

It maybe up to the football league as to how the format of promotion is decided. The trouble is that there would be pressure from the FA to have a show piece final at Wembley. They may even refuse to sanction the format-s suggested above, which they could do.
I like some of the suggestions about the Mini league but cannot see the FA allowing it.

 

[Kenilworth]

Cant see how the format can be bettered from what it is now.
It's only 'cos we are shit at them that some are calling for changes.
It's only 'cos we have finished 3rd a few times and missed out.

Format now is simple to understand and makes sense as it is.
Other suggestions too complicated and open to gaming (e.g. Stoke - Burnley scenario).

If you are relagated from the division above then you should not get a chance to be reprieved. Especially Prem clubs who could still be head and shoulders above a Champ side since they may have huge resources to call upon in comparison.

 

[Revolution]

Some thoughts about the playoffs:

1. Unlike other innovations of the last 25 years (EPL, more foreign players, Champions League, home clubs keep all the gate money etc) I think on balance the playoffs have had a positive effect for lower division teams and supporters, in terms of sustained interest, increased gates, and so on.

2. No team who finishes from 4th to 6th should be in a position to bleat about not being promoted via the playoffs.

3. A common beef that fans of third place clubs have with the playoffs is that had they finished third in, say, 1986, they would have been promoted. Instead, they have to play off against teams that are worse than them over 46 games. This is annoying.

4. I was thinking about the injustice of point 3 the other day and it occurred to me that the third promotion place was only available for the 2nd and third tiers for a total of 12 seasons: 1975 to 1986 inclusive. From 1899 to 1974, there were only 2 places up for grabs in the 2nd tier, and only 1 promoted out of 2 regionalised third tier leagues from 1921 to 1958.

(4th place sides in the 4th tier have more of a gripe as their promotion had been assured for 28 seasons, not 12)

5. So the playoffs took away what had been available to a 3rd place side for 12 years, but it was still better than what had been in place for every season prior to that. Nobody ever makes this argument, which strikes me as odd because its a good one to make if you like the playoffs.

6. One way round the "third place" problem is to make it 4th to 7th and promote 3 automatically like in the 4th tier, but that would mean an extra relegation place in each league and you aren't selling that to the EPL clubs (or the Championship ones, for that matter).

7. On the other hand, if you want to give a leg up to better sides, using a variation of the system used in (gulp) rugby league or the AFL might work:

3rd plays 4th at home - winner to final
5th plays 6th at home - loser eliminated
loser of 3/4 game plays winner of 5/6 game at home - lose eliminated, winner to final.
hold final, United play 4-5-1 and lose without scoring a goal.

(I might add that this system and, possibly, the sin bin are the only things they do in Rugby that football should be stealing).

8. There you go. There's no conclusion. Just some thoughts.

 

[super_pig]

play offs are bollocks. it's like taking the 3,4, 5 and 6 of the marathon and telling them to sprint round another lap for the bronze medal

 

[WickersleyBlade]

How did the system work when we played Bristol City? We lost the game over two legs I remember, but can not remember the format. I'm sure, but was it Dave Bassett's first season?

 

[Revolution]

We were 3rd bottom in Division 2, City 5th in Division 3. The final was 2 legs in those days. The relegation bit was dropped at the end of that season I think.

The original rationale for the playoffs was that is was part of a plan to shrink division 1: it would move 2 more teams into division 2 so it would have been 20-24-24-24. 1988 was the second season and there were odd numbers of teams in division 2 as a result, and we played 44 games.

Then they put division 1 back up to 22 (the year the Pigs went up there were 4 promoted, of course) and there were to be 94 teams but league went back to 92 clubs after Aldershot and Maidstone went bust in quick succession.

When Saturday Comes said in 1987 something like "Don't imagine the playoffs will disappear when reorganisation is over. They're here to stay". Too right.

 

[Bladesway]

Anyone ever heard the phrase control the controllables? You may as well dream for 30 degrees and sunshine every day as half the stuff mentioned here. It won't change and in my opinion it shouldn't change because it spins money for many teams who wouldn't normally see it. Something that football doesn't do enough of.

Thanks for bringing the memories of the Bristol City game up! Carl fucking Shutt giving it large in front of the Kop and Colin Morris last game (if memory serves me well). Ultimately the first in a series of massive disappointments that made the play offs such misery for Blades.

 

[VespaBlade]

Went to both of those games...
The 2nd leg at home was truly awful, we played a striker up front called, I think, Paul Williams. (spent over 20 yeras trying to forget him)

If I judged any other striker against him, then all the ones since have been worldbeaters.
The worst, most shite footballer I have ever seen EVER EVER EVER...... EVER!

Douglas Bader would of been better up front, without his legs, Stevie Wonder has better vision.......etc

For anyone who has dared to slag Porter off this season then compared to this Williams guy he would of been Pele

Getting angry thinking bout it.

 

[JohnDenver]

That Bristol City return leg was the first game I went to under my own volition. From then on I was a regular.

Masochistic tendencies from an early age?

 

[Kenilworth]

Went to both games
Now that was shit

 

[VespaBlade]

That Bristol City return leg was the first game I went to under my own volition. From then on I was a regular.

Masochistic tendencies from an early age?

At least you knew then what you were letting yourselve in for..............

 

[Pollingtonblade]

I was 'lucky' mascot that night. Paul Williams promised me a hat trick!!!

 

[Kenilworth]

I was 'lucky' mascot that night. Paul Williams promised me a hat trick!!!

So you are the Jonah, eh?

 

[Jonboy60]

The only time they will even consider changing the play-off system, is when we finish 6th,20pts behind 3rd.

 

[JohnDenver]

At least you knew then what you were letting yourselve in for..............

Aye, start as you mean to go on.

 

[shorehamview]

How you peeps coped down in that heat I cannot even begin to imagine.

I watched several episodes of The High Chaparral to prepare me for the heat. It worked.

 

[VespaBlade]

I was 'lucky' mascot that night. Paul Williams promised me a hat trick!!!

Was it you who tied his laces together then? - someone must of

 

[BladeFisher]

Went to both games
Now that was shit

Wasn't the away game when the monkeys got let out of Bristol Zoo? Wonder what Jonny Morris said about that.