We'd have so much less

[boo radley]

So we hate the playoffs but what can we do? We were better as fans yesterday than against Burnley. Our support was more together and we tried to get singing a lot more. Next time we'll take piss out of our selves and previous performances. We'll keep going and keep supporting because it is the Blades way.
I called in another thread for the playoffs to be called off if the third place team was 7 or more points in front of fourth. If that rule was ever introduced you do know that we'd finish 4th, 7 points behind, then what would we do?

 

[Jehovah]

I won't be going down there again. Total waste of time and money.

 

[Cool Clint]

Automatic next year and we'll all be disappointed we're not going again.

 

[stannyblade]

Something has to be done. Either scrap them all together or make them more affordable to fans. I paid £56 for mine and that was at least £20 too much for a league one game which at the end of the day it was

 

[alcoblade]

Something has to be done. Either scrap them all together or make them more affordable to fans. I paid £56 for mine and that was at least £20 too much for a league one game which at the end of the day it was

I can't resist, sorry. Something has to be done? Perhaps the FA would say "buy he £34 tickets"?

Agreed, the whole thing is a complete rip off, but "charity starts at home", doesn't it?

UTB

 

[VespaBlade]

1.) £34 was, I believe, the cheapest ticket price, it should of been the most expensive for what it is.
2.) I know its because of greed and the expense of building it but should that game really of been played there?
Old Trafford would of been more suitable.
3.) Instead of penalties it should go down to points in the season. It would make extra time more exciting if a team was pressing forward rather than 2 teams not wanting to concede.
4.) and this is the most important. just BAN SHEFFIELD UNITED FROM THE PLAYOFFS.

 

[kingston RAWW]

3rd at home plays 6th. One game. Home advantage to the higher placed team.
Extra time. No penalties. If even. First team that scored goes thru.If no score. Higher placed team goes through.
4th at home plays fifth. One game. Same deal.
Old Trafford for the final.
Now thats fare.

 

[Selly]

3rd at home plays 6th. One game. Home advantage to the higher placed team.
Extra time. No penalties. If even. First team that scored goes thru.If no score. Higher placed team goes through.
4th at home plays fifth. One game. Same deal.
Old Trafford for the final.
Now thats fare.

Extra time , no penalties, if still a draw, higher placed team go through.

No coin tosses, higher placed team gets the choice.

Higher placed team is the "home" team at neutral venues.

Basically you get no advantage for finishing higher in the league at the moment, short of playing your second leg at home, which is shit.

 

[WickersleyBlade]

I'll never go again to a play off final, unless we are in the opposite end. I hate the f**king east side.

 

[Latters]

As the third placed team we had what should have been the biggest advantage of them all, being the best team of the four. We didn't use this advantage and didn't go up.

For what it's worth, I agree that the top three should just go up but they don't. Let's get on with our business and make sure we go up automatic next season so we don't have to go through all this shit and waste all this money again!

Wilson is the right man to take us up as long as he's not trying to build a squad with both his hands tied behind his back. Come on board, back him as much as you can within the new rules.

This division was wank this season and should be even shitter next year. Let's take advantage of that, not lower our standards to match it.

 

[sothall blade]

1.) £34 was, I believe, the cheapest ticket price, it should of been the most expensive for what it is.
2.) I know its because of greed and the expense of building it but should that game really of been played there?
Old Trafford would of been more suitable.
3.) Instead of penalties it should go down to points in the season. It would make extra time more exciting if a team was pressing forward rather than 2 teams not wanting to concede.
4.) and this is the most important. just BAN SHEFFIELD UNITED FROM THE PLAYOFFS.

but its like i have said before vespa,its a fuckin record that the MASSIVE have not got and cant brag about

 

[mickt]

i believe in non league football the semi is a one off game at the highest placed team then the final is again at the highest placed team, it only goes to neutral for conference prem up. but i agree there has to be some form of advantage to finishing highest.

 

[Balham]

Close mickt - in the Conference North/South the semi finals are two-legged but the final is played at the ground of the team which finished higher in the regular season. This season, it was Gainsborough v Nuneaton in the Conf North at Gainsborough's ground...but Nuneaton won.

Would we have beaten Huddersfield at the Lane though?

 

[VespaBlade]

but its like i have said before vespa,its a fuckin record that the MASSIVE have not got and cant brag about

Pig fans are just like Yanks aren't they??
Everythings bigger and better etc, but boy, are they cunts!

 

[Selly]

Close mickt - in the Conference North/South the semi finals are two-legged but the final is played at the ground of the team which finished higher in the regular season. This season, it was Gainsborough v Nuneaton in the Conf North at Gainsborough's ground...but Nuneaton won.

Would we have beaten Huddersfield at the Lane though?

We'd have had a better shot than at a neutral ground...

Second half and ET Wembley 93
Wembly 97
OT 98
OT 03
Millennium 03
Wembley 09
Wembley 12

A quite stunning return of 0 goals in all that time at neutral venues...

 

[Bladesway]

If you think they should scrap the play offs you are dreaming. Its a cash cow which many clubs need to keep going, whether they go up or not. Imagine the crowds Stevenage, Carlisle etc would be getting with 10 games to go if there wasn't the possible prospect of the play offs.

Also, Sky would demand it as part of any negotiations for TV money, its probably their biggest viewing figure outside the cheats league. Aint gonna happen. And I don't expect they will change the format either. Come on, if your not in it its brilliant entertainment. We just happen to be shit in them.

 

[Selly]

If you think they should scrap the play offs you are dreaming. Its a cash cow which many clubs need to keep going, whether they go up or not. Imagine the crowds Stevenage, Carlisle etc would be getting with 10 games to go if there wasn't the possible prospect of the play offs.

Also, Sky would demand it as part of any negotiations for TV money, its probably their biggest viewing figure outside the cheats league. Aint gonna happen. And I don't expect they will change the format either. Come on, if your not in it its brilliant entertainment. We just happen to be shit in them.

They should scrap them.

They won`t scrap them.

Most of the suggestions on here have centred around giving the higher placed teams more of an advantage.

As has been suggested by both Highbury and myself:

6th plays 5th at 5ths ground​

winner plays 4th at 4ths ground​

winner plays 3rd at 3rds ground​

Or if you are set on the Final at Wembley

Semi Finals are a one-off game at the higher placed teams ground.​

​

Or if you are really set on the current format

All coin tosses are won by the team who finished higher. In the event of a draw AET in any of the games, the higher placed team wins.​

All of which would at least offer more of an advantage to the higher placed team.

 

[Bradford Blade]

I'll never go again to a play off final, unless we are in the opposite end. I hate the f**king east side.

I can't disagree with that, and I was up in block 215. How you peeps coped down in that heat I cannot even begin to imagine. Bloody awful

 

[Bradford Blade]

Pig fans are just like Yanks aren't they??
Everythings bigger and better etc, but boy, are they cunts!

Given my, let's say, 'dislike' of the septics, I love this Vespa!

 

[Bradford Blade]

They should scrap them.

They won`t scrap them...

Absolutely Selly and that's the bloody annoying crux of the matter...

I used to 'accept' the play-offs, but over the years it's been bugging me as just a fiscally motivated 'injustice' (unless the third placed team do get promotion anyway, i.e. [as much as it pains me to say it] like West Ham did this year), and now after studying the Crewe debacle on Sunday, I'm firmly against 'em.

The 'League' is for the 'League'; why finish a League campaign with what is basically a 'Cup' knock-out competition. We've got enough knock outs over the season anyway, Johnstones Paint, Carling, F.A. et alia, so let the League campaign be exactly that, but Bladesway is bang-on: you could have the most objective and rational argument in the world against the play-offs but the Football League would be utterly deaf to such sanity given the holy $ (or £) of Sky et alia.

So come on SUFC, let's take Doyles words to heart and WIN this League next season and avoid the PO's like the plague - Latters is right, this league was crap this year and without Charlton, Udders and the Massive, I reckon we could walk it next season (ducks from the incoming flames)...

UTB! COYRAWW!!

 

[Darren]

They should scrap them.

They won`t scrap them.

Most of the suggestions on here have centred around giving the higher placed teams more of an advantage.

As has been suggested by both Highbury and myself:

6th plays 5th at 5ths ground​

winner plays 4th at 4ths ground​

winner plays 3rd at 3rds ground​

Or if you are set on the Final at Wembley

Semi Finals are a one-off game at the higher placed teams ground.​

​

Or if you are really set on the current format

All coin tosses are won by the team who finished higher. In the event of a draw AET in any of the games, the higher placed team wins.​

All of which would at least offer more of an advantage to the higher placed team.

An even greater money making idea would to have a mini league a la the old Home International Championships where everyone plays everyone else - with 3rd being at home in all 3 games, 4th at home v 5th and 6th and 5th at home v 6th - the team with most points at the end wins.

 

[Selly]

An even greater money making idea would to have a mini league a la the old Home International Championships where everyone plays everyone else - with 3rd being at home in all 3 games, 4th at home v 5th and 6th and 5th at home v 6th - the team with most points at the end wins.

Thats not a bad idea. Same number of "game days" (3) added "Last day of the season" feel to the final round.

Teams level on points? Higher team in league places higher?

 

[Darren]

Thats not a bad idea. Same number of "game days" (3) added "Last day of the season" feel to the final round.

Teams level on points? Higher team in league places higher?

I suppose the only disadvantage is that by the last round some teams could be out of it thus making it easier for their opponents or a game might even be meaningless (if two of the teams playing each other in the last round had both lost their first two games).

Another idea would be to have only 3rd and 4th in the play offs with 20th and 21st from the division above (17th and 18th in the PL) and with the top two in the mini league going up/staying up, which would lessen the chances of meaningless games/teams with nothing to play for. That would give us a potential 4 up 4 down system ( or only 2 up 2 down).

 

[Revolution]

An even greater money making idea would to have a mini league a la the old Home International Championships where everyone plays everyone else - with 3rd being at home in all 3 games, 4th at home v 5th and 6th and 5th at home v 6th - the team with most points at the end wins.

The "Test Matches" that were played in the 1890's before there was automatic promotion and relegation used a 4 team group in some seasons: top 2 in the 2nd division and bottom 2 in the 1st division play off, top 2 in group are in top flight the next year. It was ditched after 1897-8. One reason for this was the stink created when Stoke and Burnley met in the last game requiring a point each to secure a top flight spot. Neither team made any attempt to score and they drew 0-0...

 

[Selly]

I suppose the only disadvantage is that by the last round some teams could be out of it thus making it easier for their opponents or a game might even be meaningless (if two of the teams playing each other in the last round had both lost their first two games).

true, perhaps you can mitigate this by scheduling the games in teh following order

3rd v 6th
4th v 5th

3rd v 5th
4th v 6th

3rd v 4th
5th v 6th

Which should give the greatest possible chance of the final games (specifically 3rd v 4th, being a showdown)

Another idea would be to have only 3rd and 4th in the play offs with 20th and 21st from the division above (17th and 18th in the PL) and with the top two in the mini league going up/staying up, which would lessen the chances of meaningless games/teams with nothing to play for. That would give us a potential 4 up 4 down system ( or only 2 up 2 down).

Yeah, I can just see teams agreeing to halve their chances of getting in the Promotion Playoffs, whilst increasing their chances of being in the Relegation PO by 33%...

 

[Darren]

true, perhaps you can mitigate this by scheduling the games in teh following order

3rd v 6th
4th v 5th

3rd v 5th
4th v 6th

3rd v 4th
5th v 6th

Which should give the greatest possible chance of the final games (specifically 3rd v 4th, being a showdown)



Yeah, I can just see teams agreeing to halve their chances of getting in the Promotion Playoffs, whilst increasing their chances of being in the Relegation PO by 33%...

But one of the teams that would otherwise have been relegated would be given a temporary reprieve

 

[VespaBlade]

If we finish 6th next season lets see who wants ANY of these suggestions

 

[Jonboy60]

3rd blades, add all the points won during the course of the season against stevenage, mk and udders. Then Stevenages pts against the rest, do the same with the other 2 teams, abit like a mini league, and whoever comes out on top points wise goes up. Any points total that are level, then the leading goals scorers prevail. Not done the sums yet.?

 

[sothall blade]

and

Pig fans are just like Yanks aren't they??
Everythings bigger and better etc, but boy, are they cunts!

they drop the biggest bollocks.just like the yanks,remember cantona ah!

 

[Selly]

If we finish 6th next season lets see who wants ANY of these suggestions

The playoffs are unfair. I for one would welcome changes as above, whether they benefit SUFC or not.

Having missed out 3times in the past 10 years after finishing 3rd, we probably have more need to moan than anyone else...