Happier times in the Play-offs

[Neville's Breakfast]

Whilst its been very unfair to us this season, without the playoffs, most teams would have nothing to play for from about February onwards. On balance, they keep the league far more competitive.

Exactly, without the play offs there would be too many teams with seasons that are effectively finished very early. This in itself can have a big impact on promotion/relegation end of season games. Also, it hasn't always been 3 up/3 down anyway.

 

[Robot Chicken]

So what have we learned about this season? Once you reach the play-offs then stop trying and rest your players ready for the semi final? We were trying until the final day but Wednesday could rest their players on the final game. That is intrinsically unfair.

I don't want to see penalties, though. If there is a draw then after extra time the team that finished higher should progress. Promotion should never be decided by random penalties.

 

[Giraffe]

Totally agree with the thread starter, we have benefited massively over the years through the play off system, not just when we have reached them but also the several seasons where there was still a hope of reaching them with ten games to go rather than giving up on the top three and keeping the season alive. Has made many seasons much much better than they could or would have been.

 

[withdeanwombat]

.......and, to keep the season alive at the bottom of the table, and to keep Sky in business, why no relegation play-offs?

 

[Albion Ranger]

I like the playoffs but it doesnt give higher placed team enough benefit.

Id like:

3rd place straight to final
5th plays 6th one game at 5th place home ground.
Winner of that plays 4th team at their ground
Winner plays 3rd place at wembley

Couldn't agree more! There's got to be some benefit for having more points and your suggestion takes that into account. It sounds very fair to me but it's not going to happen, is it, just because it's fair!?

 

[neilbard]

I like the playoffs but it doesnt give higher placed team enough benefit.

Id like:

3rd place straight to final
5th plays 6th one game at 5th place home ground.
Winner of that plays 4th team at their ground
Winner plays 3rd place at wembley

Far too sensible and correct!

 

[JonnyComeEarly]

Couldn't agree more! There's got to be some benefit for having more points and your suggestion takes that into account. It sounds very fair to me but it's not going to happen, is it, just because it's fair!?

What it does is properly reward 3rd place with a longer rest and straight to final
6th and 5th place have to play a maximum of 3 games. Same as now
4th place has to play 2 games max

So you still get 3 big play off games for sky and 6th place still compete as they do now. But it merits the achievement of the higher placed teams more than just a home tie

 

[dangull]

The super bowl is totally unfair as well, as a team with a losing record can squeak into the playoffs, then get to the final and beat a team that has been undefeated all season.

I doubt most Americans would want to change it though for a league title format.

 

[Grassman]

One of my favourite ever albion games. Pretty sure we started the game with Stefan Lovan as sweeper and it wasn't working out so we changed systems and absolutely destroyed them, Teddy Sheringham et al.

When interviewed afterwards on the end of season video, the injury ravaged Nicky Bissett said "we reverted back to 5-3-2, which we'd never played before.." I shouted at the screen then, and I still do today, how can you revert back to something you've never played!! Fick footballers...

 

[pishhead]

When interviewed afterwards on the end of season video, the injury ravaged Nicky Bissett said "we reverted back to 5-3-2, which we'd never played before.." I shouted at the screen then, and I still do today, how can you revert back to something you've never played!! Fick footballers...

On the same Video Mike Small was interviewed in the dressing room after saying the players knew how hard it would be coming to the dell to get a result....

 

[Albion Ranger]

What it does is properly reward 3rd place with a longer rest and straight to final
6th and 5th place have to play a maximum of 3 games. Same as now
4th place has to play 2 games max

So you still get 3 big play off games for sky and 6th place still compete as they do now. But it merits the achievement of the higher placed teams more than just a home tie

Just heard the football league want to reform into 5 divisions of 20 teams each.
So this would be the perfect time to change the play off system.
I'm sure we all agree that we need the play offs as it keeps the season alive right up to the end.
But a change to what you suggest must surely be considered to avoid the travesty of justice that we (and Accrington ) have just suffered.
How can you get this in front of the powers that be?

 

[Bladders]

What a lovely picture. Diggers in his trousers in full flight. And no one ****arsing around with their mobile phone. Great days.

Great post!

Loved that Ipswich game, Diggers with his save, Wilkins with his last minute free kick.

Loved beating Millwall 4-1

Loved playing 1000 a side on that green whilst on the way to Millwall away , and the bloke who came out of his house to have a go at 1000 Albion fans for kicking the ball into his garden .

Winning 2-1 and then getting railway ballast thrown at me when exiting the Den will live in the memory forever .

Happy days

 

[Bladders]

.... And the coppers hat on fire after the game .

No flags and clackers in those days

 

[Turkey]

Just heard the football league want to reform into 5 divisions of 20 teams each.
So this would be the perfect time to change the play off system.
I'm sure we all agree that we need the play offs as it keeps the season alive right up to the end.
But a change to what you suggest must surely be considered to avoid the travesty of justice that we (and Accrington ) have just suffered.
How can you get this in front of the powers that be?

It's only a travesty of justice if the aim is to promote the 3 best sides. The aim is to promote the two best sides and one of the next four best sides. Unless you scrap the play-offs there will always be an "injustice" as 3rd place won't always win them. Just have to accept them for what they are.

 

[Commander]

The play-offs are great. I can't believe what a bunch of whingers we've become, just because we lost in them again. I don't see why the third best team in the league deserves to go up automatically, remember it used to be only two up anyway.

Keep them exactly as they are.


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[Questions]

Whatever anyone says about the added drama and the wonderful feeling of winning a play-off match or even a final, the play-offs are just wrong. In what is a league based system it is utterly ridiculous that a team can perform excellently all season, over 46 games, then find themselves knocked out of a promotion race by a team who finished massive 15 points behind them.

And I am not whinging just because of what happened to us this season. I feel exactly the same for Walsall. Finished 10 points clear of Barnsley but unlikely to progress now. Accrington Stanley. Finished 10 points clear of Wimbledon, but no going up.

And finally, yes, I did feel the same when we have finished 6th and snuck into the play-offs at the last minute.

The play-offs are just wrong, and nobody will ever convince me otherwise.

You are right in everything you say but it does keep the season going to the very end. I remember before they came in and how interest just drained away after Jan and Feb for most teams.

 

[West Upper Seagull]

I like the playoffs but it doesnt give higher placed team enough benefit.

Id like:

3rd place straight to final
5th plays 6th one game at 5th place home ground.
Winner of that plays 4th team at their ground
Winner plays 3rd place at wembley

I like this idea - I think you should email the Football League to propose this. It would seem like a perfect time to raise this seeing as the League are currently reviewing the structure, so if they were open to any play-off changes they could change this at the same time as any restructure. What do you have to lose ?

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

The play-offs are great. I can't believe what a bunch of whingers we've become, just because we lost in them again. I don't see why the third best team in the league deserves to go up automatically, remember it used to be only two up anyway.

Keep them exactly as they are.


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Really?

 

[JonnyComeEarly]

I like this idea - I think you should email the Football League to propose this. It would seem like a perfect time to raise this seeing as the League are currently reviewing the structure, so if they were open to any play-off changes they could change this at the same time as any restructure. What do you have to lose ?

Thanks. I think unfortunately my little email will do little to change anything. Plus it reduces the play off competition down from 5 overall games to 3 so they'll probably moan about lost revenue -

 

[GT49er]

Thanks. I think unfortunately my little email will do little to change anything. Plus it reduces the play off competition down from 5 overall games to 3 so they'll probably moan about lost revenue -

Exactly, so keep the same format, but just make the lower team have to actually BEAT the team that finished higher - a draw and the higher placed team goes through. Simple, easy to understand, no loss of revenue, and a little more advantage added to finishing higher up the league; and no kind of convoluted play-off format. Win win, really. Even though it wouldn't have helped us this year, it would make it faire.