Play-offs rethink?

[thorpebayshrimper]

Yes like everyone else I'm still feeling deflated after failing to secure promotion after such a promising start to the season and searching for reasons to explain how and why we blew it, but something that crossed my mind before the Crewe games was shouldn't the team finishing in the highest play off position be given the benefit of being able to select who they want to play in the semi-final, eg say we picked Cheltenham then Torquay would by default play Crewe.

This would be a just reward for finishing in the highest non-auto promotion spot and avoid the situation we found ourselves in by, winning our last game, effectively shooting ourselves in the foot and giving us the toughest competition against the in-form team.

I think they may do something like this in Rugby League. Just seems fairer to me. And easy to introduce.

What do you think?

 

[Sleaford Shrimper]

Is it time for a rethink on the play-offs?

With Torquay joining us for another season in League 2 and the two teams who finished well behind us in 6th and 7th playing for a place in League 1 next season, I am left questioning whether our play-off system is fair. In my opinion, promotion should be based on achievements over the entire 46-match season, not on a knock-out competition that favours the in-form teams on the days of the play-off matches.

I think a fairer system is the one used in the German league where the team finishing one place below the automatically promoted teams in the lower division plays off against the team one place above the the automatically relegated teams from the division above. This would have left us with a play-off against Wycombe Wanderers this season.

Does anyone else have a view on this?

 

[BrettieAngell]

They stopped the promotion/relegation play-off after the riot at Chelsea in 1988.

I think our system is fine, yeah it sucks at the moment because we lost out this time but we won the play-offs after finishing 4th aswell.

 

[Batman]

The only question I have is the advantage to play away first it seems the wrong way round to me.

 

[Bromley Blue]

I do think this has only been brought up coz we're still hurting from the disappointment of missing out on promotion. If we'd finished in Crewe's position then we'd have been delighted to even have a chance of going up.

The team finishing 4th has just as much chance as the other 3 sides of going up its just often sod's law that the 7th place team is the form side which counts for a lot in these games.

 

[Jam_Man]

The play offs are fantastic and keep the season alive for more teams.

Losing them is awful but doubt we would be complaining if we were buying tickets for Wembley!

The old system of playing a team from the league above doesnt sit well for me, if you get relegated you should be relegated, not get a get out of jail free card by getting to play a team with a much smaller budget.

 

[Mick]

The only question I have is the advantage to play away first it seems the wrong way round to me.

Fairer to let the higher placed team choose.

 

[MK Shrimper]

With Torquay joining us for another season in League 2 and the two teams who finished well behind us in 6th and 7th playing for a place in League 1 next season, I am left questioning whether our play-off system is fair. In my opinion, promotion should be based on achievements over the entire 46-match season, not on a knock-out competition that favours the in-form teams on the days of the play-off matches.

I think a fairer system is the one used in the German league where the team finishing one place below the automatically promoted teams in the lower division plays off against the team one place above the the automatically relegated teams from the division above. This would have left us with a play-off against Wycombe Wanderers this season.

Does anyone else have a view on this?

I think it's a great idea.

 

[Mick]

Yes like everyone else I'm still feeling deflated after failing to secure promotion after such a promising start to the season and searching for reasons to explain how and why we blew it, but something that crossed my mind before the Crewe games was shouldn't the team finishing in the highest play off position be given the benefit of being able to select who they want to play in the semi-final, eg say we picked Cheltenham then Torquay would then play Crewe.

This would be a just reward for finishing in the highest non-auto promotion spot and avoid the situation we found ourselves in by, winning our last game, effectively shooting ourselves in the foot and giving us the toughest competition against the in-form team.

I think they may do something like this in Rugby League. Just seems fairer to me. And easy to introduce.

What do you think?

..... or follow the example of many non-league playoffs. Make the semis one leg at the ground of the higher placed team.

 

[Pubey]

or have a 3 team playoff, the lowest two teams have a 2 legged tie to then play the top placed team in the final.

 

[dannypav]

Yes like everyone else I'm still feeling deflated after failing to secure promotion after such a promising start to the season and searching for reasons to explain how and why we blew it, but something that crossed my mind before the Crewe games was shouldn't the team finishing in the highest play off position be given the benefit of being able to select who they want to play in the semi-final, eg say we picked Cheltenham then Torquay would by default play Crewe.

This would be a just reward for finishing in the highest non-auto promotion spot and avoid the situation we found ourselves in by, winning our last game, effectively shooting ourselves in the foot and giving us the toughest competition against the in-form team.

I think they may do something like this in Rugby League. Just seems fairer to me. And easy to introduce.

What do you think?

I must admit , I had the same thoughts as this ( also before we played Crewe ).
It seems that in some years ( including this ) , the team finishing highest in the play off positions has the disadvantage of playing the team with momentum , coming with a late run to squeeze into the final place.
Not sure a reduced play off system ( ie 3 teams or one game at higher teasm ground ) would be adopted by the League though as it would potentially reduce revenue from gates and TV etc , but some interesting ideas.
There will of course be the argument that we would have had to play Crewe in the final etc , so if we couldn't beat them over two games etc , but a one-off game can be very different in terms of how teams approach it , and would also prefer to maximise our chances of reaching the final.

 

[ian_the_girth]

nothing wrong with the play-off system as it is. we were just crusty **** juice.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

IF we had a choice then there would have only been one.........Torquay. Cheltenham seemed to have picked up their old form recently and if we had played them I fear that it would have been more like the Cheltenham we faced away than the side we saw, not so long ago, at Roots Hall. All in all I believe we didn't go up, not because of the side we faced in the play-offs but simply because we weren't quite good enough.

 

[Razam]

Ive always thought the play-off system was unfair and was just another money-making tool.

I reckon a fairer way (whilst keeping some of the revenue stream) would be to reduce the play-offs to 3 teams. The team the finishes just outside the autos, gets an automatic bye to the final. The next 2 teams play 2-legged play-off to see who also plays in the final. Plus in both the play-off games, and the final, if the scores are level at the final whistle, the team that finished higher in the table automatically wins (no extra-time or pens).

This would allow money to be generated (and split between less teams), still has the excitement factor, and rewards the higher placed finishes - promotion-relegation play-off rewards failure IMHO.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

The fairest way would be for the just the one game. 4th rewarded bu playing 7th..at home! Same for 5th v 6th.
Then there is a really significant reason to get that extra point or goal to edge into a home tie!!

 

[Jam_Man]

Ive always thought the play-off system was unfair and was just another money-making tool.

I reckon a fairer way (whilst keeping some of the revenue stream) would be to reduce the play-offs to 3 teams. The team the finishes just outside the autos, gets an automatic bye to the final. The next 2 teams play 2-legged play-off to see who also plays in the final. Plus in both the play-off games, and the final, if the scores are level at the final whistle, the team that finished higher in the table automatically wins (no extra-time or pens).

This would allow money to be generated (and split between less teams), still has the excitement factor, and rewards the higher placed finishes - promotion-relegation play-off rewards failure IMHO.

Again very tilted to the fact we finished 4th.

If we finished 7th Im sure you wouldnt even have considered that as a suggestion :)

Two semi finals and a final is the best way to go, why make two teams have to play two extra games and let the 4th placed team rest.

 

[kevst183]

The only question I have is the advantage to play away first it seems the wrong way round to me.

I think this is the right way round. It meant that any "extra time and penalties" would be at the higher placed teams ground, eg Crewe taking penalties in front of North Bank

 

[bucket&spade.f.c]

With Torquay joining us for another season in League 2 and the two teams who finished well behind us in 6th and 7th playing for a place in League 1 next season, I am left questioning whether our play-off system is fair. In my opinion, promotion should be based on achievements over the entire 46-match season, not on a knock-out competition that favours the in-form teams on the days of the play-off matches.

I think a fairer system is the one used in the German league where the team finishing one place below the automatically promoted teams in the lower division plays off against the team one place above the the automatically relegated teams from the division above. This would have left us with a play-off against Wycombe Wanderers this season.

Does anyone else have a view on this?

I know what your saying and thought the very same but each team knows the rules/set up and its all about who turnes up on the day!

Though I did watch sky sports the other week and the guy who invented the playoffs (I believe he is the Brentford chairman or ex) and he was saying he has put forward a new and maybe fair way to run the playoff system.

so use the example he used:

Championship teams lined up as

Reading
Southhampton
Westham
Birmingham
Blackpool
Cardiff

He said that only teams in 3rd,4th and 5th would be in the playoffs with 3rd (westham) would go straight the final with 4th (Birmingham) and 5th (Blackpool) playing a one legged game. so Cardiff miss out on the hope of the dream lands

not to sure how teams would feel about that

But I personally like the way it is set up now plus if we got to the final we wouldnt be talking about this

 

[southendkid]

No it isn't unfair, if Steve Davis had started the season Crewe would likely have been top 3, it gives clubs hopes of recovering their season if it started badly. The top 3 still go up automatically, if we can only make 4th we have to accept that we are going into a lottery. Also if there were no play-offs come May almost every team would have nothing to play for and the league would become little more than boring friendlies most of the time.

 

[Norwichshrimper]

The PlayOffs are not "fair" - but they are not designed to be fair. The only way to fairly decide promotion is for it to be done purely on league position after the 46 games. However this element of fairness has been sacrificed in order to give a greater competitiveness to the league as a whole.

Everyone knows the rules at the start of the season. You know if you finish in the 4 positions below the auto's you are going to be in the PlayOffs.

Whilst in many ways i am an old cynic and like things as they were I make an exception for the PlayOffs...they are an excellent idea and keep the season alive for 90% of the teams in the league. Pre PlayOffs there were times when for half the clubs in the league the season was effectively over and they were playing meaningless games from February onwards.