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When did they begin, why were they introduced and should they still exist?
I don't know the answers to the first 2, but the whole system seems to be a grossly unfair way of deciding a promotion spot IMO, just give 3 promotion places, to the top 3 teams after 46 games (or whatever season total of games in the given league is).
Of course it's unfair. What other sport condemns it's player/players, riders, drivers to finishing third only to have to play off against teams you may have beaten out of sight points wise. Also it is just another way of screwing the hard earnt out of fans and to satisfy the Wembley coffers. Who decided so many games like semi finals should play at Wembley and then followed by the final ? It is craziness beyond belief and whilst fans are prepared to shell out to see something that in effect has already in truth been on paper decided by the mere fact that you have secured more points than someone who has scrapped into sixth place and put up with times of games being decide by pay for forms of watching matches on tv, whilst they are prepared to put up with it they will continue to be shafted by those that run these organisations.
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Football Play-Offs on 17:01 - Apr 12 with 1320 views
Of course it's unfair. What other sport condemns it's player/players, riders, drivers to finishing third only to have to play off against teams you may have beaten out of sight points wise. Also it is just another way of screwing the hard earnt out of fans and to satisfy the Wembley coffers. Who decided so many games like semi finals should play at Wembley and then followed by the final ? It is craziness beyond belief and whilst fans are prepared to shell out to see something that in effect has already in truth been on paper decided by the mere fact that you have secured more points than someone who has scrapped into sixth place and put up with times of games being decide by pay for forms of watching matches on tv, whilst they are prepared to put up with it they will continue to be shafted by those that run these organisations.
I am not an expert on many other sports but someone quotes the IPL (cricket) above. I suspect there are quite a lot of others.
There are 2 sides to the Wembley thing too. It gives fans more opportunities to see their teams play there and helps to pay for a national stadium.
I can see the pros and the cons. However, for me, as long as there is still automatic promotion for the top 2 I have little issue with it. It is interesting it is becoming more discussed on here when we are 3rd than it was when we were 8th.
Football Play-Offs on 10:01 - Apr 12 by GeoffSentence
If you knew your ITFC history you would know that we were in the first ever play offs.
In those days it was one team from the first division, Charlton who finished 19th, three from the second division, 3rd, 4th and 5th (us).
At the time they were reducing the top division from 22 to 20 teams, so they had either an extra team go down or one less go up and the play offs was the way they chose to do this. Three went down automatically, two went up automatically, then either another went up and one down, or it stayed as it was depending on the play-offs.
As for our participation, we played Charlton from the first division at FPR and were superb, we were much the better of the two teams but could not put the ball in the back of the net and it ended up 0-0. In the away leg at Selhurst Park we were dreadful. Went 2-0 down early in the first half, didn't put up much of a fight, the crowd were singing "you're not trying anymore", then we wok up for the last ten minutes, Steve McCall pulled one back with five minutes to go but we had left it to late and that was our lot.
Cooper saved a penalty in the home leg. We lost at home to both Portsmouth and Derby. Though we’d bounce straight back up, didn’t work out that way.
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Football Play-Offs on 18:42 - Apr 12 with 1278 views
Here is the Anglia Soccer Special of the first leg game at Portman Road against Charlton.
From memory, it was certain what sort of crowd there would be so the Cobbold Lower was actually closed, but I remember being in the Churchmans and thinking there felt more in their than normal.
Just found the second leg which I've never seen the recording from, even though I was there.
[Post edited 12 Apr 2023 14:59]
Full match here. Watch Melrose go in two-footed on McCall at 9:05 and then stamps on him, and then does not receive a red card and then goes on to score 2 goals
Football Play-Offs on 18:42 - Apr 12 by Trequartista
Full match here. Watch Melrose go in two-footed on McCall at 9:05 and then stamps on him, and then does not receive a red card and then goes on to score 2 goals
[Post edited 12 Apr 2023 18:43]
That's a shocker of a tackle. But there isn't huge protests either, but jumping in like that today would surely be a red card.
Football Play-Offs on 10:01 - Apr 12 by GeoffSentence
If you knew your ITFC history you would know that we were in the first ever play offs.
In those days it was one team from the first division, Charlton who finished 19th, three from the second division, 3rd, 4th and 5th (us).
At the time they were reducing the top division from 22 to 20 teams, so they had either an extra team go down or one less go up and the play offs was the way they chose to do this. Three went down automatically, two went up automatically, then either another went up and one down, or it stayed as it was depending on the play-offs.
As for our participation, we played Charlton from the first division at FPR and were superb, we were much the better of the two teams but could not put the ball in the back of the net and it ended up 0-0. In the away leg at Selhurst Park we were dreadful. Went 2-0 down early in the first half, didn't put up much of a fight, the crowd were singing "you're not trying anymore", then we wok up for the last ten minutes, Steve McCall pulled one back with five minutes to go but we had left it to late and that was our lot.
First leg was a Thursday, I was doing my A'levels and had an evening job at Tesco. Asked for the night off (was refused) so threw a sickie.
Friday night went into work, my manager saw me and asked how the match was? Without thinking I said we played well, got a written warning :-)
2nd leg on the Sunday, got the first available train to London, there were quite a few on it, all destined to miss the first half. Word came through of a late kick off so we only missed around 15 mins, from memory we were 2 down by the time we got in.
Remember the fans turning on Bobby Fergusen whose contract wasnt renewed after the defeat.
Also recall a w@nker from the Met making me take my trainers off so he could check them for knives. It was raining so I was stood in socks in puddles.
Left to walk up the terrace with a few mins to go and missed our goal too.
Footie in the 80s was only for the most dedicated or foolhardy, dependent on your take.
Yes they should exist. The football league needs the play offs or it would be pretty boring.
It's so tinpot to see threads like this while we're in third. Like a child having a tantrum because it's not fair.
If we go up and finish sixth next season no one will be questioning the play offs.
I personally would like to see 4 teams in a relegation pot from all leagues. Top 3 promoted and 4th team play 4th bottom from league above for a place in that league as a new style of play off
Imo no one who actually finishes the league season in 5/6th should be able to get promoted.
I hate the play offs. The table should dictate who goes up, not some random cup competition at the end of a long season. The worst offender is the National League, but I hate the concept in general.
They won't be going anywhere though as the media love the money the "drama" generates from extra coverage, because this season hasn't been dramatic enough already...
Surprised at the hate for the playoffs. I think those that have a genuine interest in football and all matches going on other than our won team would be a fan of them. They provide a unique kind of drama and keep competitive season alive for much longer.
Without playoffs the league season with 46 games is over for majority of teams half way though...becomes so dull.
If you finish 3rd, you've not been good enough to dominate the league so i don't see its that unjust.
Losing out to a team you finish several points ahead of could be galling, but that's life and how the competition works. Want to avoid that scenario, be good enough to finish in the top 2. Simple.
Yes they should exist. The football league needs the play offs or it would be pretty boring.
It's so tinpot to see threads like this while we're in third. Like a child having a tantrum because it's not fair.
If we go up and finish sixth next season no one will be questioning the play offs.
The OP genuinely isn’t related to us, or specific to this season, or even this league. I have always thought that the play offs existed purely to milk more money out of the game and don’t seem to me to be an adequate reflection of a seasons performance for the poor sods that finish 3rd and then don’t go up. Surely the point of of the league is a measure of how good a team is over the entire course of a season and thus rewards the most consistent performers with promotion, but that entire premise is tossed aside in favour of a lottery at the end of the season for the final promotion spot, all a bit bizarre if you ask me.
There’s a lot of people saying that the league would be boring without these games and leave teams with nothing to play for, but surely that’s not the case? There’s still many teams in the league that wouldn’t stand a chance of reaching top 6 many games prior to seasons end and we shouldn’t forget that these are professional sports teams and people and their mission is to finish as high as possible in the league, if I’m not mistaken, there are varying pots of cash available to sides based on final league position and no doubt many players will have clauses in contracts for the same, as well as goals scored, clean sheets etc etc, plus there are a lot of other individuals and corporate stakeholders, club and player sponsors will be keen on the highest table finish possible, the club itself has to consider that players in the lower leagues are a commodity that grease the wheels of the machine and a better finish likely means they get more interest in players and higher fees from interested parties.
Lots of reasons to want to finish high up the table, the play offs just afford the possibility of promotion to a team that doesn’t necessarily deserve it, or have earned it over a long period of time.
Football Play-Offs on 23:17 - Apr 12 by TalkingBlues
The OP genuinely isn’t related to us, or specific to this season, or even this league. I have always thought that the play offs existed purely to milk more money out of the game and don’t seem to me to be an adequate reflection of a seasons performance for the poor sods that finish 3rd and then don’t go up. Surely the point of of the league is a measure of how good a team is over the entire course of a season and thus rewards the most consistent performers with promotion, but that entire premise is tossed aside in favour of a lottery at the end of the season for the final promotion spot, all a bit bizarre if you ask me.
There’s a lot of people saying that the league would be boring without these games and leave teams with nothing to play for, but surely that’s not the case? There’s still many teams in the league that wouldn’t stand a chance of reaching top 6 many games prior to seasons end and we shouldn’t forget that these are professional sports teams and people and their mission is to finish as high as possible in the league, if I’m not mistaken, there are varying pots of cash available to sides based on final league position and no doubt many players will have clauses in contracts for the same, as well as goals scored, clean sheets etc etc, plus there are a lot of other individuals and corporate stakeholders, club and player sponsors will be keen on the highest table finish possible, the club itself has to consider that players in the lower leagues are a commodity that grease the wheels of the machine and a better finish likely means they get more interest in players and higher fees from interested parties.
Lots of reasons to want to finish high up the table, the play offs just afford the possibility of promotion to a team that doesn’t necessarily deserve it, or have earned it over a long period of time.
Look at the premier league. Without the gizzilion european places to play for the league would be dead early In the new year each season.
I don’t really care either way but I don’t think this is about money in the first instance as much as it is keeping a competition alive and it’s the same for all teams from the outset. I have come to quite enjoy watching playoff games because there is a lot riding on them, unless where we’ve narrowly missed out!
I don’t agree that it serves to offer a promotion place to an undeserving team.
The team that succeeds has missed the top two, they were not quite good enough. They have had to have beaten two of the top 3-6 teams during the playoffs. Will have had to qualify by being decent over the course of 46 games by finishing in the top 20% of teams on points.
Football Play-Offs on 09:54 - Apr 12 by MeltonBlue
I think they should exist as it is exciting for fans but also prevents the number of dead rubber games towards the end of the season.. such as this year.. what would derby/ posh/ Wycombe have left to play for now if they did not have the opportunity for a play off place and chance at promotion?
That said I think the 3rd place team should so straight to Wembley 6th place plays away at 5th (1 leg) The winner then plays away at 4th (1 leg)
The winner then advances to the final.
That's always been the model I would go with - rewards finishing higher.
They add excitement and drama and keep the season alive for a load of clubs. Every club knows the score at the start of the season and you can finish 3rd or 6th.
What is unfair however is that clubs are now rewarded for a higher finish.
It should something like 5th v 6th, 4th versus the winner and then 3rd versus the winner in the final.
The highest placing team starts at Wembley. The lowest placed one needs to win two away games to get there.
It's close to what the National League and NFL amongst others do. You can't have a team on 90 points having the same chance as a team that finished on 67 points just for that extra excitement.
There needs to be a compromise.
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Football Play-Offs on 13:08 - Apr 13 with 876 views
Football Play-Offs on 23:17 - Apr 12 by TalkingBlues
The OP genuinely isn’t related to us, or specific to this season, or even this league. I have always thought that the play offs existed purely to milk more money out of the game and don’t seem to me to be an adequate reflection of a seasons performance for the poor sods that finish 3rd and then don’t go up. Surely the point of of the league is a measure of how good a team is over the entire course of a season and thus rewards the most consistent performers with promotion, but that entire premise is tossed aside in favour of a lottery at the end of the season for the final promotion spot, all a bit bizarre if you ask me.
There’s a lot of people saying that the league would be boring without these games and leave teams with nothing to play for, but surely that’s not the case? There’s still many teams in the league that wouldn’t stand a chance of reaching top 6 many games prior to seasons end and we shouldn’t forget that these are professional sports teams and people and their mission is to finish as high as possible in the league, if I’m not mistaken, there are varying pots of cash available to sides based on final league position and no doubt many players will have clauses in contracts for the same, as well as goals scored, clean sheets etc etc, plus there are a lot of other individuals and corporate stakeholders, club and player sponsors will be keen on the highest table finish possible, the club itself has to consider that players in the lower leagues are a commodity that grease the wheels of the machine and a better finish likely means they get more interest in players and higher fees from interested parties.
Lots of reasons to want to finish high up the table, the play offs just afford the possibility of promotion to a team that doesn’t necessarily deserve it, or have earned it over a long period of time.
Disagree. The play offs are what make the football league great. 24 teams start. 9/10 will finish in a position that means something. More will have a chance of finishing in those positions towards the end of the season so many games have something riding on it.
I don't think fans care too much if going into the final few games the difference is between finishing as high as 12th or as low as 16th. We've had many seasons where it has been over with a decent number of games to go. It's painful.
Keep playoffs but change the format to similar to the IPL.
Top 2 up automatically, then the teams finishing 3rd to 6th go into the playoffs:
Qualifier 1: This is between the third and fourth placed teams. Eliminator: This involves the teams finishing fifth and sixth, the loser of this game is immediately eliminated. Qualifier 2: The loser of Qualifier 1 will then take on the winner of the Eliminator. Final: This is contested between the winner of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.
More incentive for teams to finish higher whilst also fairer to teams finishing higher. No more 2 legs, highest placed team in each game plays at home, except for the final that’s at Wembley.
Personally I would go with 3rd straight to Wembley, 5th and 6th play out a game to then they play 4th place, winner goes to Wembley.
At least you still have the excitement of PO's, but equally clubs get rewarded for where they finish.
I'm guessing they were brought in for a bit of excitement? Otherwise it could have got a bit boring if 3 are way ahead?
I personally like the National league's version (and includes 6 teams). However you could just do it with 4 teams
3rd at home v 6th 4th at home v 5th in one off games
winners into a final.
Yeah I think that is a better format. For me though, I'd go as follows:
3rd - Straight to the final at Wembley 4th - Straight to semi-final (home tie - 1 leg)
Then 5th plays at home against 6th in a quarter final over one tie. Winner then plays 4th in a semi final.
Gives more incentives and reward to the teams finishing higher in the league. The team in 6th plays no more games than they would in the current format.
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Football Play-Offs on 15:14 - Apr 13 with 817 views
Thank you all for the replies, seems there's a mix of positive/negative feelings about the play offs, but certainly a majority like them, but suggest tweaks. Having read through, I like the idea of a restructure that favours the third placed side, thus giving them a bit of an advantage over the other contenders, certainly better than what exists currently IMO.
Yeah I think that is a better format. For me though, I'd go as follows:
3rd - Straight to the final at Wembley 4th - Straight to semi-final (home tie - 1 leg)
Then 5th plays at home against 6th in a quarter final over one tie. Winner then plays 4th in a semi final.
Gives more incentives and reward to the teams finishing higher in the league. The team in 6th plays no more games than they would in the current format.
I don’t disagree with a change to format but imagine how under cooked the third placed team will be following a gap of 4 weeks competitive football compared to those having a won through the earlier round. I imagine if all leagues did similar you might find a behind closed doors game versus a lower league club in same position but how many other clubs will be keeping players back for an end of season dead game like this!
I was at Selhurst park for that away game. The ground seemed a throw back even then. Seem to remember my view of the pitch wasn’t great: blocked by a pylon or fencing or something. Can’t quite remember. I do remember it being an anti climactical afternoon, and a bvgger to get to the ground.
I went to both games. I was not blocked by a pylon at the Selhurst game. I kind of wish I had been. We were poor. The ground had little atmosphere - and for me still doesn’t though I know the CP fans do their best (not been since they started doing their stuff).
Play offs? I’m with others in thinking they are inherently unfair and I’d be happy to see the back of them.
But they are so exciting and keep interest in the season for a lot of clubs a lot longer. I’ve had some of the best and worst experiences with them, obviously. Would I scrap them? In principle, yes, in practice no.
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