| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) 11:02 - Mar 5 with 881 views | itfcsuth |
From next season. Utter nonsense. [Post edited 5 Mar 11:02]
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| Play offs to 6 (n/t) on 11:02 - Mar 5 with 861 views | EastTownBlue |
Starts next season.
Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs Format – 2026/27
The Play-Offs in the Championship will consist of seven fixtures
The two winners of the eliminator ties will progress to the semi-finals (against the teams finishing 3rd and 4th in the table). These games will be played over two legs.
The two winning semi-finalists will meet in the Championship Play-Off final.
The exact final format will be agreed later in 2026.
https://www.efl.com/news/2026/ [Post edited 5 Mar 11:04]
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:03 - Mar 5 with 825 views | WestStanderLaLaLa |
Who asked for this. W@nkers. |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:04 - Mar 5 with 813 views | bluelagos |
Hopefully won't concern us |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:08 - Mar 5 with 751 views | itfcsuth |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:03 - Mar 5 by WestStanderLaLaLa |
Who asked for this. W@nkers. |
Broadcasters.
No fan has asked for an expansion to the play-offs, but more games = more revenue. | | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:15 - Mar 5 with 683 views | SitfcB |
What a load of shít.
Something else changing that didn’t need changing and something else coming in that fans didn’t want. |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:18 - Mar 5 with 654 views | waveneyblue |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:15 - Mar 5 by SitfcB |
What a load of shít.
Something else changing that didn’t need changing and something else coming in that fans didn’t want. |
It hasnt been about "proper" fans for years.
Shithousing to 8th and getting promoted at the expense of someone finishing 3rd who achieve 20 more points... seems fair |  | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:18 - Mar 5 with 649 views | Parky |
Disgraceful decision, and pure greed. | | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:29 - Mar 5 with 577 views | Chris_ITFC |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:18 - Mar 5 by waveneyblue |
It hasnt been about "proper" fans for years.
Shithousing to 8th and getting promoted at the expense of someone finishing 3rd who achieve 20 more points... seems fair |
Literally 7 teams better than you in the Championship, let alone the 19 you’re trying to compete with in the Premier League. |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:40 - Mar 5 with 475 views | squiz |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:29 - Mar 5 by Chris_ITFC |
Literally 7 teams better than you in the Championship, let alone the 19 you’re trying to compete with in the Premier League. |
Thats a good point. Adds to it being even more of a closed shop |  | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:44 - Mar 5 with 435 views | SWLondonBlue93 |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:08 - Mar 5 by itfcsuth |
Broadcasters.
No fan has asked for an expansion to the play-offs, but more games = more revenue. |
In that case, let's have everyone down to 21st involved in the POs. | | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:49 - Mar 5 with 408 views | Steve_M |
It's just such a fking dreadful idea, instead of the condensed drama that the current format provides (for good or ill) let's drag everything out and allow the eighth place finished in the Championship a shot at promotion.
And should an eighth place team go up and struggle badly then the same broadcasters will patronise them incessantly. |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:49 - Mar 5 with 403 views | tcblue |
How is Ridsdale still allowed near football?
Hoping PNE finish 9th next season | | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:52 - Mar 5 with 378 views | Guthrum |
It is.
How do they propose to organise it? Currently two (double-legged) semi-finals into a final for one place makes sense.
Three quarter/semi-finals leaves an odd number for the next stage. Or is it going to be some kind of mini league - further stretching out the season into the summer break? |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:55 - Mar 5 with 358 views | Bellevue_Blue |
The deep deep irony is this will only help parachute payment clubs.
In a one off game, they are always more likely to win and this gives them a higher chance. | | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:55 - Mar 5 with 354 views | algy |
This just lowers standards by increasing the number of teams that can claim to have had a "successful" season. I've always thought that automatic promotion is a success, winning the playoffs is a success but losing in the playoffs is a failure just less of a failure than not making the playoffs. My local non league team had a spell where they reached the playoffs 4 years out of 5. Never even won a game in them but many still said they had successful seasons. Praise for mediocrity. | |
| Never forget that in April 2021, for ITFC, the Game Changed. |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:56 - Mar 5 with 348 views | SWLondonBlue93 |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:52 - Mar 5 by Guthrum |
It is.
How do they propose to organise it? Currently two (double-legged) semi-finals into a final for one place makes sense.
Three quarter/semi-finals leaves an odd number for the next stage. Or is it going to be some kind of mini league - further stretching out the season into the summer break? |
Most likely the same as the National League - 5th vs 8th and 6th vs 7th, the winners play 3rd/4th and so on. | | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 12:00 - Mar 5 with 325 views | Guthrum |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:56 - Mar 5 by SWLondonBlue93 |
Most likely the same as the National League - 5th vs 8th and 6th vs 7th, the winners play 3rd/4th and so on. |
That's still going to run things about a week later, reducing the break for staff and players before pre-season training and the transfer window kick in. | |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 12:06 - Mar 5 with 293 views | BseaBlue |
So a third of the league now get a shot at promotion, having played 46 games!
There also still isnt enough of a benefit for finishing 3rd in my opinion. What should have happened is 3rd goes straight to the final, 5th plays 6th in a one off quarter final (at 5ths home ground) and the winner then plays 4th (at their home ground) for a place in the final.
This way, it rewards performance based on the 46 league game campaign. |  | | |
| Awful Awful Awful on 12:21 - Mar 5 with 204 views | unstableblue |
Makes the need to hit the autos this season even greater.
That would currently be Derby County! (with Preston, Watford and Brum in with a chance).
The crazy thing is that the gulf to the Prem is huge, and frankly an even worse team sneaking in, simply increases that gulf |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 12:41 - Mar 5 with 128 views | HighgateBlue |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:55 - Mar 5 by Bellevue_Blue |
The deep deep irony is this will only help parachute payment clubs.
In a one off game, they are always more likely to win and this gives them a higher chance. |
Southampton's form this year being a good example - they may very well make the top 8 but not top 6, which constitutes a poor season, but still one that allows them a chance of promotion.
Even Norwich have a chance of sneaking into 8th. Shudder.
I suppose the positive is that it gives the 3rd and 4th placed teams an advantage in that they might have to face 7th or 8th rather than 5th or 6th.
Still bobbins, mind. |  | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 12:43 - Mar 5 with 119 views | BasingstokeBlue |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 12:06 - Mar 5 by BseaBlue |
So a third of the league now get a shot at promotion, having played 46 games!
There also still isnt enough of a benefit for finishing 3rd in my opinion. What should have happened is 3rd goes straight to the final, 5th plays 6th in a one off quarter final (at 5ths home ground) and the winner then plays 4th (at their home ground) for a place in the final.
This way, it rewards performance based on the 46 league game campaign. |
Try getting playoff-promoted out of Serie C. I certainly can't understand it...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ |  |
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| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 13:01 - Mar 5 with 27 views | nshearman1 |
They used to say the League table doesn't lie. Well it does now. This is all about greed and making money. Players will suffer from too many games. The play0-offs become a lottery where the poorest teams could win through. And then they'll be moaning about the lack of quality of promoted teams to the PL. It stinks. | | | |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 13:03 - Mar 5 with 11 views | WD19 |
| Play offs to 6 teams (n/t) on 11:55 - Mar 5 by Bellevue_Blue |
The deep deep irony is this will only help parachute payment clubs.
In a one off game, they are always more likely to win and this gives them a higher chance. |
Here’s hoping a parachute club finishes 3rd, 20 points ahead of 8th and gets mugged. |  | | |
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