Yoink

[Row Z Royal]

This is not sour grapes, we failed this season and that's bad, but shit happens!
However imagine the tension if, given that most people agree that the step from Championship to Premier league is an enormous strain on even well run and successful teams. How about the top three of each division plays the bottom three of each division above themselves, in a winner takes all knock out?

Imagine,

West Brom v Derby
Stoke v Birmingham
Hull v Reading

for this end of season's games? Afterall it would be like drinking in the last chance saloon, but how can a team ever hope to consolidate staying in the Premier league without risking making the club bankrupt and the team's that prevailed would have truly earned the right wouldn't they?

The goalposts were moved on us once before, when they realigned the divisions and we got over it

[AF1]

Terrible idea.


Why should Derby deserve to stay up, given the season they've had, by winning one game against WBA?

[Skyline]

IIRC when the playoffs first started the team in the top 'relegation' spot would indeed be involved in the playoffs for the division below (and only three teams from the division below would be in the playoffs, naturally).

[papereyes]

IIRC when the playoffs first started the team in the top 'relegation' spot would indeed be involved in the playoffs for the division below (and only three teams from the division below would be in the playoffs, naturally).

The first couple were, but I think the sides won through both times.

[SpaceCruiser]

IIRC when the playoffs first started the team in the top 'relegation' spot would indeed be involved in the playoffs for the division below (and only three teams from the division below would be in the playoffs, naturally).

Yes, and didn't Aldershot go down by this method?

[T.R.O.L.I.]

IIRC when the playoffs first started the team in the top 'relegation' spot would indeed be involved in the playoffs for the division below (and only three teams from the division below would be in the playoffs, naturally).

Yes, and didn't Aldershot go down by this method?

Not sure about Aldershot, but Chelsea were beaten by Middlesbrough in the "playoff final" of 1987/88 (the final used to be a two legged affair) and relegated as a result.

This system is still used in the Scottish league.

[SpaceCruiser]

IIRC when the playoffs first started the team in the top 'relegation' spot would indeed be involved in the playoffs for the division below (and only three teams from the division below would be in the playoffs, naturally).

Yes, and didn't Aldershot go down by this method?

Not sure about Aldershot, but Chelsea were beaten by Middlesbrough in the "playoff final" of 1987/88 (the final used to be a two legged affair) and relegated as a result.

This system is still used in the Scottish league.

I could not remember Chelsea being relegated to the second tier that recently. So I looked it up on soccerbase and I see that there was three going up from the second tier, but Chelsea was fourth bottom. So who were actually relegated that season??

[T.R.O.L.I.]

I could not remember Chelsea being relegated to the second tier that recently. So I looked it up on soccerbase and I see that there was three going up from the second tier, but Chelsea was fourth bottom. So who were actually relegated that season??

The bottom three went down automatically and the top two came up automatically. Then there was the playoff to decide which of Chelsea, Boro, Bradford and Blackburn would stay / be promoted to the top division.

This was all because in 87/88 there were 21 teams in Division 1 and 23 in Division 2 and so in 88/89 it changed to 20 and 24 teams respectively until the end of the 90/91 season when four teams were promoted and two relegated. And as we all know, this was reversed in 94/95

[From Despair To Where?]

I could not remember Chelsea being relegated to the second tier that recently. So I looked it up on soccerbase and I see that there was three going up from the second tier, but Chelsea was fourth bottom. So who were actually relegated that season??

The bottom three went down automatically and the top two came up automatically. Then there was the playoff to decide which of Chelsea, Boro, Bradford and Blackburn would stay / be promoted to the top division.

This was all because in 87/88 there were 21 teams in Division 1 and 23 in Division 2 and so in 88/89 it changed to 20 and 24 teams respectively until the end of the 90/91 season when four teams were promoted and two relegated. And as we all know, this was reversed in 94/95

I think it was done as a compromise because agreement could not be made on whether to have 2 up, 3 down or 3up, 4down. Therefore, involving the 4th bottom in the higher division involved meant either could happen. IIRC, far from Aldershot being relegated by this method, they actually got promotion from Div 4 by beating Wolves in the playoff final.

[cmonurz]

I'd be against this, tbh. We would simply end up with a US-style season proper, where clubs are simply 'jockeying for position' amongst playoff places. How would we feel having scored 106 points in the Championship only to stay down courtesy of a last minute Sunderland goal in a play-off?

[RG30]

Whilst I don't agree with the idea in principle, I do fear for Stoke City and either Hull/Bristol City when promoted. These clubs have probably overachieved by their own standards and like Derby will be cut adrift from safety from an early stage of the season. What made our promotion so special and our succesful 1st season in the PL was the continuity that had followed the side, we had players who had been regulars for 4-5 years and it showed. Naturally we tweaked spots at time but the squad was built on a good solid squad.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Whilst I don't agree with the idea in principle, I do fear for Stoke City and either Hull/Bristol City when promoted. These clubs have probably overachieved by their own standards and like Derby will be cut adrift from safety from an early stage of the season. What made our promotion so special and our succesful 1st season in the PL was the continuity that had followed the side, we had players who had been regulars for 4-5 years and it showed. Naturally we tweaked spots at time but the squad was built on a good solid squad.

106 points gave our boys the right of passage.......the likes of Sjoke and Hull/Brizzul do not have that comfort.

They will have to mix up the squad, buy/sell to survive........and that alone can rip the heart out of the team