National League - now 6 teams in play-offs
At their recent annual meeting in South Wales the National League clubs have just voted that SIX teams will compete in the end of season play-offs.
The top team will be promoted automatically to the Football League. Teams finishing 2nd & 3rd will get a bye in the initial play-offs. The 4th team will host the 7th team and the 5th will host the 6th. The winners of those ties will travel to the 2nd & 3rd teams (one-off games) & the winners of those matches will contest the Play-Off Final at Wembley.
Whilst it can argued that increasing the play-offs to six teams is a retrograde step, the fact that they are one-off games is an improvement and getting home advantage in the play-offs is a reward for finishing higher in the normal league season.
This will be interesting as I'm sure the Football League will be closely monitoring the outcome. Whether you like the play-off system or not they are here to stay. I was sceptical initially but it's got to be better than step 5 or below in Non-League (i.e. no play-offs) where the outcome of leagues is often determined by the beginning of February.
Comments
Promotion to the football league used to be sacrosanct. Now you can win a place on a lottery. ivor Beeks and Wycombe Wanderers have a lot to answer for.
The problem is that most clubs in The National League are desperate to gain Football League status. They will do almost anything (Eastleigh, Forest Green etc) to achieve this. They are also pushing 3-up, 3-down to the Football League. They are even sacrificing progress in the FA Trophy to win promotion by fielding weakened sides.
Given this ludicrous situation, it would almost be better for the National League to become SkyBet League 3 and the National League North and South would become the clear dividing line into Non-League.
For many National League clubs being classed as "Non-League" is almost a defamatory term. This crazy situation will only create more insolvency as the mad scramble for League Two hoofball status intensifies. The world's going mad and football is at the head of the queue!
Three up and Three down is long overdue from the Conf to FL.
@A_Worboys "The world's going mad and football is at the head of the queue!"
I really really wish that was true. Sadly I think football's insanity is nowhere near the front of it
Considering they had to go down to 7th place in Conference South to find 4 teams able to compete in the play-offs, who knows how far down they will have to go to find 6! Could end up with being promoted after finishing bang mid-table.
I think ground grading issues are less of an issue in the Conference National though aren't they?
It's a farce and it's ruining football not improving it.
I think it sounds like a decent approach if I'm honest.
Play offs keep things interesting for so many more teams. They also introduce the thrill of knock out football with a prize at the end, which I think is quite appealing for teams lower down the pyramid that will never realistically have the chance to experience that in the cups (I.e almost all clubs below the Premier League).
As for the National League format, it introduces much clearer advantage for finishing higher in the league, which has to be a positive step. It might be a step too far in league 2 where it would extend the play offs right down to 9th. But if it works well in the conference I think I could probably be convinced.
People often instinctively dislike change without really considering it on merit. I think that might be the case here.
Far from a farce.
If we are not careful it will end up like rugby. You play all year you finish top but your not the champion club. You have to play off with the other top sides who you have already finished above. If ever something was there to be abused.
I like the playoffs overall, but only if at least two teams go up automatically. It always seems cruel in the Conference National, where you might have a two horse race, with a team coming 2nd by a mile, and then losing in the playoffs. Keeping it at two promoted teams, one of which could come as low as 7th, could really make it more difficult to bounce back into League Two.
M3G, I agree that playoffs should never decide a football champion. The nature of the game is such that it must be decided over the course of a season. One of the weaknesses of the MLS here in the States (apart from the dreadful quality) is the fact that the champion comes through the playoffs, rather than the regular season.
People have proposed this advantaging the team that finishes at the top of the play off zone for a while now.
But they generally meant it within the standard 4 team mixer.
Expanding it down to 6 teams gives the very real risk a team can have a momentum soaked end to a season, and gazump not just 3 teams who can legitimately claim to have had better seasons, but 5! That'd be a worry for me.
The rugby model is an absolute farce as @m3g states.
The 4 team play off doesn't seem to need fixing to me.
If they needed to tweak it, why not work to the same advantage to the top team and disadvantage of the 4th team?
Why expand out even sillier?
I agree you should keep it to 4 teams but give advantage to the teams based on where they fi ished in the regular season eg in league 2 sixth plays at home to seventh with the winners away to fifth ,fourth goes straight through to Wembley . All games one off .
@Mr67 I quite like that idea.