Six Team Play-Offs?

[Luke Imp]

Under consideration, apparently. Pictures taken from the NL FB page.

Not all the images work on here for some reason, so they can be found here.

 

[Kim Mitten]

interesting idea, on expansion though I'd rather see the team who finishes 22nd in League Two in the playoffs alongside 2nd-6th with both that team and 2nd place straight into semi finals, be a chance for a possible third team being promoted then.

I note they also want to do away with extra time in the playoff finals and have National, North and South at Wembley. I take it that means they want another 'finals day' with all the playoff matches being hosted on the same day. I suppose kickoffs would be 12pm, 3pm and 6pm? I hope they think it through with regards to supporters travelling from all corners of the country, doubt the likes of Truro would take many to Wembley for a noon kickoff.
I also don't particularly like the idea of scrapping extra time in a final, think it should stay in a final but of course you then wouldn't realistically be able to fit in three games in a day

The three finals at Wembley is tabled for next season but the 6 team playoffs (again across all three divisions) isn't tabled until 2017/18.

 

[JJ1532]

Apologies for the size.

I'm usually skeptical over changes of this nature, but that format looks pretty good all things considered.

Gives the teams that finish 2nd and 3rd the advantage of having to simply play 1 game and that being a home game. None of this 2 leg stuff which really levels the playing field imo. The lower placed teams have to go through one extra hurdle as well. I like the format to be honest, could have some legs to it.

 

[Southern Shayman]

It looks an utter farce. One legged play off 'quarter/preliminary' and semi finals. A change to straight to penalties that makes it far more of a lottery.

Also, the continuation of the devaluation of Wembley is a joke. The North/South play off finals should be at appropriately placed grounds - a Burton Albion size for example.

Why fix what isn't broken? I can only think FGR's showing has made the Conference put forward this suggestion.

 

[Harrier94]

In a division where only 2 teams go up why should 6th and 7th be in contention? Ridiculous decision if it goes through.

 

[GTFCfish]

Without knowing the ins and outs of the Wembley triple header proposals, if they were to do it similar to how they did the Fa Trophy/Vase finals with no teams sharing any seats the problems could be if the teams with excellent away support for example Tranmere and Wrexham get there, with Stockport and FCUM from the North etc, trying to squeeze in 6 sets of fans to the correct number of seats could be a nightmare if they over/underestimate how many each team will bring.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I think below conf they should keep the format as it is, works great to give the higher placed sides home advantage.

i'd maybe put thought into FA Trophy to try and reduce that having an effect near end of season.

i'd maybe started it with some close regional group games during end of pre-season, most teams take early rounds half hearted it would be a way to get rid of the clunky load of games while giving clubs some more meaningful pre-season games, so when season starts you maybe only have 16 teams left and not many rounds to play, ditch replays and maybe just had both semi's a one smaller neutral venue than 2 legged games.

the problem with that scenario above is you could in effect have a side 20 plus points behind 2nd go up.

 

[Mr Scooty]

With all these bankrolled hobby clubs and increased parachute payments winning the league is becoming a near impossibility for us, and getting in the playoffs isn't going to get any easier. This change would really suit Wrexham.

The playoffs are already a lottery and zero fun for fans. Getting them over and done with as quickly as possible with with no second legs or extra time appeals to me too.

 

[DarkSithLord]

It looks an utter farce. One legged play off 'quarter/preliminary' and semi finals. A change to straight to penalties that makes it far more of a lottery.

Also, the continuation of the devaluation of Wembley is a joke. The North/South play off finals should be at appropriately placed grounds - a Burton Albion size for example.

Why fix what isn't broken? I can only think FGR's showing has made the Conference put forward this suggestion.

This. With this and the recent scrapping of the Transfer window at National League level these really put clubs such as ourselves at a real disadvantage? One Legged affairs with no ET and straight to penalties at the ground of the team who finished higher in the league? Grossly unfair. The play-offs work perfectly as they are right now. Do not change what isnt broken!

 

[Andy Harrier]

As a fan of a team who has finished in the Conference play offs once since their introduction, and finished 6th three times, I'm not convinced this is a good idea. With only two spots available, I don't see why the team finishing 7th should get the possibility. I'd be more interested in a Scottish style play off system as a way of getting a possible third promotion spot

 

[Sparrow]

Oddly, they forgot to add 'ref out the part-timers' in the features section.

 

[Mr Scooty]

As a fan of a team who has finished in the Conference play offs once since their introduction, and finished 6th three times, I'm not convinced this is a good idea. With only two spots available, I don't see why the team finishing 7th should get the possibility.

The playoffs are completely unfair now. A team can finish 5th, 15 or more points behind 2nd, and get promoted. It's already silly. Going to 7th spot is just extending the daftness a bit. League 2 already lets you finish 7th on less than 70 points and still get promoted.

The only fair way of doing it is the top two promoted (or three is that ever happens) with no playoffs at all. That's it.

 

[Southern Shayman]

Oh goody, nice to see unashamed self interest being put to one side...

 

[Mr Scooty]

Obviously the fairest system would be promoting the top club in the attendance league.

Then 2nd down to 7th would all go straight to Wembley for an attendance off. Whoever brings the most fans gets promoted. They don't have to put on football matches between the clubs, that would take ages, so maybe have an England C match against a Faroe Islands under 16 side or something for people to watch instead.

 

[Greenacres]

What next, have a point in the season where the top half of the table go into a promotion play-off round, the bottom half compete to avoid relegation? They have a system in rugby union where the top teams play off at the end of the season to be declared champions, so having won the most games over a season can count for absolutely nothing, I hope we never end up with that in football. As someone who has seen their team reach the play-offs in the last two seasons all I can say is that the system isn't broken, despite being disappointed that we didn't go up, so why try and repair it...although I would definitely prefer to see a three up and down situation.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

This. With this and the recent scrapping of the Transfer window at National League level these really put clubs such as ourselves at a real disadvantage? One Legged affairs with no ET and straight to penalties at the ground of the team who finished higher in the league? Grossly unfair. The play-offs work perfectly as they are right now. Do not change what isnt broken!

How does that put Alfreton at a disadvantage?

 

[Chris FGR]

Terrible idea. It's bad enough that also rans like Grimsby were allowed to compete with the top dogs who were head and shoulders above them in the lottery last season, to extend it even further down the league would be farcical.

7th could go up instead of 2nd ffs!

And staging 3 finals on one day devalues all 3, especially with no extra time. The North and South finals should be at neutral venues, like Burton and Stevenage.

 

[Mr Scooty]

None of these finals should be at Wembley, but staging the National League North playoff in the south adds an extra dimension of lunacy to the idea.

 

[Greenacres]

None of these finals should be at Wembley, but staging the National League North playoff in the south adds an extra dimension of lunacy to the idea.

Definitely agree with you for the regional finals, bringing two northern based teams all the way to Wembley makes no sense whatsoever when there are plenty of excellent alternatives elsewhere. Even the National final could be relocated. Our game against Grimsby could easily have been played somewhere like Villa Park which is far closer to both clubs. I'm not for one moment suggesting that I didn't enjoy going to the new Wembley for the first time, but having the game at a quarter-filled stadium doesn't make much sense. I imagine if the game had been played somewhere else then the cost of going might have been a lot less, which wouldn't be a bad thing at all, and might have increased the attendance.

 

[Chris FGR]

Even the National final could be relocated. Our game against Grimsby could easily have been played somewhere like Villa Park which is far closer to both clubs.

Well, 30 miles closer.

We took more to Wembley in the Trophy Final 99 then we did to Villa Park in the 01 final.

Given there's only half an hours difference in the two trips (just under 2 hrs to Wembley and just under 1:30 to Villa Park), I doubt it would have made any difference to this years turnout tbh.

 

[Greenacres]

...and a fair bit closer for Grimsby, or any other team from the midlands northwards, who I was thinking of.

OK, so maybe we could have gone for Derby, which is probably equidistant...I was just trying to illustrate my point.

 

[Chris FGR]

The prestige of Wembley is the biggest pull. Most clubs will take more there then they will to a football league ground a few miles closer, especially if they haven't been there much.

Look at the attendance for the Gas v Grimsby final last year. No way would it have been as big as that at Derby.

Tranmere v Wrexham would probably get a bigger crowd at Wembley then it would at Anfield or Goodison Park.

 

[Mr Scooty]

I doubt it. We've been to Wembley 3 times recently and the novelty has definitely worn off. Loads more would travel just up the road I reckon. And there's plenty of armchair Liverpool fans in North Wales and the Wirral who also take passing interest in their local team that would jump at the chance to go to Anfield to watch the game.

 

[Railway Blue]

What next, have a point in the season where the top half of the table go into a promotion play-off round, the bottom half compete to avoid relegation? They have a system in rugby union where the top teams play off at the end of the season to be declared champions, so having won the most games over a season can count for absolutely nothing, I hope we never end up with that in football. As someone who has seen their team reach the play-offs in the last two seasons all I can say is that the system isn't broken, despite being disappointed that we didn't go up, so why try and repair it...although I would definitely prefer to see a three up and down situation.

Wow I agree with an FGR fan. That situation in Rugby is a complete farce as is the Welsh Premier league where a team that finishes in the bottom 6 can qualify for Europa League.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Awful idea, I think now with the added parachute payments from League clubs coming down they could afford to just make it 3 up 3 down, I think that'd help keep it fresh and improve the quality of the National League. Having the National North and South play off finals at Wembley is a daft idea, having 7,000 fans in a 90,000 seater ground is lunacy.

 

[Greenacres]

Awful idea, I think now with the added parachute payments from League clubs coming down they could afford to just make it 3 up 3 down, I think that'd help keep it fresh and improve the quality of the National League.

Couldn't agree more.

Although it does vary a bit from season to season, most of those who do go up are very competitive when they get to Division Two. I have only been following my team for a decade or so, since relocating to Gloucestershire, but have noticed a big improvement in the quality of football in the division since my first game over 25 years ago. Most seasons at least half of the teams in the National have previous experience in the Football League, which may help account for a greater interest in the league, though not all bounce back as quickly as they might have expected. Maybe the parachute payments aren't as big a factor as might be imagined, as they might be used to fill some of the financial gaps that caused relegated clubs to come down in the first place, rather than ensure a quick return.

 

[Boz]

I'm unsure how the NL works. Who suggests these ideas, do they have to get backed by a straight majority or more of club chairs to be put into place?

The idea of having 3 sets of NL finals on one day presents the prospect of a rather sterile atmosphere and I'd be quite happy as others have suggested to have the NL final at a Prem/Championship ground. Not convinced at expanding the play-offs further to allow the side finishing 7th a chance of going up by that mechanism.

 

[Raymondo316]

Just imagine Shitehawk v Truro at Wembley

 

[SGW]

I don't think it's such a bad idea although needs a bit of working up.

I like the idea that the teams which finish higher get a theoretically easier ride (that's used in lots of other sports and seems to work).

On the other hand, got to agree with the majority that a team finishing 7th really ought not to even have the chance to get promoted to the FL. Personally would prefer that the Conf teams in the playoffs be 2nd to 5th as currently and that the teams finishing 22nd and 23rd in L2 make up the numbers. You could make the Conf runner up and the higher League team the favoured ones to come in at round 2, and the carrot for the FL would be that they might only have one team relegated anyway.

What I'm a bit bemused about is almost everyone slagging off the idea because it's different from how the playoffs currently are. They're not set in stone,you know, and they weren't handed down by Moses as tablets from God and they're a bit shit anyway, so why not try something different?

 

[B2TF]

It looks an utter farce. One legged play off 'quarter/preliminary' and semi finals. A change to straight to penalties that makes it far more of a lottery.

Also, the continuation of the devaluation of Wembley is a joke. The North/South play off finals should be at appropriately placed grounds - a Burton Albion size for example.

Why fix what isn't broken? I can only think FGR's showing has made the Conference put forward this suggestion.

I think it's a great idea, only it doesn't go far enough - they should let all 24 teams into the play-offs at the end of the season. It'd be a bit complicated to make it work but hey, those fucking geniuses running football now should be able to sort it out. The only potential problem I can see is those attending a FGR vs Solihull final would be at serious risk of death from loneliness.