This year the top two in all the FL Playoffs have won

to get to the Playoff final @ Wembley.

Championship - Norwich & Middlesboro.
L1 - Preston & Swindon.
L2 - Southend & Wycombe.

I bet that hasn't happened often, if ever. Even in the Conference the top two (Bristol R & Grimsby) are fighting it out for a place in the League.

 

I've always felt that there should be some kind of system that gives an advantage according to league place.

 

In terms of fairness it's how it should be.

 

There is. You get the 2nd leg at home.

 

But like I say, I bet it hasn't happened often, if ever. I can't remember it

 

Not enough. I think a system where sixth plays fifth, the winners play fourth and the winners play third in the final would be fairer.

 

Interesting. They do something similar in the IPL cricket. Top play 2nd for a place in the final. The loser of that match has a second go against the winner of the 3rd and 4th teams. So if you finish in the top 2 at least you will have 2 attempts to get to the final & if you finish in the bottom 2 (i.e 3rd or 4th) you have to win twice to get to the final. Not sure that would work here though as too many games would need to be played in a short amount of time - if two legs are played.

 

It rewards league position which reflects a 46 game season but still keeps the interest of the play offs alive. I really think it should be considered.

 

It rewards league position which reflects a 46 game season but still keeps the interest of the play offs alive. I really think it should be considered.

 

In terms of fairness after 40 odd games, if you finish 3rd you should get promoted.The play offs shouldn't exist as far as I'm concerned.

 

End of the day each of 24 teams knows need to be top 2 to go up. Playoffs keep it interesting for good sides and makes more games something to play for.

 

That's why they introduced, to avoid "nothing" games in the last couple of months, where teams who were mid table and had no chance of getting into the top 3, and no chance of going down, say by March. Now if you're mid table (10th-11th) in March you still have a shot at getting promoted via the playoffs if you win all you're remaining games.

 

Play offs are the best thing to happen in football for years. The season would be dead at Xmas for many clubs wiart em.

 

So it possibly rewards the mid-table (in March) teams at the expense of a team that may be in the top 3 most of the season. As I say, in my opinion over 46 games if you finish 3rd you've earned the right to go up.

 

I know what you're saying, but that's what the FL wanted (still do). Like I say, they'd be a hell of a lot of "nothing" games in the FL with no playoffs. Take us this year. Not a cat in hells chance of us going up in the "Top 3" scenario. But we went on a run in Feb/Mar and actually went top 6, with a chance of going up. "Top 3" and our season ends on 28 Feb (can't go up/can't go down). That's 13 games left to teh end of the season. Same for about another 10 teams - how good would that be I ask?

 

Agree with this, play offs are a winner and will never be dropped. I would hate to see them dropped. Everyone knows the rules at the start of the season, you need to be top 2 to go up automatically, and if you finish third you failed, so have to try your luck in the play offs. Them's the rules and the vast majority of people in football are happy with them. So the argument that if you finish third you deserve to go up means nothing in my eyes, you finished third, get over it, try and win the play offs.

 

https://twitter.com/football_league/status/600259277035544576

 

We could adopt a system like The Super League. That would take us nicely through almost to the start of tne next season without a break!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_League_play-offs#Current_Play-Off_System

 

Twice before. Funnily enough YOU were in them!
97/98 Sunderland(3) v Charlton(4),Grimsby(3) v Northampton(4),Colchester(4) v Torquay(5)
99/00 Ipswich(3) v Barnsley(4),Gillingham(3) v Wigan(4),Darlington(4) v Peterborough(5)

The League One final this year should be interesting going off past finals - Swindon have won 3 play off finals , Preston have lost all 3 play off finals they've been in.

 

And hopefully that run will continue.