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First Wizard

Why I still loathe the play offs

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I''ve seethed about this all week, the playoffs whilst exciting for some fans, is a joke. It is in my opinion, totally unfair and does not reflect a teams performance over the course of the season.

The league table does not lie, City, West Brom and Sunderland were by far the three best teams in Division one this season. Yet because some decrepped old codgers at the FA degree it, Crystal Palace (who only reached the play offs because of West Ham scoring), are now in the Premiership. Whats bloody fair about that?.

Sunderland finished third by a mile, therefore it is they, I believe, who have earned the right to go up.

It is somewhat galling to witness the Palace celebrating as if its they who have won the Championship. Remember Ipswich and Birmingham behaving the same?. Its sicken''s me to see it. The runners up get nothing, yet for winning the playoffs, you get a ******* cup and medals, madness!.

I felt no different when City reached Cardiff, to have a team who lets face it, finished 6th, winning promotion is I believe, a damn disgrace, lets end this stupid farce now.

Rant over.

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I can see your point Wiz. I can imagine just how sickening it must be when you work and graft all season and then a team 10 points behind you gets promoted. However, all teams know the format at the beginning of the year. I''m a big fan of the play-offs. Simply because they make the league season a much more interesting affair. Take this year. If the play offs didn''t exist, teams like Palace, Ipswich, West Ham, Reading, Sheff Utd and others would have had nothing to play for. The season would be over by mid March, when the top 2 teams have run away with it. The play-offs create excitment right up to the last day of the season. And even beyond. The league would be a lot more boring without them.

However, I can see your point. I did feel a bit sick that even after all the effort we''ve put in this season, how long we''ve been top, we still get the same result as palace who just scrape in! Never mind. Nobody will care next year

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I know others will probably disagree, but I think you make a lot of sense Wiz! The only reason for having the play-offs, I believe, is to generate more revenue for the powers that be and, according to some poeople, to prolong the season a bit. That last one always makes me wonder. If I were a pro footballer would I want to have to continue intensive training and endure more media intrusion for another three weeks, or would I rather have a bit more time to recharge my batteries and spend with my family? Tough one...not!

The only thing I hope I can add to your points is that the runners-up do get a salver and the players do get runners-up medals. Until recently I thought like you that they didn''t...but the West Brom fans who attended their civic reception said that they were presented with these after their game at home to Forest as it was known then that they could no longer win the league. The fans thought was a tad bizarre as they had expected presentations to be made at the reception.

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Valid points from both of you. Personally I think they are a terrible thing for all of the reasons Wiz has stated.

However, this year I am glad they exist, as next year I would much rather having to beat the team placed 6th this year than the team who finished 3rd.

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For the previous few years they have been essential for us - generating revenue from higher attendances, more tv coverage etc.

The extra money brings benefits to all clubs in the nationwide - collectively it must equate to £10 million at least - money the game desperately needs outside the Premiership.

And I would have thought the players themselves would rather chase the dream of a potential rise in status than look to put their feet up.

As unfair as it is - lets keep ''em.

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I agree some very good points have been raised against the play-offs & the way they''re done. However, I still think something which shrinks the mid-table, ''nothing-to-play-for'' zone is good, because viewed aesthetically, mid table is a very dull place indeed. I understand some countries even have relegation play-offs as well (or instead), which I think would be even better! If Div 1 had both, there would only be 12 out of 24 teams not still involved and motivated come the end of the season.

Agreed the differences between overall season achievement aren''t fully recognised by the play-off results, but this is how I think of it: Really only the champion has an undeniable right to be promoted; the runner-up spot is already a generous gesture (that''s why they don''t get the prestige). The play-off winner''s spot is very much a wild card ''extra'', which has to be contested and is only won after 3 extra games, i.e. up to a point it does reflect merit, since in effect their season is slightly longer.

Also, how pleased we were to reach the play-offs 2 seasons ago: we''d all have absolutely loved the system had we been luckier with the penalties (even though I ''knew'' we''d lose, once it went to penalties)!

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I really do take your comments on board, please believe that. But surely the season last 46 games, so whats the damn point of the season in the first place?. Why not make it 48,49 or 50 games?.

If you finish in boring mid table, thats because you wasn''t good enough, that my point!.

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It''s all a pretty pointless arguement against the Play-offs because they are part of the rules. Each team in the league know that if they finish 3rd they are in the Play-offs, along with 4th,5th and 6th places. The reasoning behind it is that it quite simply produces more income for the Clubs involved.

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Yes, I see what you''re saying, 1stW. But could you not also turn it round & see it as the 3rd- placed team not quite being good enough for automatic promotion, so it is decided they have to fight it out to prove they really are better than the (arbitrary) 3 below them? This incidentally gives a lifeline to the latter, who have after all made it into the top quarter on the basis of their whole season, so it isn''t as if the season is pointless.

I understand this may not be considered fair, e.g. if the 3rd-placed do a Wolves and are let down by their end-of-season and play-off form, belying the successful majority of previous performances. However, these last games are representative of the team as they metaphorically move into the next season (summer rest & signings apart) and could therefore almost be seen as being a better barometer of their right to play in the next league up.

Crystal Palace are a great example - in the last quarter of the season they belatedly went on the up and played better than the Sunderlands and ***wiches in the last 24 games - 50pts compared with 42pts to Sunderland & 35pts to the scum - and also better in the last 10 - CP 21pts, *TFC 20pts, SFC 16pts. (Gosh I''m sad, relating stats on such a matter!) Admittedly West Ham were better but then they should have beaten Palace in the final, and it was funny that they lost after expecting all along to woop the division. Well, that''s just what I think anyway.

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Agree that they are somewhat unfair, but see the argument for them as they do keep the season alive for more teams.
Perhaps they should be changed a little though. How about just 3 games - 2 single legged semis and the final. Third versus Fith and Fourth versus sixth (or 3v6, 4v5) with a single leg instead of the two legs, and Third and Fourth places both getting home advantage?

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I''ve got mixed emotions about the playoffs. On the one had it is a stupid way to finish a season, irrational and unfair. 100% conceived because of the lure of more TV money.

On the other hand, when I was making my way down to the Millenium stadium along with 35,000 other believers I''d have told you the playoffs were great!

Despite the result it was an unbelievable day and part of the story of Worthy''s army. We''d just begun showing our claws then, the writing was on the wall.
We wouldn''t have those memories without the playoffs.

Plus it was funny when the scum went out :D

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How about 4th versus 5th, over two legs and then the 3rd placed team plays the winner at Cardiff, advantage held by the 3rd placed team..?

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Its a better idea then what we have at the present Anderz, but, and I know I''m repeating myself here. The FA in their infinite wisdom, have decided that 46 games will be the seasons length, no more no less. The 3 TOP teams to be promoted, and you will be judged over that season.

But (and this only my opinion) as they wish to rake in more cash, they will forget that, and only allow the top two by right.

If you finish 6th, don''t worry, you can still be promoted ahead of a team, who over the course of OUR season, has performed far better than you.

Still sounds fair does it!. with repects to Sunderland, the true 3rd place team in division I.

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If the Nationwide teams playoff between 3-6 places for promotion, would it be a good idea if the 4-7 place teams in the Prem play-off for the 4th spot in the Champ League?

All the above arguments apply.

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first wiz

agree with you mate, even the year we managed to scrape into sixth place!! mind you it was really satisfying beating wolves lol

it is all about money, not sport - and i did watch most of the play off games and they were DULL!!!

So for excitement, let''s go back to concentrating on the marathon of the league and the 40 odd games, if you are good enough you will go up, if not (yes, you''ll still be nationwide)

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