Championship playoffs

[casgooner]

There are three trophies for the Championship.. The winners (obviously) , the runners up trophy and the play off trophy.. Crazy stuff..I think the idea of the third to sixth place teams in a league after 46(?) games playing off to get to a Wembley final and promotion is contradictory to the concept of a league. I think it is morally wrong also.A league is a league and a Cup competition is a cup competition..
The play offs do throw up good games but I don't like the idea of them.

I agree, it's crazy. Brighton just failed in their last two matches, now they could be left out in the cold. I agree about the rugby too. Sometimes teams have late runs and go into the play-offs with good momentum and on form. They should do a play off with the 3rd top in the Championship and the third bottom in the Prem, that would make it more interesting.

That was the case when they first started - I seem to recall Chelsea didn't get relegated due to winning against the championship team (then div 1)

Shame.

[augie]

There are three trophies for the Championship.. The winners (obviously) , the runners up trophy and the play off trophy.. Crazy stuff..I think the idea of the third to sixth place teams in a league after 46(?) games playing off to get to a Wembley final and promotion is contradictory to the concept of a league. I think it is morally wrong also.A league is a league and a Cup competition is a cup competition..
The play offs do throw up good games but I don't like the idea of them.

I agree, it's crazy. Brighton just failed in their last two matches, now they could be left out in the cold. I agree about the rugby too. Sometimes teams have late runs and go into the play-offs with good momentum and on form. They should do a play off with the 3rd top in the Championship and the third bottom in the Prem, that would make it more interesting.

That was the case when they first started - I seem to recall Chelsea didn't get relegated due to winning against the championship team (then div 1)

Was that against the mackems ? I seem to remember them losing a play off at their shithole and their scumbags going on the warpath inside the stadium, which prompted ken bates to suggest turning the fences into electric fences

[augie]

I think that it needs to be said that derby are shit - they have two of the worst back 4 ever to play for Ireland in their defence and that isn't a great omen to start with.

Paul ince should get his arse home and tell his wife that he is demanding dna tests for his son tom - when you consider the warrior that tom ince was, it must pain him to see a cowardly pussy player with his surname on the back of the jersey.

[SteveO 35]

There are three trophies for the Championship.. The winners (obviously) , the runners up trophy and the play off trophy.. Crazy stuff..I think the idea of the third to sixth place teams in a league after 46(?) games playing off to get to a Wembley final and promotion is contradictory to the concept of a league. I think it is morally wrong also.A league is a league and a Cup competition is a cup competition..
The play offs do throw up good games but I don't like the idea of them.

Hey don't knock it - the 4th place team could yet win a trophy with Hull 2-0 up. That would great in the Prem - we'd have silverware every season

[SteveO 35]

I think that it needs to be said that derby are shit - they have two of the worst back 4 ever to play for Ireland in their defence and that isn't a great omen to start with.

Paul ince should get his arse home and tell his wife that he is demanding dna tests for his son tom - when you consider the warrior that tom ince was, it must pain him to see a cowardly pussy player with his surname on the back of the jersey.

I don't know who you're referring to but with that description I only hope they will be straight into the team in the Euros

[StuartL]

I think that it needs to be said that derby are shit - they have two of the worst back 4 ever to play for Ireland in their defence and that isn't a great omen to start with.

Paul ince should get his arse home and tell his wife that he is demanding dna tests for his son tom - when you consider the warrior that tom ince was, it must pain him to see a cowardly pussy player with his surname on the back of the jersey.

He was heavily linked with us a year or two back and a supposed Gooner to boot, would fit in well then ?

[Clash]

There are three trophies for the Championship.. The winners (obviously) , the runners up trophy and the play off trophy.. Crazy stuff..I think the idea of the third to sixth place teams in a league after 46(?) games playing off to get to a Wembley final and promotion is contradictory to the concept of a league. I think it is morally wrong also.A league is a league and a Cup competition is a cup competition..
The play offs do throw up good games but I don't like the idea of them.

Agreed. A fairer system would be that the team finishing 3rd (in this case Brighton) would get into the play-off final and 4th and 5th play a semi-final. But its not about fair, its about money.

How the hell is a 46 game season not enough to sort out who the best 3 teams are? Do we really need another 5 games? Divisions 1 2 3 & 4 with top 3 promoted and bottom 3 relegated worked for years for a good reason - it was the fairest way.

And the fact that the team who finishes 6th can get promoted almost certainly guarantees they'll be coming back down again because 6th in the Championship means you're shit.

Was hoping for Britghton. Wanted to see new name and the fact they finished 3rd made me favour them.

Cant say the return of Burnley and Middlesboro is stirring the blood. If Hull come up too then its even worse. Looks like 2 dead 2nd leg ties now though.

[casgooner]

There are three trophies for the Championship.. The winners (obviously) , the runners up trophy and the play off trophy.. Crazy stuff..I think the idea of the third to sixth place teams in a league after 46(?) games playing off to get to a Wembley final and promotion is contradictory to the concept of a league. I think it is morally wrong also.A league is a league and a Cup competition is a cup competition..
The play offs do throw up good games but I don't like the idea of them.

Agreed. A fairer system would be that the team finishing 3rd (in this case Brighton) would get into the play-off final and 4th and 5th play a semi-final. But its not about fair, its about money.

How the hell is a 46 game season not enough to sort out who the best 3 teams are? Do we really need another 5 games? Divisions 1 2 3 & 4 with top 3 promoted and bottom 3 relegated worked for years for a good reason - it was the fairest way.

And the fact that the team who finishes 6th can get promoted almost certainly guarantees they'll be coming back down again because 6th in the Championship means you're shit.

Was hoping for Britghton. Wanted to see new name and the fact they finished 3rd made me favour them.

Cant say the return of Burnley and Middlesboro is stirring the blood. If Hull come up too then its even worse. Looks like 2 dead 2nd leg ties now though.

You make a good point, they'd have to buy a lpot of good players to make a go of it in he prem. It makes it even more farcicle.

[Henry Norris 1913]

There are three trophies for the Championship.. The winners (obviously) , the runners up trophy and the play off trophy.. Crazy stuff..I think the idea of the third to sixth place teams in a league after 46(?) games playing off to get to a Wembley final and promotion is contradictory to the concept of a league. I think it is morally wrong also.A league is a league and a Cup competition is a cup competition..
The play offs do throw up good games but I don't like the idea of them.

I agree, it's crazy. Brighton just failed in their last two matches, now they could be left out in the cold. I agree about the rugby too. Sometimes teams have late runs and go into the play-offs with good momentum and on form. They should do a play off with the 3rd top in the Championship and the third bottom in the Prem, that would make it more interesting.

That was the case when they first started - I seem to recall Chelsea didn't get relegated due to winning against the championship team (then div 1)

Shame.

nah chelsea lost the 1988 play-off v boro and got relegated. they had a little riot after. those were the days

[Clash]

There are three trophies for the Championship.. The winners (obviously) , the runners up trophy and the play off trophy.. Crazy stuff..I think the idea of the third to sixth place teams in a league after 46(?) games playing off to get to a Wembley final and promotion is contradictory to the concept of a league. I think it is morally wrong also.A league is a league and a Cup competition is a cup competition..
The play offs do throw up good games but I don't like the idea of them.

Couldn't agree more but at least it's not as bad as the egg chasers situation. Saracens finished top of the league by a country mile but now have to go into a playoff with the next three teams to see who will be "champions". So the team finishing a distant fourth can still take the crown. Ridiculous. Oh, hang on a mo.........

Must admit I didnt know that, that is pretty crap!

That was the case when they first started - I seem to recall Chelsea didn't get relegated due to winning against the championship team (then div 1)

The first one I remember was when they were reducing the number of 1st division teams by two. Charlton who would finished 4th from bottom of division 1 played 2 legs against Leeds who I think finished 2nd in division 2. It went to a replay and was played at Birminghams ground. Charlton won 2-1 and stayed up.

It was meant to be a one-off thing but like a lot of things in football (Wembley FAC SF's and finals kicking off at 5:30pm for example) they are introduced as a one-off to avoid too much opposition to it but the intention all along was to make it permanent.

[M3Gooner]

Wednesday through to the final. Was bit disappointed with Brighton - those first half chances cost them

[Sean]

My mate will be disappointed. As I said, there's a touch of the Arsenal's about Brighton. Can't score when they need to, fragile defence, etc. I hope they come up next year.

Oh well. Said mate's Dad is a Plymouth Argyle fan and he's offered me a ticket to the League Two Play-off Final on the bank holiday.

Interesting to hear about the Chelsea-Boro play-off. I didn't think top flight teams were ever involved in play-offs. Then again, play-offs were new in those days. It is unfair, but it's a good spectacle (and a money-spinner). I know they do it in Germany and they've (re-?)introduced it in Scotland.

It's always hilarious to hear about Chelsea being relegated. The Boro manager at that time was none other than Bruce Rioch

[augie]

Brighton were outstanding in the first 20 minutes tonight and it was really great to watch. and the atmosphere was electric Funnily enough I thought the brighton goal actually killed their momentum cos they went very flat after scoring it - before they scored they were going for it with everything they had, but when they scored it was like they said to themselves "there's 70 minutes left so lets not panic trying to get the other goal now". When you have the other team on the ropes, that is when you need to kill them off, but brighton eased back on their intensity and pressure and allowed Wednesday to get a foothold in the game.

Btw the brighton keeper is a useless fat shite

[Top Londoner]

Hull 0-2 Derby HT (3-2) agg

C'mon Derby.
I can't stand Hull, the club and the shit hole.

[SteveO 35]

Fucking moronic behaviour by the Hull fans afterwards running up to the Derby players and goading them - how fucking brave 2000 people against 11. Classless wankers. Hope Sheffield Wednesday give them a stuffing in the final. At least Sheffield's a decent night out and we'll be playing at a proper ground, rather than their identikit shithole on the edge of Britain's most depressing city