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#Post#: 102398--------------------------------------------------
EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: TA_Ref Date: March 5, 2026, 5:14 am
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This morning it has been confirmed that the Sky Bet Championship
play-offs are to expand to 6 teams from next season.
Personally, I think it’s a shocking decision. More opportunities
for teams to get the chance of promotion? Yes. But it does not
sit right with me that the 8th best team across a 46 game season
should have the opportunity to get promoted over 5 other teams
who have been better than them. Promotion is something that has
to be deserved and finishing 8th and getting promoted is not
deserving in my opinion.
I think it could also lead to clubs being destroyed financially
if the 8th places team were to go up but aren’t ready to compete
in the PL. I believe the financial implications could be huge
for these clubs, certainly in a time where money and investment
is key to success.
I really don’t like this decision myself.
#Post#: 102403--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: HChip Date: March 5, 2026, 6:39 am
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An awful decision. Takes the competition and excitement away.
Having a 4 team playoff is brilliant. You get straight into a
semi-final then a massive game at Wembley. The excitement starts
from the first leg of the semi-final because you know that if
you beat a team just twice you can get to Wembley. Now you have
to go through an extra team and I can guarantee the QF’s will
not be as good.
Awful decision. I guarantee if we go through the 8th placed
teams over the last 10-15 years, under 25% of them would survive
in the PL. It’ll bring down the quality of the Premier League if
the 7th or 8th best team in the league gets promoted. Will be an
awful feeling for those 3rd, 4th, etc that probably would have
done 10x better than those at the bottom of the playoffs and
don’t get promoted.
I would rather 3rd get automatic promotion than a 6-team
playoff.
#Post#: 102406--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: John Treleven Date: March 5, 2026, 8:09 am
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Unfortunately, as with most things in life, people will vote for
money or at least the chance of it
The money outweighs any consideration of what supporters think
or what is good for the game
#Post#: 102416--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: TheThingFromLewes Date: March 5, 2026, 10:25 am
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Well it at least it gives Spurs an extra two chances to go
straight back up after this season has concluded. 😂
In all seriousness, it’s a disgrace. As a Fulham fan yes we have
benefitted from the play offs twice in four years, but to expand
it to a six team play off is a joke.
It’s all a money making exercise.
Could be even worse if VAR gets involved in these ties.
#Post#: 102417--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: rustyref Date: March 5, 2026, 11:16 am
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I'm OK with it, similar to what they already do in the National
League and I believe it has been popular there. Like it or not
football is now all about money, this will create additional
revenue from TV coverage of the additional games. It will also
effectively extend the season for many teams, even with just 11
games to go teams as low as 17th would still have a chance of
getting into the play offs (based on this season), and that in
turn will keep interest and attendances (and therefore revenue)
up.
A lot of people were up in arms about the introduction of the
play offs in the first place, but they have possibly been the
most successful change in the history of football. It is also
good that they have weighted it in the favour of teams finishing
5th and 6th as they will be at home in single leg matches.
#Post#: 102418--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: TA_Ref Date: March 5, 2026, 11:32 am
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[quote author=rustyref link=topic=7783.msg102417#msg102417
date=1772730997]
I'm OK with it, similar to what they already do in the National
League and I believe it has been popular there.
[/quote]
Has it been popular in the National League? I’d say not because
it’s not very well publicised.
It would have been an outrage if Notts County, who got 107
points in the regular season, didn’t get promoted to the
football league. They only got promoted because they scored a
last minute equaliser in their playoff semi final, and ended up
scoring again in the 120th minute to go through to Wembley. They
nearly lost in the playoff final v Chesterfield - that went all
the way to penalties. A team who was so far off nearly got what
would’ve been an undeserving promotion because they weren’t good
enough during the regular season. I believe it was similar last
year in the National League playoff final. Didn’t Oldham finish
20+ points ahead of Southend but played each other in a one off
game in the final? It doesn’t sit right with me.
I agree that it’s happening because of money. It’s the most
obvious thing in the whole wide world.
Didn’t need to change something that ain’t broken.
#Post#: 102421--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: rustyref Date: March 5, 2026, 11:59 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=TA_Ref link=topic=7783.msg102418#msg102418
date=1772731962]
[quote author=rustyref link=topic=7783.msg102417#msg102417
date=1772730997]
I'm OK with it, similar to what they already do in the National
League and I believe it has been popular there.
[/quote]
Has it been popular in the National League? I’d say not because
it’s not very well publicised.
It would have been an outrage if Notts County, who got 107
points in the regular season, didn’t get promoted to the
football league. They only got promoted because they scored a
last minute equaliser in their playoff semi final, and ended up
scoring again in the 120th minute to go through to Wembley. They
nearly lost in the playoff final v Chesterfield - that went all
the way to penalties. A team who was so far off nearly got what
would’ve been an undeserving promotion because they weren’t good
enough during the regular season. I believe it was similar last
year in the National League playoff final. Didn’t Oldham finish
20+ points ahead of Southend but played each other in a one off
game in the final? It doesn’t sit right with me.
I agree that it’s happening because of money. It’s the most
obvious thing in the whole wide world.
Didn’t need to change something that ain’t broken.
[/quote]
That's the issue of only one team being promoted automatically
though, no team is ever going to finish third on 100+ points. I
believe it is popular in that division, it effectively extends
the season and keeps the season exciting for longer.
Also the argument about teams going up and not being good enough
(not that you have made that argument but some have) doesn't
really work. Sunderland finished 24 points behind Leeds and
Burnley last season but have been by a country mile the
strongest of the promoted teams.
#Post#: 102423--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: TA_Ref Date: March 5, 2026, 12:23 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=rustyref link=topic=7783.msg102421#msg102421
date=1772733569]
[quote author=TA_Ref link=topic=7783.msg102418#msg102418
date=1772731962]
[quote author=rustyref link=topic=7783.msg102417#msg102417
date=1772730997]
I'm OK with it, similar to what they already do in the National
League and I believe it has been popular there.
[/quote]
Has it been popular in the National League? I’d say not because
it’s not very well publicised.
It would have been an outrage if Notts County, who got 107
points in the regular season, didn’t get promoted to the
football league. They only got promoted because they scored a
last minute equaliser in their playoff semi final, and ended up
scoring again in the 120th minute to go through to Wembley. They
nearly lost in the playoff final v Chesterfield - that went all
the way to penalties. A team who was so far off nearly got what
would’ve been an undeserving promotion because they weren’t good
enough during the regular season. I believe it was similar last
year in the National League playoff final. Didn’t Oldham finish
20+ points ahead of Southend but played each other in a one off
game in the final? It doesn’t sit right with me.
I agree that it’s happening because of money. It’s the most
obvious thing in the whole wide world.
Didn’t need to change something that ain’t broken.
[/quote]
That's the issue of only one team being promoted automatically
though, no team is ever going to finish third on 100+ points. I
believe it is popular in that division, it effectively extends
the season and keeps the season exciting for longer.
Also the argument about teams going up and not being good enough
(not that you have made that argument but some have) doesn't
really work. Sunderland finished 24 points behind Leeds and
Burnley last season but have been by a country mile the
strongest of the promoted teams.
[/quote]
You’re right in respect to that, no team is ever going to finish
3rd with 100 points. My main point was the points difference
between 3rd and 8th could be as large as such yet the 8th placed
team may get to the final and have that opportunity.
Let me take the season Sheffield Wednesday were promoted from L1
(22/23). That season had probably 3 of the best teams League One
has ever seen (Plymouth, Ipswich and Wednesday). Sheffield
Wednesday unfortunately missed out on autos with 96 points. I
don’t know how many points they finished ahead of 8th but
there’s no way, in my opinion, one can say the 8th placed team
deserves a shot at promotion. Could you imagine if the team who
finished 8th that year got promoted over Sheffield Wednesday?
With regards to Sunderland finishing 24 points behind Leeds and
Burnley, yes you are factually correct but they’re doing
superior to them in the Premier League because they have the
financial backing and their recruitment was top class (also with
an excellent manager). My worry is that we could find scenarios
where teams are just not ready to go up and potentially there
may be more clubs at risk who may end up breaking FFP rules.
Example - Nottingham Forest. They signed so many players and
spent so much money to stay in the division, they ended up
taking points deductions. It was worth it for last season (not
so much this) but not every club who finds themselves in a
similar situation will have it work out the way it did for
Forest.
#Post#: 102547--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: jad Date: March 9, 2026, 10:35 am
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it could be much, much worse. The play-off to determine the
fourth and final promotion spot to Italy's Serie B involves
about ten teams from each of the three sections of Serie C, with
teams entering at various stages of the competition according to
their final league position. The whole competition is
bewilderingly (and pointlessly) complicated, and while it does
not (yet?) last longer than the regular league season, it does
drag on for an unconscionable length of time.
#Post#: 103102--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Championship Playoff Expansion
By: ajb95 Date: March 21, 2026, 2:22 pm
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It should be 3 up 3 down across all top 4 divisions including
national league with 4 teams in play offs. Simple
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