4:52 AM
Football
By Damien Cronley
For many years, the football league had a system of promotion and relegation. The end of the season usually saw three teams promoted and three teams were relegated. During the 1986/87 season, the promotion play-offs were introduced. This did not go down well with everyone in football.
The play-offs certainly have the effect of keeping the season interesting for many clubs who are situated in mid table. The downside is that they can be particularly cruel on other teams. For example if a team finishes in third place, they have to enter the lottery that is the play-offs and can end up losing to a team that finished in sixth place at the end of the season.
The same format is used for the championship and league two divisions. Teams that finish in the top two spots gain automatic promotion. The clubs who finish in third, fourth, fifth and sixth place then play each other. Each club will play a match over two legs and the two winners then meet in the final. The victorious team gets the third promotion place. In league two, there are three automatic promotion places then the clubs that finish from fourth to seventh place enter the play-offs.
The play-off final match is held at the new Wembley stadium. This is always a great occasion for the two sets of supporters. It can be heartbreaking for the club that loses out in the play-offs. This is made worse by the fact opposition fans and players are celebrating promotion.
The championship play-off final is often called the £50 million pound match. This is the rough estimate the winning club stands to gain from promotion to the premiership. These amounts are significantly lower further down the leagues but the excitement, drama and emotion of the play-offs remains the same.
Whether you love them or hate them the promotion play-offs are here to stay. They generate a huge amount of interest even among neutrals. They ensure the majority of English football clubs and their supporters have something to aim for right until the end of the season. For an action packed climax to the football season they simply cannot be beaten.
For many years, the football league had a system of promotion and relegation. The end of the season usually saw three teams promoted and three teams were relegated. During the 1986/87 season, the promotion play-offs were introduced. This did not go down well with everyone in football.
The play-offs certainly have the effect of keeping the season interesting for many clubs who are situated in mid table. The downside is that they can be particularly cruel on other teams. For example if a team finishes in third place, they have to enter the lottery that is the play-offs and can end up losing to a team that finished in sixth place at the end of the season.
The same format is used for the championship and league two divisions. Teams that finish in the top two spots gain automatic promotion. The clubs who finish in third, fourth, fifth and sixth place then play each other. Each club will play a match over two legs and the two winners then meet in the final. The victorious team gets the third promotion place. In league two, there are three automatic promotion places then the clubs that finish from fourth to seventh place enter the play-offs.
The play-off final match is held at the new Wembley stadium. This is always a great occasion for the two sets of supporters. It can be heartbreaking for the club that loses out in the play-offs. This is made worse by the fact opposition fans and players are celebrating promotion.
The championship play-off final is often called the £50 million pound match. This is the rough estimate the winning club stands to gain from promotion to the premiership. These amounts are significantly lower further down the leagues but the excitement, drama and emotion of the play-offs remains the same.
Whether you love them or hate them the promotion play-offs are here to stay. They generate a huge amount of interest even among neutrals. They ensure the majority of English football clubs and their supporters have something to aim for right until the end of the season. For an action packed climax to the football season they simply cannot be beaten.
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