CoF Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Just reflecting on our fight to avoid the play-off's and wondering how folk feel about them now. Would you trade this run in for a series of meaningless games but guaranteed safety? I might be slightly skewed in my thoughts because I think we're now looking like a good footballing team. but despite the potential for it to relegate us this season, I'm still in favour. 1. My main reason is that it's exciting and created so many meaningful games. I remember post split 2008 2009 as being one of the dullest periods of football in memory because we were pretty much safe from the first kick of the ball. Honking crowds reflected the apathy. Now we are potentially looking at good / bumper crowds both home and away until the end of the season. I'd even go as far as to say I'm more excited about this run in than I was for last years fight to second, simply because the stakes are so high. If we do end up in the play-off's, even though its for all the wrong reasons, it'll feel like some of the biggest games 2. One up one down almost seemed like a death sentence so relegation now has a glimmer of hope that there are a couple of ways to come back up. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Dead set against them from a football point of view. Its wrong they can overturn, in a few games, a season's worth of form. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ONeils40yarder Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Firmly believe that more than 1 side should be in danger of being relegated and more than with the potential to be promoted. Without them, bothe the championship and premier would be virtually decided already. I suppose an argument could be 2 straight up/down, but the play-offs themselves will be hugely exciting and as a product they are great entertainment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I'm not sure to be honest. In certain circumstances I think yes, others no. I like the idea of it being another avenue for a First Division team to get to the top flight through it but think perhaps it's quite a long drawn out process to get to the play-off final. I mean was it six additional games Hamilton had to play over and above the regular season to get promoted last season? And when you look at the Second Division where after the league season is concluded, 40% of the league will then be involved in a play-off then I think that's surely taking it a bit far. Yet by the same token in much the same way as the split in the Premier League has the potential to extend the interest factor right up until the end of the campaign, so too do the play-offs. The only thing I'm really certain of is that it'll be a helluva nervous few days if we ever happen to find ourselves involved in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Craig Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I think the issue from the Premier to the First is the amount of games that the team that finishes 3rd or 4th has to play in order to have a crack at 11th. Obviously, that was the way that the SPL teams wanted but I think 11th vs 4th/3rd vs 2nd is fairer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texanwellfan Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I think the issue from the Premier to the First is the amount of games that the team that finishes 3rd or 4th has to play in order to have a crack at 11th. Obviously, that was the way that the SPL teams wanted but I think 11th vs 4th/3rd vs 2nd is fairer. I don't think it's meant to be fair. I am pretty sure it is meant to favour the team already in the top division so that it makes it harder for the lower division team to oust the premier league team. Regardng the other comment earlier "Its wrong they can overturn, in a few games, a season's worth of form." I don't believe it does that, your season's form either put you near the top of championship or the bottom of the premier so I think the play off between the divisions is fine. WRT to the playoffs within the championship, everyone knows at the start of the season what they are playing for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Craig Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I don't think it's meant to be fair. I am pretty sure it is meant to favour the team already in the top division so that it makes it harder for the lower division team to oust the premier league team. That was the point I was trying to make. Personally, I'd be in favour of 2 down and 2nd to 5th in the First division playoff for the 2nd playoff place. Just not this season of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Dead set against them from a football point of view. Its wrong they can overturn, in a few games, a season's worth of form. This. It makes a joke of a league format and unfair on teams that are better than their rivals over the course of a season and then lose out in what is, in effect, a cup tie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEWELL Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I think the play offs are good for our game. It works in England and it'll work fine here. Just praying we aint involved in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StipeIsGod Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I think they should be playoffs based on coming up only. Relegate that second team and allow the victors of the lower league playoff to come up without the higher league team as a final hurdle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I think the play offs are good for our game. It works in England and it'll work fine here. Just praying we aint involved in them. So you think it's fair in England if at the end of the season your team is 15 points ahead of the team that gets promoted? If it's that good, why not let the top 4 teams in the SPFL play each other to decide who are the Champions? Maybe call it Scottish Major League Playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Craig Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I think they should be playoffs based on coming up only. Relegate that second team and allow the victors of the lower league playoff to come up without the higher league team as a final hurdle. This. So you think it's fair in England if at the end of the season your team is 15 points ahead of the team that gets promoted? If it's that good, why not let the top 4 teams in the SPFL play each other to decide who are the Champions? Maybe call it Scottish Major League Playoffs. I do see where you are coming from. However, the rules are set down at the start of the season and every team plays knowing that outwith the top automatic promotion places (1st & 2nd down south, 1st in Scotland), you have to play a playoff round. In England, it gives mid table teams something to play for rather than rendering 5 or 10 games meaningless. Less of an issue up here due to smaller leagues. And if you don't like play offs, you'd have a field day with the Belgian or Argentine leagues and their crazy half seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well Up For It! Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I'm definitely a fan of them. Don't know how fair it is as such, but evening that out is something that could happen over time. Last year there was something extra to the end of season that provided a great deal of drama, and this year will be no different. Really hope we are not involved though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I think the issue from the Premier to the First is the amount of games that the team that finishes 3rd or 4th has to play in order to have a crack at 11th. Obviously, that was the way that the SPL teams wanted but I think 11th vs 4th/3rd vs 2nd is fairer. Remember the Championship season is shorter at 36 games, than the Premiership season at 38 games. Also the Premiership team is left kicking their heels while the Championship clubs in the play offs are playing competitive matches, something of an advantage I'd say in terms of keeping up match fitness. It's true that a team finishing 3rd or 4th has to play 6 games to win promotion but I think it's to the benefit of everyone. Even if the Championship clubs don't get promoted they get some bumper crowds and a bit of excitement at the end of the season. A 3rd or 4th team getting to the play off final could easily play in front of 30,000+ fans. That's hundreds of thousands of pounds, a lot of money for clubs at that level. Also as those with a grouse have pointed out it can seem unfair if a 4th team finishes 15 points behind 2nd and gets promoted. Well I'd say if a 4th team goes through an extra play off, beats 2nd and then wins the play off final against the Premiership, no one can really complain too much and say they won promotion on a fluke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goggles & Flippers Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Sporting integrity ... no Excitement, entertainment, media exposure and cash generation ... yes Rangers being relegated to the 3rd division was the last example of sporting integrity in this country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cambo97 Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Sporting integrity ... no Excitement, entertainment, media exposure and cash generation ... yes Rangers being relegated to the 3rd division was the last example of sporting integrity in this country. No it wasn't Rangers weren't relegated they were liquidated and were defunct. Clever manipulation of names and a total lack of intergrity saw The Rangers being allowed to join the SFL despite being failing to make the entrance criteria. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claretband Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 The Split - sporting integrity - tick Playoffs between Premier and Championship - sporting integrity - tick Playoffs among teams from the same Division - sporting integrity - big noooo.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 The Split - sporting integrity - tick Playoffs between Premier and Championship - sporting integrity - tick Playoffs among teams from the same Division - sporting integrity - big noooo.... They agreed to it because it spreads the money around better. A club that finished further down the league and got less prize money gets an extra set of games and potentially more. Also if there was a straight forward 2nd Championship v 11th Premiership, two teams would lose out. It also means that anyone outside 2nd in the Championship has to beat the league runners up and 11th in the Premiership which I think is fair. Maybe I'm wrong about this but in England isn't it 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th? That way a team can be promoted without every beating the next best team in the league, which is less fair I think than our system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi-1991 Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I quite like the way it is. In a perfect world we would have a 16 team league and another play off spot but that's just not going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelmen Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 So you think it's fair in England if at the end of the season your team is 15 points ahead of the team that gets promoted? If it's that good, why not let the top 4 teams in the SPFL play each other to decide who are the Champions? Maybe call it Scottish Major League Playoffs. Do they not do this or something similar in Holland? Personally i like the playoffs but i wish they would do it the same as England. None of this second bottom saving themselves esp when the come in for the last game only. you've came second bottom, down you go. I think the English set up is pretty perfect for excitement etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malky79 Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Other than not wanting ourselves to be in one I don't see the huge problem with them. You may as well say a load of NFL, NHL and NBA champions amongst others aren't legitimate because they didn't have the best regular season record before winning the Play Off rounds. They make the league more interesting for more teams and whilst there will be anomalies from time to time where a team many points back knocks out a team above them who were comfortably ahead over the course of the season and on the face of it that does seem unfair but provided the rules are clear and the same for everyone then the ability to win matches when it counts is at least as legitimate a way of measuring quality as consistency over a longer season I would suggest. Again I'd have sympathy if a arguably better team loses out if injuries around play off time mean you don't get a true reflection of their performance but that could easily be the case for a team throughout a full season. A 5th place team might have battled against adversity to a make a play off and then with a cleared up injury list power through to glory. Sport will always have tales of winners and losers and hard luck stories but for me the play offs keep a bit of interest in the lower end of SPL and top half of Championship long past what we'd have without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goggles & Flippers Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 No it wasn't Rangers weren't relegated they were liquidated and were defunct. Clever manipulation of names and a total lack of intergrity saw The Rangers being allowed to join the SFL despite being failing to make the entrance criteria. Oh for Christ's sake ..... There were plenty of people who would have accepted Rangers in their reborn status back into the top league. The fact that under a lot of duress and pressure many people in the Scottish game didn't capitulate shows a degree of integrity. However be happy a precedent has been set and any smaller team can cite what happened with them and maybe use that to mitigate their own demise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 Sporting integrity ... no Excitement, entertainment, media exposure and cash generation ... yes Thats the debate in a nutshell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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