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No change to the play offs

Last updated : 05 June 2003 By Tony Scholes

Priestfield Stadium Gillingham - venue for today's Football League AGM
They were both set against having a system that allowed teams as low as eighth (and ninth in Division Three) to still have a chance of promotion via the play offs and because of their concerns the Football League today withdrew their plan to vote on it.

I remain disappointed that Burnley Football Club planned to vote in favour of such a change but am thankful that they weren’t given the chance. The fight isn’t over though, although there will be no changes to the system next season it will be put to an EGM in September and could still happen for the 2004/05 season.

But the reprieve is welcome with the game for once today winning over greed, now hopefully the whole idea will have been thrown out by the time we get to September.

The Football League though did agree that cheating would continue to be allowed in the fact that clubs who went into administration to wipe out massive debts would not be penalised. Cheating might sound harsh but this was the word used by Walsall Chief Executive Roy Whalley who put forward the proposal to punish these clubs along with Nottingham Forest Chief Executive Mark Arthur.

So if there is another Leicester, or another Ipswich, next season they will apparently get away with the same thing and then be able to persuade players from honest clubs to sign for them. In no way am I even bothering to mention the words Driss and Diallo here.

There were changes passed though as follows:

  • A proposal to lower the stadium entry requirements for clubs promoted from the Nationwide Conference from 6,000 to 4,000 was passed unanimously.
  • A proposal for all new playing contracts to specify the level of salary in the event of a player being promoted or relegated between the divisions was also agreed.
  • A proposal for all new playing contracts to specify the level of salary in the event of a player being promoted or relegated between the divisions was also agreed.

So all in all it wasn’t a bad day. Any extension to the play offs would leave you wondering whether we should even bother with a league in the first place if you can finish 8th and still win promotion. Maybe Mr. Alexander can soon get back to carrying out his duties at Crystal Palace rather than coming up with these schemes.

Just as I though there was no hope too. But I never thought it would be the FA and the Premier League riding to our rescue.

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