I understand the play offs in league 2 where highland and lowland league champions meet to decide who plays the bottom team.  Only twigged this year that league 1 + 2 play offs match 2nd bottom of upper league v 4th in lower league and 2nd and 3rd then a final.

Why does the championship/premier not work the same way?   Second bottom in premier earned their place and don't deserve the protection of only playing in the final, in my opinion.

Probably as protection for the team in the Premiership.

It's all to do with doing the most to help the premiership team stay up, very unfair but then that's the SFA for you 

Edited May 8, 20196 yr by CableGuy

We're lucky to have play offs at all - used to be one up one down and a stadium criteria in place to prevent wee teams getting promoted.

26 minutes ago, CableGuy said:

It's all to do with doing the most to help the premiership team stay up, very unfair but then that's the SFA for you 

To be fair to the SFA, not a phrase that can often be used legitimately, the culprits are the SPFL and the motivation is self preservation on the part of the top tier clubs.

I thought the system was grossly unfair when it was introduced, even though it could have potentially benefited us, and it's no less biased and unfair now.

I think we should have consistency throughout the leagues. I am generally content with the bottom club in the division above playing off against second, third and fourth in the division below.

However, I would favour an unseeded semi final draw played home and away followed by a one off final played at a suitable neutral venue.

I agree with the way it's done in the lower leagues. 2nd bottom plays 4th and 2nd and 3rd meet.  Winners to the final.

It’s unfair to let a team who finishes 4th in a league of 10 to be able to win promotion. The playoffs will never suit everyone but they are fun none the less. 

Far simpler to have 2nd bottom of SPL play 2nd top of championship over two legs.

As I've said before, only the Scottish football authorities could dream up such a skewed play off system.

Would be interesting to know whether a 3rd / 4th placed Championship team has actually achieved promotion?

 

3 minutes ago, DWH said:

As I've said before, only the Scottish football authorities could dream up such a skewed play off system.

Would be interesting to know whether a 3rd / 4th placed Championship team has actually achieved promotion?

 

I'm assuming you mean English championship. If so then yes they will have as three get relegated from English premiership

 Top two from English championship get promoted and 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th battle it out for remaining slot so potentially you can finish 6th in the English championship and be promoted to the premier league.  

No, I was  referring to the Scottish championship and the fact that should a 3rd / 4th placed team make it to the play off final, they would end up playing three 2 legged matches (in a pretyty short period), whereas the premiership team only have to play one 2 legged match.

 

Just now, DWH said:

No, I was  referring to the Scottish championship and the fact that should a 3rd / 4th placed team make it to the play off final, they would end up playing three 2 legged matches (in a pretyty short period), whereas the premiership team only have to play one 2 legged match.

 

The only two championship sides to have made it through the playoffs in the current format are Hamilton and Livingston, both of whom finished second. 

2 minutes ago, HawkeyeTheGnu said:

The only two championship sides to have made it through the playoffs in the current format are Hamilton and Livingston, both of whom finished second. 

Which would indicate fatigue on the sides who have come from 3rd/4th to get to the final for not progressing.

1 minute ago, HawkeyeTheGnu said:

The only two championship sides to have made it through the playoffs in the current format are Hamilton and Livingston, both of whom finished second. 

Which I guess reinforces the point the original and subsequent posters made.

The dead wood self preservation types in charge of Scottish football need to be moved on .

Let's hope ICT can make it a first..................

Just now, DWH said:

Which I guess reinforces the point the original and subsequent posters made.

The dead wood self preservation types in charge of Scottish football need to be moved on .

Let's hope ICT can make it a first..................

Agreed. We have a habit of making history.

6 minutes ago, MorayJaggie said:

Agreed. We have a habit of making history.

We have, so far, probably done what was expected of us and done so quite efficiently. The football establishment, the bookies, the Central Belt commentators and, in all probability, most of us were not surprised that we finished third or fourth. It again almost certainly came as no great surprise that all of the above, on balance, expected us to overcome Ayr.

Now we enter into different territory and need to do the unexpected. The bookies have the Arabs as favourites to progress, the football authorities and the vast majority of of pundits do too and certainly hope so. They already have the token Highland club back in the top tier and would much rather have the natural order restored and a."big club" promoted. In truth, while we are hopeful, many of us expect United to progress too.

So, let's confound the bookies and disappoint the pundits by doing the unexpected. We have done it before and there is no reason why we can't do it now.

Then we can look at adding another chapter to our short but remarkable history by once more confounding and disappointing all but ourselves by becoming the first team ever finishing below second in the Championship to successfully negotiate the play offs.

Completely agree with Kingsmills and it would be great to sit in two weeks time and stick our fingers up at all who don't want to see us promoted.

In relation to the playoff format and the press release from the club regarding ticket money allocations, it's obvious to see why the authorities want as many playoff games as they can in the format they have. Like everything in football it's all down to money and self-preservation and unfortunately it'll never change, in fact it'll only get worse.

4 hours ago, DWH said:

As I've said before, only the Scottish football authorities could dream up such a skewed play off system.

Would be interesting to know whether a 3rd / 4th placed Championship team has actually achieved promotion?

 

They haven’t done 

Correct me if I'm wrong. Was this playoff system introduced after rangers were liquidated? 

Derby County overturn a one goal deficit to win away and progress from a play off semi final.

It can be done.

16 minutes ago, TopSix said:

Correct me if I'm wrong. Was this playoff system introduced after rangers were liquidated? 

Think it was when they switched from the Premier League to the Premiership.

10 hours ago, Jack Waddington said:

Think it was when they switched from the Premier League to the Premiership.

It was when the SPL merged with the SFL to form the SPFL.

Dundee United host St Mirren this evening in the first leg of the play off final.

Although it sticks in the throat, Hoping for the Arabs to prevail. A team with much more money than us and a competent manager. Would much rather be facing St Mirren four times next season.

1 hour ago, Kingsmills said:

Dundee United host St Mirren this evening in the first leg of the play off final.

Although it sticks in the throat, Hoping for the Arabs to prevail. A team with much more money than us and a competent manager. Would much rather be facing St Mirren four times next season.

On this occasion i do not agree with you if it is St Mirren that join's us in the Championship they will have the Parachute payment but if it is DU they will only have to cut their cloth  even more if they have another year in Championship which might just weaken them 

38 minutes ago, Polo Chick said:

On this occasion i do not agree with you if it is St Mirren that join's us in the Championship they will have the Parachute payment but if it is DU they will only have to cut their cloth  even more if they have another year in Championship which might just weaken them 

That's a fair point but on balance I think I'm with Kingsmills on this one.  I think that with Dundee also in the Championship there would be a big rivalry between the two Dundee sides which would tend to spur the 2 of them on.  I think Dundee will be stronger if Dundee Utd are also in the division.  But I also think Dundee Utd will probably be stronger than St Mirren despite the parachute payments.  Anyway you look at it, I would reckon that it will be Dundee plus the loser of the play-offs who will the favourites to go up next season.  

I'm with Kingsmills as well and given DU have been down for three seasons they'll be used to dealing with the financial aspect of the Championship a lot better than St Mirren probably will, yes they'll have to probably cut but not as drastically as St Mirren.

For me DU have a better squad and some better individuals compared to St Mirren that I'd be glad to see the back of.