Is there any point in the Premiership play offs?

[Glory Lurker]

It does seem that, unless they are managed by one of the worst bosses in football, the Premiership team always wins the play off. Is there any point in the Championship teams trying for it, or for the Premiership teams being worried about ending up second bottom?

[Pete]

A one off at a neutral venue would be better. It would probably give the lower league team more of a chance so I can't see it happening.

[iwasthere1972]

What does seem pointless is the ceremony at the end whether it would have been for Hamilton Accies or Dundee United. Celebrating for being crap.

Dundee United could well stay down in the Championship for longer than we did and there's not a hope of them winning a Scottish Cup in between to soften the blow.

[Big_Franck]

Its almost impossible for the championship sides that finish 3rd or 4th. Its perfectly possible for the team that finishes 2nd in the championship to do it though. Thankfully that didnt happen this year.

[PeterboroHibee]

I really like the playoffs, but it shouldnt favour the Premiership team so much. I think the system in the lower leagues would be better, where the team in the league above plays the team in 4th in a semi final.

[howdenthehibby]

A one off at a neutral venue would be better. It would probably give the lower league team more of a chance so I can't see it happening.

This ! And it could be a bit of a spectical

[ekhibee]

It does seem that, unless they are managed by one of the worst bosses in football, the Premiership team always wins the play off. Is there any point in the Championship teams trying for it, or for the Premiership teams being worried about ending up second bottom?
I think Canning's a crap manager but they still managed to stay up, so I can see what you're saying kind of, but I like the playoffs.

[Swedish hibee]

A one off at a neutral venue would be better. It would probably give the lower league team more of a chance so I can't see it happening.

I totally agree. A play off final seems crazy not to do!
And it should be before the Scottish cup final. I think that should be the end to the season.

[Stevie Reid]

They could involve the Premiership team earlier so that the number of games is evened out.

Semis could be:

4th in Championship plays 11th in SPL
3rd v 2nd in Championship

[Onion]

It's a rigged system which ensures that crappy little teams who manage to battle their way into the top flight playing industrial football can stay there playing industrial football. But enough about Sevco ...

[Ronniekirk]

It was designed to make it nearly impossible for the Team in the top league to go down and so far its working out that way
Teams that regularly finish near the bottom wont want the format changed
At the time the format was thought up no one would of expected us to get stuck in theChampionship for three years
We interesting if Dundee United. now follow in our footsteps as St Mirren will be looking to come up after the way they finished the league campaign


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[heretoday]

I think the philosophy is if you want to go up you've got to REALLY want it.

[Swedish hibee]

I think the philosophy is if you want to go up you've got to REALLY want it.

So are you saying last season none of the Hibs players really wanted it?

[StevieT]

They could involve the Premiership team earlier so that the number of games is evened out.

Semis could be:

4th in Championship plays 11th in SPL
3rd v 2nd in Championship

I thought I read somewhere that the reason it is the way it is is down to the number of games the Premiership team plays v Championship i.e. 39 v 36. The current method is meant to even up the number of games played by the Championship team that reaches the final v second bottom

[Onceinawhile]

I thought I read somewhere that the reason it is the way it is is down to the number of games the Premiership team plays v Championship i.e. 39 v 36. The current method is meant to even up the number of games played by the Championship team that reaches the final v second bottom

It is. The premiership season is 38 games long. The championship 36. If the team who finish second qualify for the final then they play the same amount of games (40).

Agree it should be wrapped up before the Scottish cup final but I'm not sure how that could happen.

[Stevie Reid]

I thought I read somewhere that the reason it is the way it is is down to the number of games the Premiership team plays v Championship i.e. 39 v 36. The current method is meant to even up the number of games played by the Championship team that reaches the final v second bottom

Fair enough, never thought of that aspect.

[AZhibee]

I really like the playoffs, but it shouldnt favour the Premiership team so much. I think the system in the lower leagues would be better, where the team in the league above plays the team in 4th in a semi final.

Agreed 100%

[AZhibee]

Fair enough, never thought of that aspect.

That's the written reason, but who cares how many games anybody has played, the real reason is to make it harder to drop.

[offshorehibby]

It's the way it is because the Premiership clubs would only sanction it that way.
For the record, of course it's a good idea. Bottom 6 have a fight to stay away from bottom 2 places and Championship clubs have something to fight for.

[WhileTheChief..]

Every club, including our own, agreed on this format.

Nothing wrong with it but I do like the idea of a one off final.

[Sas_The_Hibby]

A one off at a neutral venue would be better. It would probably give the lower league team more of a chance so I can't see it happening.

Or just make it that 2nd in the Championship plays 11th in the Premiership, two legs or one-off final, like you suggest. Would make the scramble for 2nd place more competitive as well.

[Pretty Boy]

A straight 2 up, 2 down would be my prefered option. That will never happen though.

I saying that I do like the tension of the play offs. I like the idea of the final as a one off game at a neutral venue as well. Again unlikely to happen as the Premiership teams wouldn't sanction losing the advantage of a home leg 2nd.

[Zazu62]

If u can't beat a pish Hamilton team over 2 legs or even score a goal against them then u don't deserve to get promoted tbh

[hibsbollah]

I like them. Without the playoffs about half the games over the last few weeks of the season would be 'end of season encounters' with nothing at stake. which is the way it used to be.

[SteveHFC]

Should be 11th v 4th and 2nd v 3rd with winners of both games facing each other in a one off game at somewhere like Easter Road or Tynecastle.

[Just Jimmy]

Relegate 11th outright. Let 2nd-5th play off two, two leg semi finals then a one game final to go up.

English playoffs work. Copy them.

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[SirDavidsNapper]

I like them the way they are. Great format.

[JimboHibs]

If u can't beat a pish Hamilton team over 2 legs or even score a goal against them then u don't deserve to get promoted tbh

As we proved.

[PolmontHibby]

It does seem that, unless they are managed by one of the worst bosses in football, the Premiership team always wins the play off. Is there any point in the Championship teams trying for it, or for the Premiership teams being worried about ending up second bottom?

Too early to say if there is any trend, only been 4 so far and score is 3 v 1 in favour of the top league team.

Personally like the format, certainly adds excitement and brings the crowds out.

[Andy74]

You've also got to factor that the top league team is probably better most of the time and so would deserve to stay up.

[SirDavidsNapper]

I think it's one of the few things the authorities have got right.

[hfc rd]

Should be 11th v 4th and 2nd v 3rd with winners of both games facing each other in a one off game at somewhere like Easter Road or Tynecastle.


Agree with this

[joebakerforever]

I think it's one of the few things the authorities have got right.

Agree

[Booker5time]

Could easy play it as one of cup games, teams who finish lowest plays away from home.

3 v 4 winner away from home against 2, Winner plays 11th. Cuts the number of games down, but rewards the team who finishes higher in the table.

[connerg]

Could easy play it as one of cup games, teams who finish lowest plays away from home.

3 v 4 winner away from home against 2, Winner plays 11th. Cuts the number of games down, but rewards the team who finishes higher in the table.


They want to maximize games though. It makes more money.

[Bristolhibby]

They want to maximize games though. It makes more money.

Right enough that Hamilton crowd must have raked in the 💸💸💸

J

[marinello59]

Right enough that Hamilton crowd must have raked in the 💸💸💸

J

The gate money plus a share of the TV money will be a welcome bonus to Hamilton. Nobody is suggesting it will be EPL style riches.

[California-Hibs]

Personally think it's been a superb addition and added a lot of excitement, I'd been wanting it to happen for years. Yes perhaps it could be tweeted a little to make it more balanced, but all in all it was a rare great decision from the SFA.

[oneone73]

Personally think it's been a superb addition and added a lot of excitement, I'd been wanting it to happen for years. Yes perhaps it could be tweeted a little to make it more balanced, but all in all it was a rare great decision from the SFA.

It would have been the SPFL. The SFA have still done SFA to improve our game.

[matty_f]

The playoffs are brilliant imho. Same with the top six/bottom six split, much derided but they both give something important to play for right to the end of the season.

[Marco G]

The gate money plus a share of the TV money will be a welcome bonus to Hamilton. Nobody is suggesting it will be EPL style riches.
Don't think there is much dosh there after cut to SPFL, and TV money goes into prize pot (don't think BT and ALBA had to even pay much for these play off matches). All that matters to Hamilton is they can earn much more prize money next season again, which is where most of their income comes from.

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[we are hibs]

What does seem pointless is the ceremony at the end whether it would have been for Hamilton Accies or Dundee United. Celebrating for being crap.




Not sure I agree with you on that. If Dundee United won are you saying they shouldn't have celebrated promotion? regardless of whether its through the play offs or not; promotion is promotion.

[NAE NOOKIE]

11th in premiership plays 3rd in the championship and 2nd in the championship plays 4th. The two winners to meet in a one off winner takes all showdown at a neutral venue ..... much more exciting.

Whatever happens they are here to stay .... they definitely add to the season :aok:

[KeithTheHibby]

Play offs are excellent, the split is a waste of time.

[JDHibs]

Hibs are the only team in 6 years to be relegated from 11th in the play offs.

The play offs were done originally to get things exiting for the mid table clubs in the lower leagues. 1 up 1 down is rubbish and very boring as it was always the same 2 or 3 teams creating a yo-yo system. Least this way they have something to fight for until the end of the season. For example, Brechin finished 4th and managed to get promoted!

Id change the formet but would keep a play off system in place. This current format is too heavily sided for the Prem team. Utd played 6 times in 3 weeks. All important games so maximum effort.

[Pete70]

Relegate 11th outright. Let 2nd-5th play off two, two leg semi finals then a one game final to go up.

English playoffs work. Copy them.

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I agree with this. The 11th placed team have already had 38 games to avoid relegation, why should they get a further 2?

If they so called bigger clubs are so afraid of relegation then do what most fans want expand the league to 16 or 18 teams.

[snooky]

Too few teams in the Championship IMO.

[jgl07]

Relegate 11th outright. Let 2nd-5th play off two, two leg semi finals then a one game final to go up.

English playoffs work. Copy them.

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Absolutely!

I think that the only team relegated from the Scottish top division via the playoffs apart from Hibs are Partick Thistle. Thistle lost in extra time to Dundee United after Brian Welsh scored a last minute equaliser for United. Hibs also lost out after an injury time equaliser for Hamilton.

Dire teams like Motherwell two years back, Kilie, one year ago and Hamilton have survived against Sevco, Falkirk and United.

The system isn't working (other than provide protection for duff Premiership teams).

How about an 18-team Premiership with three relegated?

[--------]

They could involve the Premiership team earlier so that the number of games is evened out.

Semis could be:

4th in Championship plays 11th in SPL
3rd v 2nd in Championship


YES! And then the final at a neutral venue - this year's could have been staged at ER or Livingston as a one-off, sudden-death, ET and penalties decider.

The present arrangement is very clearly there to give the second-bottom side from the Premiership as much protection as possible by making things as difficult as possible for the Championship sides.

Martin Canning may not be any great shakes as a manager, but compared to Butcher he's a Special One.

[heretoday]

So are you saying last season none of the Hibs players really wanted it?

No, I'm not.