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Thread: Dumb Questions About Playoffs...

  1. #1
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    Dumb Questions About Playoffs...

    So this is the first season where I have a vested interest in a team that's made the playoffs for promotion and it's got me stumped on a few rather arbitrary questions about football league playoffs:

    Why do they even exist? Is there a legitimate reason other than that they'll make more money? Why don't they simply just promote the next team in the relevant league position to be promoted? How long has this been going on for... is it a really old system, or relatively new? Was it at all controversial when it was introduced? What's Nott's history with playoffs, ie. how many times have we been in them, how many times have we won, when was the last time, etc?

    Hopefully someone can take a few moments to fill me in on this. Cheers!

  2. #2
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    The playoffs were introduced in England in 1987 some 31 years ago.

    Whilst it can be argued that they make money they were also introduced to make the competitions more exciting. It means that clubs in the top ten or lower in each league have something to play throughout the season and stand a chance of getting promoted for much later on in the season than previously. Plus for the fans if their team makes the final it gives them the opportunity to see their team play at Wembley. Likewise for the players as well. So the final has a sense of occasion about it that would not happen otherwise. Obviously if you don’t win the final then there is the heartbreak that comes with it.

    The team that finishes 3rd (or in league twos case 4th) plays the lowest ranked team out of the four playoff teams to give them an advantage. The middle two teams play each other.

    In terms of Notts and the playoffs this season will be our 4th time. We have won the final twice and lost in the final once so far.

    This is the first season in 22 years that we have made the playoffs in any league. In 2011/12 under Keith Curle in League One we missed out on the League One playoffs to Stevenage on goal difference.

    Our most frequent and successful period in the playoffs was under Neil Warnock to which we got promoted twice in consecutive seasons via the playoffs. So two trips to Wembley that many will no doubt remember.

    A summary is as follows;

    1989/90 - Division 3 - Playoff Winners
    Having finished 4th we played Bolton away in the semi final. The other teams were Tranmere and Bury. We drew the away game with Bolton 1-1. We then beat them 2-0 at home. The final was against Tranmere Rovers and we beat them 2-0 in front of 29,252.

    1990/91 - Division 2 - Playoff Winners
    The following season we were back at Wembley again. Again we finished 4th and in the semi final played Middlesbrough away and drew 1-1 the same as the previous season. We then beat them at Meadow Lane 1-0. The other semi finalists were Brighton and Milwall. The final against Brighton was played in front of 59,940 and we were victorious once more by beating Brighton 3-1 to secure our place in the top flight.

    1995/96 - Division 3 - Finalists
    Under Colin Murphy and Steve Thompson we finished the season in 4th place and had a chance to get back to the 2nd tier at the first attempt after being relegated the season before. We played Crewe away and drew 2-2. Then won the return home game 1-0. Bradford were victorious over Blackpool in the other semi final. We then lost 2-0 to Bradford in the playoff final at Wembley in front of 39,972. Mark Stallard scoring the second goal for Bradford to see them through. The irony. We’ve not finished as high in the football league since.

    2017/18 - League Two
    The two legged semi final is against Coventry City with the winner playing in the final at Wembley against Exeter or Lincoln.
    Last edited by MAD_MAGPIE; 08-05-2018 at 06:58 AM.

  3. #3
    We lost to Walsall I think 4-2 on aggregate when the semi and finals were played over two legs (no wembley) under barwell in 87/88.

    Remember Christie scoring against us in the semi second leg.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by The_Don_ORiordan View Post
    We lost to Walsall I think 4-2 on aggregate when the semi and finals were played over two legs (no wembley) under barwell in 87/88.

    Remember Christie scoring against us in the semi second leg.
    First leg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcu1loRXsZk

    Second leg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CiOFeSKv8k

  5. #5
    Yeah, that’s what I remember. We were just too lightweight under barnwell.

    Also I think those playoffs only had three teams from the promoting division joined by one threatened with relegation from the division above. Whichever won stayed up or went up.

    Have to say it was a bit of a dogs dinner at that time. No away goals, replay location decided on penalties. Bonkers.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by The_Don_ORiordan View Post
    Yeah, that’s what I remember. We were just too lightweight under barnwell.

    Also I think those playoffs only had three teams from the promoting division joined by one threatened with relegation from the division above. Whichever won stayed up or went up.

    Have to say it was a bit of a dogs dinner at that time. No away goals, replay location decided on penalties. Bonkers.
    Crazy under Barnwell. Anyone remember the opening game of the season against Wigan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQtyPenEMM4 4-4

  7. #7
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    We effectively blew automatic promotion twice in 1988 in the space of a few days and then had the play-offs a couple of weeks later. Garry Birtles in defence for god's sake. That was the most exciting Notts team I can remember though and I'm still not over losing out at the very end after we'd looked certain to go up at the end of March.

    For 1990 and 1991 we were very much in form going into those play-offs and we had finished in the highest position of the teams involved, I felt a lot more confident in those years than I do this.

    It wouldn't have looked good losing out to Exeter or Lincoln in the semis, but Coventry wouldn't feel so bad (they are much bigger than us) and then you have to say Exeter deserve it more having finshed 3 points better off. Of all our previous stints in the play offs, this year feels most similar to 96, but Nolan is a lot more popular than Murphy and - if we do make the final - it's hard to image we'd be as inept as we were at Wembley against Bradford.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by andy6025 View Post

    Why do they even exist? Is there a legitimate reason other than that they'll make more money?
    . Cheers!
    They were introduced when gates across the country collapsed to an all time low, so they were designed to maintain interest for more teams for longer to boost the attendances. They were controversial at the time. Warnock never disguised his dislike of them, despite the wins.

    As a Notts fan, they have been fantastic, we've never suffered an injustice (gone up when we've been highest placed, stayed down when not) and I've very much enjoyed Fword's failures in them.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by upthemaggies View Post
    We effectively blew automatic promotion twice in 1988 in the space of a few days and then had the play-offs a couple of weeks later. Garry Birtles in defence for god's sake. That was the most exciting Notts team I can remember though and I'm still not over losing out at the very end after we'd looked certain to go up at the end of March.

    For 1990 and 1991 we were very much in form going into those play-offs and we had finished in the highest position of the teams involved, I felt a lot more confident in those years than I do this.

    It wouldn't have looked good losing out to Exeter or Lincoln in the semis, but Coventry wouldn't feel so bad (they are much bigger than us) and then you have to say Exeter deserve it more having finshed 3 points better off. Of all our previous stints in the play offs, this year feels most similar to 96, but Nolan is a lot more popular than Murphy and - if we do make the final - it's hard to image we'd be as inept as we were at Wembley against Bradford.
    I had no idea we had reached the playoffs as well in 1987/88 as I did not start supporting the club until 1992 so it must have been overshadowed in my mind by the Warnock years. So three seasons in a row of playoffs? Wow.

    So Andy I stand corrected in my summary and this will be our fifth playoff season since they started.
    Last edited by MAD_MAGPIE; 08-05-2018 at 09:47 AM.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by The_Don_ORiordan View Post
    Have to say it was a bit of a dogs dinner at that time. No away goals, replay location decided on penalties. Bonkers.
    If I am correct I don't think the away goals rule counts in this years play-offs either.

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