Magpie Circle with The National League's Mark Ives

[ancientpie]

As an old fart, I have never agreed with the concept of playoffs. Promotion should be based on league places.

As an old fart myself I disagree with most of the "innovations" of the last 20 or so years especially the efforts to make the game a non contact sport but imo the Playoffs have been a great success & keep the season alive longer for so many clubs that it could be worth bringing it in for the last relegation place as well.

[laddo]

For me the play offs and back pass rule are the best innovations introduced to football during my time.

[upthemaggies]

For me the play offs and back pass rule are the best innovations introduced to football during my time.

Definitely.

If they'd introduced the back pass rule in the 1970s, I don't believe they would have ever thought it necessary to go to 3 points for a win.

[ancientpie]

For me the play offs and back pass rule are the best innovations introduced to football during my time.

I would agree.

[OchPie]

Not VAR?

Kidding, but I think undersoil heating has been a particularly good innovation, though I wonder when we'd get it to Meadow Lane. In rules terms, I think red card for violent tackles from behind would be top for me.

[upthemaggies]

I wish there was rule where you could only change to your away kit if there was a genuine clash (and only change socks or shorts if appropriate). I'm sure most people don't care about this but it's something that's always seriously bugged me.

Also, I've always thought penalties should only be awarded for preventing goal scoring opportunities, otherwise give a free-lick inside the box. Spot kicks being given for fouls against players with their backs to the goal on the edge of the box, or for wingers only trying to get in a cross is an absolute sickener. This must have been part of the discussion when they were first drawing up the rules for penalty kicks in 1891, though curiously, for the first five years, you had to make an appeal for a penalty, otherwise the ref would play on regardless of what he thought about it. The penalty taker was also allowed to dribble the ball forward for the first year whilst the keeper was allowed to stand up to 6 yards off his line.

[upthemaggies]

Would be interesting to see the stats to see how often the top placed team in the playoffs for the normal style of playoffs goes up. Had a quick look and for the 4 seasons the current format has been in place in the National League, twice the 2nd place team has gone up, once 3rd place and one for fourth.

Here's a little 'curio' (as Uncle Colin always described them). Since the play offs were introduced in the 5th tier with season 2002/03, the team in 5th place has never gone up, the 5th placed club being beaten finalists in four of the first five finals and a further four times since. 5th was where we finished last season. It does seem to be the final position to avoid at this level.

[LLCoolA]

Must admit I soon zoned out of this one.

When is Mace going to get Rachid Harkouk on?

I finally got around to the Paul Smalley episode a few weeks ago, his speaking style is very similar to Howard Wilkinson, or at least it was to my ears. Frustrating though that he wasn't asked what went wrong in the Barnwell season - regards missing out on promotion, not just him being left out at the very end over a contract issue, which may not have helped. I'd like to see Garry Birtles on for the same reason, who has a lot of media experience and would undoubtedly be very engaging, ditto Martin O'Neil who knows Mace well. I'd quite like to hear Larry Lloyd's version of events too.

McP has spoken about his time at Notts often on Notts TV but it would be good to have it all in one chunk. Funny that they've recently been mentioning managers having to walk up the steps of the stand to be interviewed by Colin Slater, which never happened anywhere else, but the one Notts manager who refused to do that was McP. Slater mentioned in his book that there was only one manager he didn't get on with (at the time of writing it) and I do wonder if that was McParland. I wouldn't hold that against him though, Charlie was and is very much his own man and I respect him for that.

From memory I am pretty sure Colin named the one and only Paul Ince as the manager he just couldn't get on with. I think the interviews at the time backed that up!

[bouncingoffthewalls]

From memory I am pretty sure Colin named the one and only Paul Ince as the manager he just couldn't get on with. I think the interviews at the time backed that up!

Paul Ince seems like he is so easy to get along with though...