EFL clubs will vote next month on revamping the play-offs
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom would be in favour of revamping the current play-off system.
In early March, all 72 English Football League clubs will vote on proposals to expand the format to six teams - fourth to eighth. A majority verdict across the EFL will be required but the concept is thought to have firm backing from Championship clubs.
The one big change would be a one legged eliminator round - where fifth plays eighth and sixth plays seventh - prior to the usual semi-finals and final. If passed, it is expected to be introduced to the second tier next year with Leagues One and Two potentially following suit in following years.
Heckingbottom told the Lancashire Post: “Yeah, I think it's a real positive. Funnily enough, the Championship is probably one of the few leagues where, because of how tight it is, you might not need that. The play-offs for me, I know initially we had the bottom teams of the league above playing whoever won in the league below.
“I like this change now. I like the format now, where the bottom teams just play for those positions and the teams below are vying to go up. So, extending that from four to six I think is strong and good and positive. And again, I think the only argument I've heard against it - that anyone could throw any weight to - would be, ‘But what if you're the eighth-placed team and you go up when teams have struggled?’
“No-one's got a clue how those teams are going to spend that money or recruit, so all you're doing is being too elitist. If the eighth-placed team does go up - Sunderland went up in the play-offs and they're the ones above Leeds and Burnley, so it's a great example. You can't be that blasé about it.
“If you finished third or fourth, you might feel hard done to if the eighth-placed team beat you. But is that not what we want, that excitement and things? You finish third, it is always a kick in the teeth. So, you've just got to knuckle down and try that a little bit harder. You finish third (now), you play sixth.
“And it's still the same; you're going to have a game less, the way it's going to go. You're still going to have an advantage finishing third or fourth. I just think for the fans, for the interest in the league, I think it's another positive change. Everyone enjoys the Championship, enjoys speaking about it and I see it as another positive change.”
Peter Ridsdale to talkSPORT
Speaking last week, the PNE CEO said: You've got a situation where the prize for promotion is now worth £200million between one year in the Prem and then, if you get relegated, the parachute payments. We've got owners who are putting in £15-20m just to try and compete.
So, we believe that if you can actually have the league even more competitive towards the end of the season - and people can actually have the prize of getting into the play-offs down to eighth - TV rights, media rights, owners putting in more money, I think it makes sense.
“Ultimately, who gets promoted will be determined by the outcome of the play-offs. But, the play-offs for the last seven years, five of the winners are still in the Premier League. Of those, only two finished third in the division.
“So, we think it is exciting, we think it helps media rights, helps competition, and reassures owners who are putting in a lot of money to try and get the prize of play-offs/promotion."
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