EFL clubs are set to decide if next season’s playoff system should be expanded to six teams.
Similar to the National League playoff format, the top two teams would go up automatically as usual, with the playoffs expanding to 8th place. A general meeting will be held with all EFL clubs to vote on March 5th.
If successful, it would mean eighth place would face fifth in a one off tie, and seventh would play sixth. The club finishing higher would have the home tie, and the winners of both games would face travel to the team in third and fourth spot, in a one off match to reach Wembley.
The Championship playoffs are likely to be expanded as early as next season. It is understood that The FA had already given the green light for the EFL to proceed at the end of last year.
For the vote to be carried, it requires a majority of clubs in the Championship to agree (13 of the 24) and also a majority of the entire EFL clubs to vote in favour too (37 of the 72 clubs).
While many fans on X have the view “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, the concept is very popular among Championship sides as it gives more clubs a chance of gaining promotion to the Premier League.
TalkSport host Jim White asked the question: “Why is there any need, whatsoever, for the playoff system which everyone seems to love, to be further shaken up?”
Under the new system, it would mean that a team finishing as low as eighth could still achieve promotion to the Premier League. To put this into context, Millwall finished in eighth position last season, 34 points behind second place Burnley, and 24 points below Sheffield United in third.
The Premier League is rumoured to be against the idea, given it may dilute the quality of teams coming up from the second tier.
Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan hit back at the Premier League’s concerns: “None of their business. Someone that finishes one or two points behind sixth spot is going to weaken the Premier League? Premier League can worry about their own concerns.”
There will not yet be a vote to replicate the new playoff format in League One and Two, but it is expected that is likely to follow in the next few years, should the system be a success.
