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Making radical changes to the league structure



Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
So, I was a bit bored and I got to thinking about a radical change to our league structures.

What if we jettisoned the traditional premier league, championship league etc structure and went down a Champions League style approach where we draw all the teams into pots at the start of the season and then they move forward to vie for a place in a major domestic final?

By creating smaller groups at the start of the season, we give a wider range of clubs the chance to get into the top league every single season.

What if we were to use this structure to also overhaul the prize money on offer? Undoubtedly, the English Champions League final should be a big money affair, but by spreading prize money and TV money according to final placings you could see a club like Brentford pick up £13million in prize money one season and then £2.5m the next.

The FA Cup would continue for all English Clubs at all levels and remain an automatic knockout. Prize money would be increased by the FA to keep it attractive.

The League Cup would only be open to teams in League One, Two and from the Conference. However, the winners of the League Cups in England and Scotland would be granted a place in pool 4.

So, I did a draw.

I picked 48 clubs and placed them into pools according to their finish last season. I picked all the teams from the Premier League and the Championship. I threw in Celtic and Motherwell as the top two teams from last year’s Scottish Premier League, and I picked Brentford and St Johnstone as nominal winners of their respective League Cups.

THE POOLS

Pool 1 -
Manchester United
Manchester City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur
Everton
Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion
Swansea City
West Ham United
Norwich City
Fulham

Pool 2 -
Stoke City
Southampton
Aston Villa
Newcastle United
Sunderland
Wigan Athletic
Reading
Queens Park Rangers
Cardiff City
Hull City
Watford
Brighton & Hove Albion

Pool 3 -
Crystal Palace (P)
Leicester City
Bolton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic
Derby County
Burnley
Birmingham City
Leeds United
Ipswich Town
Celtic
Motherwell

Pool 4 -
Blackpool
Middlesbrough
Blackburn Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday
Huddersfield Town
Millwall
Barnsley
Peterborough United (R)
Wolverhampton Wanderers (R)
Bristol City (R)
Brentford
St Johnstone

THE DRAW

This is how the draw went. Teams were drawn into groups of 4 teams.

The first 2 in each group qualify for the next round, where they are drawn into two groups of 12. The top 2 play one another in the English Champions League final.

The third placed clubs in each group are drawn into a further league and the 4th placed into a further league.

The bottom 3 teams in 4th league are relegated to be replaced by the top two teams from League 1 and the top team from the Scottish Premier League.

Group 1
WBA
QPR
Motherwell
Millwall

Group 2
Swansea
Stoke
Leicester
Bristol City

Group 3
Manchester United
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bolton
Peterborough United

Group 4
Liverpool
Cardiff City
Celtic
Wolves

Group 5
Arsenal
Watford
Nottingham Forest
St Johnstone

Group 6
Fulham
Villa
Burnley
Brentford

Group 7
Man City
Reading
Derby
Blackpool

Group 8
West Ham
Southampton
Ipswich
Middlesbrough

Group 9
Chelsea
Wigan
Birmingham
Sheffield Wednesday

Group 10
Tottenham Hotspur
Sunderland
Charlton
Blackburn

Group 11
Everton
Newcastle
Leeds
Huddersfield

Group 12
Norwich City
Hull City
Crystal Palace
Barnsley

PRIZE FUND

Prize fund total is circa £1billion and incorporates a spread of existing prize money and all TV revenues.

Clubs that finished in the top 2 in the original groups will be awarded prize money according to their final placing when measured against peers. Placings are calculated according to points and then goals scored (not goal difference).

Prize money for first two leagues:

1st place - £50m (finalist winners)
2nd place - £30m (runners up)
3 – £15m
4 – 14.5
5 – 14.4
6 – 14.3
7 – 14.2
8 – 14
9 – 13.9
10 – 13.8
11 – 13.7
12 – 13.6
13 – 13.5
14 – 13.4
15 – 13.3
16 – 13.2
17 – 13.1
18 – 13.2
19 – 13.1
20 – 13
21 – 12.9
22 – 12.8
23 – 12.7
24 – 12.6

Prize money for league 3:

25 – 12.5
26 – 12
27 – 11.5
28 – 11
29 – 10.5
30 – 10
31 – 9.5
32 – 9
33 – 8.5
34 – 8
35 – 7.5
36 – 7

Prize money for league 4:

37 – 6.5
38 – 6
39 – 5.5
40 – 5
41 – 4.5
42 – 4
43 – 3.5
44 – 3
45 – 2.5
46 – 2
47 – 1.5
48 – £1m
 






MattBackHome

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
11,689
Palace will be please with that draw, despite the inherent unfairness of having them seeded a whole pot below us.
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
I did it last night in front of the Villa game, so not too much time. Only just posted it.
 




Nathan

Well-known member
Jan 8, 2010
3,749
So, I was a bit bored and I got to thinking about a radical change to our league structures.

What if we jettisoned the traditional premier league, championship league etc structure and went down a Champions League style approach where we draw all the teams into pots at the start of the season and then they move forward to vie for a place in a major domestic final?

By creating smaller groups at the start of the season, we give a wider range of clubs the chance to get into the top league every single season.

What if we were to use this structure to also overhaul the prize money on offer? Undoubtedly, the English Champions League final should be a big money affair, but by spreading prize money and TV money according to final placings you could see a club like Brentford pick up £13million in prize money one season and then £2.5m the next.

The FA Cup would continue for all English Clubs at all levels and remain an automatic knockout. Prize money would be increased by the FA to keep it attractive.

The League Cup would only be open to teams in League One, Two and from the Conference. However, the winners of the League Cups in England and Scotland would be granted a place in pool 4.

So, I did a draw.

I picked 48 clubs and placed them into pools according to their finish last season. I picked all the teams from the Premier League and the Championship. I threw in Celtic and Motherwell as the top two teams from last year’s Scottish Premier League, and I picked Brentford and St Johnstone as nominal winners of their respective League Cups.

THE POOLS

Pool 1 -
Manchester United
Manchester City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur
Everton
Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion
Swansea City
West Ham United
Norwich City
Fulham

Pool 2 -
Stoke City
Southampton
Aston Villa
Newcastle United
Sunderland
Wigan Athletic
Reading
Queens Park Rangers
Cardiff City
Hull City
Watford
Brighton & Hove Albion

Pool 3 -
Crystal Palace (P)
Leicester City
Bolton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic
Derby County
Burnley
Birmingham City
Leeds United
Ipswich Town
Celtic
Motherwell

Pool 4 -
Blackpool
Middlesbrough
Blackburn Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday
Huddersfield Town
Millwall
Barnsley
Peterborough United (R)
Wolverhampton Wanderers (R)
Bristol City (R)
Brentford
St Johnstone

THE DRAW

This is how the draw went. Teams were drawn into groups of 4 teams.

The first 2 in each group qualify for the next round, where they are drawn into two groups of 12. The top 2 play one another in the English Champions League final.

The third placed clubs in each group are drawn into a further league and the 4th placed into a further league.

The bottom 3 teams in 4th league are relegated to be replaced by the top two teams from League 1 and the top team from the Scottish Premier League.

Group 1
WBA
QPR
Motherwell
Millwall

Group 2
Swansea
Stoke
Leicester
Bristol City

Group 3
Manchester United
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bolton
Peterborough United

Group 4
Liverpool
Cardiff City
Celtic
Wolves

Group 5
Arsenal
Watford
Nottingham Forest
St Johnstone

Group 6
Fulham
Villa
Burnley
Brentford

Group 7
Man City
Reading
Derby
Blackpool

Group 8
West Ham
Southampton
Ipswich
Middlesbrough

Group 9
Chelsea
Wigan
Birmingham
Sheffield Wednesday

Group 10
Tottenham Hotspur
Sunderland
Charlton
Blackburn

Group 11
Everton
Newcastle
Leeds
Huddersfield

Group 12
Norwich City
Hull City
Crystal Palace
Barnsley

PRIZE FUND

Prize fund total is circa £1billion and incorporates a spread of existing prize money and all TV revenues.

Clubs that finished in the top 2 in the original groups will be awarded prize money according to their final placing when measured against peers. Placings are calculated according to points and then goals scored (not goal difference).

Prize money for first two leagues:

1st place - £50m (finalist winners)
2nd place - £30m (runners up)
3 – £15m
4 – 14.5
5 – 14.4
6 – 14.3
7 – 14.2
8 – 14
9 – 13.9
10 – 13.8
11 – 13.7
12 – 13.6
13 – 13.5
14 – 13.4
15 – 13.3
16 – 13.2
17 – 13.1
18 – 13.2
19 – 13.1
20 – 13
21 – 12.9
22 – 12.8
23 – 12.7
24 – 12.6

Prize money for league 3:

25 – 12.5
26 – 12
27 – 11.5
28 – 11
29 – 10.5
30 – 10
31 – 9.5
32 – 9
33 – 8.5
34 – 8
35 – 7.5
36 – 7

Prize money for league 4:

37 – 6.5
38 – 6
39 – 5.5
40 – 5
41 – 4.5
42 – 4
43 – 3.5
44 – 3
45 – 2.5
46 – 2
47 – 1.5
48 – £1m

Nah.
 


dougdeep

New member
May 9, 2004
37,732
SUNNY SEAFORD
Let's leave it as it is.
 






shaolinpunk

[Insert witty title here]
Nov 28, 2005
7,187
Brighton
Just to be clear, does your plan mean that, if a team doesn't get through their group and goes out in the first round of the FA Cup they would play seven games a season?
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
Nope.

They'd still get to play 22 games in whichever league they were drawn into.
 


drew

Drew
Oct 3, 2006
23,007
Burgess Hill
So, the obvious flaw in your plan is why would clubs outside the top six or seven of the premier league vote for something that is going to take away some of their existing earnings.
 




Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
So, the obvious flaw in your plan is why would clubs outside the top six or seven of the premier league vote for something that is going to take away some of their existing earnings.

Yep. That's the obvious flaw.
 


Goldstone Rapper

Rediffusion PlayerofYear
Jan 19, 2009
14,865
BN3 7DE
How will a club survive playing just 22 games a season? The idea of a league structure is to give teams regular matches throughout the season.
 






Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
28 games including the 6 from the first group.

Stamp collecting? Hmmm, could be worth it.
 




Papa Lazarou

Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Jul 7, 2003
18,840
Worthing
How about combining the League 2 & the Conference into a Southern & Northern Division - with the winners of each (plus 1 via a playoff) getting promoted to League 1. This would take it back to the old Div 3 south & north, and would remove the need for the poorer clubs to travel stupid distances and run up unecessary costs.

Portsmouth FC could for example still get their local derby with Eastleigh even without relegation.
 






Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,521
The key point missed is that clubs need a degree of certainty in order to budget for income and expenditure, player contracts etc. That wouldn't be possible with this arrangement.
 


Goldstone Rapper

Rediffusion PlayerofYear
Jan 19, 2009
14,865
BN3 7DE
How about creating a British Super League instead, involving 92 English clubs and 8 from Scotland?

They could play home and away fixtures over the course of four years.
 



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