[Football] Should the Championship be reduced to 22 clubs?

Nottseagull · Apr 27, 2019

Whoever gets relegated from the Premier League will have to play an extra 8 matches next season, all midweek. Do any of the other premier leagues in Europe have 24 teams?
Bolton Wanderers are unable to fulfill this weekend's fixture and may have already played their last Football League match. If so, I think the EFL should grab this opportunity to have a 91-club 2019-20 season, then further reduce it in a year's time. This could be accomplished by suspending the National League play-offs for a season or alternatively, comprising them of 2nd, 3rd and 4th
in the National League with 22nd in League Two.

darkwolf666 · Apr 27, 2019

Nottseagull said:
Whoever gets relegated from the Premier League will have to play an extra 8 matches next season, all midweek. Do any of the other premier leagues in Europe have 24 teams?
Bolton Wanderers are unable to fulfill this weekend's fixture and may have already played their last Football League match. If so, I think the EFL should grab this opportunity to have a 91-club 2019-20 season, then further reduce it in a year's time. This could be accomplished by suspending the National League play-offs for a season or alternatively, comprising them of 2nd, 3rd and 4th
in the National League with 22nd in League Two.

In immediate answer to your question, as far as I can see none of the major European footballing nations have so many teams in their second tier of football (if that’s what you meant by premier).

However, I am not sure what point you are making. Bolton are not in the position they are in because of the number of games they played this season, more for the way the club has been run for the past few seasons. Unfortunately, in the never ending cycle of clubs over spending to reach the promised land of the Premier League, this won’t t be an isolated case!

The Optimist · Apr 27, 2019

I suppose the problem the Championship has (if it has one at all) is that it stops for the international breaks but Leagues 1 and 2 don’t. Hence all the midweek games. But is anyone complaining about having too many games?

Wellesley · Apr 27, 2019

We are Premier, who cares what they do down in the noddy league?

Green Cross Code Man · Apr 27, 2019

Wellesley said:
We are Premier, who cares what they do down in the noddy league?

Fighting talk!

Bold Seagull · Apr 27, 2019

Championship clubs lose enough money as it is, now you want to reduce their revenue streams further?

I think most chairman / owners vote for keeping 46, so they keep 23 x match day sponsors, revenue etc.

In the PL the top 6 are generally getting at least +6 European games, and probably on average +4 or so cup games taking them to 48 games or so per season, many more if successful like City.

Foul Play Rocks · Apr 27, 2019

Everyone has already said it all really. Leave it as it is for all of the reasons above.

Guinness Boy · Apr 27, 2019

Nottseagull said:
Whoever gets relegated from the Premier League will have to play an extra 8 matches next season, all midweek. Do any of the other premier leagues in Europe have 24 teams?
Bolton Wanderers are unable to fulfill this weekend's fixture and may have already played their last Football League match. If so, I think the EFL should grab this opportunity to have a 91-club 2019-20 season, then further reduce it in a year's time. This could be accomplished by suspending the National League play-offs for a season or alternatively, comprising them of 2nd, 3rd and 4th
in the National League with 22nd in League Two.

Absolutely not.

IF we go down then the number of games is one of the most attractive things about the Championship. I love mid-week games, it's a time I can go without the kids and have an evening on the beer with my mates, the Amex looks fantastic under lights and they contribute to the non-stop rollercoaster that is that division. 23 home games for your season ticket instead of 19 cushions the blow of relegation. If you screw up there's a chance to immediately redeem yourself. If you get a good win you can go on a big run of games in a short time with the confidence it instills. There is literally nothing wrong with having that number of teams and games, it makes the league.

Pavilionaire · Apr 27, 2019

The fact it is 46 matches is a differentiating factor from other leagues. I'd argue that because promotion is so hard won teams that go up often get through that first season on resilience forged in the heat of the Championship battle, and most new teams need this bump. Us and Hudds have found the second season harder while Fulham changed too many players and lost the spirit over the summer. On that basis I'd say 46 games helps Championship teams rather than hinders them.

Madafwo · Apr 27, 2019

If it means that only 2 teams get relegated from the Premier League this year then I'm all for it.

blue'n'white · Apr 27, 2019

I'd rather not be relegated personally but even given that the Amex looks good under lights, we get extra bang for our buck as it were and it is a more competitive division. I personally am not a huge fan of evening matches mainly because travelling is a pain in the @rse for me. We're all different

Nottseagull · Apr 29, 2019

darkwolf666 said:
In immediate answer to your question, as far as I can see none of the major European footballing nations have so many teams in their second tier of football (if that’s what you meant by premier)

No, I meant that in terms of strength-in-depth, the Championship is one of the top divisions in Europe.

The Optimist said:
But is anyone complaining about having too many games?

The 46-game season was forced upon the second tier when the Premier League decided to reduce their number to 20 in 1995. In the preceding quarter century I don't recall any club or fan stating that 42 games was not enough and therefore my perception was that this was a controversial event. If indeed it was, then the replies in this thread would indicate that in the subsequent quarter century, all concerned have got used to it.

Madafwo said:
If it means that only 2 teams get relegated from the Premier League this year then I'm all for it.

I'm presuming you were joking but if not, you can't just cancel the Championship play-offs at a month's notice! As Bolton are already relegated, I was proposing that only League One operates one club short next season.

Bold Seagull · Apr 29, 2019

Nottseagull said:
No, I meant that in terms of strength-in-depth, the Championship is one of the top divisions in Europe.

The 46-game season was forced upon the second tier when the Premier League decided to reduce their number to 20 in 1995. In the preceding quarter century I don't recall any club or fan stating that 42 games was not enough and therefore my perception was that this was a controversial event. If indeed it was, then the replies in this thread would indicate that in the subsequent quarter century, all concerned have got used to it.

I'm presuming you were joking but if not, you can't just cancel the Championship play-offs at a month's notice! As Bolton are already relegated, I was proposing that only League One operates one club short next season.

Even back at the end of the ‘80s Div 1 went from 22 teams to 20, with the Div 2 playing 46 games. Haven’t Divs 3 & 4 mostly been 46 going right back?

Madafwo · Apr 29, 2019

Nottseagull said:
I'm presuming you were joking but if not, you can't just cancel the Championship play-offs at a month's notice! As Bolton are already relegated, I was proposing that only League One operates one club short next season.

As a rule of thumb anything I post on here is me joking, whether it's funny or not is a completely different matter.

crodonilson · Apr 29, 2019

Bold Seagull said:
Championship clubs lose enough money as it is, now you want to reduce their revenue streams further?

I think most chairman / owners vote for keeping 46, so they keep 23 x match day sponsors, revenue etc.

In the PL the top 6 are generally getting at least +6 European games, and probably on average +4 or so cup games taking them to 48 games or so per season, many more if successful like City.

Maybe they should increase the Championship to 30 clubs then with 8 teams in the play-offs.

:facepalm:

A1X · Apr 29, 2019

Wellesley said:
We are Premier, who cares what they do down in the noddy league?

If the Championship is the Noddy league and Gary Lineker hosts MOTD does that mean the PL is the Big Ears league?

Bold Seagull · Apr 29, 2019

crodonilson said:
Maybe they should increase the Championship to 30 clubs then with 8 teams in the play-offs.

GT49er · Apr 29, 2019

Should the Championship be reduced to 22 clubs?

It ain't broke, is it? So don't try to mend it.

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