Football

[1D54]

Their manager (and chairman I think) at the time was an unpleasant little man called Dave Pace

And still is.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

The FA made a mistake with their website but rather than admit responsibility and apologise, they have passed the buck to the NPL.

 

[bearhugger]

Will your opinion about the card colour caused by the "coming together" be one that Stockton Town submit to the FA in their required submission?

I'm sure you already know the answer to your question, but no. I doubt that Stockton Town are aware of my opinion posted on this forum, and why would the opinion of a fan carry any weight in an official enquiry / hearing.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Oh for the good old days when promotion and relegation was decided on the football field over the course of a season rather than apparatchiks with their obscure and inequitable rule books, American-style play-offs and penalty shoot outs!

 

[dangie]

Oh for the good old days when promotion and relegation was decided on the football field over the course of a season rather than apparatchiks with their obscure and inequitable rule books, American-style play-offs and penalty shoot outs!

Totally agree. End of season points scored, followed by goal difference, followed by goals scored, etc…..
Absolutely no need for playoffs, apart from purely financial reasons that is.

Taking the Championship for example, with one game left to play 3rd place Sheffield United currently have 23 points more than 6th placed Coventry, won 9 games more, goal difference of +27 against Coventry’s +4, yet after the playoffs Coventry may get promotion and Sheffield not. Complete farce.

 

[THC]

Totally agree. End of season points scored, followed by goal difference, followed by goals scored, etc…..
Absolutely no need for playoffs, apart from purely financial reasons that is.

Taking the Championship for example, with one game left to play 3rd place Sheffield United currently have 23 points more than 6th placed Coventry, won 9 games more, goal difference of +27 against Coventry’s +4, yet after the playoffs Coventry may get promotion and Sheffield not. Complete farce.

The EFL play-offs are here to stay, no doubt, but you clearly outline why their structure needs reform. The National League model provides a better balance of reward for higher-placed teams, although perhaps includes too many (six) in its structure. It shows however what is possible with a little imagination.

THC

 

[DannyMich2018]

Totally agree. End of season points scored, followed by goal difference, followed by goals scored, etc…..
Absolutely no need for playoffs, apart from purely financial reasons that is.

Taking the Championship for example, with one game left to play 3rd place Sheffield United currently have 23 points more than 6th placed Coventry, won 9 games more, goal difference of +27 against Coventry’s +4, yet after the playoffs Coventry may get promotion and Sheffield not. Complete farce.

Even if Sheffield United win Play-Offs they'll go down again like they usually do so let's have someone else go up even if it's just one season.

 

[dangie]

Even if Sheffield United win Play-Offs they'll go down again like they usually do so let's have someone else go up even if it's just one season.

That’s really not the point though. To me they’ve finished in 3rd place so they deserve to be promoted. A team which finishes 6th doesn’t.

 

[JamesT]

That’s really not the point though. To me they’ve finished in 3rd place so they deserve to be promoted. A team which finishes 6th doesn’t.

If a team wins the competition that is in place, they deserve the prize. Playoffs have been around for almost 40 years, so it’s no surprise to anyone. Is it really better that the league would have been over with weeks to go if only the top three were promoted?

 

[Falcon1200]

Absolutely no need for playoffs, apart from purely financial reasons that is.

I have to disagree! The play-off system means that there is more to play for, right up to the last minute of the last game of the season, and more teams are involved. And the Wembley play-off finals are showpieces, especially for lower league teams who would otherwise rarely if ever get to play there.

(The fact that my team, Oxford United, has twice won promotion via the play-offs is entirely coincidental...)

 

[PauloDavesi]

Birmingham city finished with 111 points, over 80% of the maximum available, a record for any division in the English league system.

As expected, Plymouth were relegated, losing at home to the championship winners Leeds United, who finished their season by winning their last six games.

 

[gg1]

If ever a club epitomised the term 'defeat snatched from the jaws of victory ' it is Walsall.

Only a few months ago they were 12 (maybe more) points clear in League Two. Now they are in 3rd place, rapidly heading for the playoffs, and we know that may not be successful.

After 13 game without a win, Walsall finally managed to do so today in the final game of the regular season. Unfortunately for them so did Bradford, thanks to a goal in the 6th minute of injury time which sees them take 3rd place, 1 point above Walsall.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 May 2025 ==

The EFL play-offs are here to stay, no doubt, but you clearly outline why their structure needs reform. The National League model provides a better balance of reward for higher-placed teams, although perhaps includes too many (six) in its structure. It shows however what is possible with a little imagination.

THC

I like the play off model used in the lower levels of the pyramid (below national league north/south) where the semi finals and finals are all single leg fixtures played at the home ground of the club with the highest league position, rightly IMO giving an advantage to the clubs who performed better in the regular season.

 

[Iskra]

As expected, Plymouth were relegated, losing at home to the championship winners Leeds United, who finished their season by winning their last six games.

That doesn’t quite tell the full story! …Plymouth made it really hard for us, we had a perfectly good goal ruled-out for offside (again), Burnley came from behind to a winning position against Millwall to be back in pole position in the table, but Leeds sealed it with an injury-time winner to become champions with 100 points, but only by goal-difference! Champions again ole ole!!! Congratulations to Burnley for a fantastic season.

Plenty of drama elsewhere in the Championship with the play-off race and last relegation spot decided too.

 

[JD2168]

Luton became the 4th team to go from the Premier League to League One in successive seasons being relegated on goal difference with Hull surviving on the final day.

 

[Haywain]

Luton became the 4th team to go from the Premier League to League One in successive seasons being relegated on goal difference with Hull surviving on the final day.

4th? Who else?

 

[Ted633]

4th? Who else?

Intrigued as well. I know Sunderland did it, and I thought they were the first.

 

[gg1]

Intrigued as well. I know Sunderland did it, and I thought they were the first.

Wolves and Swindon also did.

A few other clubs went from 1st to 3rd division in successive seasons in pre PL days too, Wolves (again), Notts County, Huddersfield and Northampton definitely did, quite possibly others too.

 

[Mag_seven]

I suppose the next question is has any team dropped three divisions in consecutive seasons?

 

[gg1]

I suppose the next question is has any team dropped three divisions in consecutive seasons?

Luton from Championship to National league in the 00s.

EDIT - Just checked their record for the past 25 season, they don't really do mid table mediocrity. Of those 25 they've been promoted 7 times, relegated 6 times, lost in the play offs 4 times and stayed up on the final day of the season once.

 

[Haywain]

I suppose the next question is has any team dropped three divisions in consecutive seasons?

Errm... Luton, Championship 2006/7 to Conference from 2009/10, albeit two of those relegations being 'assisted'.

We find mid-table finishes very boring.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

The statement from the NPL ...

https://www.thenpl.co.uk/articles/leagu ... erplayoffs

As expected, the FA excused themselves of any responsibility for the error on their website which caused Stockton to believe that their player was eligible to play as his suspension wouldn't start for 7 days.

 

[dangie]

Why am I thinking that it’s been a successful season as Stoke have avoided relegation?

I really must set my sights and ambitions a bit higher

 

[Haywain]

As expected, the FA excused themselves of any responsibility for the error on their website which caused Stockton to believe that their player was eligible to play as his suspension wouldn't start for 7 days.

I have seen elsewhere that the NPL had emailed all of its clubs last Saturday to advise them that any suspensions resulting from red cards would start immediately for those clubs involved in the play-offs. That puts the ball rather more in Stockton's court.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I have seen elsewhere that the NPL had emailed all of its clubs last Saturday to advise them that any suspensions resulting from red cards would start immediately for those clubs involved in the play-offs. That puts the ball rather more in Stockton's court.

Sending the email as late as last Saturday, when the match was played a week earlier, is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
The player whose sending-off was the cause of this unhappy affair, noting the number of red cards that also had been issued to him in that league season, should bear full responsibility for his actions,

 

[bearhugger]

Statement from Stockton Town FC posted on their Facebook page just before 9:30pm last night:

Club Update – Play-Off Eligibility
Stockton Town FC has been informed by the Northern Premier League that we are ineligible to take part in the 2024/25 Play-Offs.
While we are disappointed by this outcome, we are currently reviewing the decision and will assess our position before determining next steps regarding the appeal process.
We would like to thank our players, staff, volunteers, and especially our supporters for your understanding and unwavering backing throughout this time.
We remain committed to transparency and will provide further updates when appropriate.

Statement from the NPL website (apparently posted around 11:45pm):

League Statement - Premier Division Playoffs

Stockton Town appeal dismissed, Guiseley reinstated into NPL Playoffs
A Northern Premier League disciplinary panel met tonight to consider a charge against Stockton Town FC for a breach of Rule 6.9, fielding an ineligible player.

The charge was raised following an FA Regulatory Commission on Friday 2nd May to consider FA Charge E12. The Commission found the case against the club and player Adam Nicholson proven. In accordance with FA protocols, the case was then referred to the Northern Premier League to deal with in accordance with FA Standardised Rules.

Rule 6.9 states:-

Any Club found to have played an ineligible Player in a match or matches shall have any points gained from that match or matches deducted from its record, up to a maximum of 12 points (save for in relation to a knock-out match or matches –e.g. the Play-Offs– in which case the Club shall be disqualified from the relevant knock-out competition(s), and have levied upon it a fine. The Board may also order that such match or matches be replayed on such terms as are decided by the Board which may also levy penalty points against the Club in default.

The Board may vary its decision in respect of the points gained in circumstances where:-

(a) the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate or

(b) where the ineligibility is related to a change in the Player’s status with the Club for whom he is registered or

(c) where the Board determined that exceptional circumstances exist

The club admitted the charge but cited what it believed to be exceptional circumstances leading to the ineligibility. However, the panel found unanimously that the circumstances put forward by the club were not exceptional. Consequently, and in accordance with Rule 6.9, Stockton Town FC was disqualified from the Play-Offs and beaten Play-Off semi-finalists Guiseley AFC reinstated in their place. A fine was also imposed.

The Northern Premier League Premier Division Play-Off final Worksop Town v Guiseley will go ahead on Monday 5th May 2025, kick-off at 3pm.

I feel sorry for our players who have grafted all season to get to where they were. Clearly something has gone wrong in the back room to make the decision to play Adam.

 

[Haywain]

Sending the email as late as last Saturday, when the match was played a week earlier, is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Last Saturday, that is Saturday 26th April

 

[side effect]

Man City nearly got relegated successive seasons.

As of play offs as a neutral these days I love them but when I supported West Ham Preston came to Upton Park and beat us quite easily and finished higher than us but we ended up beating them in the play offs. Which by the way I never watched as I was at the Southend airshow with my kids. My new love. Fast jets.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Last Saturday, that is Saturday 26th April

Thanks for the naming of the actual date rather than just the day being that of a Saturday.

Perhaps, I always start weeks commencing on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday.

 

[Purple Train]

I suppose the next question is has any team dropped three divisions in consecutive seasons?

Bristol City - first and only team to drop from the First Division to the Fourth in consecutive seasons. Never been back since, as I type this...

 

[SuspectUsual]

Bristol City - first and only team to drop from the First Division to the Fourth in consecutive seasons. Never been back since, as I type this...

Northampton have the remarkable achievement of winning three promotions from fourth division to first, and then three relegations back to where they started, all in the space of nine seasons