Second best champs FA plans play-offs to stop same rich teams winning Premiership every year.
By David Paul - The Daily Express Weekend.
THE bosses of EnglandÕs top football clubs are secretly plotting to introduce a play- off showdown to decide who wins the Premier League title.
The shock development, which they want up and running by August 2010, could see a team that finishes as low as sixth place when the season ends being crowned champions if they win a play- off final staged at the new Wembley Stadium.
Directors of clubs as well as Sky TV fear fans will increasingly lose interest in the Premier League if Chelsea, backed by a never-ending supply of cash from billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, once again canter to the title next May.
Just one week into the new season bookmakers have virtually written off the chances of the other 19 sides in the league, making Chelsea 4-7 favourites. Their nearest rivals are Manchester United at 3-1.
Earlier this month Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore admitted it would Ònot be healthy for the Premier League if Chelsea win it 10 years in a rowÓ.
Although total attendances at Premier League matches this season are expected to break all records, thanks to ArsenalÕs new 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium and Manchester UnitedÕs newly expanded Old Trafford, itÕs a very different story at many other clubs.
Empty seats became a familiar sight at grounds last season where fans now know their team have no chance of winning the title. Even the best- supported sides such as Newcastle United had to resort to TV advertising to sell tickets.
Play- off matches to decide the title winners have already proved hugely successful in Rugby League and Rugby Union and are seen by a number of directors at Premier League clubs as an ideal way of boosting flagging interest.
A director at one Premiership side in the North-west said: ÒDonÕt for a minute think football canÕt accept a concept like this.
ÒJust imagine Rugby League folk of 25 years ago telling Widnes, after a long hard season, that although they had finished 10 points clear of Wigan, 15 clear of Leeds and 18 clear of St Helens they had to beat a couple of them all over again in a play- off series to get the trophy.
Play Offs 378I think it's TOO accessible. There was nothing wrong with the way it was, where you went and paid a reasonably affordable price to pay in...
Ò Well, thatÕs exactly what happened in Rugby League and thatÕs what the powers that be want at the end of the soccer season.
ÒThe Sky people are terrified that ChelseaÕs financial domination is killing what used to be a title race into a formality, a procession.
Ò What used to be mbuttive, unmissable clashes are becoming B-movie stuff. Two years ago when Arsenal were 49 games unbeaten and they clashed with Manchester United in the tunnel, it was a match no one wanted to miss.
Ò Now Arsenal v United is a decider for runners- up spot. Chelsea winning the league on a Saturday teatime at Bolton or Middlesbrough three games from the end isnÕt the climax Sky TV or the Premier League want.Ó
One proposal being discussed is for the team finishing sixth to play the side that was fifth. The winner would play the fourth-placed side and whoever won that would play the team in third spot. The winners then play the team in second place for the right to take on Chelsea or whoever ended the season on top.
Plans to slim down the Premier League to 18 teams are also being discussed in club boardrooms.
Manchester Brains capital of UKThe following questions and answers were collected from last year's GCSE exams, These are genuine responses of students (16 year olds) from the Gorton area of Manchester Geography :- Q...
Play- off contests were introduced at the end of the 1986-7 season to decide promotion and relegation between divisions but play- off matches to decide the Premiership title would be a money-spinner for Sky TV and the football clubs.
But fansÕ organisations, former players and football pundits last night gave the play- off plans a lukewarm (reception?). Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, said: ÒThey have correctly diagnosed there is a problem with the Premier League but IÕm not sure itÕs the correct medicine.
ÒFans would far rather have a more competitive league. What the Premiership really needs is rules to curb clubs that live beyond their means. One mega- rich man at Chelsea has distorted the league.Ó
World Cup winner Jack Charlton said: ÒPlayers wonÕt want play- offs, not just because the team at the top should be the champions, but because it will mean more games and they already complain that they play too much football these days.
ÒTen years ago people were talking about Man United monopolising the title, before them it was the great Liverpool side, but things like this always come to an end.Ó
Football pundit Jimmy Hill said: Ò I donÕt think thereÕs anything wrong in having one team richer than the others and can buy the best talent. There is a fascination and excitement in watching Chelsea play your team. People enjoy that.Ó
A spokeswoman at Chelsea said: ÒWe have no comment to make.Ó
A Premier League spokesman said there had been no formal talks about introducing play- offs
Ò The Sky TV people are terrified that ChelseaÕs financial domination is killing what used to be a title race Ð even a title race contested by only two clubs most of the time Ð into a formality, a procession.
Ò What used to be unmissable clashes are becoming B-movie stuff. Two years ago when Arsenal were 49 games unbeaten and they clashed with Manchester United in the tunnel, it was a match no- one wanted to miss.
ÒNow Arsenal v United is a decider for runners-up spot. Man United playing Liverpool is a bore now, a game neither club wants to lose because the other might pip them for the automatic Champions League place.
ÒChelsea winning the league on a Saturday teatime at Bolton or Middlesbrough three games from the end isnÕt the climax Sky TV or the Premier League want.
ÒAndy Gray and Richard Keys can try all they like to tell us that that this is going to be the most exciting season ever but everyone can tell you the one, two, three, four practically already.Ó
Last season, Blackburn Rovers finished a whopping 28 points behind champions Chelsea Ð so there would be mbuttive opposition to the scheme from the big four clubs of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
contagionally, I think it's the biggest crock of poo I've ever heard of. The absolute end of more than a century of tradition. And if the FA sells its arse to Murdoch on this, then I'm going to start voting for a EuroLeague.
wtf ? :(
