If United are still outside the top four after 38 games, I can see it being extended
Seriously, though, twenty is just right and the fixture congestion grumbles make the debate redundant. I'm for ditching the League Cup (for Premier League sides at least) and having a proper break in January. And it's not as though the Championship suffers - it's a thriving, exciting division that benefits from the yo-yo clubs and carrot of Premier League riches.
18 would be enough for the Prem, Championship, League One and League Two.
While I would't object to 18 teams in the Premier League ( and certainly agree that there's no room or much wish for 22 ! ), I can't agree for the other leagues.
You might have noticed no particular demand for less league fixtures from the lower leagues, which is no great surprise. Lost revenue !!!
Quite apart from no European fixtures ( apart from very occasional exceptions ) and their players in general much less likely to be playing international fixtures.
While I would't object to 18 teams in the Premier League ( and certainly agree that there's no room or much wish for 22 ! ), I can't agree for the other leagues.
You might have noticed no particular demand for less league fixtures from the lower leagues, which is no great surprise. Lost revenue !!!
Quite apart from no European fixtures ( apart from very occasional exceptions ) and their players in general much less likely to be playing international fixtures.
Just returning to the OP again. Just NO !!!!
The lost revenue from those games in the lower leagues could be made up for by developing cup competitions like the Johnstones trophy specifically for the lower leagues, giving them a better chance of getting to Wembley and actually winning something. Having an 18-team league keeps most of them active in either promotion or relegation issues. Only a few clubs then can sit in the middle of the league doing nothing. One could also argue that 46 games a season increases costs, by risking injuries to players via burnout and the costs of travelling to so many away games.
The lost revenue from those games in the lower leagues could be made up for by developing cup competitions like the Johnstones trophy specifically for the lower leagues, giving them a better chance of getting to Wembley and actually winning something. Having an 18-team league keeps most of them active in either promotion or relegation issues. Only a few clubs then can sit in the middle of the league doing nothinqg. One could also argue that 46 games a season increases costs, by risking injuries to players via burnout and the costs of travelling to so many away games.
Even with 24 team leagues, with the play offs, the great majority of teams tend to have some real interest in promotion or concern re relegation until late on. In last season's Championship it was very very late on until there were teams that could certainly go neither way.
I think the football supporting public would need a lot of selling and convincing to come out in similar numbers to an extended lower league cup competition / competitions as against league matches. What about teams that exit these cups early ? Sorry, I personally don't see 18 team leagues as a goer at all below the Premier League.
Would be very easy to set up mathematically, given 3 x 24 = 72 = 4 x 18. Just not going to happen.
Some teams in the lower leagues surely have to budget for guaranteed games, not the hope of doing well in a cup?
In an 18 team league, that's 34 guarenteed games. Add the FA Cup, League Cup, and the lower league cups and it should be enough.
Even with 24 team leagues, with the play offs, the great majority of teams tend to have some real interest in promotion or concern re relegation until late on. In last season's Championship it was very very late on until there were teams that could certainly go neither way.
I think the football supporting public would need a lot of selling and convincing to come out in similar numbers to an extended lower league cup competition / competitions as against league matches. What about teams that exit these cups early ? Sorry, I personally don't see 18 team leagues as a goer at all below the Premier League.
Would be very easy to set up mathematically, given 3 x 24 = 72 = 4 x 18. Just not going to happen.
The public in general don't need to be convinced and sold on lower league cups. It's only the fans of the teams involved that need to be. With lower pricing in those cup games, they can at least get a full house, and make whatever they can on food, drink and merchandise. Ideally, the league system should be orientated with six national divisions. For neatness purposes, I'd market them all under the FA name, even though each could have their own adminstration and sponsorship. I'd have the FA Premier League, FA Divisions 1/2/3/4 and the FA Conference. League status could be extended to 108 teams, which would cover most professional clubs with probably room to spare, which I would fill with the much needed reserve B-teams of larger clubs. Below the Conference I'd have regional leagues of whatever size is required, with this also being the highest level that C-team youth sides of bigger clubs can reach.
The playoff system should be reworked too, to reward final league placings. It's been often suggested by many and it's the most logically sound way. In the Championship for example 5th hosts 6th. 4th hosts the winner, and then 3rd plays that winner at Wembley.
Listening to the Liverpool manager talking about suarez possibly beating the prem scoring record in less games than it took cole and shearer got me thinking about the prem beinf extended.
The league is the most valuable in the world and its been mooted that there should be an extra game played abroad which is barmy in my opinion, extension woukd be away of increasing prem money.
Leave it at 20 teams as dropping to 18 would only benefit the half a dozen clubs in Europe but lose revenue for the rest, plus there has already been too much pandering to the 'big' clubs that have cost smaller clubs possible revenue (reducing the top flight from 22 clubs, no 2 leg 2nd round League Cup, Europe clubs not entering till League Cup 3rd round, no replays in the League Cup, replays in the FA Cup restricted to 1) all so they could play more lucrative matches in Europe. The clubs wouldn't use any saved time to rest players anyway, they'd jet off abroad for exhibition games.
Just out of interest, do any of those calling for the top flight to be reduced to 18 clubs support a club not in the CL/Europa League nearly every season?
Theoretically, if you were actually setting football up from scratch, today they would probably arrange the leagues in an 18-18-20-20-20 type system.
114 and 138 possible points for the two leagues we have are too many and leave huge gaps with some teams having nothing to play for from March onwards.
NO NO NO NO, 20 clubs is about right, 22 will be far too many, clubs complain about too many fixtures now with a 38 game season you can imagine what it'd be like under a 42 game season, plus the season will have to start a little bit earlier. As been said at the mo there are too many clubs have the we'll be happy just as long as we stay in the Premier League attatude be worse with 2 more clubs.
At least the OP has inadvertently created an interesting discusion as to whether the Premier League should have 18 or 20 clubs
18 would be preferable to 20 because there is already enough mediocrity in the Premier League anyway. It would be better to lose two poor sides from the division rather than add two more.
I wonder if everyone would be saying the same if their team was near the bottom. Every team in the Premiership is here on merit and deserve to be there.
Like i've said already the League Cup is a farce the only advantage i see is the winner gets a Europa League place. The Europa league should be awarded to either league finish, good discipline or goals scored outside the top 5.
In case anyone thought I wasn't being deadly serious about the BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD, Ray Wilkins just confirmed it on Sky by telling us that no other league in the world do you see late comebacks like that unique 2-2 draw. FACT.
Comments
You may get your wish this season.
Seriously, though, twenty is just right and the fixture congestion grumbles make the debate redundant. I'm for ditching the League Cup (for Premier League sides at least) and having a proper break in January. And it's not as though the Championship suffers - it's a thriving, exciting division that benefits from the yo-yo clubs and carrot of Premier League riches.
While I would't object to 18 teams in the Premier League ( and certainly agree that there's no room or much wish for 22 ! ), I can't agree for the other leagues.
You might have noticed no particular demand for less league fixtures from the lower leagues, which is no great surprise. Lost revenue !!!
Quite apart from no European fixtures ( apart from very occasional exceptions ) and their players in general much less likely to be playing international fixtures.
Just returning to the OP again. Just NO !!!!
It would become incredibly boring, it would take years to finish a single season
Wasn't that the plan by UEFA to do just that?
There are too many professional teams in the system.
If anything, there needs to be less teams around.
The lost revenue from those games in the lower leagues could be made up for by developing cup competitions like the Johnstones trophy specifically for the lower leagues, giving them a better chance of getting to Wembley and actually winning something. Having an 18-team league keeps most of them active in either promotion or relegation issues. Only a few clubs then can sit in the middle of the league doing nothing. One could also argue that 46 games a season increases costs, by risking injuries to players via burnout and the costs of travelling to so many away games.
Even with 24 team leagues, with the play offs, the great majority of teams tend to have some real interest in promotion or concern re relegation until late on. In last season's Championship it was very very late on until there were teams that could certainly go neither way.
I think the football supporting public would need a lot of selling and convincing to come out in similar numbers to an extended lower league cup competition / competitions as against league matches. What about teams that exit these cups early ? Sorry, I personally don't see 18 team leagues as a goer at all below the Premier League.
Would be very easy to set up mathematically, given 3 x 24 = 72 = 4 x 18. Just not going to happen.
In an 18 team league, that's 34 guarenteed games. Add the FA Cup, League Cup, and the lower league cups and it should be enough.
The public in general don't need to be convinced and sold on lower league cups. It's only the fans of the teams involved that need to be. With lower pricing in those cup games, they can at least get a full house, and make whatever they can on food, drink and merchandise. Ideally, the league system should be orientated with six national divisions. For neatness purposes, I'd market them all under the FA name, even though each could have their own adminstration and sponsorship. I'd have the FA Premier League, FA Divisions 1/2/3/4 and the FA Conference. League status could be extended to 108 teams, which would cover most professional clubs with probably room to spare, which I would fill with the much needed reserve B-teams of larger clubs. Below the Conference I'd have regional leagues of whatever size is required, with this also being the highest level that C-team youth sides of bigger clubs can reach.
The playoff system should be reworked too, to reward final league placings. It's been often suggested by many and it's the most logically sound way. In the Championship for example 5th hosts 6th. 4th hosts the winner, and then 3rd plays that winner at Wembley.
Happy Xmas Ninn. I agree with you.
Merry Christmas to you too J. Can't believe i'm on here at this time,but then they do insist on putting the cricket on at an un godly hour.
Totally agree
We should have an 18 team Premier League.
Do a "4 down 2 up" in a couple of seasons.
Been there done that didn't work. :cool:
Just out of interest, do any of those calling for the top flight to be reduced to 18 clubs support a club not in the CL/Europa League nearly every season?
Theoretically, if you were actually setting football up from scratch, today they would probably arrange the leagues in an 18-18-20-20-20 type system.
114 and 138 possible points for the two leagues we have are too many and leave huge gaps with some teams having nothing to play for from March onwards.
18 would be preferable to 20 because there is already enough mediocrity in the Premier League anyway. It would be better to lose two poor sides from the division rather than add two more.
Like i've said already the League Cup is a farce the only advantage i see is the winner gets a Europa League place. The Europa league should be awarded to either league finish, good discipline or goals scored outside the top 5.
The premier league is fine as it is.