Football Programmes Centre

Flaming Pie · Joined: 26 Nov 2016 Posts: 968

Looking forward to seeing Wrexham at Prenton Park next season. Anyway, l think this is the right time to move on that bloody big match poster ( 1st October 1921) that l purchased a few years ago when I’d had a few shandies . If anyone knows any Hollywood celebrities with a spare million it’s going up for sale soon. My mate Littlewiggy is not allowed to bid Laughing

Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:55 am Post subject:

I don't begrudge anything to Wrexham, they are worthy champions but I would also say (loudly):-

Well done Notts County.

106 points won, 116 goals scored, 25 points ahead of 3rd place, one game to go, and all they get is the ####### play offs.

Apologies to Chesterfield, Woking, Barnet, Bromley, Boreham Wood and maybe Southend, but I really hope County win through, and justice is done.

Flaming Pie · Joined: 26 Nov 2016 Posts: 968

Couldn’t agree more Pete. The Nationwide promotion system has got to be looked at .

holtie96 · Joined: 30 May 2009 Posts: 2319

If this is for sale I would be interested
Many thanks

realred · Joined: 06 Nov 2009 Posts: 354 Location: Malpas Cheshire

I've got a copy the boxing day 1921 v Wigan Borough match poster!! It is big.

Flaming Pie · Joined: 26 Nov 2016 Posts: 968

Holtie96, l probably will be selling it soon. With all the publicity surrounding them at the moment it seems the right time to sell it. I will keep you posted, either on the forum or a pm. Realred, someone is selling the one you have got for £499 (Buy it now ) at the moment .

holtie96 · Joined: 30 May 2009 Posts: 2319

Many thanks

sharrowblade · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 1:18 pm Post subject: Re: Well Done Wrexham!

Flaming Pie wrote:

Couldn’t agree more Pete. The Nationwide promotion system has got to be looked at .

What would be a better solution?
_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharrowblade/sets
A Sheffield United Programme guide

Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Well Done Wrexham!

sharrowblade wrote:

Flaming Pie wrote:

Couldn’t agree more Pete. The Nationwide promotion system has got to be looked at .

What would be a better solution?

How about 3 up & 3 down, or is that too simplistic?

Flaming Pie · Joined: 26 Nov 2016 Posts: 968

When it comes to The National League ( don’t know where the Nationwide League came from!) how about when a team finishes second and are fifteen or more points ahead of the team in third place they automatically go straight through to the final at Wembley ? Any revenue lost from not participating in play- off games could be calculated and reimbursed to the second place team. For the purposes of play -off games an extra place would have to be awarded for that particular season to the team finishing in eight place. Like this season with Notts County , this would be a very rare occurrence, but it does seem unfair to finish so far ahead of the pack and then have to navigate your way through the play- offs to try and get into The Football League . Without looking through the records l think this has happened in Football League play- offs with a team finishing well ahead of the rest and then missing out on promotion. I know they play more matches in The National League, but over twenty points clear of the pack must be a record?

ndg1860 · Joined: 27 Aug 2020 Posts: 196 Location: London

The big problem is that there are too many good teams at the top of the NL and too much trash at the bottom of League 2. Having just two up and two down when from League 2 to League 1 is four exchanged seems quite nonsensical as well. Since the relegation of the 1999-2000 season (a small sample since then) only two clubs were relegated and returned immediately - Bristol Rovers (rel. 13-14, prom. 14-15) and Grimsby (rel. 20-21, prom. 21-22). That is of 43 clubs relegated, only two returned immediately and only three others after two seasons in the NL.

Some even drop further down (see Kiddeminster and Darlington) while some promoted keep going up and Luton is a clear example of that, now in the playoffs to reach the Premier League. The gulf in quality between the top of the NL and the bottom of League 2 is quite something and I'd even go to saying that both County and Wrexham would play in League 1 comfortably at this time. I would not be surprised if they do keep going up.

Hopefully either the EFL/FA will see that something has to be done or we just have to wait for this all to even itself out.

East Lower · Joined: 11 Sep 2020 Posts: 14

If Notts County are that good they will go up anyway.

sharrowblade · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:43 pm Post subject:

I take on board what everyone has said.

I think its worth remembering that not so long ago (well about 40 odd years, Blimey) it was almost a closed shop and nobody went up, and even if you did manage it, you didn't have to finish top, and the team that were relegated didn't have to finish bottom, teams just got shafted on their geographical position (Barrow, and Southport for example).

There's a bit of clamour for the 3 up 3 down argument from a lot of sources because virtually all the National League teams are professional anyway. The selling point of that argument would appear to be that the relegated clubs would have more chance to return to the League.

I'm not sure how many EFL clubs would accept that proposal, it does appear very difficult for a lot of clubs to come back, but that may be that some of the NL clubs are throwing more money at it then they are, the likes are Rochdale I fear for because as things stand they couldn't possibly compete with the likes of Wrexham, and I suspect there a lot of clubs in the NL quite happy to see Wrexham clear off.

I am not one of those who wants to do away with the play-offs, when I was a kid it was only two up two down and there were dozens of a meaningless games towards the end of the season. the play-offs have been a brilliant addition to the game, (and yet they have never been kind to us, 8 attempts, none successful), hopefully we'll not to have endure them this season,.... but I would tweak the format, to allow the club that finishes one outside the automatics to have an automatic place in the final, irrespective of how many points clear they are, as history shows its no advantage finishing third with the play-offs in their current guise. And then others to fight it out for the right to join them,
_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharrowblade/sets
A Sheffield United Programme guide

Dorking · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 2515

The National League play offs are reducing to just a 4 team format next season

And as a Dorking Wanderers season ticket holder, yes, very pleased to see Wrexham clear off (in the nicest possible way!)

The National League is no different to any other step of the non-league pyramid, in that only 1st place gets automatic promotion from each division.

I would however have 3 up, 3 down between L2 and the NL because at present in L2 it's 4 up and only 2 down, which is most odd.

Any time a team promoted to the EFL is a 'new' league club, effectively another former EFL club gets stuck in non-league forever if you think about it.