This is a very debatable subject. It depends upon circumstances and the outcomes of the results.
Financially every Club would say that play offs are an essential lifeline because they prevent the season becoming a non event for many clubs. Come the end of February many clubs would not still be promotion or relegation candidates so interest would not be the same for fans. The attendance figures and subsequent income would be significantly affected.
Obviously the Championship is the latest league to vote in favour of increasing the number of play off positions. They have actually followed a non league format. The prize of getting a chance to join the Premier League is an opportunity too great to turn down.
However many would argue that a season is complete when each side has played each other twice and whatever the number of points accrued should decide the promotion places. Is it fair that a team who finishes the normal allocated number of games with more points than teams below them does not necessarily get promotion instead of a team who finish lower in the division. This has financial implications for the team who don’t win the play offs despite finishing higher at the end of the normal season.
Perhaps we will see the idea of play offs extended to a number of teams in the relegation zones. The only teams exempt would then become those in mid table come the end of the normal fixtures. Obviously the FA are looking to keep fans interested for the whole season.
Originally play offs between teams in the relegation zones and those in promotion places in the league below were used. However this was abandoned in favour of the present system despite the fact that many of the promoted teams failed to stay up the following season. So were they a better bet than those relegated.
Maybe the answer is to merely increase the number of places for automatic promotion and relegation between the divisions. This might well increase the chances of a relegated team getting back up the next season without the heartache of possibly losing in a playoff. Also this would still retain the interest of fans for longer in a season.
Any initiative that helps clubs bring in extra finance is surely a good thing for the game.
However, it took a long time for the FA to get away from the old system of reapplying for re-election from what was the 4th division and the non league. It is doubtful that the clubs will vote for anything too controversial if they feel they might personally lose out in the short term.
Maybe it’s time for a rethink overall in order to sustain football at all levels.
Steve Hughes