Congratulations to Southend but when a team accrues 96 points and another team 28 points below you gets promoted and you don’t then there has to be something wrong with the system.

It is massively unfair, but on the other hand the season would have been over in January for most clubs if it was the top 2 promoted and no play-offs.

2 automatic promotions and play-offs for a 3rd promotion place is the solution staring football adminsirators in the face - not that they'll do anything any time soon.

For some reason I read Southend beating FGR as the final when posting this. I think one wine glass too many. The point remains though.

Got to be three up. There’s nothing much between the top 7/8 clubs in our league and the bottom 7/8 ish in the league above.

Hopefully three up three down will be sanctioned during the close season and implemented implemented for 25/26.
Also hopefully Saafend will put the Fucking Green Rovers veggies through the blender on Sunday. They didn't look anything special against us in the final game at the Vic.

Nothing whatsoever unfair about it.
Home advantage for the higher placed teams.
If Southend win promotion then it's on merit and done the hard way.
It is allowed.

It is unfair however (as said above) it keeps the league alive.

If Pools ever did a top 7 finish and got promotion like last time be a total different story.
But now that is just fantasy football.

The EFL will vote on it next month but it's very unlikely to happen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 91pn7r20wo

Maybe it will in 2026/27 if the new Football Regulator pushes it through.

No way is it unfair, everyone knows how the system works by now. Try telling the Mackems that it was unfair to defeat Sheff Utd at Wembley after finishing 23 points behind them. The system has worked well in all divisions since it was implemented.

I believe in fairness and have a strong sense of injustice, therefore I never wanted the play offs in the first place, however I am only human, and have warmed to them over the years, though I think it should be only the two teams below those automatically promoted who play off for the final promotion spot. I also think if any team, say finishing 10 points ahead of the rest, then play offs should either be cancelled for that season and or that team goes straight into a place in the final, with the bottom team, the team finishing 5th or 7th being removed.

I also worry, that where will this end, will we have play offs in future involving teams who finished 10th, the greedy money men don't know when to stop, if it makes them money, they'll continue to chip away at ruining the games credibility. I mean, looks at the Champions League, is it 5 or 6 English clubs, imagine if the club finishing 6th won it, that would be poor IMO

What a silly answer. Just because everyone knows how the system works, doesn't mean it can't be said to be unfair. Try telling Sheff Utd fans that is fair, having finished 14 ( not 23) points above Sunderland.

I still would still say it was unfair. I always like the club who finished 3rd or in Pools league, 2nd to be the one to go up via play offs, thankfully this generally happens, as you would expect, when one team finishes 10 points ahead of say the 6th or 7th placed team etc.

As for Pools, it is never going to happen, so no use falling out over it.

It's defo unfair. yes we all know how it works, yes it keeps the season alive, yes it works well, which is good for numerous teams - but it is unfair, especially when only one team can get automatic promotion.

What a childish response. I appreciate that you are new to this board but the overriding philosophy is one of free speech. For one who claims to believe in 'fairness' you should appreciate that everyone is entitled to have an opinion which may or may not concur with your own or that of others.

I don't have a problem with the current playoff system although if the football Gods come up with an improved version then I would be prepared to accept it. IMO there's nothing worse than losing playoff managers, players and fans whinging about the system after they have been eliminated.

for years football was played without them or the need to keep the season alive longer. never saw anything wrong with end of season games and not all finished with bore goaless draws with players going through the motions. could go to a game relaxed, watching relexed players and not life or death encounters that one team loses. that crawley game was a nightmare before the game never mind sitting through it.

I remember those 'dead rubber' end of season games although Pools never seemed to be involved in many of them as we were invariably fighting to either stave off finishing in the bottom four or mounting a late promotion push (in most cases the former). I do remember however that attendances generally dropped off and in some - but obviously not all games - both sets of players may as well have turned up in their flip flops.

The Crawley game was something else, Pools absolutely never turned up that day and I will go to my grave convinced that external dark forces were at work both before and during that fixture.

I get the purist perspective, but I think the combination of direct promo and the playoffs are the right blend, problem with this league is how skewed it is as only 2 go up,
2 up direct, next 4 playing off would be fine, and more equitable----BUT i dont see the league voting for it anytime soon, really it should just be the top 5 who have a crack if only 1 direct, this extending to 7 is a bit of a joke IMO

So is the FA Cup unfair...you get beat then you can't win it!?!
And is the World Cup unfair when someone wins it who got less points in the Group Games than the runnes-up???

I never said I didn't believe in free speech, I said your answer was silly, as much as this one is patronising. That I'm afraid is what free speech is about, accept it or don't accept it, your choice in a so called democracy.

or just froze on the day and had not the heart for the scrap.

Its all about the Dopamine fix nowadays, people have been moulded into having the need for constant instant excitement, its even getting to me lately, where I find it impossible to sit through something on You Tube from start to finish, without the urge to click onto something else, if god forbid the podcast or whatever I'm watching becomes boring for 5 minutes or so.

It didn't happen much with Pools in the 70s, but I do remember a couple of seasons, possibly 78/79 79/80 when Pools were comfortably mid table, and the last 7 or 8 games had little riding on them, with a few youngsters getting thrown in such as Mark Lawrence and Barry Howard etc, that made for some interesting games and outcomes.

As I said before, Its not so much that I can't live with the changes that have been made so far, but I think its went far enough, and I'm convinced that more changes will be made that will make the game farcical , but the younger fan will not bat an eye lid, as they no nothing else, they've been brought up in a world of instant, non stop action, where everyone is chasing that Dopamine fix. The discontent about things like no replays in cup competitions, semi finals at Wembley, 5 teams in the play offs, will abate when us oldies pass on.

Dopamine fixes are for softie Southerners.

Poolie boys shag their women and drink their beer...

more or less the kids today will turn into there fathers in the same way we have done but on new subjects like league and cup fixtures getting in the way of euro competitions. remember my old man having a rant when leyton orient had changed the players numbers like a left back being no 8 instead of 3 and a centre forward out there with 4 on his shirt. could not give a toss myself as it fooled nobody. goodness knows what our fathers and grandfathers would make of the stuff that annoys older fans like calling players no.8 or 10s and false no.9,s and all the talk of formations which are fluid anyway these days.

I didn't intend it to be so but I'm glad you found my response 'patronising' - it is also an example of what free speech is about, like it or not.

Southend one up after 5 minutes.

Will Mancini be off to Southend if they win.?!!!
They can afford the gamble if they win.

Fondop nearly scores a Worldy

Nearly got a move to PSG there like.

You wouldn't be surprised. I was on the chesterfield forum and their supporters were commenting about how good Mancini was when they saw wed released him. I seem to remember a Paul Cook interview at the end of last season where he said Mancini was the best player in the national league. I wouldn't be massively surprised to see him get a trial there.

I have just read that the attendance may be 50,000!?

It was originally capped at 40,000 for this game.

Hope he is, We all know what Southend think of him, Good luck to the lad.

Aye hes put egg on a few faces has big Mike.

Oldham should win this.

Stronger team

52,115

Pools v York next year should beat it!

1-1 90+6 mins

Someone Vs York, will beat it, it certainly won't be us though.

Not a bad game referee has had a mare and rightly pointed out by the pundits. Obvious and definite red card and obvious and definite penalty 1st half, both missed. "Is this ref the best the NL has" asked by the pundit.
Oldham the better side but I have a sneaky feeling As outhend are going to mug them.

Great comeback from Oldham but another long trip for Pools.

But don't forget a MOTM Performance from Mancini helped us destroy them on New year's day.

Still reckon he will get a 4th division club gamble on his fake fitness.

From a Pools point of view, would have preferred Southend to have gone up, as I think they will rip the National League up next season, whereas IMO Oldham would've been in and around play offs again.

really hope not. prefer a lad who,d give it a go even if he had a knock than somebody with more ability who is only available when he fancies it. his ability is totally wasted on him but i,d guess thats life.

The ref got away with it in th end with the oldham win. even he got subbed in the end but it was over 90 minutes too late. those decisions are what VAR should have ben there for and not a cock haired width off side decisions.

I know we see different angles on TV but first thoughts were clear red for the tackle and clear pen as the defender didn't get anywhere near the ball. I don't think it's unreasonable for the ref and onfield assistants to get those calls right. But we all know the standards of refereeing are getting worse at all levels but particularly so the further down the pyramid you go.
Right result in the end imo.

A bit shit that accy. I bet Mancini is absolutely gutted about his injuries that could see his career finished.

.....If only you knew