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20 team divisions 11:38 - Dec 1 with 3311 viewsloftboy

Seen this banded about this week a few times, got me thinking ( dangerous I know) but turn the EFL into 4 divisions of 20, would give 8 national league teams league status, still have 3 up and 3 down.
Would reduce the number of midweek games and probably make the whole thing a bit more exciting.

Nourry out
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20 team divisions on 11:42 - Dec 1 with 2077 viewsPlanetHonneywood

Perpetually finishing 16th will become a lot more scarier than exciting!

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20 team divisions on 11:48 - Dec 1 with 2041 viewsstevec

20 team divisions on 11:42 - Dec 1 by PlanetHonneywood

Perpetually finishing 16th will become a lot more scarier than exciting!


Too right.

Instead of a 6 place cushion, the Holy Grail will become a 2 place cushion. I’m not sure I can cope with that.
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20 team divisions on 11:58 - Dec 1 with 1996 viewsPlanetHonneywood

20 team divisions on 11:48 - Dec 1 by stevec

Too right.

Instead of a 6 place cushion, the Holy Grail will become a 2 place cushion. I’m not sure I can cope with that.


Yeah, way to risky!

I don't think loftboy has thought this through fully, and the implications of perpetually sh1tting yourself for 38 games, each and every time the oppo crosses the halfway line.

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20 team divisions on 12:00 - Dec 1 with 1993 viewsCamberleyR

Not sure about four divisions of 20 but the Football League sure does need some re-organisation. It's patently ridiculous to be playing 46 league games in the second tier of English professional football.

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20 team divisions on 12:02 - Dec 1 with 1980 viewsBazzaInTheLoft

On the face of it, and ignoring the circumstantial implications for us, I am defo up for this.

Weird for a football fan to say it, but there is too much football.

The hypothetical Plymouth, Sunderland, Southampton three game week is too much. There dozens of podcasts of players saying people are put off the Championship because of the three game week.
[Post edited 1 Dec 12:04]
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20 team divisions on 12:02 - Dec 1 with 1978 viewspaulhoop2

I say regionalise league 2 and 1 cuts out travel and matches

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20 team divisions on 12:05 - Dec 1 with 1955 viewsBazzaInTheLoft

20 team divisions on 12:02 - Dec 1 by paulhoop2

I say regionalise league 2 and 1 cuts out travel and matches


Germany does it and they don't even have anywhere near a strong lower league system as us.
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20 team divisions on 12:09 - Dec 1 with 1935 viewsKonk

20 team divisions on 12:05 - Dec 1 by BazzaInTheLoft

Germany does it and they don't even have anywhere near a strong lower league system as us.


Germany is obviously a much larger country with potentially greater distances to travel for a lot of sides. Regionalising league is fine until you get a situation where you have someone like Gloucester or Bishops Stortford having to play in a Northern division.

I think I'd support 5 divisions with 20 clubs. It's certainly time to address the unfair situation with promotion from the National league.

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20 team divisions (n/t) on 12:11 - Dec 1 with 1926 viewsTwoHalves

20 team divisions on 11:42 - Dec 1 by PlanetHonneywood

Perpetually finishing 16th will become a lot more scarier than exciting!


[Post edited 1 Dec 12:17]
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20 team divisions on 12:13 - Dec 1 with 1920 viewsTwoHalves

20 team divisions on 11:42 - Dec 1 by PlanetHonneywood

Perpetually finishing 16th will become a lot more scarier than exciting!


Let’s look on the bright side. In a 20-team division, by my reckoning, 14th would be the new 16th. Or something.
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20 team divisions on 12:43 - Dec 1 with 1799 viewsBazzaInTheLoft

20 team divisions on 12:09 - Dec 1 by Konk

Germany is obviously a much larger country with potentially greater distances to travel for a lot of sides. Regionalising league is fine until you get a situation where you have someone like Gloucester or Bishops Stortford having to play in a Northern division.

I think I'd support 5 divisions with 20 clubs. It's certainly time to address the unfair situation with promotion from the National league.


True, Germany is larger geographically but getting around the country is easier (when DB works) so that should be taken into account. I might be wrong but I think the regionalised teams get subsidised travel from the state? Would just take some political will maybe.

The Gloucester / BS situation wouldn't happen or would be lessened if the regionals were split into three or four rather than two.

If the worry is a distribution of quality I'd say there there are big teams in step 3 / 7th divisions that would do ok in the national League / League two facilitates wise.

I've been to Folkestone, Dartford, and Dulwich Hamlet recently. They could easily be mistaken for League Two clubs in some ways.

The Bazzat Plan:

Premiership (20 Teams)

Championship
(20 Teams / 3 Down)

League One
(20 Teams / 3 Up / 3 Down)

League Two
(20 teams / 3 Up / 3 Down)

League Three
(20 teams / 3 Up / 3 Down)

Northern League I Midlands League I Southern League
(20 teams each / 1 up each)*

*Relegated team league allocation based on geographical position.


[Post edited 1 Dec 12:57]
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20 team divisions on 12:45 - Dec 1 with 1791 viewsCamberleyR

20 team divisions on 12:02 - Dec 1 by BazzaInTheLoft

On the face of it, and ignoring the circumstantial implications for us, I am defo up for this.

Weird for a football fan to say it, but there is too much football.

The hypothetical Plymouth, Sunderland, Southampton three game week is too much. There dozens of podcasts of players saying people are put off the Championship because of the three game week.
[Post edited 1 Dec 12:04]


"The hypothetical Plymouth, Sunderland, Southampton three game week"

That wouldn't happen though as one of those three would be a home game.

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20 team divisions on 12:56 - Dec 1 with 1737 viewsBazzaInTheLoft

20 team divisions on 12:45 - Dec 1 by CamberleyR

"The hypothetical Plymouth, Sunderland, Southampton three game week"

That wouldn't happen though as one of those three would be a home game.


Not necessarily if one or more of them was a cup game...
[Post edited 1 Dec 12:56]
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20 team divisions on 13:02 - Dec 1 with 1691 viewsTwoHalves

20 team divisions on 12:56 - Dec 1 by BazzaInTheLoft

Not necessarily if one or more of them was a cup game...
[Post edited 1 Dec 12:56]


My brain hurts.
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20 team divisions on 13:26 - Dec 1 with 1642 viewsWatford_Ranger

20 team divisions on 12:02 - Dec 1 by paulhoop2

I say regionalise league 2 and 1 cuts out travel and matches


A long time ago looking at the implications of this was a small part of my dissertation on helping lower league clubs improve finances. Can’t remember the details now but you’d be surprised how small the overall impact on mileage is and in theory you draw the line somewhere that splits up local rivals or close teams so they lose those shorter trips. Obviously that line moves but you risk the absurd sort of situation we see in non-league where Bedford and Oxford play in the North because the line has to go somewhere.

Then there’s the sheer chasm in quality and money between a top L1 side and a bottom of L2 side. Doesn’t do clubs much good if you lose competitiveness.

5 x 20 teams wouldn’t be the worst idea IMO. Some good sides in the NL getting bottlenecked while relative dross in L2 cling on. There should be three up and three down there either way.
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20 team divisions on 13:55 - Dec 1 with 1589 viewsstevec

20 team divisions on 12:43 - Dec 1 by BazzaInTheLoft

True, Germany is larger geographically but getting around the country is easier (when DB works) so that should be taken into account. I might be wrong but I think the regionalised teams get subsidised travel from the state? Would just take some political will maybe.

The Gloucester / BS situation wouldn't happen or would be lessened if the regionals were split into three or four rather than two.

If the worry is a distribution of quality I'd say there there are big teams in step 3 / 7th divisions that would do ok in the national League / League two facilitates wise.

I've been to Folkestone, Dartford, and Dulwich Hamlet recently. They could easily be mistaken for League Two clubs in some ways.

The Bazzat Plan:

Premiership (20 Teams)

Championship
(20 Teams / 3 Down)

League One
(20 Teams / 3 Up / 3 Down)

League Two
(20 teams / 3 Up / 3 Down)

League Three
(20 teams / 3 Up / 3 Down)

Northern League I Midlands League I Southern League
(20 teams each / 1 up each)*

*Relegated team league allocation based on geographical position.


[Post edited 1 Dec 12:57]


Agree with a 20 team set up but should point out, clubs won’t want to lose 4 games of income and they will undoubtedly pile that on the price of the ticket.

You’ll find you’ll be paying the same season ticket cost as now, for 4 games less, which is the equivalent of around £100 extra per season, and for those buying a ticket by the game, about a fiver extra per game.

That said, if it largely removed the 3 games in 8 days scenario, I’d be all for it.
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20 team divisions on 14:16 - Dec 1 with 1551 viewsDannyPaddox

All this talk of 3 game weeks like it’s this new problem akin to time-wasting or bad officiating. I love evening games. Loftus Road under the lights midweek can be a magical place. I’ve got nothing against 20 team leagues but keep the midweek games. I guess that would mean a slightly shorter season - I’m okay with that too. And this theory that QPR can’t handle “3 game weeks”. We play shit disappointing football after a week off, after an international break, after a whole summer off. This 3GW talk is a masterpiece of red herring’s bollox.

Edit: I don’t know how a load of auto-corrected to a masterpiece ofbut I like it so it’s staying. Maybe it’s the correct collective noun for red-herring’s bollox
[Post edited 1 Dec 14:34]
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20 team divisions on 14:43 - Dec 1 with 1514 viewsKensalT

20 team divisions on 14:16 - Dec 1 by DannyPaddox

All this talk of 3 game weeks like it’s this new problem akin to time-wasting or bad officiating. I love evening games. Loftus Road under the lights midweek can be a magical place. I’ve got nothing against 20 team leagues but keep the midweek games. I guess that would mean a slightly shorter season - I’m okay with that too. And this theory that QPR can’t handle “3 game weeks”. We play shit disappointing football after a week off, after an international break, after a whole summer off. This 3GW talk is a masterpiece of red herring’s bollox.

Edit: I don’t know how a load of auto-corrected to a masterpiece ofbut I like it so it’s staying. Maybe it’s the correct collective noun for red-herring’s bollox
[Post edited 1 Dec 14:34]


There is a viewpoint that the introduction of five substitutes has led to more intense football with players running further than ever before and also running more sprints than ever before.

The fact that half your outfield players have to play the full match at that pace while the other half are replaced by fresh players with instructions to "fackin run arahnd a bit" © H. Redknapp (clearly a genius ahead of his time - not!)

Three game weeks just add to this problem.

The fact that there is an increase in soft tissue injuries (which medical science will tell you are avoidable) would suggest that players are already struggling with the increased intensity and increasingly breaking down.

Finally, if you have shorter domestic seasons but keep the three-game weeks then what you will end up with is even more international tournaments and overseas tours. More money for FIFA and the big clubs and even more pressure on the players.
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20 team divisions on 15:01 - Dec 1 with 1486 viewsBrianMcCarthy

20 team divisions on 11:42 - Dec 1 by PlanetHonneywood

Perpetually finishing 16th will become a lot more scarier than exciting!


No, we'll take the four teams off the top, not the bottom.

We'll be 12th.

"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
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20 team divisions on 15:09 - Dec 1 with 1454 viewsDannyPaddox

20 team divisions on 14:43 - Dec 1 by KensalT

There is a viewpoint that the introduction of five substitutes has led to more intense football with players running further than ever before and also running more sprints than ever before.

The fact that half your outfield players have to play the full match at that pace while the other half are replaced by fresh players with instructions to "fackin run arahnd a bit" © H. Redknapp (clearly a genius ahead of his time - not!)

Three game weeks just add to this problem.

The fact that there is an increase in soft tissue injuries (which medical science will tell you are avoidable) would suggest that players are already struggling with the increased intensity and increasingly breaking down.

Finally, if you have shorter domestic seasons but keep the three-game weeks then what you will end up with is even more international tournaments and overseas tours. More money for FIFA and the big clubs and even more pressure on the players.


Interesting stuff. So the theory is increasing the number of substitutes is actually leading to more injuries and the scapegoat for this will be the evening game. I still say 20 team leagues (with the occasional evening game) and shorter seasons are a good idea. If the football authorities want to fill the month free created with meaningless tournaments that increase the work load on a player. Thats not good but that’s up to them. I won’t be spending my money on them.
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20 team divisions on 15:56 - Dec 1 with 1344 viewsBazzaInTheLoft

20 team divisions on 13:02 - Dec 1 by TwoHalves

My brain hurts.


Took me while to get over the prospect of a cup game too.
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20 team divisions on 15:56 - Dec 1 with 1342 viewsKensalT

20 team divisions on 15:09 - Dec 1 by DannyPaddox

Interesting stuff. So the theory is increasing the number of substitutes is actually leading to more injuries and the scapegoat for this will be the evening game. I still say 20 team leagues (with the occasional evening game) and shorter seasons are a good idea. If the football authorities want to fill the month free created with meaningless tournaments that increase the work load on a player. Thats not good but that’s up to them. I won’t be spending my money on them.


I'm not saying midweek games are the scapegoats. But more midweek games mean less recovery time for players - who are running and sprinting a lot more in matches since the introduction of five subs.

The number of international breaks are part of the problem.

And if we did reduce to a 20 team Championship the TV companies and football bodies would just create more or bigger international tournaments. So I don't think a smaller league would even benefit the players.

And the point has already been made on this thread that the clubs won't like it either. Fewer games will mean lost matchday revenues.

The clubs would probably end up agreeing to even more live televised games at all sorts of crazy times just to make up those losses. Forcing fans to put up with even more travelling problems and short-notice rescheduling of fixtures.

So in the end who really benefits from a smaller Championship?
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20 team divisions on 17:03 - Dec 1 with 1162 viewsTwoHalves

20 team divisions on 12:45 - Dec 1 by CamberleyR

"The hypothetical Plymouth, Sunderland, Southampton three game week"

That wouldn't happen though as one of those three would be a home game.


It’s the football equivalent of the fox, chicken and sack of grain riddle …
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20 team divisions on 18:22 - Dec 1 with 1002 viewsPaddyhoops

So 8 games less. That means we can a have a meaningful tilt at winning an FA cup match . Deep joy
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20 team divisions on 18:45 - Dec 1 with 950 viewsBenny_the_Ball

I'm only remotely interested if it results in a reduction of 3 game weeks. We might then have a chance at 12th thus restoring our 6 position buffer to oblivion.
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