Division one suggestion.

[Real ale Madrid]

Following on from the debate on the new league structure on another thread here is a relatively simple idea to keep Division one competitive and interesting.

I am living temporarily in Belgium at the moment and the local 2nd division outfit KSVB Geel are currently involved in a round robin promotion / relegation playoff. The system works like this:

1. The last team in division one is relegated in a 12 team division.
2. The 11th placed team in division one enters the round robin.
3. The Champions in Division 2 are promoted (Div 2 is also 12 teams)
4. There are 3 mini leagues for each 11 game rotation. the winner of each of these 3 leagues also enters the round robin.
The winner of this round robin is also promoted/keeps thier Division one status.

Apologies if this has been suggested before.

A simple idea but extremely popular over here. Have been to two of the games - they drew 2-2 away to fellow div 2 team Lommel last Sunday but were beaten 3-2 by Div 1 side Lier last night. Huge crowds at both games, 3/4 times the size of the usual crowds.

[pól-dcfc]

Yeah, it's a great system. A team can **** up one third of a season and still get promoted.

Absolutly fantastic in Football Manager - especially when you have an injury crisis.

[Mr A]

So- if you win the first mini-league but then fall badly out of contention for top spot, then you may as well forget about things until the end of season play-offs come around? What happens if the same team wins each of the mini-leagues?

Doesn't sound like too bad an idea, but there should be more weighting towards final league position.

[Real ale Madrid]

So- if you win the first mini-league but then fall badly out of contention for top spot, then you may as well forget about things until the end of season play-offs come around? What happens if the same team wins each of the mini-leagues?

Doesn't sound like too bad an idea, but there should be more weighting towards final league position.

If you win the first or second mini-league - then you are going to be all out for the title and automatic promotion anyway so it's not as if teams are going to win one and then stop playing.

If a team wins 2 in a row it goes to the next team down etc.

It's another interesting way of keeping things fresh. And its not like its totally pie in the sky - it actually works!

[crc]

I'd be in favour of it, it would mean that even with 8 or 9 games to go ANY team could still get promoted. It would have benefitted Kilkenny a lot last season. Given that there's effectively no relegation in the First (has any team ever failed to be re-elected?) it would keep up interest at the bottom right until the end.

[John83]

The Dutch do something similar. Really odd idea, IMO.

I would think the qualification for the round robin is a bit open to chance - the whole point of a league is to get a good estimate of the best team (unlike a cup, where chance plays a big part), and I think the PD team would win more often than not (much like the playoffs of recent years), but imagine a midtables D1 team got promoted - the gap to the PD is pretty big right now. They'd very likely get slaughtered.

[Poor Student]

In Japan they do something slightly similar for the title. The team who is top after the first round of fixtures plays the team who is top after the full round of fixtures for the title. If the same team is top both times then they are undisputed champions.

[Schumi]

Most of South America runs something similar I think.

[sullanefc]

Most of South America runs something similar I think.

A good idea.

[Mr A]

Sounds like a plan so, let's go for it! Anything that would enliven the first division would be most welcome.

[Poor Student]

Under the proposed new system 1st-3rd will leave you in line with a promotion shot and finishing bottom puts you in danger of relegation. That's 4 places in a league of 12 that have some meaning. Not the worst, though there'll still be a pretty empty feeling in the middle.