Promotion - Playoffs or Automatic?

[Spy]

Leaving aside whether you think we'd do well in the playoffs. Assuming we could get either.

Which do you think would be best for the club?




I tend to think going up via the playoffs is best for the club because of the extra money generated and the extra excitement for the fans. Think it could boost attendences for next year and give us more of a feel good factor going into pre-season/next season.

Automatic promotion could be seen as better as it's more prestigious - you finished higher and didn't need to go through the playoffs.

[STFC_Gazza]

Fuck that, Automatic Promotion, playoffs are a lottery. WE will get bigger crowds if we go up anyway (mainly in part to away team followings) and the names of the clubs in that division will get bigger gates. Probably looking about 9,500 average I would think?

[Gnasher]

Difficult one. The money from the extra game and Wembley will help. But automatic gives you an extra month of season ticket sales at Championship prices.

[Spy]

Fuck that, Automatic Promotion, playoffs are a lottery.

Gazza you didn't get the poll. I'm saying assume we WOULD win at Wembley. The choice is between going up by winning the playoffs or going up automatic.

Leave aside all that "playoffs are a lottery" stuff.

[Colin Todd]

I'm sure I read on here that the play off gate receipts get distributed around all 4 teams so the finanical benefit of winning the play offs isnt as great as you might think.

[Spy]

I'm sure I read on here that the play off gate receipts get distributed around all 4 teams so the finanical benefit of winning the play offs isnt as great as you might think.

But surely ticket sales for Wembley aren't split with the losing semi finalists?!?

[Colin Todd]

Unless I've made it up in my head I think they are. Did Jonny72 post it?

[Colin Todd]

Jonny72:

I found this document on the Football League website which covers the 2006/7 play offs;

http://www.football-league.co.uk/staticFiles/ba/91/0,,10794~37306,00.pdf

Basically;

- Semi Finals: 50% of the gate receipts goes in to the pool account (which I think is shared out amongst all clubs in the division). The other 50% goes in to a pool, division by division, which is then shared out between the 4 clubs in the play offs. So each club in the play offs gets 12.5% of the total gate receipts for the 4 semi finals.

- Finals: 50% goes in to the pool account. The other 50% is shared by the 2 clubs in the final. Programme sales and perimeter advertising are viewed included in the gate receipts.

- TV Money: Looks like this is not viewed as being any part of the proceeds of the games.

So about £150k in gate receipts for the semi finals and £300k for the final (both based on 60k at £20).

[pauld]

I answered play-off win although by a tight margin on the basis that would be marginally better for the club, not just the revenue but the extra exposure, feel-good factor, re-engaging loads of plastics who might then be persuaded to come along next season etc.

But by Christ I'd rather go up auto

[Spy]

Similarly to Pauld I voted playoff win as for the reasons already stated I agree it's better for the club. BUT I too would probably prefer automatic. Get it done and dusted and avoid the stress of the playoffs. Going to those 3 games (or even just the home leg and the final) would hit me quite hard financially too. Having said that if we thrashed Leeds a third time at Wembley I'm sure it'd ALL be worth it. 

[jonny72]

Now we're in the playoffs I don't mind too much how the season ends as there is a positive side to all outcomes.

- Automatic would be an incredible achievement and means Championship football next season.
- Promotion via the playoffs means a winning trip to Wembley, more money for the club and Championship football next season.
- Not getting promoted means two or three edge of your seat games, some extra money for the club and (in theory) another good season next year with us challenging for the title in League One - if we improve the squad the way we did over the last 12 months then we'd have a very good chance.

So its all good. Though it doesn't mean I won't get upset and moan if we do fuck it up though.

[pauld]

The thing that most concerns me about the play-off route is the danger of what is currently a very good squad breaking up/not securing some of the loans more permanently (either as signings or extended loans next season) and having the "play-off hangover" next season. It happens to a lot of clubs - they miss out in the play-offs and fans assume that that's OK because they'll be challenging again next season and they just have an absolute mare.

[Mexicano Rojo]

what like millwall?

[pauld]

what like millwall?

No, more like Carlisle and plenty of other teams both in League One and the Championship. I can't be arsed to go look them all up but it does happen that a surprising number of teams that have challenged strongly the season before seem to take the disappointment into the next season. Hence the term "playoff hangover"

[sheepshagger]

I have a prediction that regardless of whether we go up or not through the playoffs - I will have a playoff hangover