- Championship play-offs may expand to six
- Hollywood owners’ Wrexham handed promotion boost
- EFL clubs welcome plan for more drama
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According to The Athletic a proposal has been floated which would see the Championship play-offs expand to include six teams rather than the current four. The plan, presented by Preston North End chief executive Peter Ridsdale at a recent Championship meeting, has been warmly received by club executives. The move would add extra knockout ties, reduce the number of meaningless fixtures at the season’s end, and hand more clubs a shot at the top flight.
Under the proposal, the teams finishing fifth through eighth would battle it out in a new “eliminator round.” Fifth would face eighth, while sixth would meet seventh, with both ties staged at the home of the higher-ranked side. The winners of those matches would then progress to two-legged semi-finals against the sides finishing third and fourth. From there, the victors would advance to Wembley for the final showdown with a Premier League place on the line.
It’s not just the Championship that could feel the shake-up. The EFL is also keen to extend this format to League One and Two, meaning an eighth-placed side in League One and a ninth-placed team in League Two could suddenly find themselves dreaming of promotion.
While Championship chiefs are enthusiastic, the plan still faces hurdles. Any alteration to competition formats requires sign-off from the Football Association Board under Rule B. Historically, the Premier League has opposed such changes, arguing that allowing more lower-placed teams into the mix risks weakening the quality of the top division. As of now, no official vote has been cast at the EFL level, and the FA Board has not yet been presented with the proposal. Still, it is believed that the appetite for change is strong across the league.
Few clubs would benefit more from an expanded play-off system than Wrexham. The Welsh side have surged through three successive promotions under the stewardship of their Hollywood owners, and after a summer of heavy investment, they are now just one step away from the Premier League. At a strategy meeting during the off-season, the duo were reportedly focused on what it would take to clinch a top-two finish and guarantee automatic promotion. With more than£10 million splashed on eight new first-team players, the Red Dragons have showed they are serious about climbing higher.
With Wrexham sitting 15th in the Championship, the newly floated plan could be a lifeline. If implemented, finishing as low as eighth could still keep their top-flight dream alive. In the short term, Phil Parkinson’s men will continue their Championship grind, with QPR next on the agenda this Saturday.
