Cardiff City Forum



A forum for all things Cardiff City

“ A Decision is closer on Championship/pts per game

Sat May 09, 2020 6:14 pm

A number of Championship clubs are reportedly keen for the 2019/20 season to be curtailed and decided by a points-per-game system - but want the final promotion spot to be decided by a play-off.



Saturday 9th May 2020


The EFL is keen for the Championship season to be completed behind closed doors but with the 24 home stadia to still be used but head of the UK’s Football Police Unit, Mark Roberts, has cast doubt on that happening.

As a result, The Times reports that a growing number of Championship clubs believe the problems of finishing the season will be too challenging - and want a points-per-game system to be used.

The proposal would see a final table produced by dividing a team's current points tally by the games played, which would then give a points average.

That average would then be multiplied by 46 - the number of games in a season - to give a final points total.

Goal difference would then be used a deciding factor should clubs have the same points total.

There has been a suggestion that there could also be a 'weighted' points-per-game system, which would be used to address the fact that some teams have more home games than away games remaining or vice versa.








Under a weighted system, points-per-game would be worked out separately for home and away games, with the resulting average for each multiplied by 23 - the number of home or away games across a season.



The sinister letter sent to Jonathan Davies that left him sickened on morning of famous Cup final

Heartbreak of rugby player's children who aren't allowed to visit him 1,000 days on from horrific incident

Both totals would then be added together.

Under a weighted system, the current top-two, Leeds United and West Brom, would be promoted to the Premier League, with Fulham, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston in the play-offs.

The move would extinguish Cardiff City and Swansea City's hopes of promotion, with both sides within three points of the play-off positions.

Under the points-per-game proposal, Cardiff would finish eighth while Swansea would be ranked 10th.

Bluebirds boss Neil Harris has already said he would like the season to be completed for the sake of the competition's "integrity", echoing similar thoughts from Steve Cooper made earlier in the lockdown.

Cooper told BBC Sport Wales : "I think we have to do everything we can to finish the season.

"For the integrity of the game, how far we are into the league, it's the right thing to do.

"What that looks like and how that's done is the million dollar question right now."


While it is understood that there is little appetite among League One and League Two clubs for the season to finish, the EFL is keen for the Championship to follow in the same steps as the Premier League - but this looks to be increasingly challenging.

Promotion play-offs could decide the final places in League One and League Two. The clubs in those divisions are set to vote next week to stop the season with too many obstacles, such as the continued threat of the coronavirus pandemic and the cost of staging games behind-closed-doors, perceived to stand in the way of concluding all the outstanding matches.

The EFL reportedly remains open-minded to deciding the final play-off spot, with one scenario seeing the two-legged semi-finals of the playoffs scrapped, with two one-off matches at a neutral venue before the winners meet in a final.

A number of scenarios are being looked at and the board will meet again next Wednesday, where key decisions for all three of the EFL divisions could be made and a decision on the Championship may well hinge on the government’s announcement on Sunday of the roadmap out of lockdown.

There is no risk of the Premier League scrapping relegation and promotion as the FA will block any attempt to declare the season null and void under wide-ranging powers given to it in the 1991 Founder Members’ Agreement.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Re: “ A Decision is closer on Championship/pts per game

Sat May 09, 2020 9:59 pm

Last time Leeds played Cardiff they went on a bad run afterwards, they were about to play us before lockdown,
we could of beat them and rocked them like we usually do, a Fulham win on top of that = pressure = Leeds potentially bottling it again.
The season should be played out in my opinion unfair to assume this could be the outcome, teams hit and lose form and as all us Cardiff fans know pressure plays a part also.
If that cannot happen season should be void, no promotions or relegations.
I have a feeling city could get a playoff spot if season resumes and we have Tomlin, Mandez-Laing etc back.

Re: “ A Decision is closer on Championship/pts per game

Sun May 10, 2020 10:54 am

If it's done on a points per game ratio the the top six will be as it is now. Leeds and West Brom promoted and the next 4 in the playoffs.

Re: “ A Decision is closer on Championship/pts per game

Sun May 10, 2020 11:26 am

dazza wrote:If it's done on a points per game ratio the the top six will be as it is now. Leeds and West Brom promoted and the next 4 in the playoffs.


Not fair at all using this point thing, season to be played off or cancel the season the only two fair options but the2nd option re cancel not so fair as the first.

Re: “ A Decision is closer on Championship/pts per game

Sun May 10, 2020 6:34 pm

Igovernor wrote:
dazza wrote:If it's done on a points per game ratio the the top six will be as it is now. Leeds and West Brom promoted and the next 4 in the playoffs.


Totally agree with you, I'm just pointing out that if it's done on a points per game ratio the the top six would remain the same.

Not fair at all using this point thing, season to be played off or cancel the season the only two fair options but the2nd option re cancel not so fair as the first.