Forty years of Football League drama: new light shone on how the playoffs were born

The Guardian Sport1h ago7 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

The Football League playoffs celebrate their 40th anniversary, originating from a need to financially support lower-league clubs in the mid-1980s. The concept was proposed during a pivotal meeting in December 1985, evolving into a key fixture in English football.

Key points

Playoffs celebrate 40th anniversary in English football
Originated to support lower-league clubs financially
Proposed during a meeting in December 1985
Initial idea floated in 1972 by Alan Hardaker
Second Division clubs adopted the concept after Third and Fourth Division clubs

As the playoffs begin for the 40th time, it is easy to forget there was once a world without them. But where did they come from? Whose idea were they? And how did they take root in English football? The EFL granted access to its archives containing the documents and meeting minutes charting how an idea, conceived to help lower-league clubs financially and add late-season spice, evolved into one of the most cherished fixtures in the English football calendar and gave birth the “richest game in football”, as the Championship final is known.

It is hard to comprehend quite how broken English football was in the mid-1980s. In the 1988 book League Football and the Men Who Made it, Simon Inglis writes: “The year 1985 was the most devastating in the hundred years of the Football League.” Hooligans attracted headlines, fans were killed in riots and clashes with police drew the attention of the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who told football to get its house in order.

There was the Bradford stadium fire, collapsing attendances and the threat of a breakaway Super League led by Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal. Bigger clubs wanted more power and a greater share of revenue, while the lower league clubs struggled to survive, but believed the richness of the English game lay in its pyramid. Negotiations with the BBC and ITV reached an impasse, leaving a season without televised football. Sponsors lost interest.

In December 1985, 10 officials representing all four divisions met at the Post House hotel near Heathrow to thrash out a solution. Gordon Taylor, the Professional Footballers’ Association chair, acted as intermediary during a six-hour meeting. Out of that division and chaos, the playoffs were born.

The idea was proposed by Brentford’s chair, Martin Lange, as a way to generate revenue for Third and Fourth Division clubs who would lose money under the new deal. Second Division clubs liked the concept so much they adopted it, too. Lange can not take all the credit – the idea was first floated in 1972 by the then Football League secretary, Alan Hardaker, but did not receive the same reception.

As part of what became known as the Heathrow Agreement, the First Division would shrink from 22 to 20 teams. “In order to make a fair and equitable transition rather than relegate four clubs and promote two, there would be a system of staggered promotion and relegation, supplemented by a system of play-offs,” read one proposal.

Q&A

What year did the Football League playoffs first start?

The Football League playoffs began in 1987.

Who proposed the idea of the playoffs in English football?

The idea was proposed by Brentford’s chair, Martin Lange, during a meeting in December 1985.

What was the main purpose of introducing the playoffs?

The playoffs were introduced to generate revenue for lower-league clubs facing financial difficulties.

How did the state of English football in the 1980s influence the creation of playoffs?

The chaotic state of English football, marked by violence and financial struggles, prompted officials to seek solutions like the playoffs to stabilize the sport.