EFL clubs will hold a crucial vote on Thursday on a significant expansion of the Championship play-offs for next season.
The proposal aims to increase the number of participating teams from four to six, following the model of the National League.
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If the motion passes, the top two teams in England’s second tier will still automatically advance, but the play-off spots will be expanded to third to eighth-placed teams.
This would be a departure from the current system, which only involves teams ranked third through sixth.
The vote is due to take place later on Thursday morning and will require a majority vote of all EFL clubs and a separate majority of Championship clubs to pass.
Oldham won promotion through the National League play-offs last year (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
It is understood Thursday’s decision will focus solely on the principle of expanding the play-offs, with the exact format to be decided at a later stage, possibly at the league’s annual general meeting this summer.
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In the National League’s six-team format, clubs ranked fourth, seventh, and fifth and sixth will compete in single-leg knockout rounds.
The winner will advance to the semi-finals along with the second and third place teams.
Oldham Athletic achieved a remarkable victory in the National League play-offs last season despite finishing 23 points behind second-placed York, a result that intensified discussions surrounding the limited two promotion places from the fifth tier to the second tier.
While the possibility of promotion to the National League to three teams is expected to be debated, there will be no vote on the matter this week.
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Such a decision would require a complete briefing and voting sheet to be distributed in advance.
The two-day club-wide meeting, which begins on Wednesday, also includes speeches from David Cogan and Richard Monks, chairman and chief executive of the independent football regulator.
Cogan recently called for a new financial settlement between the Premier League and EFL as he fears relegation would be “nearly a death sentence” for some clubs.
