[LIVIFOREVER]

With Livi having such a huge GD advantage it gives us the edge that we can afford to be equal on points, wouldn't think it would come down to that though, have a feeling ES will drop some points when they start playing 2 games a week, will be interesting to see how they do on Sat after playing tonight.

If we did find ourselves in the play offs it would be an exciting end to the season, it's a pity the 1st Div and SPL don't have them.

[Alloa_Shire]

Must admit, I am not a fan of the Play Off, infact I really can't stand them. For me the Play Off works in England because they have a couple of teams going up and a Play Off from a large league. Now look at last season, Dumbarton won the league by 1 point over Cowdenbeath, how can you say Cowden don't deserve to play in a higher league but Stenny do because they win the play off, it's just madness in my opinion. Last year Dumbarton were the best team in the league and Cowdenbeath were the 2^nd best, Shire 3^rd and Stenny 4^th…… so why have a system that allows the 4^th best team in a league of 10 gain promotion?? So what you are in theory saying is that a middle of the road, average team in the league can gain promotion, madness.

Now we all know about the rivalry between The Shire and Stenny, but that doesn't come into it, I would have thought the same if it had been any other club……yes even The Shire. I have been on record many a time saying I want to go up after finishing in the top 2 or not go up at all, and I stand by that. Last season it should have been Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath, not The Sons and Stenny.

Also, you are giving a team that has under performed all season, the chance to stay up. I remember back in '94-95 when they introduced this at SPL/1^st Division level, Dunfermline had went a whole season and had lost just once, they lost out on the top spot by a point so went into the Play Offs where they faced an Aberdeen side that had won something like 5 games all season and were dreadful, now Aberdeen won and stayed up, how the hell is that fair?? 1 up one down in a league of 10 becomes saturated and boring, which is what we are seeing now, and opening up Play Off spots give teams an unfair advantage to gain promotion, when league placing suggest they should be staying/going down.

You can argue that the Play Offs cause excitement, now from a personal point of view, I would have been more excited going to the last day of the season (against Cowdenbeath) knowing a win would have taken us up, and anybody from 3 teams would have won the league on the last day of the season, instead we had a dull affair of watching 2 youth teams and 2 dull encounters against Cowdenbeath in the Play Off's.

2 up - 2 down…..simples

[Alloa_Shire]

infact while we are talking about Play Offs, just out of interest, would Livi fans look at finishing 2nd and going into the Play Offs a success or failure???

[GordieBoys-livi-lass]

Alloa_Shire, on 10 February 2010 - 10:12, said:

infact while we are talking about Play Offs, just out of interest, would Livi fans look at finishing 2nd and going into the Play Offs a success or failure???

I'd see us getting in the play-offs as a success, no way would it be a failure & this league is a hell of a lot harder for us than some Livi fans make it out to be! Right now I just can't see us winning the league so the play-offs do give you another chance. In general though I hate the play-offs & don't think it's a fair way to decide the full season, but they are there & we just have to lump it.

[LIVIFOREVER]

Would have to be a failure, i doubt the board would see it as a success either with the amount of money we've spent on our team compared to all the others, players who have all played at a higher level than this too.

Also theres no guarantee we'd get promoted in the play offs, so in affect they mean nothing unless you get promotion from them.

edit* I still like them though, gives you a cushion to fall back on if you don't win the league, think it's a certainty that both Livi and ES will be in them if they don't gain promotion outright.

This post has been edited by LIVIFOREVER: 10 February 2010 - 19:00