Sorry as this must have been posted already but was is the highest number of points for a team in the Championship (or Leagues 1 and 2) finishing third?

Thank you.

Leeds last year 90 points

Wait until the 3rd of May and we'll know.

I do think it will be high this year 92 minimum

At the current rate Leeds are heading for 99 points and SU 97 (after the 2 point deduction). So very likely that it'll be a new record.

If the top four crack on, one of us could fail to go up on 95-100 points. Unlikely but not impossible.

Time they scrapped the play offs. Six up six down, lower the parachute payments and that'll put the cat well and truly among the PL pigeons and give far more clubs the opportunity to get promoted

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:47 pm

Time they scrapped the play offs. Six up six down, lower the parachute payments and that'll put the cat well and truly among the PL pigeons and give far more clubs the opportunity to get promoted

Great idea...it will never happen though.

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:47 pm

Time they scrapped the play offs. Six up six down, lower the parachute payments and that'll put the cat well and truly among the PL pigeons and give far more clubs the opportunity to get promoted

"Six up six down"

Definitely has a comedy feeling for it.

Last season, Leicester were on 78 points at the same stage, looking set to break the record set by Reading, but in the end didn't even get close to 100 points.

It was Ipswich in 4th who got second as both Leeds & Southampton collapsed.

Who knows what pressure will do to the teams at the top.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 10:06 pm

Last season, Leicester were on 78 points at the same stage, looking set to break the record set by Reading, but in the end didn't even get close to 100 points.

It was Ipswich in 4th who got second as both Leeds & Southampton collapsed.

Who knows what pressure will do to the teams at the top.

Bit harsh to suggest they didn't get close to 100 when they finished on 97.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 10:49 pm

Bit harsh to suggest they didn't get close to 100 when they finished on 97.

Maybe, but considering they were on course for 112 points with 14 to go, it was a big slump to only get a further 19 points, with Ipswich nearly overtaking them.

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:47 pm

Time they scrapped the play offs. Six up six down, lower the parachute payments and that'll put the cat well and truly among the PL pigeons and give far more clubs the opportunity to get promoted

Interesting. I'd argue that six is too many. Five, at a push.

Quicknick wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:11 am

Interesting. I'd argue that six is too many. Five, at a push.

yep 5 or 6, I'd go 6 for the spectacle of it. You would get a far more even spread of money this way imho, very limited parachute payments so those coming down don't have a huge advantage - even if 2 of the 6 somehow stayed up it's still better than the current scenario and I would suggest it unlikely that all 6 relegated would get promoted. The whole "chasing the dream" (which it isn't anyway) of the Premier League shouldn't be for the select few.

I was speaking to a couple of Villa mates of mine and said "wouldn't you rather have a season going to Sunderland, Coventry, Boro etc than Everton, West Ham and Brighton yet again" - they all agreed 6 up 6 down.

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 6:32 am

yep 5 or 6, I'd go 6 for the spectacle of it. You would get a far more even spread of money this way imho, very limited parachute payments so those coming down don't have a huge advantage - even if 2 of the 6 somehow stayed up it's still better than the current scenario and I would suggest it unlikely that all 6 relegated would get promoted. The whole "chasing the dream" (which it isn't anyway) of the Premier League shouldn't be for the select few.

I was speaking to a couple of Villa mates of mine and said "wouldn't you rather have a season going to Sunderland, Coventry, Boro etc than Everton, West Ham and Brighton yet again" - they all agreed 6 up 6 down.

Pretty convincing argument, Vegas.

While it would be interesting having more of a shake up in terms of teams going up a down, there would be much less excitement. For example, it would pretty much be season over for this season’s Championship top 4, and the Premier League’s bottom 4. There would be far too many dead rubbers. The play off system is brilliant, no need to change it.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Man City legal proceedings. If they get relegated then I expect an extra team will be have to be promoted from the championship. I very much doubt that will happen this season but there could be a 4 up season coming soon.

claretabroad wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 8:44 am

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Man City legal proceedings. If they get relegated then I expect an extra team will be have to be promoted from the championship. I very much doubt that will happen this season but there could be a 4 up season coming soon.

I don't think Man City are going to be relegated.

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 6:32 am

yep 5 or 6, I'd go 6 for the spectacle of it. You would get a far more even spread of money this way imho, very limited parachute payments so those coming down don't have a huge advantage - even if 2 of the 6 somehow stayed up it's still better than the current scenario and I would suggest it unlikely that all 6 relegated would get promoted. The whole "chasing the dream" (which it isn't anyway) of the Premier League shouldn't be for the select few.

I was speaking to a couple of Villa mates of mine and said "wouldn't you rather have a season going to Sunderland, Coventry, Boro etc than Everton, West Ham and Brighton yet again" - they all agreed 6 up 6 down.

It's an interesting idea Vegas. What I would say is that the season would be over far sooner for the top 3ish championship and bottom 3 PL clubs. Memberships for the yo yo club club would sky rocket, however. Could be a fun ride for a fair few.

An alternative could be something like the bottom four PL and top four championship clubs swap places, with the clubs finishing 15th and 16th in the PL and the clubs finishing in 5th and 6th in the championship entering a play off between them all. Adds in a little more jeopardy.

ArmchairDetective wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 9:34 am

An alternative could be something like the bottom four PL and top four championship clubs swap places, with the clubs finishing 15th and 16th in the PL and the clubs finishing in 5th and 6th in the championship entering a play off between them all. Adds in a little more jeopardy.

German leagues do similar. But very rarely does the Bundesliga 2 club beat the Bundesliga 1 club, and I think it's 3rd vs. 3rd bottom. So, in your example the gap in quality would be too big. You'd never get a Champ club beating a Prem club in that scenario.

Another continent idea would be to allow promotion on sporting merit over the full season. If 3rd finishes way above 4th - like 15 points - then they go up automatically and there are no playoffs. Would never happen here purely for commercial reasons.

dvalley69 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 9:40 am

German leagues do similar. But very rarely does the Bundesliga 2 club beat the Bundesliga 1 club, and I think it's 3rd vs. 3rd bottom. So, in your example the gap in quality would be too big. You'd never get a Champ club beating a Prem club in that scenario.

Good point. Taking this year as an example, however, I wouldn't put it past Middlesbrough having a go at beating Everton or West Ham.

I've also just realised in this imaginary scenario how close to relegation Man U and Spurs would be this year.

ArmchairDetective wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 9:57 am

Good point. Taking this year as an example, however, I wouldn't put it past Middlesbrough having a go at beating Everton or West Ham.

I've also just realised in this imaginary scenario how close to relegation Man U and Spurs would be this year.

Based on what? Boro are 9th in the Championship, or to put it another 5th of "the rest", a pool of absolute mediocrity (currently topped by Bastards, for a bit of context to how poor it is).

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 11:30 am

Based on what? Boro are 9th in the Championship, or to put it another 5th of "the rest", a pool of absolute mediocrity (currently topped by Bastards, for a bit of context to how poor it is).

Based on nothing. It's all hypothetical. I'm not saying they're as good as those teams. But in this hypothetical scenario if they played one of those teams 10 times in a row they might win once or twice. Thought Boro were higher in the league table than 9th to be honest.

My point was more about thinking of ways to keep a jeopardy element to the scenario that Vegas suggested, more than anything else.

I'm sure they used to have promotion and relegation play offs between teams at the top and bottom of the division.