So Who Wins The National League?

Dancingwilldoit · 21-06-2021, 20:08

The toss of a coin? in slow motion showing every detail of the coin used, its weight, who the tosser is, his background, his family tree, the history of why he's a tosser and then the actual toss in ultra slow motion. They should be able to get at least 3 ad breaks into that so everybody ends up happy.

Actually Dev I predicted Stockport at the outset and thought Torquay were the better team in the final. I thought it was an excellent game as a neutral.

Many years ago they just used to have replay after replay until they had a winner but surely the way to go would be a nice and simple Golden Goal finish. Ok it would bugger up the tv coverage with the 10 O'clock news at Quarter past midnight but who cares about them? Its the fans game isnt it?

**Lord Snooty** · 21-06-2021, 20:17

Ah yes. The days of 2nd, 3rd and even 4th replays. Proper excitement.

Devongone · (This post was last modified: 23-06-2021, 13:30 by Devongone.)

I know you predicted Stockport Dancing, but you DID say Hartlepool were the best team you'd seen. And they went up.

I'd take any way of deciding the game, replays, extended extra time, reducing the number of players, golden goal, ANYTHING is better than penalties. Leaving Danny Wright who has been a hero for Torquay feeling he has let down the club is wrong. Football is a sport. It shouldn't be about cruelty! It is a team game. The team should win or lose it together. (I admit my judgement is clouded forever by my own first experience of a penalty shoot-out in a final. I was only 17 or 18. The game ended 0-0 after extra time. I don't think I made a semblance of a mistake in goal. 3-3 after five penalties and it went down to two players taking penalties until one missed. I was up against an ex-pro in his late thirties and the penalties he took were brilliant, changed sides, different heights, I almost got to just one. We lost 8-7, neither keeper saved a penalty, our lad hit the post! I felt I'd let everybody down. Our lads knew I was pretty good, and they thought that gave them the advantage. I've never minded losing and was always a good sport, but I've felt bitter about that for over 50 years. Fckuing horrible! I've told this tale before and it doesn't heal the wound. No mistakes, clean sheet, lost us the game! Innocent but forever guilty.)

Dancingwilldoit · 23-06-2021, 19:43

Agree, anything but penalties.
Went to watch us against Sheff Weds at Hillsborough years ago, think it was a League Cup game, 2-2 at full time, it went straight to penalties and all the way through10 players from both teams until only the keepers were left. Weds scored and Tommy Lee blazed it miles over the bar. He was distraught. Its no way to finish any game with some teams now playing for penalties because they know they will be in with a shout.

**St Charles Owl** · 23-06-2021, 19:58

(23-06-2021, 19:43)Dancingwilldoit Wrote: Agree, anything but penalties.
Went to watch us against Sheff Weds at Hillsborough years ago, think it was a League Cup game, 2-2 at full time, it went straight to penalties and all the way through10 players from both teams until only the keepers were left. Weds scored and Tommy Lee blazed it miles over the bar. He was distraught. Its no way to finish any game with some teams now playing for penalties because they know they will be in with a shout.

I remember that game, Johnstones Paint Trophy in 2010, finished 8-7 to us on penalties.

I can see the need for penalties in tournaments, time restraints mean there has to be a conclusion. But in situations like this you have the time to maybe have one replay and then pens with it being the end of the season. Wouldn't need to be at Wembley either, you could hold the replay at any PL ground, all of which could be available.

Devongone · 24-06-2021, 13:23

The NEED for penalties is usually to avoid fixture pile-ups caused by divisions with too many teams. 24 teams and 46 games is ridiculous, no wonder we can't fit in a winter break ......... and our game is full of heavy-calved plodders.

If extra time doesn't break the deadlock, reduce the teams by two players a side and keep doing that every ten minutes until a golden goal is scored.

Penalties are fake excitement anyway. They might be a bit more exciting if the goalie was allowed to do anything he liked so long as he remained inside the six-yard box.

**spireitematt** · 24-06-2021, 21:25

(24-06-2021, 13:23)Devongone Wrote: The NEED for penalties is usually to avoid fixture pile-ups caused by divisions with too many teams. 24 teams and 46 games is ridiculous, no wonder we can't fit in a winter break ......... and our game is full of heavy-calved plodders.

If extra time doesn't break the deadlock, reduce the teams by two players a side and keep doing that every ten minutes until a golden goal is scored.

Penalties are fake excitement anyway. They might be a bit more exciting if the goalie was allowed to do anything he liked so long as he remained inside the six-yard box.

Winter break doesn't really affect Championship, L1, L2 or non-league, it affects the Premier League teams and players more. The biggest fixture pile-ups for teams outside the Premier League is the great British weather.

The English teams who are in the Champions League and Europa League complain about fixture congestion but that is down to the format of those competitions as they used to be 2 legged rounds where they are now group stages and each team plays 6 games in the group stage. What I find amusing is these teams complain about fixture congestion but when they get a week or two off they go to Dubai to play a friendly.

A lot of the leagues in Europe have 18-20 teams in a league, so I agree 24 is a little excessive, so is the 46 game season. If you play 46 games and have a cup run you are playing 50+ matches. Premier League clubs play 38 games and if they are in Europe or have a good run in the FA Cup or League Cup then they could easily play 60 matches.

I was very surprised to see Hartlepool get promotion via the playoffs, I really thought Stockport and Torquay were better but I guess the playoffs show you that it's a lottery as is penalties. Next season will be even tougher for promotion, Wrexham, Southend, Grimsby, Stockport, Torquay, Notts County, ourselves. The FA or Football League did talk about a 'League 3' a few years ago and you could technically say that the National League is 'League 3' especially with the amount of ex League clubs in the division now.