EFL clubs to vote on expanding Championship playoffs

EFL clubs will vote next month on a proposal to expand the Championship play-offs to six teams.

The Press Association reports that the 72 EFL clubs have been invited to an extraordinary general meeting on March 5, when the plans – which have been approved by the Football Association’s board – will be discussed.

The new format could come into effect from next season, adding an eliminator round similar to that used in the National League.

The fifth-placed team would face the eighth-placed team, and the sides finishing sixth and seventh would also meet. Those would be one-off ties at the home ground of the higher-ranked team.

The winners would then advance to a two-legged semi-final against the teams that finished third and fourth before the usual Wembley final between the final two survivors.

The FA board gave its backing despite reservations which have previously come from the Premier League, concerned over the possibility of declining standards if sides that finish eighth in the second tier make it to the top flight.

The regulation change which was approved by the EFL’s board last week must receive a simple majority backing from the the 72 clubs as a whole, and also within that the majority of the 24 Championship clubs.

Clubs have been consulted on the plans and they are expected to go through with a high level of support within the Championship, not only because it would keep the door open for more clubs in the promotion fight, but also reduce the number of dead-rubber league fixtures late in the season.

While the expansion plans are limited to the Championship play-offs for now, there is some interest in this being expanded to League One and League Two in the future.

Both the EFL and the FA declined to comment.