No Champions League Playoff? Five Other Proposed Premier League Rule Changes

Premier League chairmen gathered and voted on the proposal to have a playoff for the fourth and final Champions League spot yesterday, and the answer turned out to be “no”. Unsurprisingly, the established Big Four were opposed to the idea. Because turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. Perhaps more surprising, the chairmen of both Birmingham City and Fulham – two clubs who would stand to benefit from seventh place meaning possible Champions League qualification – voted against the proposal too. Proof that maybe football isn’t all about greed.

Personally, I’m a little disappointed that this motion was defeated. Not because I necessarily think that a league sending its seventh best team into the Champions League is a good idea. More because I long for a Premier League shake-up of almost any description and an end to the Big Four and the “race for fourth” place would have been just the ticket.

So here are a few other other – and much less realistic – options for shaking up England’s top division:

1. Newly promoted teams get to play with twelve men.

2. Away goals literally count double. If Fulham play Man Utd at Old Trafford, and Fulham score once while Man Utd score twice, the score is 2-2.

3. Adopting any of our earlier proposed refereeing changes. My first choice would be the “sonic boom whistle”.

4. Every team has one designated “playmaker”. He’s not allowed to score, but the opposition aren’t allowed to make physical contact with him either.

5. Every Premier League starting XI must feature every single letter of the alphabet. No exceptions. And Zat Knight just became a lot more desirable.

Any other ideas to shake up the Premier League?

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Category: English Premier League