The English Football League is considering major changes to the Championship play-off format, which would of course have ramifications for Wrexham.
The Championship is changing all the time, and this season has seen a rather drastic change with the addition of Wrexham.
Wrexham won promotion from League One last season. The Dragons, famed by owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, then hit the transfer market with Wrexham spending £40million on new players this summer.
It’s sent a message to the rest of the Championship that Wrexham are serious contenders. It’s also shown teams that spending a little bit here and there might not cut it anymore.
And with the Welsh club changing the face of football seemingly every season, the English Football League are now proposing changes to the Championship that could have huge implications for Wrexham who want promotion to the Premier League in the next few years.
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EFL consider Championship play-off restructure
Wrexham fans will be familiar with how promotion from the National League works: six teams qualify for the play-offs, with an initial eliminator round before the two-legged semi-final games take place, before the final at Wembley.
The Athletic have revealed the news and they add that the idea ‘has received wide initial support from Championship clubs’.
In full, it is explained: “The English Football League (EFL) is considering a plan to add an eliminator round to the Championship play-offs, a move that would extend the number of teams in the play-offs to six.
“The proposal, which has received wide initial support from Championship clubs, is for a similar format to the one used by the National League, with the team that finishes fifth playing the eighth-place team and sixth meeting seventh in singles ties at the better-placed team’s home ground.
“But unlike the National League’s play-offs, which are all one-off matches, the winners of these eliminators would then proceed to two-legged ties against the teams that finished third and fourth, with the winners meeting at Wembley for a place in the Premier League.”
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What does it mean for Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s Wrexham?
The Athletic suggest that the Premier League would be against the proposal, because of fears of weakening the quality of team that could potentially be promoted to the Premier League.
And the same report also goes on to suggest that the earliest that the new format could potentially take place would be next season, providing the team Premier League change their tune and the EFL get their way.
For Wrexham though, it seems like good news, with plenty of potential positives to take from it.
From a marketing point of view, reaching the play-offs and then having up to four games would make for great viewing and it would look great in Welcome To Wrexham, which is showing no signs of ending any time soon.
Welcome to Wrexham, which has been renewed for a fifth season, is a hugely popular and successful show. It is reported that 5 million people watch every episode of Welcome to Wrexham and what a lot of viewers love is the drama on the pitch: the play-offs is drama, and more play-off games means more drama, which means a better show.
Wrexham made £13m from commercial revenue during the 2023/24 season though that would’ve increased massively every season since, and with the club making the majority of their money through sponsorships, more publicity can only be a good thing.
From a football point of view, it would be a big boost knowing that you’d only have to finish in the top eight to reach the play-offs, rather than in the top six. Though it would be a boost for every other team though.
It’s an interesting idea and one that’s bound to split opinion among supporters. For now though, it remains just an idea.