Playoff Omens - is history on our side?

Vic Park
By Albatross
May 25 2005

The history of Playoff Games goes back further than you might think - in fact back into the early days of the Football League. More recent events indicate that Hartlepool United certainly have cause to travel in hope of victory on Sunday.

The first playoffs were called "Test Matches" and were used to decide Promotion and Relegation issues between Division 1 and the newly formed Division 2 of the Football League - way back in 1893. The bottom three of Division 1 played off against the top three of Division 2; and if some today might think the playoffs are a little unfair, well the system back then meant that Newton Heath, who had finished bottom and some nine points adrift of safety, survived at the expense of Div2 champions Birmingham - while Notts County, two places above them, lost out to the third placed Darwen of Div2.

Test matches survived until 1897/8 with some modifications, before being scrapped in favour of automatic promotion and relegation. Newton Heath/Man Utd and Notts County had taken part in four series of games each by then - each being successful just once.

It was 1986/7 when the Playoffs were reintroduced, and once again there was the possibility of relegation as well as promotion involved. Charlton were the beneficiaries in Division 1, staying up; Swindon went up into Division 2, after Gillingham had condemned Sunderland to relegation; and Aldershot climbed into Division 3 after disposing of Bolton (who were relegated) and Wolves. Finals were over two legs. The relegation aspect vanished in 1988/9, while 1990/1 saw the format reach the one we now know with the introduction of a single final game.

Are there any good omens for Pools? Well a quick look at the results of Playoffs in this division since their introduction in 1986/7 certainly shows us we should have nothing to be afraid of. Teams finishing either just outside the automatic promotion spots or just inside the playoffs have the best records, with seven promotions each; and only one side that's finished in the third playoff spot have won the final - Stoke back in 2001/2.

While the odd misguided Wednesday fan may be spouting about how they deserve promotion because of the number of fans they're taking, or because they are a Big Club, the majority of the more sensible Owls will know that this will be no foregone conclusion. It's not that long ago that we beat them convincingly at the Vic - and arguably our side is stronger now, with Daly finding his feet and Porter back to full fitness after not even lasting the first ten minutes of that game. Then again they are likely to be stronger than that night as well, so we Poolies can't be overconfident either. One side that normally wears Blue and White will be celebrating on Sunday evening; I'm just hoping that it will be the Pools fans painting the town red!