The Football News Thread 2025/26

[Del Woppio]

It was heavily hinted at in Feb. Rancid

 

[YoungWolf]

Oh my word

 

[Quirkafleeg]

 

[Keef]

After playing for West Ham for 7 years and leaving in the summer, Lucas Fabianski has signed for West Ham

 

[BillyDee]

To be fair, he knows the club...

 

[Derby Wolf]

I didn't have this on my bingo card

Coote charged with making indecent images of a child

Sacked referee David Coote accused of making indecent image of child

The former Premier League referee is due in court in Nottingham on Thursday.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Jack Regan]

English Championship considering promotion play-off expansion to six teams

The proposal, which has support from Championship clubs, would see teams from fifth to eighth play additional one-off preliminary games.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Just like then National League Playoffs then. ?

 

[Jack Regan]

Only one automatic promotion place in the National League so finishing 2nd doesn't guarantee promotion unlike in the championship and league 1.

Millwall finished 8th last season 24 points adrift (seven wins) of Sheffield Utd in 3rd, yet under these rules would get a chance of promotion at their expense. I can understand the appeal for the EFL with the drama the playoffs bring but no team who finishes five places off the top three should ever get promoted. The gap between the top six of the EFL and the Premier League is big enough as it is, whereas between the Conference and League 2 its nowhere near as apparent.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It would surely lead to more dead rubbers? As those sides who consolidate between say 4th and 8th would have less to play for?

 

[Sniffer]

I think it was with 3 games (?) to go last season, every team in the league could go up or down. There’s no need to mess about with it and I agree with the sentiments regarding fairness to the 3rd placed team and the quality of qualifiers.

Edit: It was 4 games to go.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You're already getting utter shite earning around 70 points and finishing 6th. Don't want even worse teams in there.

 

[jlo]

Conversely it advantages the clubs 3rd and 4th as they have more recovery time whilst 5th to 8th have a fight. An alternative to the current system would be to just lose the two legs and give the higher placed club the home advantage

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Conversely it advantages the clubs 3rd and 4th as they have more recovery time whilst 5th to 8th have a fight. An alternative to the current system would be to just lose the two legs and give the higher placed club the home advantage

Hasn't worked that way in the National League. The sides that finish higher lose all momentum while they're sitting around doing nothing for weeks.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Hasn't worked that way in the National League. The sides that finish higher lose all momentum while they're sitting around doing nothing for weeks.

Exactly.

It prolongs the season for the mid table teams, but it erodes the drama for the top 8 teams.

 

[White Wolf]

I really like the Football League play-offs as is, the change would be a downgrade. You could argue that the National League has fewer promotion spots so it's fairer etc but it's just a bit shit, you give teams who aren't very good and haven't even had a good season a chance of going up.

 

[Jinky]

Russell Holte is receiving palliative care. Horrible news.

 

[Sniffer]

Terrible news for his loved ones and no sort of age.

Hopefully they all made peace with him after his off field shenanigans.