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Neil Warnock once wanted to make a dramatic change to the Championship play-off system

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Neil Warnock and the play-offs are two of the greatest things to come out of football.

Warnock is a much-loved promotion-winning expert and has won the promotion via the Championship play-offs on four separate occasions.

As for the play-offs, they’ve delivered historic moments over the years from that Troy Deeney goal to Huddersfield Town getting promoted despite failing to score a single goal across the three games.

The play-off format has had very little change but back in 2005, Warnock was one of those who advocated for a new look to the system.

Charlton Athletic v Sheffield United
Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images

The change Neil Warnock wanted to make to the play-offs

In the format we know and love, third plays sixth and fourth plays fifth in the table, across two legs, with the side finishing highest in the semi-finals playing at home in the second leg.

Both winners of that then go to Wembley Stadium however Warnock felt that the semi-finals should’ve only been one leg to benefit the sides that finish third and fourth.

Writing for the BBC, he said: “The third and fourth placed teams could play the sides that finish fifth and sixth in a one-off semi-final game at home, with the final at Wembley.

“I just think it would be fairer. There is a lot of tension in the second leg which the higher-placed teams currently play at home.”

The 76-year-old also posited the idea of the team finishing third automatically going to the final.

“Another way would be to have the third placed team in the final straight away,” Warnock continued. “The fifth and sixth placed sides could meet to see who plays away at whoever finishes fourth.

“At the moment it is great for the sixth place team who sometimes just scrape in.

“But there should really be an advantage in place for the higher-placed teams to reflect the season they have had.”

Every time Neil Warnock has won the play-offs

There’s argument to say that Warnock is the ultimate play-off man when it comes to taking teams up.

The 76-year-old has won four promotions and has been able to do so from all three divisions.

ClubYear
Notts County1990
Notts County1991
Huddersfield Town1995
Plymouth Argyle1996
Neil Warnock’s play-off record

Two of those were with Notts County and the other two are Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle the other sides that Warnock has achieved the dream with.