While he fully expects the proposal to be passed at this Saturday’s annual meeting at Celtic Manor — and appreciates the merits of the scheme from a club point of view — he believes it’s a bad idea from an overall football perspective.
Under the terms of the plan, the clubs finishing second and third would automatically qualify for the last four. The other two places would go to the winners of fourth v seventh and fifth v sixth in one-leg ties.
Semi-finals would also be over one leg, and played at the ground of the team finishing higher. The national division final would take place at Wembley. In National League North and South the finals would be hosted by the club ending the season with most points.
Sunday’s Non-League Paper featured the story as its front-page lead under the headline “It looks like a landslide! National League play-offs set to grow as clubs back revamp”. It quoted three managers and one chairman who enthusiastically backed the plan, while another chairman said his club was edging towards a yes vote.
However, all were from the south: Weston-super-Mare, Hungerford, Concord Rangers, Hemel Hempstead and Maidenhead United. John Flanagan, who is most certainly from the north, has serious doubts.
“The scheme does have its positive side and I can understand why it’s got so much support. Any ambitious club wanting to go up would say ‘yes, let’s go for it’,” said the Nash manager.
“Six-club play-offs would present a slightly better chance of promotion to a side like Curzon. If you put a good run together at the right time you could get into the top seven.
“On the other hand, if you ask me if it’s a good thing for football I would have to say no. I believe play-offs have been a really good addition to the game and there have been some very exciting matches. They keep the season going.
“But if you increase the clubs from four to six, where do you draw the line? Do you then take it to eight? I think it’s all being driven by a desire to keep the door open for the big clubs.
“York, for example, are the latest for EFL side to fall into National League North. I think this is all geared up to the benefit of clubs like them so that they get another opportunity to get back up to where they believe they should be.
“I think the play-offs work fine as they are and I would say leave them alone. But I fully expect the plan to be pushed through on Saturday.”