You might have heard of something called the play-offs, there has been talk of them this season apparently around and about the city, but did you know that a system similar to the current format was in place for six seasons in the 1890s to decide promotion and relegation issues? The Football League play-offs having of course been in place since as far as back as 1986-87 now but we have to go a long, long way back to find the first season of Test Matches in the 1892-93 campaign.
The new system being introduced due to the expanding of the Football League into two divisions after the Football Alliance merged with the Football League to form two tiers consisting of 16 first division clubs and a second division containing 12 sides. Finishing bottom of the first in 1892-93 were Newton Heath (Manchester United) and they therefore faced the second champions Small Heath (Birmingham City), the teams staying in their respective divisions after Newton Heath won a replay 5-2 following a 1-1 draw.
Notts County and Accrington, who finished above Newton Heath, being relegated though after losing to then promoted Darwen and Sheffield United respectively, that being the final straw for Accrington who ended up resigning from the league altogether. It wasn’t even that simple either as Darwen and Sheffield United only made it into the first division thanks to their success in the election process into the top tier, their results alone not being enough for straight promotion.
As for the other side to drop down into Division Two, well the Magpies didn’t enjoy their test match much the following 1893-94 season either as they lost 4-0 to the team we face at Brunton Park this evening in Preston North End, the Lilywhites thus remaining in the first division. 1894-95 meanwhile being a pretty uneventful test match season, although Liverpool, after losing 1-0 to Bury (how times change) were not re-elected into Division One while the Shakers were admitted into the elite level.
Things did take a turn in the 1895-96 campaign as a mini-league table was introduced, based on the bottom two clubs in Division One playing both the top two clubs in the second division home and away to make a total of four games. Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion finishing first and second in the table, with the Reds also making it through the election process to climb back up into the first division, while the Baggies remained there. The big losers being Division Two side Manchester City who conceded fifteen goals on their way to finishing at the foot of the mini-table.
Seemingly trying to find as many ways to work the idea as possible the test match system then took another change for the 1896-97 season. Notts County beating Sunderland home and away 1-0 on aggregate, while Burnley drew 2-2 with Newton Heath, Burnley though making it through to a final against County as they were higher ranked with being the first divison side, although the final/third place format seems the same anyway, as like the previous season it only resulted in each Division One team playing both second division clubs home and away to create a final table of four games apiece. The complicated end result seeing Notts County go up, Sunderland stay up, Burnley go down and Newton Heath stay down. Simple, apparently.
The same convoluted format got the go ahead the following 1897-98 season with Burnley again involved as the Clarets thumped rivals Blackburn 5-1 over two games to play Division One team Stoke in the final. Following the first match between them though, allied to Blackburn beating Newcastle 4-3 in the opening rubber of the other tie, it became evident that a draw between Burnley and Stoke would see those two sides gain a point apiece and therefore finish first and second in the mini-table.
Somewhat unsurprisingly then that game finished 0-0 in ‘the match without a shot at goal’, with that seemingly colluded result seeing the Football League end the test match system after six seasons in favour of automatic promotion and relegation at two up and two down. Although it did rather piddle on the chips of both Burnley and Stoke as the league also decided to expand both divisions by four clubs to 18 teams from 16 in either division. That therefore meaning the test match results that season were all but irrelevant as Blackburn stayed up and Newcastle went up anyway in the expansion move.