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Promotion play-offs 2002/3
The following article is taken from the Confguide.com.
Two teams should be promoted from the Nationwide Conference to the Nationwide League at the end of this season - one as champions, and one as winners of the play-offs - although the situation is complicated by the need to meet the League's ground criteria.
Champions
The champions are the team that finishes top of the table. This shouldn't need explanation in a sane world - but it mightn't have been the case last season. In the aborted play-off system originally proposed, the 'Champions' would be the team that won the play-offs!
The winners of the Conference go automatically into League Division 3 as long as they meet the criteria. If they do not meet them, no team replaces them - a side in Division 3 will be saved from relegation.
Play-offs
The play-offs for 2002/3 chooses one team from those finishing in places 2 through 5 in the table. It's a simple system - 2nd plays 5th over two legs, 3rd plays 4th over two legs. The legs are to be played on Tuesday 29th April, and Monday 5th May (May Bank Holiday).
The two winners meet in a single-match play-off final, at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke, on Saturday May 10th. The winners of that match are promoted.
Complicating matters are the ground/finance criteria, etc. Any team that does not meet the requirements for promotion can not take part in the play-offs. If this leaves fewer than four teams taking part, byes will be used as appropriate. If, for example, the teams finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 5th pass the criteria, but the team in 4th does not, 3rd would play 5th in the play-off semis, while 2nd goes straight to the final. Contrary to some reports, numbers are NOT made-up by putting a team below 5th in the table into the play-offs.
UPDATE 14/2/02: Talks are underway looking at the possibility of including the 6th-placed team in the play-offs if one other team doesn't meet the criteria.
The money
The four play-off semi-final games will pay a share of gate money to a Conference pool. The two clubs in the final at Stoke City's Britannia Stadium will take 25% of the net gate receipts each, with the other 50% going to the pool. This should net £15,000 or more for each club not involved in the play-off system.
There will be a 'neutral' area in the Britannia Stadium for the final, and tickets for this will be made available before the finalists are known.
Sky tv coverage
Sky will show one first leg play-off semi-final live, and will show highlights of the other. For the 2nd leg, decisions will be made after results of the first games are known. The final will be shown live. The money paid for the coverage will depend on viewing figures.