Radical plans emerge to regionalise the EFL

CARDIFF City and Swansea City could reportedly form part of a southern division in the Championship after a radical proposal to regionalise the English Football League has emerged.

With football’s finances being hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic, this latest suggestion would see each of the three divisions below the Premier League – Championship, League One and League Two – next season divided into north and south sections as a means of cutting travel and accommodation costs.

According to a report in the Sun on Sunday, the plans would entail a series of play-off matches between the top teams in the north and the top teams in the south to determine promotion to the divisions above.

“A league revamp would involve the 12 teams in each sub-division clashing home and away before coming together for play-offs to decide promotion and perhaps relegation,” the Sun on Sunday report.

“This would, in theory, reduce the risk of the competition having to shut down in the wake of new Covid19 outbreaks. It would also cut travel and accommodation costs.”

The plans would see each team play only 11 home matches, compared to the 23 they currently play, which would represent a massive hit to both South Wales clubs in terms of match-day income.

However, the report cites that some estimates suggest it might be a year until full crowds are allowed to attend games, meaning the match-day revenue argument might be rendered somewhat moot next term as football grapples to stabilise its finances.

The proposal also has an eye on protecting the Carabao Cup, allowing the competition more space in the calendar to play the games because, at present, it looks as if it will be crowbarred into what is likely to be an extremely congested schedule next season.

Of course, this is just the latest of many suggestions pertaining to how the football landscape will be shaped when it eventually returns following the Covid-19 outbreak.

It would not be the first time such a proposal had been implemented in the Football League, from 1921 to 1958, the third tier was regionalised into north and south divisions, however the logistics of implementing such a massive overhaul in the modern climate seem extremely challenging.

In particular, having to adhere to the current broadcasting rights appears to be a particularly prominent hurdle.

However, given there will be fewer games it is thought a greater percentage of them would be made available for TV coverage to appease broadcasters as well as fans, who, as mentioned above, might not be allowed to attend games in full capacity for some time.

This, of course, might not apply to one of Cardiff or Swansea, with both clubs harbouring big ambitions to achieve promotion to the Premier League, to which this plan does not apply.

The Bluebirds sit just two points outside the play-off spots at present, with their South Wales rivals just one point behind them.

With nine games left, both Neil Harris and Steve Cooper will be hoping for a late surge into those top-six places and, of course, winning promotion that way.