A play-off before the play-offs?

We investigate the permutations in a thrilling Sky Bet Championship promotion race involving Middlesbrough, Burnley and Brighton, including the crazy possibility of a play-off before the play-offs.

With extra revenue for Premier League clubs next season, promotion this year is reportedly worth close to £200m and after another weekend of twists and turns at the top of the Sky Bet Championship, the table paints an intriguing picture.

We are left with an astonishing state of affairs that sees Burnley, Middlesbrough and Brighton fighting for the two promotion places all locked together on 87 points.

The teams have just two rounds of fixtures left and the fact that Brighton have to travel to Middlesbrough on the final day adds extra spice to an already tantalising recipe of drama.

What happens if all three are level on points on the final day? What do the historical trends show us? And, is there a possibility of a play-off before the play-offs due to identical league records?

We take a look….Method of determining league positions?

It is widely known that if two or more clubs have the same number of points then their position will be determined on goal difference.

The goal difference rule was instigated in 1976. Previously, goal difference wasn’t used to separate teams that finished on the same points. The decider up until then was goal average, calculated by taking the number of goals scored and dividing it by the number of goals conceded.

The only period in which the goal difference tie-breaker was ditched in the Football League was between 1992 and 1999, when league positions were determined by goals scored if teams had the same points.

During that period, Wigan Athletic and Fulham finished level on 87 points at the top of the Third Division in 1996/97. Wigan were awarded the title on goals scored, though Fulham had the greater goal difference.

It reverted back to the goal difference method from the start of the 1999/2000 season.

Has goal difference ever decided a Football League …

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