[MasterShake29]

It doesn't seem right to me that 44 of the 64 teams in the Third Round get there with byes instead of having to win their way in even once. So I thought of the following:

* Division 1 teams enter in Round 2 instead of Round 3.
* Division 1 is reduced to 22 teams (to 24) to avoid having too many games on the schedule.

This would open up 24 more spots in Round 2, and mean 44 of the 64 teams in Round 3 earned their way in. And perhaps restore a little more of that "magic" everyone talks about.

[Peakite]

Originally posted by MattBurlew

* Division 1 teams enter in Round 2 instead of Round 3.
* Division 1 is reduced to 22 teams (to 24) to avoid having too many games on the schedule.

And those two teams would end up ........?

[basso001]

Originally posted by MattBurlew
It doesn't seem right to me that 44 of the 64 teams in the Third Round get there with byes instead of having to win their way in even once.

Better to restore the better performing non-league teams' seeding based on their previous year's showing?

And perhaps restore a little more of that "magic" everyone talks about.

I think a lot of the magic is just in the occasional upset. Shrewsbury 2-1 Everton is pretty magical. The more interdivisional matchups you get the better.

[MasterShake29]

Obviously they would go down to D2, and so on, although whether that happens is secondary.

Just seems a bit odd that the difference between D1 and D2 is two rounds instead of one, which causes a bit of a disconnect between Rounds 2 and 3. But maybe that's just me.

[Devil_78]

And D2 would then play with 26 teams? When D1 has 22, and D3 24? A snowball surviving in hell stands more chance.

Arguements still abound about cutting the Premier to 18 teams, but the Nationwide does not want to absorb another 2 teams.

Besides, the diff between D1, and D2 is not two rounds, but most from D1 skip 2, the very bottom go in the round between

[RichardL]

Originally posted by Devil_78
And D2 would then play with 26 teams? When D1 has 22, and D3 24? A snowball surviving in hell stands more chance.

Arguements still abound about cutting the Premier to 18 teams, but the Nationwide does not want to absorb another 2 teams.

Besides, the diff between D1, and D2 is not two rounds, but most from D1 skip 2, the very bottom go in the round between

All Div 1 teams enter at Round 3. Traditionally it dates back to before WWI, when there were only 2 divisions in the football league. Football league clubs were exempt until round 3 (although it might have been called round 1 then, with the previous rounds all being qualifying rounds - I'm not sure). Only when Divisions 3 North & South (which became Divs 3 & 4, and then 2 & 3) were formed were these clubs also given an exemption. Rather than battling through the qualifying rounds as many assume, many non-league clubs are given a bye to the 4th and final qualifying round.

[MasterShake29]

No, D2 would remain at 24 teams. The "and so on" part meant that the two extra D2 teams would go to D3, the two extra D3 teams would go down to the Conference (which has 22 teams so they could keep the two extra or send the two down to the next level), etc.

I beleive this to be correct:
Conference: 4th (final) qualifying round
D2 & D3: Round 1
PL & D1: Round 3

I don't know the exact history but it wasn't always quite this cut and dry, but it is now.

[RichardL]

Originally posted by MattBurlew
No, D2 would remain at 24 teams. The "and so on" part meant that the two extra D2 teams would go to D3, the two extra D3 teams would go down to the Conference (which has 22 teams so they could keep the two extra or send the two down to the next level), etc.

I beleive this to be correct:
Conference: 4th (final) qualifying round
D2 & D3: Round 1
PL & D1: Round 3

I don't know the exact history but it wasn't always quite this cut and dry, but it is now.

well as I said earlier, it's been this way for nearly 90 years. The only slight confusion is that the premier & Div 1 (or Div 1 & 2 or old) used to both be 22 teams. There were a few years about 10 years ago when there were 46 teams in the top divisions (22 & 24) but that reduced in 1994-5, with the 2 extra being taken up by div 3 which was 22 after Aldershot & Maidstone folded.

I'm not sure if all of the conference clubs get byes to the 4th qualifying round (I think FA Cup results come into it). FA Trophy winners get a bye to the first round.