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{"id":51,"date":"2020-05-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/what-if-the-premier-league-became-franchised-part-2-6e467df7435f\/"},"modified":"2020-07-14T10:37:23","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T10:37:23","slug":"what-if-the-premier-league-became-franchised-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/what-if-the-premier-league-became-franchised-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What would the English Premier League look like if it moved to a franchise model? Part\u00a02"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 9<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

$\"What$ <\/div>

In my previous blog, I selected 32 teams to join my fantasy \u2018Elite UK Premier League\u2019 (as you can tell, I did not spend time on the name!) A new league which will follow the US model of divisions, conferences and a knockout-style \u2018playoff\u2019 approach.<\/p>\n

I used a range of criteria including past performance, revenue. value, size of the market and geographical location to determine the final 32 teams that made the cut.<\/p>\n

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
$\"\"$
The new league includes teams from 3 countries and covers the North, Midlands, South, and East of\u00a0England.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
$\"\"$
The 32 teams of the new UK Premier League.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
You can read how I selected these teams in my previous post below.<\/p>\n
What would the English Premier League look like if it moved to a franchise model? Part\u00a01<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"d60e\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">Divisions and conferences<\/h3>\n<p id=\"9ce8\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">In the USA, divisions are primarily based on location. For instance, the NBA has two conferences (East and West) and then 3 divisions within each, representing a geographical region in the east or west of the country.<\/p>\n<p id=\"02a9\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The NHL follows a similar approach, also having an eastern and western conference with sub-divisions within them. The MLS has two conferences but no sub-divisions. The NFL and MLB have a different structure for the conference (American and National instead of East and West) but a geographical approach for the divisions within them.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_384\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-384\" style=\"width: 737px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-384\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-3.jpg?resize=525%2C298&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-3.jpg?w=737&ssl=1 737w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-3.jpg?resize=300%2C171&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-384\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The NBA is split into a Western and Eastern conference, with 3 divisions in each.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"8c86\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--figure\">Following the regional divisions\u2019 approach<\/h4>\n<p id=\"408d\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">My plan from the beginning was to follow the regional approach to conferences and divisions in the UK Premier League too.<\/p>\n<p id=\"da3c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Here\u2019s how the league would look if it were to be sorted (as best as possible) by location.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_383\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-383\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-383\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL-2-4.png?resize=525%2C328&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL-2-4.png?w=642&ssl=1 642w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL-2-4.png?resize=300%2C187&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Northern Conference, West Division is the proverbial group of death.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"1fe5\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">Anyone that has ever followed football will notice immediately that the north-west division is stacked with quality. It includes 4 of the top 6 teams of all time based on points total and accounts for 53 league titles since the creation of the Football League in 1888, and 17 Premier League titles. The South\u200a\u2014\u200aCentral division isn\u2019t too bad either!<\/p>\n<p id=\"a24a\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">On the other hand, it would create particularly weak western division in the Southern Conference, with no current English Premier League teams.<\/p>\n<p id=\"e35c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Although the purpose of a franchise league is to create parity in the long term, the gap between the likes of Ipswich and Manchester City is enormous and may be unassailable.<\/p>\n<p id=\"acce\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I will reveal now that 2 teams from each division will make the playoffs each year. That means that at least one of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United will miss the playoffs each year and two of Bristol, Cardiff, Stoke and Swansea will be in.<\/p>\n<p id=\"a672\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This is tempting to encourage parity, but losing such a big name every year would reduce the value and appeal of the competition globally so I think I need to reconsider this approach.<\/p>\n<p id=\"e0cf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The second factor that makes this approach questionable is that the UK is tiny in comparison to the US, with the furthest distance between two teams in the new UK Premier League being 436 miles (Brighton\u2019s Amex Stadium to Rangers\u2019 Ibrox). In the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks\u2019 CenturyLink Field and the Miami Dolphins\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium are almost 3,300miles apart\u200a\u2014\u200athat\u2019s an 8-hour flight!<\/p>\n<figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_382\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-382\" style=\"width: 661px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-382\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?resize=525%2C953&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?w=661&ssl=1 661w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?resize=165%2C300&ssl=1 165w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?resize=564%2C1024&ssl=1 564w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-382\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glasgow to Brighton is a short walk compared to the longest journey in the NFL.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_381\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-381\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-381\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?resize=525%2C950&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?resize=566%2C1024&ssl=1 566w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?resize=166%2C300&ssl=1 166w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?w=663&ssl=1 663w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-381\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glasgow to Brighton is a short walk compared to the longest journey in the NFL.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"fc68\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">Based on these two factors I\u2019m going to reject the location-based approach divisions and instead do the opposite and create divisions with teams providing a spread of locations around the country.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1c8c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">As I have decided to move away from the regional split of divisions, I can\u2019t see the benefit of splitting the league into conferences either. Doing so would reduce the potential playoff matchups significantly, so I will stick with 8 divisions of 4 teams.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"10da\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Determining the divisions<\/h4>\n<p id=\"58cd\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">The fairest way to create balanced divisions is to sort the teams into 4 ranked \u2018pots\u2019 according to their current ability, so that\u2019s how I started this.<\/p>\n<p id=\"2803\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I used a combination of historic and recent performance in the league to determine which teams were in which pots. The first two pots are made up entirely of current Premier League teams. As new entrants whose ability is hard to determine due to playing in the much weaker Scottish Premiership, Celtic and Rangers are in pots 3 and 4 respectively.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"0b90\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--figure\">The draw<\/h3>\n<p id=\"d99f\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">Along with the pots I also wanted to ensure there weren\u2019t too many teams from one region in the same division, and equally that each division has a good spread across the country.<\/p>\n<p id=\"160c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Anyone familiar with the UEFA Champions League round of 16 draws will know how complicated this can get. In the Champions League, teams from the same group cannot play each other in the round of 16, nor can teams from the same country. It means that many permutations have to be accounted for.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_379\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-379\" style=\"width: 988px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-379 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?resize=525%2C295&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?w=988&ssl=1 988w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-379\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">For the champions league last-16 draw, they have different pots for all the possible options for each team.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"ebde\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">I took a simpler approach\u200a\u2014\u200aI used a random number generator and simply re-drew if it failed my criteria.<\/p>\n<p id=\"ec0e\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Firstly I randomly allocated each pot 1 team to a division. No issues there.<\/p>\n<p id=\"51fb\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I then randomly allocated each pot 2 team with the same approach.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4c55\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">For pot 3 and then pot 4, I started to bring into play my rules, so if one division was too centred around one location I would redraw. In divisions D I drew Birmingham City as the fourth team, which would have meant 3 Birmingham teams in one division! So I redrew and picked Portsmouth.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-378\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-8.png?resize=525%2C267&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-8.png?w=712&ssl=1 712w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-8.png?resize=300%2C153&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"38cf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">So there you have it\u200a\u2014\u200athe 8 divisions of the new UK Elite Premier League. If you\u2019re wondering how on earth the fixtures will work for this new league and if your team will still get to play their fiercest rivals, read on, it\u2019s coming up next.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"e757\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">The Playoffs<\/h3>\n<p id=\"a7cf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">I\u2019m going to do this slightly backwards and explain the playoff structure first as it will help set the overall structure of the league out.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6bbf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Two teams from each division will make the playoffs each year\u200a\u2014\u200aa total of 16 teams.<\/p>\n<p id=\"17f0\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I rejected the option of doing a complex playoff structure involving bye-rounds for top teams or a mini-knockout round of the lower teams.<\/p>\n<p id=\"9f45\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The winners of each division will be determined based on their points total (then head to head record against the runner up, then goal difference, then goals scored, if necessary) and will be seeded from 1\u20138 and the runners up will be seeded 9\u201316 based on their records.<\/p>\n<blockquote id=\"5e2b\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--p\"><p>A division runner up can be at highest the 9th seed, even if their points total is higher than a division winner in another division<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure>\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-377\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?resize=525%2C176&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?w=773&ssl=1 773w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?resize=300%2C101&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?resize=768%2C257&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"c821\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">In this model, the 1 seed plays the 16 seed, 2 plays 15, and so on. The 1st and 2nd seed are guaranteed not to meet until the grand final.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-376\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-376\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=525%2C218&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C426&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=300%2C125&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=768%2C319&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The playoff seeds and victors based on the English Premier League standings on 28th May 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"5568\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">The round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final will be over two legs, with the higher seed playing the second leg at home.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6800\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The final will be played on neutral territory so, at this stage, the only benefit of being number 1 seed is that you have had an easier run to the final. Oh, and in the event of a kit clash, you get to choose which kit you wear!<\/p>\n<p id=\"a1f4\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">There will be 29 playoff games for fans to watch and a team will need to navigate through 7 games to win it all.<\/p>\n<p id=\"964b\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The addition of knockout football will add an exciting new element to the league and with big rivals sitting in separate divisions, it presents plenty of opportunity for knockout rivalry matches.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"52d7\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">The regular\u00a0season<\/h3>\n<p id=\"2e9e\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">Here\u2019s where it gets a little more complicated, so bear with me!<\/p>\n<p id=\"ccd1\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I want to reduce the number of games per team to increase the meaning of each game, keep the quality high, allow for a winter break, and provide favourable scheduling to UK teams around European games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"0f48\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">There are four types of regular season fixtures on the schedule. I\u2019ll go through them all now.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"a78c\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Intra-division<\/h4>\n<p id=\"8ae1\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">Every team will play the other 3 teams in their division both at home and away, giving every team 6 intra-division fixtures per season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fb53\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Despite being kept apart from their traditional rivals, intra-division games will mean more as teams vie for playoff places, resulting in many \u20186-pointers\u2019 between teams. Wolves and Celtic or Sheffield United and Swansea might not seem like it, but they will become bitter rivals with each other due to the importance of their fixtures.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6597\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">As only the top two of each division go through to the playoffs, wins against those in your division are more important than games outside of it, as your points total is only important relative to others in your division.<\/p>\n<figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-375\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-11.png?resize=525%2C128&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-11.png?w=636&ssl=1 636w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-11.png?resize=300%2C73&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"2118\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--figure\">Rivalry<\/h4>\n<p id=\"fd17\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">The next set of fixtures is the one I\u2019m most excited about\u200a\u2014\u200athe rivalry games.<\/p>\n<blockquote id=\"d882\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--p\"><p>Oldest rivalry\u200a\u2014\u200aSecond City (Birmingham vs Aston Villa)\u200a\u2014\u200a1879<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote id=\"c0be\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--blockquote\"><p>Most games\u200a\u2014\u200aOld Firm (Glasgow vs Celtic)\u200a\u2014\u200a420<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote id=\"1283\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--blockquote\"><p>Most even\u200a\u2014\u200aTyne-Wear (Sunderland vs Newcastle)\u200a\u2014\u200a53 wins each<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote id=\"f99e\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--blockquote\"><p>Most one-sided\u200a\u2014\u200aWest London (Fulham vs Chelsea\u200a\u2014\u200a56% Chelsea win percentage<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"dfa0\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--blockquote\">Each team will be designated a mutual rival and they will play each other at home and away every season, taking the running total of fixtures up to 8 per team.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_374\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-374\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-374\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-12.jpg?resize=525%2C295&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-12.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-12.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-374\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Man United and Man City are guaranteed to play at least two games against each other per season.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"3f21\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">I went through the teams in the league and paired up the top rivalries. There\u2019s some seriously exciting matchups in there, with almost 2500 total games played between them already.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_373\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-373\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-373 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=525%2C314&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=1024%2C612&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=768%2C459&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">These matchups have already produced almost 2,500 games since 1879.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"3863\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">After determining the 14 most obvious rivalries, I was left with 4 \u2018spare\u2019 teams\u200a\u2014\u200aWest Ham, Leeds, Bristol and Stoke.<\/p>\n<p id=\"aca0\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">As regular top division teams, Leeds and West Ham have played the most games against each other (98) of the 6 fixture combinations. Leeds and West Ham are also both suffixed by \u2018United\u2019 and Bristol and Stoke are both suffixed with \u2018City\u2019. If that\u2019s not a good enough reason to make them rivals, I don\u2019t know what is.<\/p>\n<p id=\"7a87\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">So I\u2019ve added the \u2018United Derby\u2019 and the \u2018M6 + M5 Derby\u2019 (the route from Stoke to Bristol, and a terrible play on the Brighton-Crystal Palace derby name).<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-372\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=525%2C98&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"98\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=1024%2C192&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=300%2C56&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=768%2C144&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p id=\"e059\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">That\u2019s an extra 2 games per team sorted.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"d4c0\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Inter-division<\/h4>\n<p id=\"7959\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">This is a concept taken right out of the NFL. Each division will be selected to play 4 other divisions once a season\u200a\u2014\u200atwo at home and two away. This will be selected randomly for the first season and then following seasons it will rotate so that a division never goes more than one season without a matchup against another division.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"c73a\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_371\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-371\" style=\"width: 621px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-371\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-15.png?resize=525%2C299&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-15.png?w=621&ssl=1 621w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-15.png?resize=300%2C171&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-371\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Man United\u2019s inter-division fixtures, if they were selected to play divisions B and D at home and divisions C and E away.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is a further 16 games per team, taking the total for the season up to 24.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"88dc\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">The equaliser<\/h4>\n<p id=\"7d84\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">A franchised league is supposed to be unfair: favouring the weaker teams to encourage a more competitive league.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1627\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This fixture, which I\u2019ve dramatically named \u2018the equaliser\u2019 will see each team play the teams from the final 3 divisions (the ones they aren\u2019t selected to play under the \u2018inter-division\u2019 scheduling) that finished in the same position as them the season before (or by seeding for season 1).<\/p>\n<p id=\"e2b3\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Which games are at which grounds will be determined by a complex set of scheduling rules, but the idea is that no team has more than 2 away games out of the 3.<\/p>\n<p id=\"cb5e\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Staying with the Manchester United example, using the current seedings, Man United would also play Chelsea, Tottenham, and a third game against Man City.<\/p>\n<p id=\"b080\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This presents yet more high-quality through closely matched games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"326c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This gives a regular season of 27 games and a post-season of up to 7 games: 34 in total.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_370\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-370\" style=\"width: 532px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-16.png?resize=525%2C571&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-16.png?w=532&ssl=1 532w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-16.png?resize=276%2C300&ssl=1 276w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-370\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Man United will play 22 of the league\u2019s 31 other teams during the 27-match regular season.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"0e62\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">So that\u2019s how the new league is going to be set up!* What do you think? Do you like the idea of an equaliser or not? What about the rivalry games?<\/p>\n<p id=\"7684\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Let me know, I\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/p>\n<p id=\"8017\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p graf--trailing\">*This will never happen. The big caveat there to end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 9<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>In my previous blog, I selected 32 teams to join my fantasy \u2018Elite UK Premier League\u2019 (as you can tell, I did not spend time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[10,27,15,9],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-football","tag-franchise","tag-sport","tag-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What would the English Premier League look like if it moved to a franchise model? 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Part\u00a02 - Chris's Blog","og_description":"Reading Time: 9 minutesIn my previous blog, I selected 32 teams to join my fantasy \u2018Elite UK Premier League\u2019 (as you can tell, I did not spend time […]","og_url":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/what-if-the-premier-league-became-franchised-part-2\/","og_site_name":"Chris's Blog","article_published_time":"2020-05-28T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-07-14T10:37:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":700,"height":393,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UK-PL-teams.jpg?fit=700%2C393&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Chris","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chris","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/what-if-the-premier-league-became-franchised-part-2\/","url":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/what-if-the-premier-league-became-franchised-part-2\/","name":"What would the English Premier League look like if it moved to a franchise model? 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Part\u00a02"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/#website","url":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/","name":"Chris's Blog","description":"Your new go-to destination for product management content","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/#\/schema\/person\/aec441b1e5626f169374d860dbcb7be1","name":"Chris","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/32095b536369a50e188aac2d7228a04e23c4cfd4258a5beb5d33c4298cdcbf25?s=96&d=mm&r=r","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/32095b536369a50e188aac2d7228a04e23c4cfd4258a5beb5d33c4298cdcbf25?s=96&d=mm&r=r","caption":"Chris"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.chrismiles.co"],"url":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/author\/chrisjkmiles\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UK-PL-teams.jpg?fit=700%2C393&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc9CQA-P","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":391,"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions\/391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
$\"\"$
The new league includes teams from 3 countries and covers the North, Midlands, South, and East of\u00a0England.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
$\"\"$
The 32 teams of the new UK Premier League.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
You can read how I selected these teams in my previous post below.<\/p>\n
What would the English Premier League look like if it moved to a franchise model? Part\u00a01<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"d60e\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">Divisions and conferences<\/h3>\n<p id=\"9ce8\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">In the USA, divisions are primarily based on location. For instance, the NBA has two conferences (East and West) and then 3 divisions within each, representing a geographical region in the east or west of the country.<\/p>\n<p id=\"02a9\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The NHL follows a similar approach, also having an eastern and western conference with sub-divisions within them. The MLS has two conferences but no sub-divisions. The NFL and MLB have a different structure for the conference (American and National instead of East and West) but a geographical approach for the divisions within them.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_384\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-384\" style=\"width: 737px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-384\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-3.jpg?resize=525%2C298&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-3.jpg?w=737&ssl=1 737w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-3.jpg?resize=300%2C171&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-384\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The NBA is split into a Western and Eastern conference, with 3 divisions in each.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"8c86\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--figure\">Following the regional divisions\u2019 approach<\/h4>\n<p id=\"408d\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">My plan from the beginning was to follow the regional approach to conferences and divisions in the UK Premier League too.<\/p>\n<p id=\"da3c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Here\u2019s how the league would look if it were to be sorted (as best as possible) by location.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_383\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-383\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-383\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL-2-4.png?resize=525%2C328&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL-2-4.png?w=642&ssl=1 642w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL-2-4.png?resize=300%2C187&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Northern Conference, West Division is the proverbial group of death.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"1fe5\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">Anyone that has ever followed football will notice immediately that the north-west division is stacked with quality. It includes 4 of the top 6 teams of all time based on points total and accounts for 53 league titles since the creation of the Football League in 1888, and 17 Premier League titles. The South\u200a\u2014\u200aCentral division isn\u2019t too bad either!<\/p>\n<p id=\"a24a\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">On the other hand, it would create particularly weak western division in the Southern Conference, with no current English Premier League teams.<\/p>\n<p id=\"e35c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Although the purpose of a franchise league is to create parity in the long term, the gap between the likes of Ipswich and Manchester City is enormous and may be unassailable.<\/p>\n<p id=\"acce\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I will reveal now that 2 teams from each division will make the playoffs each year. That means that at least one of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United will miss the playoffs each year and two of Bristol, Cardiff, Stoke and Swansea will be in.<\/p>\n<p id=\"a672\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This is tempting to encourage parity, but losing such a big name every year would reduce the value and appeal of the competition globally so I think I need to reconsider this approach.<\/p>\n<p id=\"e0cf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The second factor that makes this approach questionable is that the UK is tiny in comparison to the US, with the furthest distance between two teams in the new UK Premier League being 436 miles (Brighton\u2019s Amex Stadium to Rangers\u2019 Ibrox). In the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks\u2019 CenturyLink Field and the Miami Dolphins\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium are almost 3,300miles apart\u200a\u2014\u200athat\u2019s an 8-hour flight!<\/p>\n<figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_382\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-382\" style=\"width: 661px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-382\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?resize=525%2C953&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?w=661&ssl=1 661w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?resize=165%2C300&ssl=1 165w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5a.jpg?resize=564%2C1024&ssl=1 564w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-382\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glasgow to Brighton is a short walk compared to the longest journey in the NFL.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_381\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-381\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-381\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?resize=525%2C950&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?resize=566%2C1024&ssl=1 566w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?resize=166%2C300&ssl=1 166w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-5b.jpg?w=663&ssl=1 663w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-381\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glasgow to Brighton is a short walk compared to the longest journey in the NFL.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"fc68\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">Based on these two factors I\u2019m going to reject the location-based approach divisions and instead do the opposite and create divisions with teams providing a spread of locations around the country.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1c8c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">As I have decided to move away from the regional split of divisions, I can\u2019t see the benefit of splitting the league into conferences either. Doing so would reduce the potential playoff matchups significantly, so I will stick with 8 divisions of 4 teams.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"10da\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Determining the divisions<\/h4>\n<p id=\"58cd\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">The fairest way to create balanced divisions is to sort the teams into 4 ranked \u2018pots\u2019 according to their current ability, so that\u2019s how I started this.<\/p>\n<p id=\"2803\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I used a combination of historic and recent performance in the league to determine which teams were in which pots. The first two pots are made up entirely of current Premier League teams. As new entrants whose ability is hard to determine due to playing in the much weaker Scottish Premiership, Celtic and Rangers are in pots 3 and 4 respectively.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"0b90\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--figure\">The draw<\/h3>\n<p id=\"d99f\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">Along with the pots I also wanted to ensure there weren\u2019t too many teams from one region in the same division, and equally that each division has a good spread across the country.<\/p>\n<p id=\"160c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Anyone familiar with the UEFA Champions League round of 16 draws will know how complicated this can get. In the Champions League, teams from the same group cannot play each other in the round of 16, nor can teams from the same country. It means that many permutations have to be accounted for.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_379\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-379\" style=\"width: 988px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-379 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?resize=525%2C295&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?w=988&ssl=1 988w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-7.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-379\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">For the champions league last-16 draw, they have different pots for all the possible options for each team.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"ebde\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">I took a simpler approach\u200a\u2014\u200aI used a random number generator and simply re-drew if it failed my criteria.<\/p>\n<p id=\"ec0e\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Firstly I randomly allocated each pot 1 team to a division. No issues there.<\/p>\n<p id=\"51fb\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I then randomly allocated each pot 2 team with the same approach.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4c55\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">For pot 3 and then pot 4, I started to bring into play my rules, so if one division was too centred around one location I would redraw. In divisions D I drew Birmingham City as the fourth team, which would have meant 3 Birmingham teams in one division! So I redrew and picked Portsmouth.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-378\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-8.png?resize=525%2C267&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-8.png?w=712&ssl=1 712w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-8.png?resize=300%2C153&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"38cf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">So there you have it\u200a\u2014\u200athe 8 divisions of the new UK Elite Premier League. If you\u2019re wondering how on earth the fixtures will work for this new league and if your team will still get to play their fiercest rivals, read on, it\u2019s coming up next.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"e757\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">The Playoffs<\/h3>\n<p id=\"a7cf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">I\u2019m going to do this slightly backwards and explain the playoff structure first as it will help set the overall structure of the league out.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6bbf\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Two teams from each division will make the playoffs each year\u200a\u2014\u200aa total of 16 teams.<\/p>\n<p id=\"17f0\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I rejected the option of doing a complex playoff structure involving bye-rounds for top teams or a mini-knockout round of the lower teams.<\/p>\n<p id=\"9f45\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The winners of each division will be determined based on their points total (then head to head record against the runner up, then goal difference, then goals scored, if necessary) and will be seeded from 1\u20138 and the runners up will be seeded 9\u201316 based on their records.<\/p>\n<blockquote id=\"5e2b\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--p\"><p>A division runner up can be at highest the 9th seed, even if their points total is higher than a division winner in another division<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure>\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-377\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?resize=525%2C176&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?w=773&ssl=1 773w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?resize=300%2C101&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-9.png?resize=768%2C257&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"c821\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">In this model, the 1 seed plays the 16 seed, 2 plays 15, and so on. The 1st and 2nd seed are guaranteed not to meet until the grand final.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-376\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-376\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=525%2C218&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C426&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=300%2C125&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?resize=768%2C319&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-10.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The playoff seeds and victors based on the English Premier League standings on 28th May 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"5568\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">The round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final will be over two legs, with the higher seed playing the second leg at home.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6800\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The final will be played on neutral territory so, at this stage, the only benefit of being number 1 seed is that you have had an easier run to the final. Oh, and in the event of a kit clash, you get to choose which kit you wear!<\/p>\n<p id=\"a1f4\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">There will be 29 playoff games for fans to watch and a team will need to navigate through 7 games to win it all.<\/p>\n<p id=\"964b\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The addition of knockout football will add an exciting new element to the league and with big rivals sitting in separate divisions, it presents plenty of opportunity for knockout rivalry matches.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"52d7\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">The regular\u00a0season<\/h3>\n<p id=\"2e9e\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">Here\u2019s where it gets a little more complicated, so bear with me!<\/p>\n<p id=\"ccd1\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">I want to reduce the number of games per team to increase the meaning of each game, keep the quality high, allow for a winter break, and provide favourable scheduling to UK teams around European games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"0f48\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">There are four types of regular season fixtures on the schedule. I\u2019ll go through them all now.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"a78c\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Intra-division<\/h4>\n<p id=\"8ae1\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">Every team will play the other 3 teams in their division both at home and away, giving every team 6 intra-division fixtures per season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fb53\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Despite being kept apart from their traditional rivals, intra-division games will mean more as teams vie for playoff places, resulting in many \u20186-pointers\u2019 between teams. Wolves and Celtic or Sheffield United and Swansea might not seem like it, but they will become bitter rivals with each other due to the importance of their fixtures.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6597\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">As only the top two of each division go through to the playoffs, wins against those in your division are more important than games outside of it, as your points total is only important relative to others in your division.<\/p>\n<figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-375\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-11.png?resize=525%2C128&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-11.png?w=636&ssl=1 636w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-11.png?resize=300%2C73&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"2118\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--figure\">Rivalry<\/h4>\n<p id=\"fd17\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">The next set of fixtures is the one I\u2019m most excited about\u200a\u2014\u200athe rivalry games.<\/p>\n<blockquote id=\"d882\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--p\"><p>Oldest rivalry\u200a\u2014\u200aSecond City (Birmingham vs Aston Villa)\u200a\u2014\u200a1879<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote id=\"c0be\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--blockquote\"><p>Most games\u200a\u2014\u200aOld Firm (Glasgow vs Celtic)\u200a\u2014\u200a420<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote id=\"1283\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--blockquote\"><p>Most even\u200a\u2014\u200aTyne-Wear (Sunderland vs Newcastle)\u200a\u2014\u200a53 wins each<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote id=\"f99e\" class=\"graf graf--blockquote graf-after--blockquote\"><p>Most one-sided\u200a\u2014\u200aWest London (Fulham vs Chelsea\u200a\u2014\u200a56% Chelsea win percentage<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"dfa0\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--blockquote\">Each team will be designated a mutual rival and they will play each other at home and away every season, taking the running total of fixtures up to 8 per team.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_374\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-374\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-374\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-12.jpg?resize=525%2C295&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-12.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-12.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-374\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Man United and Man City are guaranteed to play at least two games against each other per season.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"3f21\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">I went through the teams in the league and paired up the top rivalries. There\u2019s some seriously exciting matchups in there, with almost 2500 total games played between them already.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_373\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-373\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-373 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=525%2C314&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=1024%2C612&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?resize=768%2C459&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-13.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">These matchups have already produced almost 2,500 games since 1879.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"3863\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">After determining the 14 most obvious rivalries, I was left with 4 \u2018spare\u2019 teams\u200a\u2014\u200aWest Ham, Leeds, Bristol and Stoke.<\/p>\n<p id=\"aca0\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">As regular top division teams, Leeds and West Ham have played the most games against each other (98) of the 6 fixture combinations. Leeds and West Ham are also both suffixed by \u2018United\u2019 and Bristol and Stoke are both suffixed with \u2018City\u2019. If that\u2019s not a good enough reason to make them rivals, I don\u2019t know what is.<\/p>\n<p id=\"7a87\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">So I\u2019ve added the \u2018United Derby\u2019 and the \u2018M6 + M5 Derby\u2019 (the route from Stoke to Bristol, and a terrible play on the Brighton-Crystal Palace derby name).<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-372\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=525%2C98&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"98\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=1024%2C192&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=300%2C56&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?resize=768%2C144&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-14.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p id=\"e059\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">That\u2019s an extra 2 games per team sorted.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"d4c0\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Inter-division<\/h4>\n<p id=\"7959\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">This is a concept taken right out of the NFL. Each division will be selected to play 4 other divisions once a season\u200a\u2014\u200atwo at home and two away. This will be selected randomly for the first season and then following seasons it will rotate so that a division never goes more than one season without a matchup against another division.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"c73a\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_371\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-371\" style=\"width: 621px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-371\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-15.png?resize=525%2C299&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-15.png?w=621&ssl=1 621w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-15.png?resize=300%2C171&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-371\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Man United\u2019s inter-division fixtures, if they were selected to play divisions B and D at home and divisions C and E away.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is a further 16 games per team, taking the total for the season up to 24.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"88dc\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">The equaliser<\/h4>\n<p id=\"7d84\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h4\">A franchised league is supposed to be unfair: favouring the weaker teams to encourage a more competitive league.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1627\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This fixture, which I\u2019ve dramatically named \u2018the equaliser\u2019 will see each team play the teams from the final 3 divisions (the ones they aren\u2019t selected to play under the \u2018inter-division\u2019 scheduling) that finished in the same position as them the season before (or by seeding for season 1).<\/p>\n<p id=\"e2b3\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Which games are at which grounds will be determined by a complex set of scheduling rules, but the idea is that no team has more than 2 away games out of the 3.<\/p>\n<p id=\"cb5e\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Staying with the Manchester United example, using the current seedings, Man United would also play Chelsea, Tottenham, and a third game against Man City.<\/p>\n<p id=\"b080\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This presents yet more high-quality through closely matched games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"326c\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">This gives a regular season of 27 games and a post-season of up to 7 games: 34 in total.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_370\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-370\" style=\"width: 532px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-16.png?resize=525%2C571&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-16.png?w=532&ssl=1 532w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chrismiles.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/UKPL2-16.png?resize=276%2C300&ssl=1 276w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-370\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Man United will play 22 of the league\u2019s 31 other teams during the 27-match regular season.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n<p id=\"0e62\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">So that\u2019s how the new league is going to be set up!* What do you think? Do you like the idea of an equaliser or not? What about the rivalry games?<\/p>\n<p id=\"7684\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Let me know, I\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/p>\n<p id=\"8017\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p graf--trailing\">*This will never happen. The big caveat there to end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 9<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>In my previous blog, I selected 32 teams to join my fantasy \u2018Elite UK Premier League\u2019 (as you can tell, I did not spend time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[10,27,15,9],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-football","tag-franchise","tag-sport","tag-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What would the English Premier League look like if it moved to a franchise model? 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