Southend United supremo Ron Martin has revealed he would be voting against plans to revolutionise the promotion play-off system.

Football League chiefs want to expand the number of teams who qualify for the end of season play-offs from four to six teams in Divisions One, Two and Three.

But Blues owner Martin said he was against the proposal, even if it did give Southend a better chance of escaping the basement league.

"My personal opinion is the current system works well and the proposed change is unnecessary," said Martin.

"Why should the teams which have been successful over the course of a long, hard 46-game season be subjected to an extended lottery at the end of the campaign?"

However, Martin did welcome the introduction of the salary cost management system in Division Three, structured to prevent cash-crippled clubs from over spending in the never ending hunt for promotion.

This wage capping process would only allow football clubs to allocate 60 per cent of their annual turnover to players' salaries and a further 15 per cent for off the pitch staff.

And Martin added: "I think this is a very good idea and it would certainly work to Southend United's advantage as our wage bill is already under the cut-off point."

Division Three clubs are expected to be used as guinea pigs for the salary cost management system next season, with First and Second Division sides set to follow suit at the start of the 2004/05 campaign.

Both proposals, wage capping and the play-off expansion, will be voted on at the Football League's annual meeting at Gillingham on Thursday, June 5.

Published Tuesday, April 29, 2003

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