Albion chief executive Paul Barber has proposed changes to the “unfair” play-off system.

He wants the Football League to build in a clearer advantage to teams finishing highest in the table and do away with ties being played over two legs.

The Seagulls were victims of the existing system this season when they finished third in the Championship, losing out to Middlesbrough for automatic promotion to the Premier League by two goals.

They were then beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Sheffield Wednesday, who finished 15 points behind them in sixth and yet face Hull in the £200 million play-off final at Wembley today.

The Argus:

Barber (pictured above) has written to the League, suggesting changes which will be discussed at their AGM in Portugal next month.

Barber, a member of the Football League Board, told The Argus: “The play-off system should change. I think the current system is unfair.

“I’ve put forward two proposals. Either the third place club automatically goes to the final and the fourth placed club waits to play the winner of fifth v sixth.

“Or, third plays fourth, the winner goes straight to the final, the loser waits for the winner of fifth v sixth and they then play each other. That way, third and fourth get two bites of the cherry, so get rewarded for finishing higher in the league.

“The downside for the League is one less game in the play-off system. The upside for the TV companies and, I think, for the fans, is they are all one-off games, decided on the night, with home advantage determined by where you finish in the league.

“It’s easy for me to say ‘We finished third on goal difference, it’s unfair’ but I would genuinely be saying it if we’d finished sixth.”

Albion were pipped for the runners-up spot by Middlesbrough on the last day of the season after Dale Stephens was controversially sent-off in a 1-1 draw.

Sheffield Wednesday, their place in the play-offs assured, fielded a reserve team for their final fixture at Wolves before establishing a 2-0 lead in the first leg of the play-offs at Hillsborough six days later as Albion lost Connor Goldson, Tomer Hemed, Steve Sidwell and Anthony Knockaert to injuries.

Barber said: “If you have fought all the way through the season to get 89 points and miss out on goal difference, to only have an advantage of being at home second when you have finished 15 points clear is not right.

The Argus:

“On top of that, we played until the 95th minute at Middlesbrough (pictured above), battling with ten men, doing everything we possibly could. Sheffield Wednesday rested ten players and then six days later we met with their players effectively having had the benefit of a two-week break and we’ve played with every part of our body to get promoted because we’d earned the right to do that.

“And yet we go into the game disadvantaged and end up with four injuries. From a sporting point of view that can’t be right.

“I know a few other people in the league feels the same as me. The system has served the league very well but when you have a situation as clearcut as this one, there is something not quite right.

“The danger is it sounds like sour grapes but it isn’t. It should be weighted towards the teams who, over 46 games, have done better.”

Barber has also queried the appointment of Premier League officials for Championship play-off games.

Albion felt hard done by when Mike Dean dismissed Stephens at Boro for a challenge on Gaston Ramirez and again in the second leg against Sheffield Wednesday at the Amex. Roger East and his assistants missed a push on Lewis Dunk as Ross Wallace equalised in the 1-1 draw.