The promotion/relegation/play-off system is just one part of the game which has been tinkered with over recent years. I agree that they are exciting but unfair, IMO the top and bottom 3 or 4 should be promoted/relegated.
I remember when the play-offs were first introduced the team who finished 19th (4th from bottom - there were 22 teams in the top division at that time) in Division 1 (now Premiership) played the team who finished 5th in Division 2 (now Championship) over 2 legs, and the teams who finished 3rd and 4th in Division 2 did likewise. The winners of these ties played each other in a play-off final over 2 legs 2 determine who was to play in Division 1 the following season.
http://en.wikipedia.o...hampionship_play-offs
Other annoying ways the beautiful game has been tinkered with include:
*Only one cup replay game - in previous times some ties went to a 5th/6th replay!
*Penalty shoot-outs to decide semi-finals/finals - exciting but an unfair way to decide such games
*Champions League replacing European Cup - how can they call it the 'Champions' League when teams finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in their domestic leagues play in it (and win it)?.
*They've messed about with the offside rule way too much and there are far too many grey areas surrounding it
* petty yellow cards for kicking the ball away/taking shirts off for scoring, incurring the same penalty as a bad foul does