Promotion from National League

[Alfie]

The Chief Executive of National League has proposed that three clubs are promoted to the Football League, to bring it in line with the rest of the game.

At the moment it is only Conference Champion plus winner of play-offs who are promoted.

The guy said: “The National League currently has 15 clubs that are former EFL clubs. These 15 clubs, along with the other clubs in the league, are being disadvantaged by this unfair structure. They are being prevented promotion on sporting merit that they would otherwise deserve and benefit from under 3UP.”

He added: "In terms of heritage, National League clubs are at the heart of towns and cities across the whole country. The majority of these clubs are over a century old and part of the fabric of their communities.”

How does National League play-offs work?

Currently there are six teams in the play-off.

Teams ranked second to the seventh position still have a chance for promotion through a play-off round. The Conference chose that method to increase interest towards tail-end of season.

The seventh-placed team face the fourth-placed side (Eliminator 1), whereas, teams ranked fifth and sixth (Eliminator 2) lock horns in two respective eliminators.

Teams which finish second and third do not participate in this round as they are awarded a direct semi-final berth.

The winner of Eliminator 1 faces the second-placed team and the victors of Eliminator 2 are pitched against the third-placed team

The two winners of the semi-final face each other in the final and the team which triumph gains qualification to EFL League Two.

Each play-off match is a knockout game. If the two teams are level at the end of regulation time, extra time is played. If the score-line fails to separate the two teams, a penalty shoot-out will take place to determine the winner.

The 7 teams in contention for promotion are: -

Barnet look a good bet for auto-promotion with York not far behind. Of late FGR have slipped out of that select group. Obviously York & Oldham would be most advantageous clubs for promotion with their good decent support.
The Football League are meeting in June and this subject will be discussed.

 

[BarraMatt]

Although a third relegation place obviously increases your chances of going down, bigger picture wise for a club like ourselves if/when we go down with the current structure I don't think we'd ever get back up, so three up three down improves that.

Before any of this is considered though, the NL must fall in line with the EFL's FFP regulations first, in my opinion.

 

[Alfie]

Although a third relegation place obviously increases your chances of going down, bigger picture wise for a club like ourselves if/when we go down with the current structure I don't think we'd ever get back up, so three up three down improves that.

Before any of this is considered though, the NL must fall in line with the EFL's FFP regulations first, in my opinion.

Please explain.
Ta

 

[BarraMatt]

Please explain.
Ta

Salaries for League One and Two clubs are capped to a percentage of the club's revenue. NL clubs can pay what they want and don't have to oblige to FFP initially for players that are already contracted upon promotion. So in theory a team in the NL could assemble a ridiculously expensive squad and have an advantage over the clubs already in the League Two (happy to be corrected if I'm wrong).

I'm sure I've read somewhere the NL are looking at implementing a similar salary cap from next season.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I think crowd wise and away crowd wise it could be a step back it’s inviting more ‘funded’ clubs with zero base to be here…..to be here.

But…….if the grounds are ok and can cope and ffp is added to stop a club with say 500 fans being here because of an owner and then milking off the rest for crowds…it seems an ok idea.

Personally I’d rather 2 up and 2 down automatically then do what they do in Scotland, teams 3-5 from conference and team 22nd in L2 in a play offs

 

[WhiteRussian]

If they do go for 3 up, 3 down then surely they have to change leage1/2 to 3 up, 3 down as well. I wouldn't be against either but I don't know how league 2 club chairmen would view it.

 

[AlanPep]

Our Chairman has already declared he’s sticking with his principles and voting for this. I think we can all see the step up from NL to EFL 2 isn’t huge, so as long as the finances / grounds etc are right, why should EFL 2 be a more “exclusive club” to join than the NL? 3 up 3 down across the board seems pretty fair to me. Guess what, the best teams will get promoted because they deserve to, and the worst will get relegated because they deserve to.

 

[hellogregory]

I've always been totally against 3 up 3 down, but I'm starting to really come round to the idea and would welcome it being put in place from next season onwards.

 

[kieran_vale]

I don't think the National League helped their cause with the EFL when they sided with the PL over abolishing cup replays.

That aside until they bring in the same cost controls the EFL clubs have to work towards (and lets be honest they're not exactly that onerous) then would keep it to two.

As for coming up this season York seemingly have games in hand but I've always taken the approach that points on the board is all anyone should ever really look at. Worst thing that league did was go to some obscure place for streaming games than keeping with TNT so no idea on the strength or otherwise of any of the teams other than to say Oldhams squad looks like Vale 21/22 redux so would like to see them succeed.

 

[Grimsby Road]

I don't think the National League helped their cause with the EFL when they sided with the PL over abolishing cup replays.

That aside until they bring in the same cost controls the EFL clubs have to work towards (and lets be honest they're not exactly that onerous) then would keep it to two.

As for coming up this season York seemingly have games in hand but I've always taken the approach that points on the board is all anyone should ever really look at. Worst thing that league did was go to some obscure place for streaming games than keeping with TNT so no idea on the strength or otherwise of any of the teams other than to say Oldhams squad looks like Vale 21/22 redux so would like to see them succeed.

I think Barnet play York soon a lot might rest on that as they both seem to win most weeks .

Agree with the replays thing that was seriously weird and seemed a bit of an f you to the efl really .

 

[Si Robin]

This evening to be precise

 

[SuperHans]

Oldham or York would be preferable

 

[EnglishRed]

Of the teams currently in the top 7 York and Oldham would be fine in L2. Barnet would do their usual yo-yoing. Sadly Forest Green would also be fine. I can't see Halifax, Gateshead or Altrincham being able to compete financially if they did come up- although part of me would like to see Alty make it as there always seems to be a lot to admire about that club.

 

[jacobncfc]

Of the teams currently in the top 7 York and Oldham would be fine in L2. Barnet would do their usual yo-yoing. Sadly Forest Green would also be fine. I can't see Halifax, Gateshead or Altrincham being able to compete financially if they did come up- although part of me would like to see Alty make it as there always seems to be a lot to admire about that club.

Altrincham could make it, I think. Their crowds are okay at NL level and with a promotion would probably push a bit above the lowest in this division.

They also have the location advantage with recruitment. Clubs near London and Manchester just have such a big pool of players to try and choose from compared to someone like Gateshead.

 

[EnglishRed]

Altrincham could make it, I think. Their crowds are okay at NL level and with a promotion would probably push a bit above the lowest in this division.

They also have the location advantage with recruitment. Clubs near London and Manchester just have such a big pool of players to try and choose from compared to someone like Gateshead.

I suppose if the likes of Morecambe and Accrington have managed it then Alty could. Their crowds aren't too bad now and definitely have the capacity to grow in the FL as you say- it's a good location for a football team.

 

[iWomble]

Salaries for League One and Two clubs are capped to a percentage of the club's revenue. NL clubs can pay what they want and don't have to oblige to FFP initially for players that are already contracted upon promotion. So in theory a team in the NL could assemble a ridiculously expensive squad and have an advantage over the clubs already in the League Two (happy to be corrected if I'm wrong).

I'm sure I've read somewhere the NL are looking at implementing a similar salary cap from next season.

Ideally this, or something similar, should happen all the way down to level 9. In our time in non-league we rarely had the biggest playing budget, even in the Combined Counties League, where AFC Wallingford and Withdean 2000 were local businessman vanity projects. Outspending us, with home gates of 3500, in front of crowds which hardly ever made 3 figures. Neither of those exist any more, of course, having merged or disbanded when the money ran out and the players left.