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The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the FA Premier League and The Football League. It contains over 80 league competitions, and over 600 clubs and comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association. The National League System has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels. For details of leagues above and below the National League System, see the English football league system. The English football league system, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ...
The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in the UK and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system (above The Football League), making it England...
The Football League is a league competition for professional football clubs in England, the oldest such competition in world football. ...
The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England (and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man). ...
The English football league system, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ...
Recently the system has undergone a rearrangement. Phase one went into operation in 2004-05. At the start of the 2006-07 season, phase two will be introduced, and a further phase three is planned when enough suitable clubs are available for a second Step 4 league in the north of England. The 2004-2005 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England. ...
The 2006-2007 season is the 127th season of competitive football in England. ...
Organisation
At the top of the National League System pyramid is the Football Conference. Its top division, the Conference National (currently called the Nationwide Conference), is the only division in the System which is organised on a national rather than regional basis. Although the Conference is the top level of the non-league pyramid, it is not the highest level of English football (it is actually the fifth overall division). The FA Premier League and The Football League comprise the top 92 clubs in the English game, and two teams from the Conference are able to achieve promotion to the lowest division of The Football League each season. Football Conference logo The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of so-called non-league football in England. ...
Football Conference logo Conference National (often referred to as the Nationwide Conference for sponsorship reasons) is the top division of the Football Conference. ...
Nationwide Building Society is a major UK building society, the largest one in the world, and has its headquarters in Swindon, Wiltshire, South West England. ...
The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in the UK and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system (above The Football League), making it England...
The Football League is a league competition for professional football clubs in England, the oldest such competition in world football. ...
Below the Conference, the layers have progressively more leagues and cover ever smaller geographic areas. Some leagues have more than one division. At the lower levels the existence of leagues becomes intermittent, although in some areas there are as many as twenty layers.
All the leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. Clubs that are successful in their league can rise higher in the pyramid, whilst those that finish at the bottom can find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to rise to the pinnacle of the English game and become champions of the FA Premier League. While this may be unlikely in practice, there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. The number of teams promoted between leagues or divisions varies, and promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances. In particular, clubs that hope to be promoted from Step 5 leagues to Step 4 must apply in advance to be assessed for whether they meet the grading requirements. The teams must then also finish in the top 3 in their league to be considered for promotion, which is not automatic. For instance, in the 2005-06 season 100 clubs applied to be considered for promotion, of which 51 met the grading requirements, and 29 of those finished in the top 3 in their leagues (With an additional division commencing at Step 4 in 2006-07, all 29 clubs had their promotions accepted). The 2005-2006 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England. ...
The 2006-2007 season is the 127th season of competitive football in England. ...
Under the direction of The Football Association, the National League System evolved over many years. Today's pyramid can be said to be barely twenty years old. Leagues have formed and dissolved over the years and reorganisations have taken place every few years as a result. Beginning with the 2004-05 season, Phase One of the latest change was introduced with the formation of a Conference North and Conference South immediately below the Nationwide Football Conference, renamed Conference National, forcing the top divisions of the British Gas Business Southern League, Ryman Isthmian League, and UniBond Northern Premier League down one level. The 2004-2005 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England. ...
The Football Conferences logo Conference North (often referred to as Nationwide North for sponsorship reasons) is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. ...
The Football Conferences logo Conference South (often referred to as Nationwide South for sponsorship reasons) is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. ...
Southern League logo The Southern League (currently known under the terms of a sponsorship deal as the British Gas Business Football League) is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams, covering South West and South Central England, the Midlands, and parts of Wales. ...
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England. ...
The Northern Premier League logo. ...
The system This table includes the seven steps of the National League System (NLS). Above the NLS are the FA Premier League and The Football League. Two teams from the Football Conference can be promoted to Football League Two at the end of each season. This structure was the result of changes made after the 2005-06 season.. The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in the UK and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system (above The Football League), making it England...
The Football League is a league competition for professional football clubs in England, the oldest such competition in world football. ...
Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for sponsorship reasons) is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system. ...
The 2005-2006 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England. ...
The official name is given for all the leagues listed, and the sponsorship name is also provided for the leagues in the top four steps (with Nationwide being a sponsor and not a geographical reference). All divisions in the top four steps have 22 clubs each, except the Division One (which has 24). The FA's National League System Committee determine promotion and relegation between leagues shown, mainly based on location. The Northern Premier League First Division is an football league covering the north of England. ...
Football Conference logo Conference National (often referred to as the Nationwide Conference for sponsorship reasons) is the top division of the Football Conference. ...
The Football Conferences logo Conference North (often referred to as Nationwide North for sponsorship reasons) is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. ...
The Football Conferences logo Conference South (often referred to as Nationwide South for sponsorship reasons) is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. ...
The Northern Premier League logo. ...
The Northern Premier League logo. ...
Southern League logo The Southern League (currently known under the terms of a sponsorship deal as the British Gas Business Football League) is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams, covering South West and South Central England, the Midlands, and parts of Wales. ...
The Southern Football League Premier Division is a football league covering central and south western England. ...
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England. ...
The Premier Division is the top division of the Isthmian League. ...
The Northern Premier League logo. ...
The Northern Premier League First Division is an football league covering the north of England. ...
Southern League logo The Southern League (currently known under the terms of a sponsorship deal as the British Gas Business Football League) is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams, covering South West and South Central England, the Midlands, and parts of Wales. ...
The Southern Football League Division One Midlands is a football league covering the most of the Midlands. ...
Southern League logo The Southern League (currently known under the terms of a sponsorship deal as the British Gas Business Football League) is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams, covering South West and South Central England, the Midlands, and parts of Wales. ...
The Southern Football League Division One South & West is a football division covering southern and western England. ...
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England. ...
The Isthmian League First Division South was a football division of the Isthmian League in the UK for two seasons from 2003-03 till 2003-04. ...
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England. ...
The Isthmian League First Division North was a football division of the Isthmian League in the UK for two seasons from 2002-03 till 2003-04. ...
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league comprised of teams in several counties near London. ...
The Combined Counties Football League is situated in Southern England and includes teams from Middlesex, Surrey, Berkshire, Oxon, Sussex and Hampshire. ...
The Eastern Counties League (also known under a sponsorship contract as the Ridgeons League) is an English football league at level 5 of the National League System. ...
The Eastern Counties League Premier Division is the highest division in the Eastern Counties League (also known under a sponsorship contract as the Ridgeons League). ...
The Essex Senior League is an English football league covering Essex and East London. ...
The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering the Thames Valley area to the west of London. ...
Hellenic Football League Premier Division is the highest division in the Hellenic Football League, an English football league covering the Thames Valley area to the west of London. ...
The Kent League is an English football league in Kent and south east London. ...
The Kent League Premier Division is a football competition based in London, England. ...
The Midland Football Alliance (also known as the Travel Factory Alliance after its main sponsor) is an English football league covering the West Midlands region. ...
The Northern Counties East League is an English association football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland Counties League. ...
The Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division is a feeder league into the Northern Premier League Division 1. ...
Official logo The Northern League (currently sponsored by the Arngrove Insurance and known as the Arngrove Northern League) is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. ...
The Northern League Division One is the highest division in the Northern League, a level 5 league in the English football league system. ...
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the north west of England. ...
The North West Counties Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering north London and parts of the Home Counties. ...
The Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Sussex County Football League is a football league broadly covering the county of Sussex, England. ...
The Sussex County Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The United Counties Football League (also known after its sponsor as the Eagle Bitter United Counties League) is an English football league covering Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and the surrounding area. ...
The United Counties Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Sydenhams Wessex League is an English association football league at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system. ...
The Wessex League Premier Division is at Step 5 in the National League System (Level 9 in the entire English Pyramid). ...
The Western League is a football league in the south west of England. ...
The Western League is a football league in the south west of England. ...
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league comprised of teams in several counties near London. ...
The Combined Counties Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Eastern Counties League (also known under a sponsorship contract as the Ridgeons League) is an English football league at level 5 of the National League System. ...
The Eastern Counties Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering the Thames Valley area to the west of London. ...
The Hellenic Football League Division One East is a football competition based in England. ...
The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering the Thames Valley area to the west of London. ...
The Hellenic Football League Division One West is a football competition based in England. ...
The Midland Football Combination is an English association football league comprised of four divisions: Premier, First, Second, and Third. ...
The Midland Football Combination Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Northern Counties East League is an English association football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland Counties League. ...
The Northern Counties East Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
Official logo The Northern League (currently sponsored by the Arngrove Insurance and known as the Arngrove Northern League) is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. ...
The Arngrove Northern League Division Two is a football competition based in England. ...
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the north west of England. ...
The North West Counties Football League Division Two (currently known as the Moore and Co. ...
The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering north London and parts of the Home Counties. ...
The Spartan South Midlands Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Sussex County Football League is a football league broadly covering the county of Sussex, England. ...
The Sussex County Football League Division 2 is a football competition based in England. ...
The United Counties Football League (also known after its sponsor as the Eagle Bitter United Counties League) is an English football league covering Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and the surrounding area. ...
The United Counties Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Sydenhams Wessex League is an English association football league at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system. ...
The Wessex League Division One is at Step 5 in the National League System (Level 9 in the entire English Pyramid). ...
The West Midlands Regional League is a football competition based in England. ...
West Mids Regional League logo The West Midlands Regional League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Western League is a football league in the south west of England. ...
The Western Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
Official logo of the Anglian Combination The Anglian Combination Football League is an English football league that operates in the East Anglia area, also known as the Dolphin Autos Anglian Combination Football League after its principal sponsor. ...
The Anglian Combination Premier Division is a football competition based in England, and forms the top division of the Anglian Combination. ...
Official logo of league The Bedfordshire Football League is a football competition in England. ...
The Bedfordshire Football League is a football competition in England. ...
The Brighton Hove and District Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Brighton Hove and District Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Kershaw Cambridgeshire Football League is a football competition in England. ...
The Kershaw Cambridgeshire Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Central Midlands League is an English association football league covering the northeast_central part of England. ...
The Central Midlands League Supreme Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Crawley and District Football League is a football competition in England. ...
The Crawley and District Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Devon County Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
Official logo of league The Dorset Premier Football League is a football league based in Dorset, England, which sits at Step 7 of the National League System, or level 11 of the overall English football league system. ...
The East Berkshire Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The East Berkshire Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The East Sussex Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The East Sussex Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Essex and Suffolk Border Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Essex and Suffolk Border Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Baliston Essex Olympian Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Baliston Essex Olympian Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Gloucestershire County League is a football league based in England. ...
The Hertfordshire Senior County League or Herts Senior County League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Hertfordshire Senior County League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Kent County League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Kent County League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Leicestershire Senior League is a football competition based in Leicestershire in England. ...
The Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Liverpool County Premier League is a football competition based in Merseyside, England. ...
The Manchester Football League, formed in 1893, is an amateur football league for clubs in or close to Manchester, United Kingdom. ...
The Manchester Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in Manchester, England. ...
The Mid Cheshire Football League is a football competition based in Cheshire, England. ...
The Mid Cheshire Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Mid-Sussex Football League is a football competition in England. ...
The Mid-Sussex Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Middlesex County Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Middlesex County Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The North Berks Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The North Berks Football League Division One is a football competition based in England. ...
The Northamptonshire Football Combination is a football competition based in England. ...
The Northamptonshire Football Combination Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Northampton Town Football League is a football competition in England. ...
The Northampton Town Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
Official logo of NFAL. The Northern Football Alliance League is a competition based in England. ...
The Northern Football Alliance Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Oxfordshire Senior Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Oxfordshire Senior Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Peterborough and District Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Peterborough and District Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Reading Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Reading Football League Senior Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Somerset County Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Somerset County Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The South Western League is an English association football league comprised of clubs from Cornwall and the far western part of Devon. ...
The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering north London and parts of the Home Counties. ...
The Spartan South Midlands Football League Division Two is a football competition based in England. ...
Staffordshire County Senior League badge The Staffordshire County Senior League is a football competition based in Staffordshire, England. ...
The Staffordshire County Senior Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. ...
The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Senior Division is a football league based in Suffolk, England. ...
The Sussex County Football League is a football league broadly covering the county of Sussex, England. ...
The Sussex County Football League Division 3 is a football competition based in England. ...
The Wearside Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Sydenhams Wessex League is an English association football league at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system. ...
The Sydenhams Wessex League Division Two is a football competition based in England. ...
The West Cheshire Amateur Football League is an English association football league in the county of Cheshire. ...
The West Cheshire Amateur Football League Division One is a football competition based in Cheshire, England. ...
The West Lancashire Football League is a football competition in northern England. ...
The West Lancashire Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The West Sussex Football League is a football competition in England. ...
The Wiltshire Football League is a football league based in England. ...
The Wiltshire Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
The Worthing and District Football League is a football competition based in England. ...
The Worthing and District Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...
2006-07 Changes Phase Two of the current amendments to the system took place before the 2006-07 season. The Conference National was increased to 24 clubs but steps 2 and 3 remained unchanged. The 2006-2007 season is the 127th season of competitive football in England. ...
One new division has been created at step 4, to reduce the travel requirements of smaller teams, which means:
At step 5, the number of leagues should have been reduced from fifteen to twelve. It has been confirmed that the Isthmian League Division Two will be disbanded, but no other leagues have been merged or altered. It remains to be seen whether a further phase of restructuring will take place to achieve this reduction, and to look in to the structure of steps 6 and 7, and whether to officially instigate a step 8. The Isthmian League First Division (also known for sponsorship reasons as the Ryman League First Division) was part of the Isthmian League, an English association football league. ...
The Isthmian League First Division North was a football division of the Isthmian League in the UK for two seasons from 2002-03 till 2003-04. ...
The Isthmian League First Division South was a football division of the Isthmian League in the UK for two seasons from 2003-03 till 2003-04. ...
The Southern League Division One West is a football league covering western England. ...
The Southern League Division One East is a football league covering eastern England. ...
The Southern Football League Division One South & West is a football division covering southern and western England. ...
The Southern Football League Division One Midlands is a football league covering the most of the Midlands. ...
The Northern Premier League First Division is an football league covering the north of England. ...
The Isthmian League Division Two is an English football league in London and the surrounding area. ...
2007-08 Changes On 23rd November 2006, the FA Leagues Committee agreed to increase the number of Step 4 leagues to 6 for the 2007-08 season, with the new Step 4 league being administered by the Northern Premier League. Each league will have a minimum of 18 clubs, and to achieve this additional clubs will be promoted from Step 5, with the restriction that no more than 3 clubs will be promoted from any Step 5 league without that league's permission. As well as league position, promotion will be dependent upon a club applying for promotion and by achieving Ground Grading Category E (74 clubs applied to be considered for promotion by the 30th November 2006 deadline).
See also The National League System consists of a group of semi-professional football leagues in England, below the fully-professional FA Premier League and The Football League. ...
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