NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM
Discover the best kept secret in UK sport You don’t have to be a football fan to have heard of Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool. Not so Bowers & Pitney, Hornchurch, Witton Albion and the thousand-plus others from Hadrian’s Wall to Land’s End that make up one of the best kept secrets in sport. Mark Harris Chairman, Northern Premier League, explains.
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arely written about and often unknown outside of their own villages, towns and cities, clubs in the National League System (NLS) nevertheless play an essential role in their local communities. The NLS is the umbrella term for the six levels of the English football pyramid below the English Football League (EFL), often dubbed ‘non-league’, despite every club belonging to one of 57 leagues across the country. The NLS pyramid The NLS pyramid is unique in the world of football. It enables any ambitious team to progress from parks football to the Premier League if they have the drive, facilities, and finance to do so. There is a single division at the apex of the pyramid, with the number of divisions doubling at each level downwards to Step 6. Promotion and relegation between the different steps are mandatory, with two clubs being promoted and relegated between Step 1 and League 2 every year. Different leagues manage the levels of the NLS. Each is autonomous but sanctioned by, and under the auspices of the Football Association (FA), supervised by the FA’s Alliance Committee (for Steps 1 – 4) and Leagues Committee (for Steps 5 – 6). For example, Steps 1 and 2 are managed by the National League, whilst Steps 3 and 4 comprise regional competitions – the Northern Premier, Isthmian and Southern leagues, known collectively as the Trident Leagues. The different levels of the English football pyramid can be confusing. The Premier League is the top tier of English football, so Step 1 of the NLS is the fifth tier; Step 2 is the sixth, and so on. We should probably standardise, but it sounds a lot better to say your club is playing at Step 3 than in the seventh tier! Non-league myths Most clubs who fall through the EFL trap door into the NLS look at their predecessors and shudder. After all, it took Barrow almost half a century to regain Football League status after dropping out in 1972. Southport, Workington, Bradford Park Avenue
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and, more recently, York City, are still trying. A spell in non-league can help turn clubs’ fortunes around. Bristol Rovers, Colchester United, Lincoln City and Shrewsbury Town are examples of clubs who accepted they were playing at a lower level, brushed themselves down, got on with the business of winning promotion – and succeeded. In times past, the main difference between professional football and non-league was that professionals got paid and no-league plays did it for the love of the game. This was always a fallacy but nowadays the distinction is even more blurred. Most National League clubs are full-time, and whilst all players at Steps 2 and below are part-time, some clubs like York City (National League North), South Shields (Northern Premier League and others have also gone full time in search of promotion to the higher levels of the pyramid. Laying solid foundations Although, sadly, money plays a big part in foot-
balling success at all levels, there is more to professionalism than money. The majority of NLS clubs may only get 100 fans attending games but they are often vibrant businesses. All clubs at Steps 1 – 4 are licensed to operate annually by the FA. They are required to demonstrate their viability via regular financial up-dates. They also have to up-grade stadium facilities as they progress upwards through the leagues. Thanks to financial support from the FA via the Football Foundation, hundreds of clubs have invested heavily in their facilities, up-grading spectator areas, installing 4G pitches and supporting infrastructure to generate additional income. In the NLS, twice-weekly games are just the tip of the operating iceberg. The Northern Premier League’s 81 clubs have around 3,000 adult, junior, women’s and disabled teams. Soccer schools, mental health initiatives and food banks are just a few examples of community engagement taking place now. Over 90% of our clubs have attained FA
South Shields Captain Robert Briggs signs a two-year contract extension. The 29-year-old was able to commit to the club’s full-time training regime thanks to the flexibility of his other employer.
