History of the English football league system
Encyclopedia
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
. The NLS spans seven levels of the overall English football league system
, and consists of around 80 divisions in total.
Although many of the leagues within the National League System have been around for a long time, the System itself is a fairly recent development. It was created by The Football Association
in the 1990s to bring together various ad-hoc arrangements from around the country, and to give clubs a clear path of promotion and relegation from the lower levels of the pyramid right through to the professional leagues.
For more information on the current structure of the NLS, see the main article
.
In the late Nineteenth Century a number of different football leagues were developed. Of these, only the Football League and the Football Alliance
had national and professional pretensions. The Football Alliance was merged into the Football League in 1892, creating a two tier competition. The Northern League
(1889) and the Southern League
(1894) were the principal regional leagues, with the Southern League the stronger of the two — it provided an FA Cup
winner, Tottenham Hotspur
in 1901, whilst northern side Bradford Park Avenue
joined it in 1907, reflecting its strength. In 1920, the top division of the Southern League was merged into the Football League to form the Third Division
; the following season a further division of teams from a series of northern leagues formed the Third Division North
, with the existing league renamed the Third Division South
accordingly.
From then on, the Southern League's influence was reduced, although it remained the second strongest competition in England. In 1968, the Northern Premier League
was formed by the strongest clubs from the north of England, and after 1968, all League applicants came from either the Southern League or the Northern Premier League. The Northern League and the 1905-founded Isthmian League
remained the strongest amateur leagues. The Isthmian League covered the area around London, whilst the Northern League was concentrated in North East England
. Those two leagues dominated the FA Amateur Cup
, collecting the trophy 50 times between them from 1894 to 1974. However, as both leagues were strictly amateur, none of their clubs applied directly for League status, although occasionally teams turned professional to seek stronger challenges, such as Wimbledon, who progressed from the Isthmian League to the Football League via the Southern League. This remaining group of regional amateur and semi-professional leagues formed a patchwork across England and Wales, collectively known as "non-League football
". Non-League in this sense referred to outside of the national, professional Football League, rather than without a league. There was relatively little movement between leagues, although ambitious clubs could apply for membership of a stronger competition, often to replace a club that had folded.
Clubs in the strongest leagues could apply to join the Football League by standing in an annual election. The bottom four teams in the League's lowest division were also obliged to stand in the election, and the existing League members would vote on the four teams from all those applying. Typically, around 10–15 non-League teams applied each year, but most of them gained only a handful of votes, and between 1950 and 1979, only seven non-league clubs won election to the League at the expense of an existing League club. The teams that were successful were:
In the mid-1970s the Football Association
abolished the distinction between professionals and amateurs. The Isthmian League went on a slow process of professionalization, though even in the early 1980s many of its clubs were still amateur. The Northern League remained staunchly amateur and was eclipsed by the Northern Premier League; it refused to enter the National League System until 1991, by which stage many of its teams had defected to other leagues.
In 1979, the Alliance Premier League
was formed by a group of leading Southern League and Northern Premier League clubs. The Southern and Northern Premier Leagues became "feeder" leagues to the APL, with automatic promotion and relegation between them. The Isthmian League, while it was now becoming recognised as one of the strongest semi-professional leagues, remained outside the fledgling "pyramid". The Southern League also restructured, reducing itself from three divisions to two (running in parallel) to compensate for the loss of many of its Premier Division clubs to the new league.
One of the reasons for the creation of the APL was so that there would be a single club each year that could apply for Football League status, so as not to split the favourable votes between several clubs, as had happened in many previous years. Some years even saw the applicants receive more votes combined than any of the clubs up for re-election (including every year between 1973 and 1976).
However, the League was still reluctant to increase its turnover of clubs, and none of the early APL champions succeeded in gaining election.
In 1982, the Southern League reinstated its Premier Division, absorbing 13 clubs from various smaller regional leagues. From this season onwards, the exchange of clubs between the regional leagues and the "big three" feeder leagues increased considerably, with around 8 clubs each season being promoted to the Southern, Northern Premier or Isthmian Leagues, and around 5 being relegated (the balance being made up of clubs folding or merging).
Southern League feeders 1982–2003:
The Midland Alliance was formed in 1994 by clubs from the West Midlands (Regional) League and the Midland Combination. The Leicestershire Senior League
is currently also a feeder league to the Alliance.
The Wessex League was formed in 1986 by clubs from the Hampshire League
and from some neighbouring counties; it superseded the Hampshire League as a direct feeder for the Southern League.
Isthmian League feeders 1982–2003:
The Spartan South Midlands League was formed in 1998 by a merger of the Spartan League and the South Midlands League.
A rationalisation of feeder leagues in the north of England took place in 1982. The Northern League remained untouched, but the Yorkshire League
and the Midland League amalgamated to form the Northern Counties (East) League
, while to the west of the Pennines, the Cheshire County League
and the Lancashire Combination
joined forces to become the North West Counties League
. Both these leagues became feeders for the Northern Premier League, but without automatic promotion and relegation — clubs still had to apply to join the higher league.
Northern Premier League feeders 1982–2003:
In 1984, the Isthmian League absorbed the Athenian League, forming two parallel Second Divisions, and in 1985, it was accepted as a third feeder to the APL (although two Isthmian clubs, Dagenham
and Enfield
, had joined the APL in 1981). Each year, the champions of the APL's three feeder leagues would be promoted to the APL and the three lowest-ranking teams would be relegated down. The Southern League and Isthmian League's footprints overlapped considerably, with both having members throughout the south east of England, but despite occasional transfers between the two leagues, there was no concerted effort to fix their common boundary, and clubs in the South East were more or less free to choose which league to play in. In particular Yeovil Town
, who had been a long-standing Southern League member until they became founder members of the APL, played in the Isthmian League from 1985–88, and again from 1995–97, despite being based 100 miles from any of their opponents.
From 1987, the Conference champions were finally granted automatic promotion to the Football League. Over the next few years, the clubs relegated from the League were typically able to rebound straight away, with Lincoln City
, Darlington
and Colchester United
all gaining promotion in one or two seasons. (although Newport County, relegated in 1988, went bankrupt partway through their first Conference season).
Also in 1987, the Northern Premier League created a new First Division, with its existing clubs forming the Premier Division. Automatic promotion and relegation was then instigated with its feeder leagues.
In 1992 the Football League Fourth Division changed its name to the Third Division following the creation of the FA Premiership and the transfer to it of all the clubs of the First Division.
The Isthmian League de-regionalised its second division to create new Second and Third Divisions.
In 2003, playoffs were introduced for clubs finishing 2nd–5th in the Conference, allowing two clubs to go up to the Football League for the first time.
In 2004, the football league renamed Football League Division Three to Football League Two as part of a rebranding exercise.
In 2004, a new level was added immediately below the Football Conference, consisting of two divisions, Conference North and Conference South. The clubs for these new divisions were drawn equally from the three feeder leagues. The existing Conference division at Step 1 was renamed Conference National.
As part of the restructuring, the Isthmian League's two First Divisions were merged together, and the boundary between the Southern League and the Isthmian League was redrawn, with 12 clubs transferring from the Southern to the Isthmian, and 27 moving in the opposite direction. To make up the numbers at Step 4, no clubs were relegated and a total of 20 clubs were promoted from the Step 5 feeder leagues.
For the 2006–2007 season, the Isthmian League First Division was split back out into North and South sections again in order to reduce travel costs, in the wake of Hastings United
's complaints over these costs in 1998, causing them to drop out of the Southern league when their application to trasfer to the Ismithian was denied. The Southern League Division Ones were also rearranged slightly, and renamed as Midlands and South & West. Plans to split the Northern Premier League First Division in the same way were put on hold due to a lack of suitable clubs.
Each of the divisions at Steps 2–4 had a quota of 22 clubs, although the Northern Premier League First Division ran with 24 clubs for this season as part of the future expansion plans. The Conference National was expanded to 24 clubs, the same as the Football League's three divisions.
A total of 30 clubs were promoted from Step 5 to Step 4, including 4 from the Isthmian League Second Division. The division was then disbanded, with its remaining clubs distributed across the other Step 5 leagues in the South East. It was planned to reduce the number of divisions at that level from 15 to 12, but there was no consensus on how this should be achieved, so 2006–07 ran with fourteen Step 5 divisions, each with between eighteen and twenty-two clubs.
It was hoped that the restructuring would improve the lower levels of the system in a number of ways. There will be less travelling for the Level 8 clubs as there will be five divisions, not four. This will be of particular benefit to Midlands-based clubs who will now predominantly compete in the Southern League Division One Midlands, rather than being split between the geographically larger older divisions. There should also be less overlapping at Level 9.
Lower down the pyramid, the Liverpool County Combination
merged with the I Zingari League
to form the Liverpool County Premier League
, while the Somerset County League
split its lower levels from Division Two and Division Three to Division Two East and Division Two West. The East Cornwall Premier League changed its name to the East Cornwall League
, divided into two divisions (Premier Division and Division One). In a purely cosmetic change, the Bedford & District League became the Bedfordshire League
.
For the 2007–08 season, the Northern Premier League Division One was split into two, completing the plan of six divisions at Step 4. They were split along a North/South basis. Because each division only had 18 clubs initially, they played an unusual format, with each division being split into East and West sections. Each club played all the others in its division home and away, and will also play all the others in its section a third time, either home or away. This will give each club 42 games (rather than the 34 they would have with just a straight round-robin). The extra games are spread across the season.
Further down, the South Western League
and the Devon County League
merged to form the South West Peninsula League
. It has a Premier Division at Step 6, and Division One East and Division One West at Step 7. The new league fed directly into the Premier Division of the Western League
, in parallel with the Western League Division One. It was hoped that the new division would encourage more clubs from the West Country to move up the pyramid, without having to jump directly from local Cornwall and West Devon leagues to the Western League (which can mean journeys of over 200 miles each way).
Further down still, Step 7's Wessex League
Division Two was disbanded and its clubs returned to local leagues, including the new Hampshire Premier Football League, which would run alongside the existing Hampshire League
.
at Step 6, taking clubs from the Central Midlands League and the Leicestershire Senior League
(both at Step 7 at the time). It was to run parallel to the Northern Counties East League Division One, which was re-centered on Yorkshire, and both will feed into the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. Both the Central Midlands League and the Leicestershire Senior League will retain their current formats and their current Step 7 status for their highest divisions. The possible addition of Surrey Elite Intermediate League
at Step 7 was also announced. This included some of the best clubs from the existing Intermediate leagues in the county, some clubs dropping down from the Combined Counties League Division One, and some teams from areas adjacent to the county boundary. The FA refused to give this new league the expected Step 7 status but pledged to keep the matter under review. The Hampshire Premier League was also officially named as a Step 7 league from 2008.
was created at Step 6 to bridge the gap between the Kent League
at Step 5 and the Kent County League
at Step 7.
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
consists of a group of semi-professional football leagues in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, below the fully professional FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
and The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. The NLS spans seven levels of the overall English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
, and consists of around 80 divisions in total.
Although many of the leagues within the National League System have been around for a long time, the System itself is a fairly recent development. It was created by The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
in the 1990s to bring together various ad-hoc arrangements from around the country, and to give clubs a clear path of promotion and relegation from the lower levels of the pyramid right through to the professional leagues.
For more information on the current structure of the NLS, see the main article
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
.
Before 1979
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Fourth Division Football League Fourth Division The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season... |
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| Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
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| Southern League First Division North |
Southern League First Division South |
Isthmian League First Division |
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| Isthmian League Second Division |
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In the late Nineteenth Century a number of different football leagues were developed. Of these, only the Football League and the Football Alliance
Football Alliance
The Football Alliance was an association football league in England which ran for three seasons, from 1889–90 to 1891–92.It was formed by 12 clubs as a rival to the Football League, which had begun in the 1888–89 season, also with 12 member clubs...
had national and professional pretensions. The Football Alliance was merged into the Football League in 1892, creating a two tier competition. The Northern League
Northern League (football)
The Northern League is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. Having been founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving football league in the world after the Football League....
(1889) and the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
(1894) were the principal regional leagues, with the Southern League the stronger of the two — it provided an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in 1901, whilst northern side Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
joined it in 1907, reflecting its strength. In 1920, the top division of the Southern League was merged into the Football League to form the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
; the following season a further division of teams from a series of northern leagues formed the Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
, with the existing league renamed the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
accordingly.
From then on, the Southern League's influence was reduced, although it remained the second strongest competition in England. In 1968, the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
was formed by the strongest clubs from the north of England, and after 1968, all League applicants came from either the Southern League or the Northern Premier League. The Northern League and the 1905-founded Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
remained the strongest amateur leagues. The Isthmian League covered the area around London, whilst the Northern League was concentrated in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. Those two leagues dominated the FA Amateur Cup
FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when The Football Association abolished official amateur status.-History:...
, collecting the trophy 50 times between them from 1894 to 1974. However, as both leagues were strictly amateur, none of their clubs applied directly for League status, although occasionally teams turned professional to seek stronger challenges, such as Wimbledon, who progressed from the Isthmian League to the Football League via the Southern League. This remaining group of regional amateur and semi-professional leagues formed a patchwork across England and Wales, collectively known as "non-League football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
". Non-League in this sense referred to outside of the national, professional Football League, rather than without a league. There was relatively little movement between leagues, although ambitious clubs could apply for membership of a stronger competition, often to replace a club that had folded.
Clubs in the strongest leagues could apply to join the Football League by standing in an annual election. The bottom four teams in the League's lowest division were also obliged to stand in the election, and the existing League members would vote on the four teams from all those applying. Typically, around 10–15 non-League teams applied each year, but most of them gained only a handful of votes, and between 1950 and 1979, only seven non-league clubs won election to the League at the expense of an existing League club. The teams that were successful were:
- 1951: WorkingtonWorkington A.F.C.Workington A.F.C. is an English football club from Workington, Cumbria. They are in the Conference North, and play their home matches at Borough Park, which has a capacity of 3,101 . The club play in red, and are known locally as the Reds...
(North Eastern League) replaced New BrightonNew Brighton A.F.C.-Revived club:New Brighton A.F.C. were reborn in 1993, and joined the Birkenhead and Wirral League, which they won in their first season. In 1995 the club switched to the South Wirral League. After upgrading their new ground, the club were admitted to the Second Division of the West Cheshire League... - 1960: Peterborough UnitedPeterborough United F.C.Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
(Midland League) replaced GatesheadGateshead F.C.Gateshead Football Club are a professional Association football club, based in Gateshead, England. They currently play in the Conference National, the fifth level of the English football league system.Ian Bogie is the current manager.... - 1962: Oxford UnitedOxford United F.C.Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
(as Headington United) (Southern League) elected to fill the vacancy left by Accrington StanleyAccrington Stanley F.C.Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
's resignation - 1970: Cambridge UnitedCambridge United F.C.Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
(Southern League) replaced Bradford Park AvenueBradford Park Avenue A.F.C.Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England... - 1972: Hereford UnitedHereford United F.C.Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
(Southern League) replaced BarrowBarrow A.F.C.Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have... - 1977: WimbledonWimbledon F.C.Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
(Southern League) replaced WorkingtonWorkington A.F.C.Workington A.F.C. is an English football club from Workington, Cumbria. They are in the Conference North, and play their home matches at Borough Park, which has a capacity of 3,101 . The club play in red, and are known locally as the Reds... - 1978: Wigan AthleticWigan Athletic F.C.Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
(Northern Premier League) replaced SouthportSouthport F.C.Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
In the mid-1970s the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
abolished the distinction between professionals and amateurs. The Isthmian League went on a slow process of professionalization, though even in the early 1980s many of its clubs were still amateur. The Northern League remained staunchly amateur and was eclipsed by the Northern Premier League; it refused to enter the National League System until 1991, by which stage many of its teams had defected to other leagues.
1979–82
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Fourth Division Football League Fourth Division The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season... |
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| Alliance Premier League Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... |
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| Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Midland Division |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Southern Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
| Isthmian League First Division |
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| Isthmian League Second Division |
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In 1979, the Alliance Premier League
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
was formed by a group of leading Southern League and Northern Premier League clubs. The Southern and Northern Premier Leagues became "feeder" leagues to the APL, with automatic promotion and relegation between them. The Isthmian League, while it was now becoming recognised as one of the strongest semi-professional leagues, remained outside the fledgling "pyramid". The Southern League also restructured, reducing itself from three divisions to two (running in parallel) to compensate for the loss of many of its Premier Division clubs to the new league.
One of the reasons for the creation of the APL was so that there would be a single club each year that could apply for Football League status, so as not to split the favourable votes between several clubs, as had happened in many previous years. Some years even saw the applicants receive more votes combined than any of the clubs up for re-election (including every year between 1973 and 1976).
However, the League was still reluctant to increase its turnover of clubs, and none of the early APL champions succeeded in gaining election.
1982–84
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Fourth Division Football League Fourth Division The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season... |
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| Alliance Premier League Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... |
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| Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
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| Southern League Midland Division |
Southern League Southern Division |
Isthmian League First Division |
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| Isthmian League Second Division |
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In 1982, the Southern League reinstated its Premier Division, absorbing 13 clubs from various smaller regional leagues. From this season onwards, the exchange of clubs between the regional leagues and the "big three" feeder leagues increased considerably, with around 8 clubs each season being promoted to the Southern, Northern Premier or Isthmian Leagues, and around 5 being relegated (the balance being made up of clubs folding or merging).
Southern League feeders 1982–2003:
- West Midlands (Regional) League: 13 clubs (to 1994)
- Midland Combination: 10 clubs (to 1994)
- Midland AllianceMidland Football AllianceThe Midland Football Alliance is an English association football league for semi-professional teams. It covers Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and also southern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire...
: 7 clubs (from 1995) - United Counties League: 8 clubs
- Eastern Counties League: 5 clubs
- Hellenic LeagueHellenic Football LeagueThe Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire, western Greater London, and northern Wiltshire. There is also one team from Hampshire.The league...
: 11 clubs - Western LeagueWestern Football LeagueThe Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
: 8 clubs - Wessex LeagueWessex LeagueThe Wessex League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system...
: 7 clubs - Sussex County League: 4 clubs
- Kent LeagueKent LeagueThe Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:...
: 9 clubs - Spartan LeagueSpartan LeagueThe Spartan League was an English football league covering London and adjacent counties.Formed in 1907, the league was along with the Isthmian League and the Athenian League, one of the strong amateur competitions in the South, with three clubs reaching the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals...
: 2 clubs - Athenian LeagueAthenian LeagueThe Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was formed in 1912 with ten clubs, but had to close down in 1914 due to the onset of World War I. When it reformed in 1920, only three of the previous teams rejoined...
: 1 club - Northern Counties (East) LeagueNorthern Counties East Football LeagueThe Northern Counties East Football League is an English football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland League. The league has two divisions at present; The Premier Division and Division One which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football...
: 1 club (Shepshed Dynamo)
The Midland Alliance was formed in 1994 by clubs from the West Midlands (Regional) League and the Midland Combination. The Leicestershire Senior League
Leicestershire Senior League
The Leicestershire Senior League is a football competition based in Leicestershire, England.-History:...
is currently also a feeder league to the Alliance.
The Wessex League was formed in 1986 by clubs from the Hampshire League
Hampshire League
Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...
and from some neighbouring counties; it superseded the Hampshire League as a direct feeder for the Southern League.
Isthmian League feeders 1982–2003:
- Essex Senior League: 10 clubs
- Spartan LeagueSpartan LeagueThe Spartan League was an English football league covering London and adjacent counties.Formed in 1907, the league was along with the Isthmian League and the Athenian League, one of the strong amateur competitions in the South, with three clubs reaching the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals...
: 6 clubs (to 1997) - South Midlands LeagueSouth Midlands LeagueThe South Midlands League was an English football league covering Bedfordshire and some adjoining counties.The league was formed in 1922 as the Bedfordshire County League, changed its name to the Bedfordshire & District County League in 1924 before adopting the South Midlands League title in 1929...
: 1 club (to 1997) - Spartan South Midlands League: 2 clubs (from 1998)
- Combined Counties League: 7 clubs
- United Counties League: 1 club (Stevenage Borough, 1984)
- Hampshire LeagueHampshire LeagueHampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...
: 1 club - Eastern Counties League: 1 club
- Athenian LeagueAthenian LeagueThe Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was formed in 1912 with ten clubs, but had to close down in 1914 due to the onset of World War I. When it reformed in 1920, only three of the previous teams rejoined...
: 17 clubs (mostly in 1984 IL expansion; see below)
The Spartan South Midlands League was formed in 1998 by a merger of the Spartan League and the South Midlands League.
A rationalisation of feeder leagues in the north of England took place in 1982. The Northern League remained untouched, but the Yorkshire League
Yorkshire Football League
The Yorkshire Football League was a football competition founded in 1920 which existed until 1982 when it merged with the Midland League to become the Northern Counties East League.-Original League:...
and the Midland League amalgamated to form the Northern Counties (East) League
Northern Counties East Football League
The Northern Counties East Football League is an English football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland League. The league has two divisions at present; The Premier Division and Division One which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football...
, while to the west of the Pennines, the Cheshire County League
Cheshire County League
The Cheshire County League was a football league founded in the north west of England in 1919, drawing its teams largely from Cheshire, surrounding English counties and North Wales....
and the Lancashire Combination
Lancashire Combination
The Lancashire Combination was a football league founded in the North West of England in 1891–92. It absorbed the Lancashire League in 1903. In 1968 the Combination lost five of its clubs to the newly formed Northern Premier League...
joined forces to become the North West Counties League
North West Counties Football League
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in North west of England. As of 2011, the league covers Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Southern Cumbria, Northern Staffordshire, the High Peak area of Derbyshire, and the far west of West Yorkshire. In the past, the...
. Both these leagues became feeders for the Northern Premier League, but without automatic promotion and relegation — clubs still had to apply to join the higher league.
Northern Premier League feeders 1982–2003:
- North West Counties LeagueNorth West Counties Football LeagueThe North West Counties Football League is a football league in North west of England. As of 2011, the league covers Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Southern Cumbria, Northern Staffordshire, the High Peak area of Derbyshire, and the far west of West Yorkshire. In the past, the...
: 35 clubs (including 1987 NPL expansion) - Northern Counties (East) LeagueNorthern Counties East Football LeagueThe Northern Counties East Football League is an English football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland League. The league has two divisions at present; The Premier Division and Division One which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football...
: 18 clubs (including 1987 NPL expansion) - Northern LeagueNorthern League (football)The Northern League is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. Having been founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving football league in the world after the Football League....
: 5 clubs (from 1988?)
1984–87
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Fourth Division Football League Fourth Division The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season... |
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| Alliance Premier League Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... |
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| Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
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| Southern League Midland Division |
Southern League Southern Division |
Isthmian League First Division |
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| Isthmian League Second Division North |
Isthmian League Second Division South |
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In 1984, the Isthmian League absorbed the Athenian League, forming two parallel Second Divisions, and in 1985, it was accepted as a third feeder to the APL (although two Isthmian clubs, Dagenham
Dagenham F.C.
Dagenham F.C. was an English football club based in Dagenham. Established in 1949, the club played at Victoria Road from 1955 until its merger with Redbridge Forest in 1992 to form Dagenham & Redbridge.-History:...
and Enfield
Enfield F.C.
Enfield F.C. is a football club, formed in June 2007 after Enfield F.C. ceased to exist....
, had joined the APL in 1981). Each year, the champions of the APL's three feeder leagues would be promoted to the APL and the three lowest-ranking teams would be relegated down. The Southern League and Isthmian League's footprints overlapped considerably, with both having members throughout the south east of England, but despite occasional transfers between the two leagues, there was no concerted effort to fix their common boundary, and clubs in the South East were more or less free to choose which league to play in. In particular Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
, who had been a long-standing Southern League member until they became founder members of the APL, played in the Isthmian League from 1985–88, and again from 1995–97, despite being based 100 miles from any of their opponents.
1987–91
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Fourth Division Football League Fourth Division The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season... |
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| Football Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... |
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| Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... Premier Division Northern Premier League Premier Division The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
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| Northern Premier League First Division Northern Premier League First Division The Northern Premier League First Division was a football league covering the north of England. After the creation of Conference North/South in the 2004-05 season it sat at level 8 of the English football league system.... |
Southern League Midland Division |
Southern League Southern Division |
Isthmian League First Division |
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| Isthmian League Second Division North |
Isthmian League Second Division South |
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From 1987, the Conference champions were finally granted automatic promotion to the Football League. Over the next few years, the clubs relegated from the League were typically able to rebound straight away, with Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
, Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
and Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
all gaining promotion in one or two seasons. (although Newport County, relegated in 1988, went bankrupt partway through their first Conference season).
Also in 1987, the Northern Premier League created a new First Division, with its existing clubs forming the Premier Division. Automatic promotion and relegation was then instigated with its feeder leagues.
1991–2002
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Third Division Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two... |
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| Football Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... |
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| Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... Premier Division Northern Premier League Premier Division The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
|
| Northern Premier League First Division Northern Premier League First Division The Northern Premier League First Division was a football league covering the north of England. After the creation of Conference North/South in the 2004-05 season it sat at level 8 of the English football league system.... |
Southern League Midland Division |
Southern League Southern Division |
Isthmian League First Division |
| Isthmian League Second Division |
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| Isthmian League Third Division |
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In 1992 the Football League Fourth Division changed its name to the Third Division following the creation of the FA Premiership and the transfer to it of all the clubs of the First Division.
The Isthmian League de-regionalised its second division to create new Second and Third Divisions.
2002–04
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Third Division Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two... |
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| Football Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... |
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| Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... Premier Division Northern Premier League Premier Division The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
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| Northern Premier League First Division Northern Premier League First Division The Northern Premier League First Division was a football league covering the north of England. After the creation of Conference North/South in the 2004-05 season it sat at level 8 of the English football league system.... |
Southern League Division One West |
Southern League Division One East |
Isthmian League First Division North |
Isthmian League First Division South |
| Isthmian League Second Division |
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In 2003, playoffs were introduced for clubs finishing 2nd–5th in the Conference, allowing two clubs to go up to the Football League for the first time.
2004–06
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Two Football League Two Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
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| Step 1 | Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... National Conference National Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system... |
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| Step 2 | Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... North Conference North The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of... |
Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... South Conference South Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National... |
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| Step 3 | Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... Premier Division Northern Premier League Premier Division The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
|
| Step 4 | Northern Premier League First Division Northern Premier League First Division The Northern Premier League First Division was a football league covering the north of England. After the creation of Conference North/South in the 2004-05 season it sat at level 8 of the English football league system.... |
Southern League Division One West |
Southern League Division One East |
Isthmian League First Division |
| Step 5 | Isthmian League Second Division and 14 other feeder leagues | |||
In 2004, the football league renamed Football League Division Three to Football League Two as part of a rebranding exercise.
In 2004, a new level was added immediately below the Football Conference, consisting of two divisions, Conference North and Conference South. The clubs for these new divisions were drawn equally from the three feeder leagues. The existing Conference division at Step 1 was renamed Conference National.
As part of the restructuring, the Isthmian League's two First Divisions were merged together, and the boundary between the Southern League and the Isthmian League was redrawn, with 12 clubs transferring from the Southern to the Isthmian, and 27 moving in the opposite direction. To make up the numbers at Step 4, no clubs were relegated and a total of 20 clubs were promoted from the Step 5 feeder leagues.
2006–07
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Two Football League Two Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
|||||
| Step 1 | Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... National Conference National Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system... |
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| Step 2 | Conference North Conference North The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of... |
Conference South Conference South Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National... |
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| Step 3 | Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... Premier Division Northern Premier League Premier Division The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
||
| Step 4 | Northern Premier League First Division Northern Premier League First Division The Northern Premier League First Division was a football league covering the north of England. After the creation of Conference North/South in the 2004-05 season it sat at level 8 of the English football league system.... |
Southern League Division One Midlands |
Southern League Division One South & West |
Isthmian League First Division North |
Isthmian League First Division South |
| Step 5 | 14 feeder leagues | ||||
For the 2006–2007 season, the Isthmian League First Division was split back out into North and South sections again in order to reduce travel costs, in the wake of Hastings United
Hastings United F.C.
Hastings United is a semi-professional English football club who currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division and are affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association and the Hastings Football Association....
's complaints over these costs in 1998, causing them to drop out of the Southern league when their application to trasfer to the Ismithian was denied. The Southern League Division Ones were also rearranged slightly, and renamed as Midlands and South & West. Plans to split the Northern Premier League First Division in the same way were put on hold due to a lack of suitable clubs.
Each of the divisions at Steps 2–4 had a quota of 22 clubs, although the Northern Premier League First Division ran with 24 clubs for this season as part of the future expansion plans. The Conference National was expanded to 24 clubs, the same as the Football League's three divisions.
A total of 30 clubs were promoted from Step 5 to Step 4, including 4 from the Isthmian League Second Division. The division was then disbanded, with its remaining clubs distributed across the other Step 5 leagues in the South East. It was planned to reduce the number of divisions at that level from 15 to 12, but there was no consensus on how this should be achieved, so 2006–07 ran with fourteen Step 5 divisions, each with between eighteen and twenty-two clubs.
It was hoped that the restructuring would improve the lower levels of the system in a number of ways. There will be less travelling for the Level 8 clubs as there will be five divisions, not four. This will be of particular benefit to Midlands-based clubs who will now predominantly compete in the Southern League Division One Midlands, rather than being split between the geographically larger older divisions. There should also be less overlapping at Level 9.
Lower down the pyramid, the Liverpool County Combination
Liverpool County Football Combination
The Liverpool County Football Combination was a football league based in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 1908 and had its first season in 1909-10...
merged with the I Zingari League
I Zingari League
The I Zingari League was an amateur association football competition based in Liverpool, England which existed from 1895 .Its name means 'the gypsies' in dialecticised Italian, and I Zingari was the name of an English amateur cricket club formed in 1845, and an Australian one formed 40 years later...
to form the Liverpool County Premier League
Liverpool County Premier League
The Liverpool County Premier League is a football competition based in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 2006 as a merger of the Liverpool County Football Combination and the I Zingari League....
, while the Somerset County League
Somerset County Football League
The Somerset County Football League is a football competition based in England. It sits at step 7 of the National League System. It is a feeder to the Western League Division One and has promoted a club in five of the last seven seasons - Hengrove Athletic, Portishead, Radstock Town, Oldland...
split its lower levels from Division Two and Division Three to Division Two East and Division Two West. The East Cornwall Premier League changed its name to the East Cornwall League
East Cornwall League
The East Cornwall League is a football competition based in Cornwall and west Devon, England, in the United Kingdom. This league sits at level 12 of the English football league system...
, divided into two divisions (Premier Division and Division One). In a purely cosmetic change, the Bedford & District League became the Bedfordshire League
Bedfordshire Football League
The Bedfordshire County Football League , is an English football competition for clubs in and close to the county of Bedfordshire. It has run with five divisions since the 2009-10 season, headed by the Premier Division, which is at step 7 of the National League System...
.
2007–08
| Football League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... Two Football League Two Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
|||||||
| Step 1 | Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... National Conference National Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system... |
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| Step 2 | Conference North Conference North The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of... |
Conference South Conference South Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National... |
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| Step 3 | Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... Premier Division Northern Premier League Premier Division The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... Premier Division |
Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... Premier Division |
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| Step 4 | Northern Premier League Division One North Northern Premier League Division One North Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system... |
Northern Premier League Division One South Northern Premier League Division One South Division One South is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 4 of the National League System, placing it seven divisions below the Premier League... |
Southern League Division One Midlands |
Southern League Division One South & West |
Isthmian League First Division North |
Isthmian League First Division South |
|
| Step 5 | 14 feeder leagues | ||||||
For the 2007–08 season, the Northern Premier League Division One was split into two, completing the plan of six divisions at Step 4. They were split along a North/South basis. Because each division only had 18 clubs initially, they played an unusual format, with each division being split into East and West sections. Each club played all the others in its division home and away, and will also play all the others in its section a third time, either home or away. This will give each club 42 games (rather than the 34 they would have with just a straight round-robin). The extra games are spread across the season.
Further down, the South Western League
South Western Football League
The South Western Football League was an English association football league composed of clubs from Cornwall and the far western part of Devon. It consisted of a single division at the eleventh overall tier of the English football league system, the seventh and lowest "Step" of the official...
and the Devon County League
Devon County Football League
The Devon County Football League was a football competition based in England. It consisted of 20 clubs and sat at step 7 of the National League System....
merged to form the South West Peninsula League
South West Peninsula League
The South West Peninsula League is a league of football clubs in England, which was formed in 2007 from the merger of the Devon County League and the South Western League...
. It has a Premier Division at Step 6, and Division One East and Division One West at Step 7. The new league fed directly into the Premier Division of the Western League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
, in parallel with the Western League Division One. It was hoped that the new division would encourage more clubs from the West Country to move up the pyramid, without having to jump directly from local Cornwall and West Devon leagues to the Western League (which can mean journeys of over 200 miles each way).
Further down still, Step 7's Wessex League
Wessex League
The Wessex League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system...
Division Two was disbanded and its clubs returned to local leagues, including the new Hampshire Premier Football League, which would run alongside the existing Hampshire League
Hampshire League
Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...
.
2008–11
On 16 May 2008, the FA Leagues Committee added the East Midlands Counties LeagueEast Midlands Counties Football League
The East Midlands Counties Football League is a football league at level 10 of the football league system in England. It commenced at the start of the 2008–09 season, drawing clubs from the Central Midlands League, Leicestershire Senior League and two teams from the Northern Counties East League.On...
at Step 6, taking clubs from the Central Midlands League and the Leicestershire Senior League
Leicestershire Senior League
The Leicestershire Senior League is a football competition based in Leicestershire, England.-History:...
(both at Step 7 at the time). It was to run parallel to the Northern Counties East League Division One, which was re-centered on Yorkshire, and both will feed into the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. Both the Central Midlands League and the Leicestershire Senior League will retain their current formats and their current Step 7 status for their highest divisions. The possible addition of Surrey Elite Intermediate League
Surrey Elite Intermediate League
The Surrey Elite Intermediate League is a regional English football league for teams in the county of Surrey and neighbouring areas. It was founded in 2008. The league is situated at the 11th level of the English football league system but it has not yet been incorporated into the National League...
at Step 7 was also announced. This included some of the best clubs from the existing Intermediate leagues in the county, some clubs dropping down from the Combined Counties League Division One, and some teams from areas adjacent to the county boundary. The FA refused to give this new league the expected Step 7 status but pledged to keep the matter under review. The Hampshire Premier League was also officially named as a Step 7 league from 2008.
2011–12
As of the 2011–12 season, the Kent Invicta Football LeagueKent Invicta Football League
The Kent Invicta Football League is a football league in England, formed in 2011 to commence operations for the 2011–12 season.-Formation:Negotiations to form a new Step 6 division began in 2009 to make promotion and relegation between the Kent League and Kent County League easier, as there had...
was created at Step 6 to bridge the gap between the Kent League
Kent League
The Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:...
at Step 5 and the Kent County League
Kent County League
The Kent County League, currently known as the haart of Kent County League for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition based in Kent, England. The league has four senior divisions - a Premier Division, Division One Division Two East and West, plus reserve divisions...
at Step 7.