English football league system: Difference between revisions

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Line 41: ==History== {{main\|History of football in England}} The world's first association football league, named simply [[English Football League\|The Football League]], was created in 1888 by [[Aston Villa]]'s club director [[William McGregor (football)\|William McGregor]]. It was dominated by those clubs who had supported professionalism. The twelve founding members were six from [[Lancashire]] ([[Accrington F.C.\|Accrington]], [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.\|Blackburn Rovers]], [[Burnley F.C.\|Burnley]], [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.\|Bolton Wanderers]], [[Everton F.C.\|Everton]] and [[Preston North End F.C.\|Preston North End]]) and six from the [[Midlands]] ([[Aston Villa F.C.\|Aston Villa]], [[Derby County F.C.\|Derby County]], [[Notts County F.C.\|Notts County]], [[Stoke City F.C.\|Stoke]], [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.\|West Bromwich Albion]] and [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.\|Wolverhampton Wanderers]]). ==About the system== Line 50: In theory, it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to achieve annual promotions and within a few years rise to the pinnacle of the English game and become champions of the [[Premier League]]. While this may be unlikely in practice (at the very least, in the short run), there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. The top five levels contain one division each and are nationwide in scope. Below this, the levels have progressively more parallel leagues, with each covering progressively smaller geographic areas. Many leagues have more than one division. At the lower levels the existence of leagues becomes intermittent, although in some of the more densely populated areas there are leagues more than twenty layers below the Premier League.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thepyramid.info/\|title=The Pyramid.info\|work=thepyramid.info\|access-date=30 October 2005\|archive-date=31 October 2005\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051031084502/http://www.thepyramid.info/\|url-status=live}}</ref> There are also leagues in various parts of the country which are not officially part of the system as they do not have formal agreements with other leagues, but are recognised at various levels by [[county football ~~association]]s~~associations. Clubs from these leagues may, if they feel they meet the appropriate standard of play and have suitable facilities, apply to join a league which does form part of the system. The six levels immediately below the Premier League and three-level [[English Football League]] are known as the [[National League System]] and come under the jurisdiction of [[The Football Association]]. In May 2014 The FA announced provisional plans for a new division between the English Football League and the National League which would include "B" teams of higher-level clubs. They later reneged on the plan to include Premier League "B" teams in the new division<ref>{{cite news\|title=EFL: Premier League B teams and 'non-English' clubs ruled out of league reforms\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37440689\|work=bbc.co.uk\|publisher=BBC\|date=22 October 2016\|access-date=13 February 2018\|archive-date=25 December 2017\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225002124/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37440689\|url-status=live}}</ref> and shortly thereafter scrapped the idea altogether.<ref>{{cite news\|title=English Football League cancels talks over 100-team plan for five divisions\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37996768\|work=bbc.co.uk\|publisher=BBC\|date=16 October 2016}}</ref> Line 74: #[[National League North]] and [[National League South]] (level 6, 24 teams each, running in parallel): The champions in each division are automatically promoted; next six teams in each division compete in play-offs, with the play-off winner in each division getting the second promotion spot, with four teams qualifying to the National League in total. The bottom four teams in each division relegated to either [[Northern Premier League]], [[Southern Football League\|Southern League]] or [[Isthmian League]] as appropriate. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the North and South divisions is not equal, one or more teams are transferred between the two divisions to even them up again based on geographic factors. #[[Northern Premier League#Current members\|Northern Premier League Premier Division]], [[Southern Football League#Premier Central\|Southern Football League Premier Central]], [[Southern Football League#Premier South\|Southern Football League Premier South]], and [[Isthmian League]] Premier Division (level 7, 22 teams each, leagues running in parallel): The champions in each division are automatically promoted; next four teams in each division compete in play-offs, with the play-off winners also promoted. The bottom four teams in each division relegated to a level 8 division as appropriate. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the divisions is not equal, one or more teams are transferred among the four divisions to even them up again. #Northern Premier League Division One East, Northern Premier League Division One Midlands, Northern Premier League Division One West, Southern Football League Division One East, Southern Football League Division One West, Isthmian League Division One North, Isthmian League Division One South Central and Isthmian League Division One South East (level 8, running in parallel, 2022 teams in each division): The champions in each division are automatically promoted; next four teams in each division compete in play-offs, with the play-off winners also promoted. The bottom ~~two~~four teams in each division are relegated to a level 9 division as appropriate. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the divisions is not equal, one or more teams are transferred between the divisions to even them up again. For the 2024–25 season, every level 8 division will expand to 22 clubs and it is intended that the number of relegations from that division will increase to four.<ref name=update>{{cite news \|title=Step 5 to 4 promotion/relegation update \|url=https://www.thefa.com/news/2023/mar/17/step-5-to-4-update \|access-date=18 April 2023 \|publisher=The FA \|date=16 March 2023 \|archive-date=18 April 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418022704/https://www.thefa.com/news/2023/mar/17/step-5-to-4-update \|url-status=live }}</ref> ==Cup eligibility== Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions. [[FA Cup]]: Levels 1 to 105 [[EFL Cup]]: Levels 1 to 4 *[[EFL Trophy]]: Levels 3 to 4 ''(16 U21 teams from clubs in Levels 1 and 2 compete since 2016–17)'' Line 98 ⟶ 96: The leagues below level four are classed as "non-League football", meaning they are outside the EFL. The leagues at levels five to ten comprise the [[National League System]] (NLS), and come under the direct jurisdiction of the Football Association. The top level (level 5) of the NLS is known as "step 1", the next (level 6) as "step 2", and so on. Until 2020, level 11 divisions were designated as "step 7", but that year were re-designated as "Regional Feeder Leagues". After the 2023–24 season, four runners-up ~~will compete~~competed in the play-offs ~~from~~ where an additional club iswas guaranteed promotion from each step 5 division, with the number of relegations from each of the eight level 8 divisions ~~to remain~~remained at two as each step 4 division ~~will increase~~increased its divisional size to 22 teams. The resulting 16 vacancies at step 5 ~~will be~~were filled by relegating only one club per level 9 division, rather than two. ~~Before~~Ahead of 2024–25, two promotions out of each step 5 division into its step 4 counterpart ~~will remain~~remained and the number of clubs automatically relegated out of each step 5 division ~~will revert~~reverted to two, reflecting a long-term FA aim to "create consistency" at each step of the NLS pyramid.<ref name=update>{{cite news \|title=Step 5 to 4 promotion/relegation update \|url=https://www.thefa.com/news/2023/mar/17/step-5-to-4-update \|access-date=18 April 2023 \|publisher=The FA \|date=16 March 2023 \|archive-date=18 April 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418022704/https://www.thefa.com/news/2023/mar/17/step-5-to-4-update \|url-status=live }}</ref> {\|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" Line 156 ⟶ 154: 7 (Step 3) \|88 \|colspan="812" width=24%\| '''[[Northern Premier League]] Premier Division'''<br/> ''22 clubs'' – 2 promotions, 4 relegations \|colspan="84" width=24%\| '''[[Southern Football League\|Southern League]] Premier Division Central'''<br/> ''22 clubs'' – 2 promotions,{{efn\|name="geography"\|Promotion to either the [[National League North]] or [[National League South]] is based on geographic factors.}} 4 relegations \|colspan="84" width=24%\| '''[[Southern Football League\|Southern League]] Premier Division South'''<br/> ''22 clubs'' – 2 promotions,{{efn\|name="geography"}} 4 relegations \|colspan="812" width=24%\| '''[[Isthmian League]] Premier Division'''<br/> ''22 clubs'' – 2 promotions, 4 relegations Line 171 ⟶ 169: \| 8 (Step 4) \|176 ~~\|160<br/>(176 in 2024–25)~~ \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Northern Premier League]] Division One East'''<br/> ''2022 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Northern Premier League]] Division One West'''<br/> ''2022 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Northern Premier League]] Division One Midlands'''<br/> ''2022 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Southern Football League\|Southern League]] Division One Central'''<br/> ''1922 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Southern Football League\|Southern League]] Division One South'''<br/> ''2022 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Isthmian League]] Division One South Central'''<br/> ''2122 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Isthmian League]] Division One North'''<br/> ''2022 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|colspan="4" width=12%\| '''[[Isthmian League]] Division One South East'''<br/> ''2022 clubs'' – 2p, 2r4r \|- \| 9 (Step 5) \|~~319~~318 \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Northern Football League\|Northern League]] Division One'''<br/>''2022 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Northern Counties East Football League\|Northern Counties East League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[North West Counties Football League\|North West Counties League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''24 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Midland Football League\|Midland League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''18 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[United Counties League]] Premier Division North'''<br/>''18 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[United Counties League]] Premier Division South'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Hellenic Football League\|Hellenic League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Spartan South Midlands League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''2018 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Wessex League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Western Football League\|Western League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''18 clubs'' — 2p, 1r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Combined Counties League]] Premier Division North'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Combined Counties League]] Premier Division South'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Eastern Counties Football League\|Eastern Counties League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Essex Senior League]]'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Southern Combination Football League\|Southern Combination League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''20 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|colspan="2" width=6%\| '''[[Southern Counties East League]] Premier Division'''<br/>''2120 clubs'' — 2p, 1r2r \|- \| 10 (Step 6) \|~~338~~340 \|colspan="16"\| [[Northern Football League\|Northern League]] Division Two – ''22 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Northern Counties East Football League\|Northern Counties East League]] League Division One – ''2322 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[North West Counties Football League\|North West Counties League]] Division One North – ''18 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[North West Counties Football League\|North West Counties League]] Division One South – ''18 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Midland Football League\|Midland League]] Division One – ''2022 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[United Counties League]] Division One – ''2220 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Hellenic Football League\|Hellenic League]] Division One – ''1922 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Spartan South Midlands League]] Division One – ''20 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> \|colspan="16"\| [[Wessex League]] Division One – ''2120 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Western Football League\|Western League]] Division One – ''22 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[South West Peninsula League]] Premier Division East – ''1716 clubs'' — 1p, 0–3r<br/> [[South West Peninsula League]] Premier Division West – ''17 clubs'' — 1p, 0–3r<br/> [[Combined Counties League]] Division One – ''2223 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Eastern Counties Football League\|Eastern Counties League]] Division One North – ''2120 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Eastern Counties Football League\|Eastern Counties League]] Division One South – ''2220 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Southern Combination Football League]] Division One – ''1820 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> [[Southern Counties East League]] Division One – ''1618 clubs'' — 2p, 0–3r<br/> \|- \| Line 486 ⟶ 484: Craven and District League Division One – ''9 clubs''<br/> Crewe and District League Premier Division – ''7 clubs''<br/> Crook and District League Division One – ''6 clubs''<br/>▼ Devon and Exeter League Division Two – ''14 clubs''<br/> [[Doncaster Saturday Football League\|Doncaster Saturday League]] Premier Division – ''8 clubs''<br/> Line 555 ⟶ 552: Coventry Alliance Division Two – ''10 clubs''<br/> Craven and District League Division Two – ''9 clubs''<br/> Cumberland County League Premier Division – ''8 clubs''<br/> Devon and Exeter Football League Division Three – ''14 clubs''<br/> Doncaster Saturday League Division One – ''7 clubs''<br/> Line 576 ⟶ 574: Leicestershire County League Championship Division – ''12 clubs'' <br /> Liverpool Old Boys' League Division Two – ''10 clubs''<br/> Mid-Lancashire Football League Premier Division – ''10 clubs''<br/> Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three North – ''10 clubs''<br/> Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three South – ''10 clubs''<br/> Line 594 ⟶ 593: Thames Valley Premier Football League Division Four – ''10 clubs''<br/> Wakefield and District League Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/> Wensleydale Football League Division One - ''9 clubs''<br/> West Sussex League Division Three Central – ''10 clubs''<br/> West Sussex League Division Three North – ''10 clubs''<br/> West Sussex League Division Three South – ''9 clubs''<br/> Westmorland Association Football League Division One – ''12 clubs''<br/> Weston-super-Mare and District Football League Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/> Wimbledon & District Football League Division One – ''10 clubs''<br/> Line 619 ⟶ 620: Coventry Alliance Division Three – ''12 clubs''<br/> Craven and District League Division Three – ''9 clubs''<br/> ▲~~Crook~~Cumberland ~~and District~~County League Division One – ''69 clubs''<br/> Devon and Exeter Football League Division Four – ''13 clubs''<br/> Dorset Football League Division Four – ''11 clubs''<br/> Line 635 ⟶ 637: Liverpool Old Boys' League Division Three – ''12 clubs''<br/> [[Mid-Essex League]] Premier Division – ''10 clubs''<br/> Mid-Lancashire Football League Division One – ''12 clubs''<br/> Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four North – ''10 clubs''<br/> Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four South – ''11 clubs''<br/> Line 649 ⟶ 652: Taunton & District Saturday League Division One – ''12 clubs''<br/> Wakefield and District League Division Two – ''11 clubs''<br/> Westmorland Association Football League Division Two – ''11 clubs''<br/> Weston-super-Mare and District Football League Division Two – ''9 clubs''<br/> Wimbledon & District Football League Division Two – ''10 clubs''<br/> Line 676 ⟶ 680: \|valign="top"\| Mid-Essex League Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/> Mid-Lancashire Football League Division Two – ''11 clubs''<br/> Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five North – ''10 clubs''<br/> Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five South – ''10 clubs''<br/> Line 691 ⟶ 696: Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Six – ''13 clubs''<br/> Taunton & District Saturday League Division Two – ''13 clubs''<br/> Westmorland Association Football League Division Three – ''11 clubs''<br/> Weston-super-Mare and District Football League Division Three – ''10 clubs''<br/> Wimbledon & District Football League Division Three – ''10 clubs''<br/> Line 716 ⟶ 722: Stroud and District League Division Five North – ''10 clubs''<br/> Stroud and District League Division Five South – ''10 clubs''<br/> Westmorland Association Football League Division Four – ''11 clubs''<br/> Weston-super-Mare and District Football League Division Four – ''12 clubs''<br/> Yorkshire Amateur League Division Five – ''12 clubs'' Line 766 ⟶ 773: {{DEFAULTSORT:England Football League System}} [[Category:Football league systems in Europe]] [[Category:Football leagues in England\| ]] [[Category:Football league systems in England]]