National League Clubs write to EFL demanding 3 up, 3 down

National League clubs demand three promotion spots amid fears of delay

National League clubs want the EFL to introduce the "three-up, three-down" system between the fifth tier and League Two.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Better to be top of a division than bottom of the one above. Take Birmingham for example. So sometimes relegation is no so bad if there is a reasonable chance of getting back,

It so happens that a good mate of mine is a Brummie supporter .I'm sure he'd agree with you.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

We'll get promoted next season, then come down the season after, after finishing 3rd from bottom and Discussing about 3 up, 3 down

 

[Dutch Branch]

Interestingly there’s currently 33 clubs as far as I’m aware that gained promotion from the NL/FC since 1983, so it will be interesting to see which way they vote. Barnet last season all season were on the heels of Chesterfield only to get dumped out by Solihull in the Semi 4 zip

 

[Colchester and proud!]

I can obviously see why EFL clubs would vote against it, but at the same time if one does go down an extra promotion spot could get them back into the league much more quickly.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I get what you're saying but I think those crowds only start to build because the ownership changes and resets. Don't forget that Wrexham had 14 years in the NL with minimal crowds in comparison to the Hollywood ownership. The other clubs you mentioned all had new ownership too.

Relegation to non-league makes the whole club reset and therefore brings in a togetherness from all sides.

As you state though, the NL probably doesn't want the bigger sides having a greater opportunity of escaping the league but I guess they still would have the opportunity of capturing another one from the league above.

Our re-set was as much when Maher took over and built a connection with the town again. That was with Ron still in charge (albeit detached) rather than new ownership.

My point was as much that relegation isn’t the death of a club but an opportunity to rebuild again and that numerous clubs have come out of the experience stronger for it - I could have also cited Luton, Chesterfield, Orient, Notts County etc as well.

It’s not the one way trap door that it once was.

Personally I’d favour a play-off between third bottom EFL and winners of the NL playoffs but I suspect reducing the number of teams in the playoffs wouldn’t be popular.

 

[PIERS]

Any ex league club that voted against more promotion/relegation from the conference should be excluded from the vote

 

[Pak Power]

Interesting. Do you think if we were a league club we would have been interested in voting for this?

 

[uysapie]

I suspect that the NL clamour for 3 promotion places will be met by L2 clubs clamouring for it to remain at 2 relegation places.

 

[Holy Joe]

Personally I’d favour a play-off between third bottom EFL and winners of the NL playoffs but I suspect reducing the number of teams in the playoffs wouldn’t be popular.

So 2 automatic and 1 play off game?

Still 6 NL sides in playoffs with winner to play 3rd from bottom L2?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

So 2 automatic and 1 play off game?

Still 6 NL sides in playoffs with winner to play 3rd from bottom L2?

I’d go 2 automatic, then winner of 3v6 against winner of 4v5 for right to play team who finished 3rd bottom of EFL.

 

[Linda Loan Shark]

I bet the 1st season with 3 promotion places we go up as champions

 

[londonblue]

I’d go 2 automatic, then winner of 3v6 against winner of 4v5 for right to play team who finished 3rd bottom of EFL.

So the team that finish 3rd from bottom in League 2 get a free pass to the final? That's rewarding a season of failure with a trip to Wembley. Not for me.

Just make it 3 up and 3 down. As i said before, the only teams that will probably vote against it are the ones that are regularly at the bottom of League 2. I can't see Championship clubs worrying about it too much, for example.

 

[Liam AAS]

There were plans a few years ago to change the EFL structure to 4x 20 team leagues in with additional clubs to be incorporated from NL.

Everyone went mad at the idea but they should resurrect it along side any 3UP plans imo.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

They need to change the playoff format for the National League, to match with the EFL

 

[Danshrimper]

There were plans a few years ago to change the EFL structure to 4x 20 team leagues in with additional clubs to be incorporated from NL.

Everyone went mad at the idea but they should resurrect it along side any 3UP plans imo.

Didn’t everybody rightfully go mad at it because that particular plan involved Premier League B teams?

I don’t think anybody would have gone mad if it was essentially the same system as now but with the National League renamed League 3.

 

[Westcliff Shrimper]

There were plans a few years ago to change the EFL structure to 4x 20 team leagues in with additional clubs to be incorporated from NL.

Everyone went mad at the idea but they should resurrect it along side any 3UP plans imo.

Which had a very vocal "No to League 3" campaign against it...

(However, I think the EFL could have four divisions of 80 teams, especially if the third and fourth tiers were regionalised).

 

[Liam AAS]

Didn’t everybody rightfully go mad at it because that particular plan involved Premier League B teams?

I don’t think anybody would have gone mad if it was essentially the same system as now but with the National League renamed League 3.

Probably, I can't remember but that would certainly do it!

 

[SouthendSpence]

Which had a very vocal "No to League 3" campaign against it...

(However, I think the EFL could have four divisions of 80 teams, especially if the third and fourth tiers were regionalised).

So that would be

Champ
L1
L2N L2S
----
NLN NLS

I'm not big on regionalised leagues that high up. Although there are benefits of course, I feel like it's a big step backwards and would affect quality espeically in South, as a lot of the bigger league teams are Northern towns.

 

[Westcliff Shrimper]

So that would be

Champ
L1
L2N L2S
----
NLN NLS

I'm not big on regionalised leagues that high up. Although there are benefits of course, I feel like it's a big step backwards and would affect quality espeically in South, as a lot of the bigger league teams are Northern towns.

Article in The Athletic suggesting the south is getting more investment (especially from abroad) hence I doubt that is the case nowadays.

 

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

We'll get promoted next season, then come down the season after, after finishing 3rd from bottom and Discussing about 3 up, 3 down

That would be such a Southend United thing to do.